That's Entertainment! (1974) forever changed the trajectory of my life. That is not hyperbole. As a child, I shared with my older brother an early phobia of movies with fictional storylines or character drama and emotion. Determined to introduce me to classic MGM movie musicals as early as possible, my mother bought the DVDs for the That's Entertainment film trilogy (1974-1994), a series of compilation movies made up of the greatest tunes, scenes, and musical numbers from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's classic movie musicals from the 1920s through 1950s, ranging from The Broadway Melody of 1929 (1929), The Wizard of Oz (1939), Meet Me in St. Louis (1944), An American in Paris (1951), and Singin' in the Rain (1952) to Gigi (1955). It took some convincing, but once I saw a few of these segments, to say that I was mesmerized by them is a massive understatement. As a heads-up, I will be reviewing only the original installment of the trilogy; I may write reviews on the subsequent installments later, but for now, here is my look back on what was arguably one of the most influential films from my youth.
By its fiftieth anniversary in 1974, the once-mighty Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film studio headquartered in Culver City, California, was a shell of its former self, as evidenced by its dire financial straits and rapidly deteriorating studio backlot sets, culminating in its public auctioning off of many of its famed movie props in 1970, including the Cowardly Lion's costume from The Wizard of Oz and the paddle steamer river boat from Show Boat (1951). Given these events leading up to the movie's release in 1974, That's Entertainment! was billed as the final chance for some of its former stars like Frank Sinatra, Fred Astaire, Bing Crosby, Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds, Elizabeth Taylor, James Stewart, Peter Lawford, and Liza Minnelli (representing her late mother, Judy Garland) among others to pay tribute to the studio's glory days on the big screen at their old stomping grounds. Fortunately, this movie would be more financially and critically successful than the studio could have imagined. While never again reaching the same magnificent heights as its glory days, this picture would lead MGM to release two sequels in 1976 and 1994 and a spin-off film titled That's Dancing! (1985). With all that out of the way, on with the show.
How well does That's Entertainment! hold up fifty years later? The final product, as helmed by writer, producer, and director Jack Haley Jr. (then-spouse of Liza Minnelli and son of Jack Haley, who played the Tin Man in The Wizard of Oz), is a polished (albeit somewhat glossed-over) and lively-paced overview of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's history of its movie musicals, featuring scenes of its legendary and early musicals and stars from the titular song as performed by Charles King in The Broadway Melody (1929) to Gene Kelly, Leslie Caron, and Company dancing in "An American in Paris Ballet" from An American in Paris (1951), that succeeds in its mission of introducing MGM's classic movie musicals to a new generation of movie buffs and musical fans. I should know because I am one of them. Among my favorite moments featured in this film are Fred Astaire walking along the same platform of the soon-to-be-demolished train station from The Band Wagon (1953) (which would later be utilized in the Bee Gees' iconic music video for "Stayin' Alive"), Astaire narrating over select numbers featuring and performed by Gene Kelly, like the titular number from Singin' in the Rain, and Kelly himself revisiting the ruins of the same streets and storefronts featured in said movie. While this film is not a full-blown history of the studio itself, it delivers as a loving tribute to the bygone era and a last chance of sorts before those scenes and stars metaphorically and literally disappeared from the face of the Earth.
That's Entertainment! is an exemplary time capsule of a bygone era of movie magic that continues to thrill and inspire fans of classic movie musicals alike. The fact that I am here talking about this movie is a testament to this movie and the featured musicals' enduring mark on the public consciousness. The following sequels are enjoyable and stand on their own two feet, so to speak. However, had it not been for the original installment in the trilogy, I would not be half the movie fan that I am. For that, I am eternally grateful.
Final Score: 10 out of 10
Comentarios