That’s Entertainment, Part II – 1976
Director
Gene Kelly

Writer
Leonard Gershe narration

Producers
Saul Chaplin producer
Daniel Melnick producer

Cast
Fred Astaire – Himself (Narrator)
Gene Kelly – Himself (Narrator)
Judy Garland – (archive footage)
Mickey Rooney – (archive footage)
Bing Crosby – (archive footage)
Robert Taylor – (archive footage)
Greer Garson – (archive footage)
Clark Gable – (archive footage)
Kathryn Grayson – (archive footage)
Leslie Caron – (archive footage)
Jeanette MacDonald – (archive footage)
Nelson Eddy – (archive footage)
Doris Day – (archive footage)
Ann Miller – (archive footage)
Ann Sothern – (archive footage)
Frank Sinatra – (archive footage)
Jimmy Durante – (archive footage)
Eleanor Powell – (archive footage)
John Barrymore – (archive footage)
Louis Armstrong – (archive footage)
Joan Crawford – (archive footage)
Ronald Colman – (archive footage)
Elizabeth Taylor – (archive footage)
William Powell – (archive footage)
Jean Harlow – (archive footage)
Melvyn Douglas – (archive footage)
Greta Garbo – (archive footage)
Esther Williams – (archive footage)
Johnny Weissmuller – (archive footage)
Ethel Waters – (archive footage)
W.C. Fields – (archive footage)
Bud Abbott – (archive footage) (as Abbott)
Lou Costello – (archive footage) (as Costello)
Jack Benny – (archive footage)
Robert Benchley – (archive footage)
Stan Laurel – (archive footage) (as Laurel)
Oliver Hardy – (archive footage) (as Hardy)
Allan Jones – (archive footage)
Chico Marx – (archive footage) (as The Marx Brothers)
Groucho Marx – (archive footage) (as The Marx Brothers)
Harpo Marx – (archive footage) (as The Marx Brothers)
Nanette Fabray – (archive footage)
Lena Horne – (archive footage)
Debbie Reynolds – (archive footage)
Ginger Rogers – (archive footage)
Bobby Van – (archive footage)
Marge Champion – (archive footage)
Gower Champion – (archive footage)
Grace Kelly – (archive footage)
Donald O’Connor – (archive footage)
Cyd Charisse – (archive footage)
Dinah Shore – (archive footage)
Betty Hutton – (archive footage)
Howard Keel – (archive footage)
Spencer Tracy – (archive footage)
Katharine Hepburn – (archive footage)
Eddie ‘Rochester’ Anderson – Appearance (archive footage)
Lew Ayres – Appearance (archive footage)
Lionel Barrymore – Appearance (archive footage)
Constance Bennett – Appearance (archive footage)
Jack Buchanan – Appearance (archive footage)
Sammy Cahn – Appearance (archive footage)
Louis Calhern – Appearance (archive footage)
Maurice Chevalier – Appearance (archive footage)
Dan Dailey – Appearance (archive footage)
Tom Drake – Appearance (archive footage)
Marie Dressler – Appearance (archive footage)
Margaret Dumont – Appearance (archive footage)
Bob Fosse – Appearance (archive footage)
Hermione Gingold – Appearance (archive footage)
Cary Grant – Appearance (archive footage)
Fernand Gravey – Appearance (archive footage) (as Fernand Gravet)
Georges Guétary – Appearance (archive footage) (as Georges Guetary)
Judy Holliday – Appearance (archive footage)
June Knight – Appearance (archive footage)
Miliza Korjus – Appearance (archive footage)
Vivien Leigh – Appearance (archive footage) (as Vivian Leigh)
Oscar Levant – Appearance (archive footage)
Myrna Loy – Appearance (archive footage)
Roddy McDowall – Himself (archive footage)
Robert Montgomery – Appearance (archive footage)
Maureen O’Sullivan – Appearance (archive footage)
Walter Pidgeon – Appearance (archive footage)
Tommy Rall – Appearance (archive footage)
Al Shean – Appearance (archive footage)
Red Skelton – Appearance (archive footage)
James Stewart – Appearance (archive footage)
Lewis Stone – Appearance (archive footage)
Franchot Tone – Appearance (archive footage)
Lana Turner – Appearance (archive footage)
Gwen Verdon – Appearance (archive footage)
David Wayne – Appearance (archive footage)
Keenan Wynn – Appearance (archive footage)
Robert Young – Appearance (archive footage)
James Cagney – Appearance (archive footage) (uncredited)
Betty Garrett – Herself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Carol Haney – Appearance (archive footage) (uncredited)

Review by Gary F Taylor

That’s Entertainment, Part II (1976)

Great Clips, Lousy Organization, Rotten Editing,
Like its predecessor, THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT II offers two hours of film clips from memorable MGM movies featuring the likes of Judy Garland, Bing Crosby, Lena Horne, Louis Armstrong, and Doris Day. Unlike its predecessor, which organized the film clips into thematic sequences introduced by different MGM stars, THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT just throws the clips out willynilly without much rhyme or reason–and saddles narrators Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly with some of the clunkiest, corniest material imaginable. In consequence, it lacks the cohesion and the excitement of the original.

But it still has its charms. Many of the individual clips are knock-outs: Ethel Waters performing “Taking a Chance on Love” from CABIN IN THE SKY, Bobby Van doing the famous “hop dance” from SMALL TOWN GIRL, Judy Garland belting out “I Got Rhythm” from GIRL CRAZY. In addition to such musical treats, the film also offers a look at the Marx Brothers with the famous “State Room Scene” from A NIGHT AT THE OPERA, a sequence of famous lines from famous films (such as Garbo’s “I want to be alone”), and an extended tribute to Spenser Tracy and Katherine Hepburn. Most viewers will probably feel the film drags due to the uneven way in which the scenes are introduced and edited together, but just about every one will find plenty to enjoy. Recommended with reservations.

That’s Entertainment Part II (1976)

Review by Wayne Malin

Almost as good as Part 1,
Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire introduce more wonderful numbers from MGM musicals. This time drama and comedy clips have been added.

OK–there was no way this could be as good as Part 1. Most of the good material had been used there already. Also Astaire and Kelly were given some dreadful new lyrics to classic songs to sing and their introductions to segments were just terrible. It was NOT a good idea to have them dancing either. And I could have lived without the travelogue of Paris. Still, there’s plenty of incredible material here.

Among the highlights: Wonderful opening credits (done by Saul Bass); Eleanor Powell tap-dancing; Greta Grabo dancing (!!); Robert Taylor singing (!!!); the Marx Brothers stateroom sequence from “A Night at the Opera” (unfortunately edited); From This Moments On from “Kiss Me Kate”; early Bing Crosby; Abbott & Costello; Tales from the Vienna Woods (which is actually pretty funny); Judy Garland singing “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas”; clips of dramatic and comedic stars; the I’ll Build A Stairway to Paradise number; Bobby Van from “Small Town Girl”; etc etc.

The clips are put together without rhyme or reason–but that helps. You never know what’s coming next. Worth catching but try to see the first one too.