It's ironic that MGM, in such dire financial straits in 1974 that it was selling its fabled back lot and auctioning off artifacts from past movie triumphs, enjoyed one of its biggest box-office hits with
That's Entertainment, a compilation of musical highlights from the studio's golden days. Onscreen hosts
Fred Astaire,
Bing Crosby,
Gene Kelly,
Peter Lawford,
Liza Minnelli,
Donald O'Connor,
Debbie Reynolds,
Mickey Rooney,
James Stewart, and
Elizabeth Taylor introduce the various film clips while standing on what was left of the MGM lot (Rooney delivers his comments from the Andy Hardy street). The vignettes, in both color and black-and-white, include generous slices of such classic MGM songfests as
The Wizard of Oz, Meet Me in St. Louis,
An American in Paris,
Singin' in the Rain, and
Gigi. The film includes the montage of
Mickey Rooney's "Let's put on a show!" speeches,
Clark Gable hoofing to "Puttin' on the Ritz" in
Idiot's Delight, and
James Stewart (!) serenading
Eleanor Powell from
Easy to Love. Assembled by Jack Haley Jr.,
That's Entertainment proved such a hit that the 1976 sequel, That's Entertainment II, was a foregone conclusion. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide