Il était une fois Hollywood II

Part of the joy of watching 'That's Entertainment, Part 2' is seeing the ageing Astaire and Kelly dance together again, with all the skill and the joy they put across in their respective heydays.

Part 2 doesn't just rely on clips from MGM musical productions, but also celebrates the dramatic output of this prince of studios - Tracy and Hepburn, Garbo ... - as well as two amusing segments, one on comedy (including the Marx Bros.), and one on films about composers writing songs and melodies.

Also of note is the excellent title sequence, where each artiste is represented by some kind of introduction that sums them up (Garbo by a rose, Betty Hutton and Howard Keel branded into wood, Hepburn and Tracy announced by a gong, Nelson and Jeanette as floating petals on a lake).

A little peach of a movie, and proof positive that they really don't make 'em like this anymore.

You really would think that no other film musical documentary could possibly top THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT. Come on--it's got personal appearances by a host of stars, and some of the most famous and best-loved clips ever. Including, you know, the singing in the rain bit from SINGIN' IN THE RAIN. Could it get any better?

Well, THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT II certainly tries its darned hardest to be better. Not a single clip is repeated from the first film in the trilogy, and watching this film really makes you realise just how much talent was all focused in the one studio from the 30s through to the 50s. Judy Garland admiring Fred Astaire's Easter bonnet in EASTER PARADE, Garland and Astaire sailing up the avenue as 'A Couple Of Swells' in the same film, Gene Kelly and Garland dueting on FOR ME AND MY GAL, Ann Miller and Bob Fosse in KISS ME KATE, a montage of musicals before colour, a Garland tribute, a Spencer Tracy/Katharine Hepburn love-fest... this film unabashedly brings them all (and much much more) together. There are a couple of clunkers, of course, like Bobby Van hopping like a maniacal rabbit-freak through the town, or the token Esther Williams number. But as you listen to Garland sing 'Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas', or Frank Sinatra croon his way through 'I Fall In Love Too Easily', and see Gene tap dance on skates as naturally as if he had been born with them strapped on... again you're struck with just how special an era this was in film-making, one that unfortunately is lost to the rest of us except through video and DVD.

And I know that this isn't the most popular of opinions, but I think THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT II not only matches but far surpasses the original. There was nothing special about the first film--its only gimmick was the coup it had managed in bringing all these glorious film legends back together to talk about their work. The only caveat was that the incredible personalities behind the stars just couldn't shine through except with some pretty special people... otherwise, they were all reading off a pre-written script. Kind of dampening, really.

THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT II, on the other hand, is a small but successful exercise in creativity: from the title sequence through to Gene Kelly's direction of the new footage between himself and Astaire. It's also a delight for fans of both Astaire and Kelly when these two dancing men, you know... dance together again. Sure, they're not as nimble and quicksilver as they used to be, and some of the lyrics they're singing are--well, the only word for it is corny. But there's no denying that both these men have a kind of screen charisma that doesn't disappear with time, and having them both onscreen together, singing... now that really *is* entertainment as it should be. In the final scene they tell us that the best films have the audience leaving the film with a glow. How right they are.

Quite simply, THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT II is sheer, perfect nostalgia bottled and kept simmering, just waiting for an audience. About the only flaw with it is that it simply couldn't be better than its source material... but that's also what's so good about this film. It makes you want to go out and rent all the others... and still watch it over again just to revel in Astaire and Kelly being onscreen together for the first time since 'The Babbitt and The Bromide' in ZIEGFELD FOLLIES almost three decades ago.

What more could you ask for?

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.

Gary F. Taylor, aka GFT, Amazon Reviewer

I'm an avid musical fan, and I truly lapped up the first "That's Entertainment!". I've seen it at least a dozen times, and it hardly grows old. So when I taped "That's Entertainment pt 2", I was expecting the same quality. After all, my two favorite classic Hollywood stars, Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly were hosting, so what's not to love? I was extremely disappointed when I saw it, however. It was disorganized, slow, and lacked the smoothness of its predecessor. Too many scenes will have your finger stuck on the fast-forward button in boredom. Though it's nice to see Fred and Gene dance so well at their age (they were 77 and 64 at the time, really!), their commentaries and quips are cheesy and sound terribly phony. The backdrops, special effects, and routines in between clips are silly, outdated, and reminiscent of a '70's kid show (like "Romper Room"). Why would they put two great and talented performers through such garbage? Another complaint is that some clips that looked like they were edited with a butter knife. Great scenes such as the classic stateroom scene from the Marx Bros' "A Night at the Opera" and the "Good Mornin'" number from "Singin' in the Rain" are unforgivably hacked up. And the tribute to Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy left out their final (and finest) movie together: the now classic "Guess who's Coming to Dinner". What a terrible, inexcusable waste. Still, there are some highlights: nice clips from Lena Horne singing "Lady is a Tramp", Kathryn Grayson singing "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes", Gene Kelly wooing Leslie Caron in "An American in Paris", Fred Astaire and Judy Garland's collaboration in "Easter Parade", and more Judy from "Meet Me in St. Louis". Overall, I grade "That's Entertainment, pt 2" a C-. If you want to see it, I can't stop you, but it's such a shame that Astaire and Kelly's talents and personalities were so misused in this film. My advice? Rent any of their movies or at least the ones mentioned in the documentary. Trust me, those choices, now they're entertainment.

That's Entertainment, Part II (1976)

*** (out of 4)

Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire co-host this sequel to the 1974 hit and Kelly also directed this, which would be his final time in the director's chair. Obviously this film was made because MGM made a lot of money the first time around. While many of the great classics were used in the original, this film here still offers up some classic dance and song numbers as well as showing off some MGM comic talent.

Apparently when this was released a lot of people joked at the studio's money grab by asking "what else" was in their vaults that would be good enough for a second film. Well, there was plenty more in their vaults and this film proves that. For the most part the musical numbers here aren't nearly as good as the ones shown in the original film but that was to be expected. After all, MGM put all their classics in the first film so this film here get what would be considered a second group of hits. Instead of Singin' in the Rain we get Good Morning from SINGIN' IN THE RAIN.

Clips from dozens of musicals are shown but this one here also takes it a step further and shows off the dramatic actors like Gable, Garbo, Tracy and various others as well as comedy stars like Laurel and Hardy, Abbott and Costello and The Marx Brothers. Obviously the studio was pushing more than just their music talent and for the most part all of it is entertaining, although, as with the first film, one could argue that the best way to watch any of these clips are by watching them in the context of their full films.

While there are some very good clips shown throughout the running time, a lot of people will be most entertained by Kelly and Astaire doing a few dance numbers together. Apparently these were done with a request by Astaire and it was a smart move because it's certainly the highlight.