''That's Entertainment!'' is a 1974 American compilation film released by

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by amazon (company), Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded o ...

to celebrate the studio's 50th anniversary. The success of the retrospective prompted a 1976 sequel, the related 1985 film ''

That's Dancing! ''That's Dancing!'' is a 1985 American compilation film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer that looked back at the history of dancing in film. Unlike the '' That's Entertainment!'' series, this film not only focuses specifically on MGM films, but a ...

'', and a third installment in 1994. Compiled by its writer-producer-director,

Jack Haley Jr. John Joseph Haley III (October 25, 1933 – April 21, 2001), known as Jack Haley Jr., was an American director, producer and writer, and a two-time recipient of the Emmy Award. His credits include directing the 1974 compilation film '' That's En ...

, under the supervision of executive producer Daniel Melnick, the film turned the spotlight on MGM's legacy of

musical film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, but in some cases, they serve merely as brea ...

s from the 1920s through the 1950s, culling dozens of performances from the studio's movies, and featuring archive footage of

Judy Garland Judy Garland (born Frances Ethel Gumm; June 10, 1922June 22, 1969) was an American actress and singer. While critically acclaimed for many different roles throughout her career, she is widely known for playing the part of Dorothy Gale in '' The ...

Eleanor Powell Eleanor Torrey Powell (November 21, 1912 – February 11, 1982) was an American dancer and actress. Best remembered for her tap dance numbers in musical films in the 1930s and 1940s, she was one of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's top dancing stars du ...

Lena Horne Lena Mary Calhoun Horne (June 30, 1917 – May 9, 2010) was an American dancer, actress, singer, and civil rights activist. Horne's career spanned more than seventy years, appearing in film, television, and theatre. Horne joined the chorus of th ...

Esther Williams Esther Jane Williams (August 8, 1921 – June 6, 2013) was an American competitive swimmer and actress. She set regional and national records in her late teens on the Los Angeles Athletic Club swim team. Unable to compete in the 1940 Summer Ol ...

Ann Miller Ann Miller (born Johnnie Lucille Collier; April 12, 1923 – January 22, 2004) was an American retired actress and former dancer. She is best remembered for her work in the Classical Hollywood cinema musicals of the 1940s and 1950s. Her early ...

, Kathryn Grayson, Howard Keel,

Jeanette MacDonald Jeanette Anna MacDonald (June 18, 1903 – January 14, 1965) was an American singer and actress best remembered for her musical films of the 1930s with Maurice Chevalier (''The Love Parade'', '' Love Me Tonight'', ''The Merry Widow'' and '' On ...

Cyd Charisse Cyd Charisse (born Tula Ellice Finklea; March 8, 1922 – June 17, 2008) was an American actress and dancer. After recovering from polio as a child and studying ballet, Charisse entered films in the 1940s. Her roles usually featured her abilit ...

June Allyson June Allyson (born Eleanor Geisman; October 7, 1917 – July 8, 2006) was an American stage, film, and television actress, dancer, and singer. Allyson began her career in 1937 as a dancer in short subject films and on Broadway in 1938. She sig ...

Clark Gable William Clark Gable (February 1, 1901November 16, 1960) was an American film actor, often referred to as "The King of Hollywood". He had roles in more than 60 motion pictures in multiple genres during a career that lasted 37 years, three decades ...

, Mario Lanza, William Warfield, and many others. Various segments were hosted by a succession of the studio's legendary stars:

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the " Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sinatra was one of the most popular entertainers of the 1940s, 1950s, and ...

Gene Kelly Eugene Curran Kelly (August 23, 1912 – February 2, 1996) was an American actor, dancer, singer, filmmaker, and choreographer. He was known for his energetic and athletic dancing style and sought to create a new form of American dance accessibl ...

Fred Astaire Fred Astaire (born Frederick Austerlitz; May 10, 1899 – June 22, 1987) was an American dancer, choreographer, actor, and singer. He is often called the greatest dancer in Hollywood film history. Astaire's career in stage, film, and tele ...

, Peter Lawford,

Debbie Reynolds Mary Frances "Debbie" Reynolds (April 1, 1932 – December 28, 2016) was an American actress, singer, and businesswoman. Her career spanned almost 70 years. She was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Most Promising Newcomer for her portra ...

Bing Crosby Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, musician and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwide. He was a ...

James Stewart James Maitland Stewart (May 20, 1908 – July 2, 1997) was an American actor and military pilot. Known for his distinctive drawl and everyman screen persona, Stewart's film career spanned 80 films from 1935 to 1991. With the strong morality ...

Elizabeth Taylor Dame Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor (February 27, 1932 – March 23, 2011) was a British-American actress. She began her career as a child actress in the early 1940s and was one of the most popular stars of classical Hollywood cinema in the 1950s. ...

Mickey Rooney Mickey Rooney (born Joseph Yule Jr.; other pseudonym Mickey Maguire; September 23, 1920 – April 6, 2014) was an American actor. In a career spanning nine decades, he appeared in more than 300 films and was among the last surviving stars of the ...

Donald O'Connor Donald David Dixon Ronald O'Connor (August 28, 1925 – September 27, 2003) was an American dancer, singer and actor. He came to fame in a series of films in which he co-starred with Gloria Jean, Peggy Ryan, and Francis the Talking Mule. His b ...

, and

Liza Minnelli Liza May Minnelli ( ; born March 12, 1946) is an American actress, singer, dancer, and choreographer. Known for her commanding stage presence and powerful alto singing voice, Minnelli is among a rare group of performers awarded an Emmy, Grammy ...

, representing her mother

. The host segments for ''That's Entertainment!'' constitute some of the final footage to be captured on the famous MGM

backlot A backlot is an area behind or adjoining a movie studio containing permanent exterior buildings for outdoor scenes in filmmaking or television productions, or space for temporary set construction. Uses Some movie studios build a wide variety of ...

, which appears ramshackle and rundown in 1973, because MGM had sold the property to developers and the sets were about to be demolished. Several of the hosts, including Bing Crosby, remark on the crumbling conditions during their segments; the most notable degradation can be seen when Fred Astaire revisits the ruins of a train station set that had been used in the opening of '' The Band Wagon'' two decades earlier, and when Peter Lawford revisits exteriors used in his 1947 musical '' Good News''. The title of the film derives from the anthemic song " That's Entertainment!", by Arthur Schwartz and Howard Dietz, introduced in the 1953 MGM musical '' The Band Wagon''. The film title is usually expressed with an exclamation mark, but in some contexts the punctuation is dropped, as in the movie poster.

Dedication

Musical numbers

Unless otherwise noted, Information is taken from

IMDb IMDb (an abbreviation of Internet Movie Database) is an online database of information related to films, television series, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and personal biographies, ...

's soundtrack section for this movie * "

Singin' in the Rain ''Singin' in the Rain'' is a 1952 American musical romantic comedy film directed and choreographed by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen, starring Kelly, Donald O'Connor, and Debbie Reynolds and featuring Jean Hagen, Millard Mitchell and Cyd C ...

" Prologue - ** sung by Cliff Edwards with dancing by Chorus Line; from '' The Hollywood Revue of 1929'' (1929) ** sung by

Jimmy Durante James Francis Durante ( , ; February 10, 1893 – January 29, 1980) was an American comedian, actor, singer, vaudevillian, and pianist. His distinctive gravelly speech, Lower East Side accent, comic language-butchery, jazz-influenced son ...

; from ''

Speak Easily ''Speak Easily'' is a 1932 American pre-Code comedy film starring Buster Keaton, Jimmy Durante, and Thelma Todd, and directed by Edward Sedgwick. The studio also paired Keaton and Durante as a comedy team during this period in '' The Passionat ...

'' (1932) **

; from ''

Little Nellie Kelly ''Little Nellie Kelly'' is a 1940 American musical-comedy film based on the stage musical of the same title by George M. Cohan which was a hit on Broadway in 1922 and 1923. The film was written by Jack McGowan and directed by Norman Taurog. ...

'' (1940) ** the main title sequence from ''

'' (1952) sung by

* "The Broadway Melody" - Charles King and Chorus Girls; from ''

The Broadway Melody ''The Broadway Melody'', also known as ''The Broadway Melody of 1929'', is a 1929 American pre-Code musical film and the first sound film to win an Academy Award for Best Picture. It was one of the first musicals to feature a Technicolor seq ...

'' (1929) * "Rosalie" - sung by Chorus with dancing by

; from '' Rosalie'' (1937) * " Indian Love Call" - sung by

Nelson Eddy Nelson Ackerman Eddy (June 29, 1901 – March 6, 1967) was an American actor and baritone singer who appeared in 19 musical films during the 1930s and 1940s, as well as in opera and on the concert stage, radio, television, and in nightclub ...

and

; from '' Rose-Marie'' (1936) * "A Pretty Girl Is Like a Melody" - from ''

The Great Ziegfeld ''The Great Ziegfeld'' is a 1936 American musical drama film directed by Robert Z. Leonard and produced by Hunt Stromberg. It stars William Powell as the theatrical impresario Florenz "Flo" Ziegfeld Jr., Luise Rainer as Anna Held, and ...

'' (1936) ** sung by Allan Jones (Lip-synced by

Dennis Morgan Dennis Morgan (born Earl Stanley Morner, December 20, 1908 – September 7, 1994) was an American actor-singer. He used the acting pseudonym Richard Stanley before adopting the name under which he gained his greatest fame. According to one obi ...

) and Ziegfeld Girls * " Begin the Beguine" - dancing by

and

; from '' Broadway Melody of 1940'' (1940) * "The Song's Gotta Come from the Heart" - danced and sung by

and

; from '' It Happened in Brooklyn'' (1947) * "The Melody of Spring" - sung by

; from '' Cynthia'' (1947) * " Honeysuckle Rose" -

; from ''

Thousands Cheer ''Thousands Cheer'' is a 1943 American musical comedy film directed by George Sidney and released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Produced at the height of the Second World War, the film was intended as a morale booster for American troops and their fam ...

'' (1943) * "

Take Me Out to the Ball Game "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" is a 1908 Tin Pan Alley song by Jack Norworth and Albert Von Tilzer which has become the unofficial anthem of North American baseball, although neither of its authors had attended a game prior to writing the song ...

" -

and

; from ''

'' (1949) * "

Thou Swell "Thou Swell" is a show tune, a popular song and a jazz standard written in 1927. History The music was written by Richard Rodgers, with words by Lorenz Hart, for the 1927 musical '' A Connecticut Yankee''. The lyric is notable, as indicated by t ...

" -

with Pete Roberts and Eugene Cox (Lip-synced by Ramon Blackburn and Royce Blackburn); from '' Words and Music'' (1948) * "The Varsity Drag" - dancing by

, Peter Lawford, and Chorus Line; from '' Good News'' (1947) * " Aba Daba Honeymoon" - (sung by)

and

Carleton Carpenter Carleton Upham Carpenter Jr. (July 10, 1926 – January 31, 2022) was an American film, television and stage actor, magician, songwriter, and novelist. Early and personal life Carpenter was born in Bennington, Vermont, where he attended Benni ...

; from '' Two Weeks with Love'' (1950) * "It's a Most Unusual Day" - from '' A Date with Judy'' (1948) ** sung by Jean McLaren (Lip-synced by

) ** sung by Jane Powell with

Wallace Beery Wallace Fitzgerald Beery (April 1, 1885 – April 15, 1949) was an American film and stage actor. He is best known for his portrayal of Bill in '' Min and Bill'' (1930) opposite Marie Dressler, as General Director Preysing in '' Grand Hotel'' ( ...

, Scotty Beckett,

George Cleveland George Alan Cleveland (September 17, 1885 – July 15, 1957) was a Canadian film actor. He appeared in more than 180 films between 1930 and 1954. Career Cleveland was born in Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada. His first appearance on the stage ...

, Leon Ames,

Carmen Miranda Carmen Miranda, (; born Maria do Carmo Miranda da Cunha, 9 February 1909 – 5 August 1955) was a Portuguese-born Brazilian samba singer, dancer, Broadway actress and film star who was active from the late 1920s onwards. Nicknamed "The Br ...

, Selena Royle, Robert Stack, Elizabeth Taylor and Jerry Hunter featuring the Xavier Cugat Orchestra * " On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe" -

Ray Bolger Raymond Wallace Bolger (January 10, 1904 – January 15, 1987) was an American actor, dancer, singer, vaudevillian and stage performer (particularly musical theatre) who started in the silent-film era. Bolger was a major Broadway performer in ...

, Marjorie Main, Ben Carter, Virginia O'Brien,

, and Ensemble; from '' The Harvey Girls'' (1946) * "It Must Be You" - dancing by a dance chorus; sung by Robert Montgomery and

Lottice Howell Lottice Howell (November 14, 1897 - October 24, 1982) was an American coloratura soprano and actress best known for her singing of popular and semi-classical music. Early years The daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J. E. Howell, she was born in Bowling ...

; from '' Free and Easy'' (1930) * "Got a Feelin' for You" - dancing by

Joan Crawford Joan Crawford (born Lucille Fay LeSueur; March 23, ncertain year from 1904 to 1908was an American actress. She started her career as a dancer in traveling theatrical companies before debuting on Broadway. Crawford was signed to a motion pict ...

; sung by Joan Crawford and Chorus (introduced by

Conrad Nagel John Conrad Nagel (March 16, 1897 – February 24, 1970) was an American film, stage, television and radio actor. He was considered a famous matinée idol and leading man of the 1920s and 1930s. He was given an Academy Honorary Award in 1940 and ...

); from '' The Hollywood Revue of 1929'' (1929) * "Reckless" - dancing by

Jean Harlow Jean Harlow (born Harlean Harlow Carpenter; March 3, 1911 – June 7, 1937) was an American actress. Known for her portrayal of "bad girl" characters, she was the leading sex symbol of the early 1930s and one of the defining figures of the ...

, Rafael Alcayde, and Chorus; sung by

Virginia Verrill Catherine Virginia Verrill ( November 20, 1916 – January 18, 1999) was a singer in the era of old-time radio and big bands. Her work included providing the off-screen singing voices for some female film stars. Early years Verrill was born Cathe ...

(lip-synced by Jean Harlow) from '' Reckless'' (1935) * "Did I Remember" - sung by Virginia Verrill (lip-synced by Jean Harlow) and

Cary Grant Cary Grant (born Archibald Alec Leach; January 18, 1904November 29, 1986) was an English-American actor. He was known for his Mid-Atlantic accent, debonair demeanor, light-hearted approach to acting, and sense of comic timing. He was one of ...

from '' Suzy'' (1936) * " Easy to Love" - sung by Marjorie Lane (lip-synced by

) and

; from ''

Born to Dance ''Born to Dance'' is an American musical film starring Eleanor Powell and James Stewart, directed by Roy Del Ruth and released in 1936 by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The score was composed by Cole Porter. Plot summary While on leave, sailor Ted ...

'' (1936) * " Puttin' on the Ritz" -

and Ensemble; from '' Idiot's Delight'' (1939) * " Dear Mr. Gable (You Made Me Love You)" -

from '' Broadway Melody of 1938'' (1937) * "Babes in Arms" -

, Douglas McPhail, Betty Jaynes, and Chorus; from '' Babes in Arms'' (1939) * "Hoe Down" - dancing by Mickey Rooney, Judy Garland, and Ensemble; from ''

Babes on Broadway ''Babes on Broadway'' is a 1941 American musical film starring Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland and directed by Busby Berkeley, with Vincente Minnelli directing Garland's big solo numbers. The film, which features Fay Bainter and Virginia Weidler, ...

'' (1941) * "Do the La Conga" - MGM Studio Orchestra; from '' Strike Up the Band'' (1940) * " Waitin' for the Robert E. Lee" - dancing by Chorus; sung by Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland * "Babes On Broadway" - dancing by Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland; sung by Mickey Rooney, Judy Garland, Virginia Weidler, and Richard Quine; from ''

'' (1941) * " Strike Up the Band" - sung by Mickey Rooney, Judy Garland, and Chorus; from '' Strike Up the Band'' (1940) * "The Babbitt and the Bromide" - dancing by

and

; from ''

Ziegfeld Follies The ''Ziegfeld Follies'' was a series of elaborate theatrical revue productions on Broadway in New York City from 1907 to 1931, with renewals in 1934 and 1936. They became a radio program in 1932 and 1936 as ''The Ziegfeld Follies of the Ai ...

'' (1946) * " They Can't Take That Away from Me" - dancing by Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers; sung by Fred Astaire; from '' The Barkleys of Broadway'' (1949) * "Heigh Ho the Gang's All Here" and "Let’s Go Bavarian" - danced and sung by Fred Astaire,

, and Chorus; from '' Dancing Lady'' (1933) * "

I Guess I'll Have to Change My Plan "I Guess I'll Have to Change My Plan" is a popular song published in 1929, with music by Arthur Schwartz and lyrics by Howard Dietz. Camp song It originally was a summer camp song titled "I Love to Lie Awake in Bed," with Schwartz's music set t ...

" - danced and sung by Fred Astaire and Jack Buchanan; from '' The Band Wagon'' (1953) * "Sunday Jumps" - dancing by Fred Astaire; from ''

Royal Wedding ''Royal Wedding'' is a 1951 American musical comedy film directed by Stanley Donen, and starring Fred Astaire and Jane Powell, with music by Burton Lane and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner. Set in 1947 London at the time of the wedding of Princess Eli ...

'' (1951) * "Shoes with Wings On" - dancing by Fred Astaire; from '' The Barkleys of Broadway'' (1949) * "You're All the World to Me" - danced by Fred Astaire; from ''

'' (1951) * " Dancing in the Dark" - dancing by Fred Astaire and

; from '' The Band Wagon'' (1953) *

Montage: ** "Pagan Love Song" - sung by Chorus; from '' Pagan Love Song'' (1950) ** " You and You" (aka "Du und Du, Op. 367") - from '' Bathing Beauty'' (1944) ** " Viennese Blood" (aka "Wiener Blut, Op. 354") ** also includes water ballets from '' Million Dollar Mermaid'' (1952) * " I Wanna Be Loved by You" - sung by

Helen Kane Helen Kane (born Helen Clare Schroeder, August 4, 1904 – September 26, 1966) was an American singer and actress. Her signature song was " I Wanna Be Loved by You" (1928), featured in the 1928 stage musical ''Good Boy''. The song was written for ...

(lip-synced by

) and

; from '' Three Little Words'' (1950) * "I Gotta Hear That Beat" - danced and sung by

; from '' Small Town Girl'' (1953) * "Be My Love" - sung by Kathryn Grayson and Mario Lanza; from '' The Toast of New Orleans'' (1950) * "

Make 'Em Laugh "Make 'Em Laugh" is a song first featured in the 1952 MGM musical film ''Singin' in the Rain'', performed by Donald O'Connor as the character Cosmo Brown. Written by Arthur Freed and Nacio Herb Brown, the song is closely based on Cole Porter's " ...

" - sung by

; from ''

'' (1952) * "Cotton Blossom" - sung by Chorus * " Make Believe" - sung by Kathryn Grayson and Howard Keel * "

Ol' Man River "Ol' Man River" is a show tune from the 1927 musical '' Show Boat'' with music by Jerome Kern and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. The song contrasts the struggles and hardships of African Americans with the endless, uncaring flow of the Mississi ...

" - sung by William Warfield and Chorus; from '' Show Boat'' (1951) * "By Myself" -

from '' The Band Wagon'' (1953) * "

Be a Clown "Be a Clown" is a song written by Cole Porter for the 1948 film '' The Pirate''. The song was performed twice in the film: first by Gene Kelly and The Nicholas Brothers and then at the end of the film by Kelly and Judy Garland. The song "Make 'Em ...

" - dancing by

The Nicholas Brothers The Nicholas Brothers were an entertainment act composed of biological brothers, Fayard (1914–2006) and Harold (1921–2000), who excelled in a variety of dance techniques, primarily between the 1930s and 1950s. Best known for their ...

; sung by Gene Kelly; from '' The Pirate'' (1948) * "The Children's Dance" - Gene Kelly; from '' Living in a Big Way'' (1947) * "The Pirate Ballet" - dancing by Gene Kelly; from '' The Pirate'' (1948) * "La Cumparsita" - Gene Kelly; in ''

Anchors Aweigh "Anchors Aweigh" is the fight song of the United States Naval Academy and unofficial march song of the United States Navy. It was composed in 1906 by Charles A. Zimmermann with lyrics by Alfred Hart Miles. When he composed "Anchors Aweigh", Zim ...

'' (1945) * "

New York, New York New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

" - danced and sung by Gene Kelly,

, and Jules Munshin; from '' On the Town'' (1949) * "The Worry Song" - dancing by Gene Kelly and Jerry Mouse; sung by Gene Kelly & Sara Berner; from ''

'' (1945) * "Broadway Melody Ballet" - Gene Kelly and Ensemble; from ''

'' (1952) * " In the Good Old Summertime" - sung by Chorus; from '' In the Good Old Summertime'' (1949) * " La Cucaracha" - The Garland Sisters; from '' La Fiesta de Santa Barbara'' (1935) * "Waltz with a Swing" -

* "Americana" - Judy Garland and Deanna Durbin; from ''

Every Sunday ''Every Sunday'' (sometimes incorrectly listed as ''Every Sunday Afternoon'' or ''Opera vs. Jazz'') is a 1936 American musical short film about two adolescent girls and their efforts to save a public concert series, which was being threatened by ...

'' (1936) * "Your Broadway and My Broadway" - dancing

, Buddy Ebsen,

, and

George Murphy George Lloyd Murphy (July 4, 1902 – May 3, 1992) was an American dancer, actor, and politician. Murphy was a song-and-dance leading man in many big-budget Hollywood musicals from 1930 to 1952. He was the president of the Screen Actors Guild fro ...

; from '' Broadway Melody of 1938'' (1937) * "You're Off to See the Wizard" - The Munchkins * " If I Only Had the Nerve" - Judy Garland, Bert Lahr, Ray Bolger, Jack Haley and Buddy Ebsen * "

We're Off to See the Wizard "We're Off to See the Wizard" is one of the classic and most memorable songs from the Academy Award-winning 1939 film '' The Wizard of Oz''. Composer Harold Arlen described it, along with " The Merry Old Land of Oz" and " Ding-Dong! The Witch Is ...

" -

, Bert Lahr,

and Jack Haley and Buddy Ebsen * " Over the Rainbow" - Judy Garland; from '' The Wizard of Oz'' (1939) * " But Not for Me" -

from '' Girl Crazy'' (1943) * " The Trolley Song" - sung by

and Chorus * "Under the Bamboo Tree" - danced and sung by Judy Garland and

Margaret O'Brien Angela Maxine O'Brien (born January 15, 1937) is an American film, radio, television, and stage actress, and is one of the last surviving stars from the Golden Age of Hollywood cinema. Beginning a prolific career as a child actress in feature ...

* "The Boy Next Door" - sung by Judy Garland; from '' Meet Me in St. Louis'' (1944) * " Get Happy" -

& Chorus; from '' Summer Stock'' (1950) * "Going Hollywood" -

and Ensemble; from ''

Going Hollywood ''Going Hollywood'' is a 1933 American pre-Code musical film directed by Raoul Walsh and starring Marion Davies and Bing Crosby. It was written by Donald Ogden Stewart and based on a story by Frances Marion. ''Going Hollywood'' was released by ...

'' (1933) * "Well, Did You Evah" -

and

* "True Love" - Bing Crosby and

Grace Kelly Grace Patricia Kelly (November 12, 1929 – September 14, 1982) was an American actress who, after starring in several significant films in the early to mid-1950s, became Princess of Monaco by marrying Prince Rainier III in April 1956. Kelly ...

; from '' High Society'' (1956) * "Hallelujah" - sung by Kay Armen,

, Jane Powell,

, Vic Damone, Russ Tamblyn, Tony Martin, and Chorus; from '' Hit the Deck'' (1955) * "Barnraising Dance (Bless Your Beautiful Hide)" - dancing by various characters; from '' Seven Brides for Seven Brothers'' (1954) * "Gigi" - sung by

Louis Jourdan Louis Jourdan (born Louis Robert Gendre; 19 June 1921 – 14 February 2015) was a French film and television actor. He was known for his suave roles in several Hollywood films, including Alfred Hitchcock's '' The Paradine Case'' (1947), ''Lette ...

* "Thank Heaven for Little Girls" - sung by

Maurice Chevalier Maurice Auguste Chevalier (; 12 September 1888 – 1 January 1972) was a French singer, actor and entertainer. He is perhaps best known for his signature songs, including " Livin' In The Sunlight", " Valentine", " Louise", " Mimi", and " Thank H ...

and Chorus; from '' Gigi'' (1958) * "An American in Paris Ballet" - dancing by

, Leslie Caron, and Ensemble; from '' An American in Paris'' (1951)

Charts

The soundtrack was released by MGM (2624012)

Appearances

Unless otherwise noted, Information is based on IMDb's full cast section *

* Leon Ames * Kay Armen * Edward Arnold (uncredited) *

Ethel Barrymore Ethel Barrymore (born Ethel Mae Blythe; August 15, 1879 – June 18, 1959) was an American actress and a member of the Barrymore family of actors. Barrymore was a stage, screen and radio actress whose career spanned six decades, and was regard ...

(uncredited) *

Lionel Barrymore Lionel Barrymore (born Lionel Herbert Blythe; April 28, 1878 – November 15, 1954) was an American actor of stage, screen and radio as well as a film director. He won an Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in ''A Free Soul'' (1931 ...

(uncredited) * Scotty Beckett *

(uncredited) *

* Joe E. Brown * Virginia Bruce * Jack Buchanan * Billie Burke * Leslie Caron *

* Xavier Cugat * Jacques d'Amboise *

Arlene Dahl Arlene Carol Dahl (August 11, 1925 – November 29, 2021) was an American actress active in films from the late 1940s. She was one of the last surviving stars from the Classical Hollywood cinema era. She was also an author and entrepreneur. Sh ...

(uncredited) * Virginia Dale * Lili Damita (uncredited) * Vic Damone * Gloria DeHaven (uncredited) * Tom Drake *

* Deanna Durbin * Buddy Ebsen *

* Cliff Edwards * Vera-Ellen *

Errol Flynn Errol Leslie Thomson Flynn (20 June 1909 – 14 October 1959) was an Australian-American actor who achieved worldwide fame during the Classical Hollywood cinema, Golden Age of Hollywood. He was known for his romantic swashbuckler roles, freque ...

(uncredited) *

Greta Garbo Greta Garbo (born Greta Lovisa Gustafsson; 18 September 1905 – 15 April 1990) was a Swedish-American actress. Regarded as one of the greatest screen actresses, she was known for her melancholic, somber persona, her film portrayals of tragic ch ...

Ava Gardner Ava Lavinia Gardner (December 24, 1922 – January 25, 1990) was an American actress. She first signed a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1941 and appeared mainly in small roles until she drew critics' attention in 1946 with her perform ...

* Betty Garrett (uncredited) * Greer Garson (uncredited) * Hermione Gingold (uncredited) *

* Kathryn Grayson * Virginia Grey * Jack Haley *

Bernadene Hayes Bernadene Hayes (March 15, 1912 – August 29, 1987) was an American film and television actress. Early years Hayes was born at 3855 Lindell Boulevard in St. Louis, Missouri, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. B. F. Hayes. She had three brothers an ...

Van Heflin Emmett Evan "Van" Heflin Jr. (December 13, 1908 – July 23, 1971) was an American theatre, radio and film actor. He played mostly character parts over the course of his film career, but during the 1940s had a string of roles as a leading man. H ...

(uncredited) *

Katharine Hepburn Katharine Houghton Hepburn (May 12, 1907 – June 29, 2003) was an American actress in film, stage, and television. Her career as a Hollywood leading lady spanned over 60 years. She was known for her headstrong independence, spirited perso ...

(uncredited) *

Claude Jarman Jr. Claude Jarman Jr. (born September 27, 1934) is an American former child actor, entrepreneur, former executive director of the San Francisco International Film Festival and former director of Cultural Affairs for the City of San Francisco. E ...

(uncredited) * Betty Jaynes *

Van Johnson Charles Van Dell Johnson (August 25, 1916 – December 12, 2008) was an American film, television, theatre and radio actor. He was a major star at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer during and after World War II. Johnson was described as the embodiment ...

* Allan Jones *

Jennifer Jones Jennifer Jones (born Phylis Lee Isley; March 2, 1919 – December 17, 2009), also known as Jennifer Jones Simon, was an American actress and mental health advocate. Over the course of her career that spanned over five decades, she was nominated ...

(uncredited) *

Buster Keaton Joseph Frank "Buster" Keaton (October 4, 1895 – February 1, 1966) was an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. He is best known for his silent film work, in which his trademark was physical comedy accompanied by a stoic, deadpan expression ...

(uncredited) * Howard Keel *

* Charles King * Lorraine Krueger * Bert Lahr * Fernando Lamas *

Angela Lansbury Dame Angela Brigid Lansbury (October 16, 1925 – October 11, 2022) was an Irish-British and American film, stage, and television actress. Her career spanned eight decades, much of it in the United States, and her work received a great deal ...

(uncredited) * Mario Lanza * Peter Lawford * Ruta Lee *

Vivien Leigh Vivien Leigh ( ; 5 November 1913 – 8 July 1967; born Vivian Mary Hartley), styled as Lady Olivier after 1947, was a British actress. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress twice, for her definitive performances as Scarlett O'Hara in '' Go ...

* Marjorie Main *

Joan Marsh Joan Marsh (July 10, 1914 – August 10, 2000) was an American child actress in silent films between 1915 and 1921. Later, during the sound era, she resumed her acting career and performed in a variety of films during the 1930s and 1940s. Ear ...

* Tony Martin * Douglas McPhail *

* Sidney Miller *

(uncredited) * Ricardo Montalbán * Robert Montgomery * Agnes Moorehead (uncredited) * Natalie Moorhead *

* Frank Morgan (uncredited) * Jules Munshin *

(uncredited) * J. Carrol Naish (uncredited) * Julie Newmar * The Nicholas Brothers *

* Virginia O'Brien *

Reginald Owen John Reginald Owen (5 August 1887 – 5 November 1972) was a British actor. He was known for his many roles in British and American films and television programs. Career The son of Joseph and Frances Owen, Reginald Owen studied at Sir Herbert ...

(uncredited) * Walter Pidgeon (uncredited) * Marc Platt * Paul Porcasi *

* Jane Powell * June Preisser * Richard Quine * Tommy Rall *

* Jeff Richards * Ginger Rogers *

* Selena Royle (uncredited) *

Norma Shearer Edith Norma Shearer (August 11, 1902June 12, 1983) was a Canadian-American actress who was active on film from 1919 through 1942. Shearer often played spunky, sexually liberated ingénues. She appeared in adaptations of Noël Coward, Eugene O' ...

(uncredited) *

Red Skelton Richard Red Skelton (July 18, 1913September 17, 1997) was an American entertainer best known for his national radio and television shows between 1937 and 1971, especially as host of the television program ''The Red Skelton Show''. He has stars ...

(uncredited) * Robert Stack *

* Paula Stone * Russ Tamblyn *

* Sidney Toler (uncredited) *

Audrey Totter Audrey Mary Totter (December 20, 1917 – December 12, 2013) was an American radio, film, and television actress and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contract player in the 1940s. Early life Audrey – some sources indicate "Audra" – Totter w ...

(uncredited) *

Spencer Tracy Spencer Bonaventure Tracy (April 5, 1900 – June 10, 1967) was an American actor. He was known for his natural performing style and versatility. One of the major stars of Hollywood's Golden Age, Tracy was the first actor to win two cons ...

(uncredited) * Lana Turner * William Warfield * Virginia Weidler *

* Robert Young (uncredited) ; Notes * Clips of Howard Keel (as Hazard Endicott) are from the 1950 film '' Pagan Love Song'' * Clips of Agnes Moorehead (as Parthy Hawks) are from the 1951 film '' Show Boat''

Release

The film premiered at the Loew's Beverly Theater in Beverly Hills on the evening of May 17, 1974. MGM billed it as their greatest premiere in a quarter century. There was a red carpet from the Loew's Beverly Theater to the

Beverly Wilshire Hotel The Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel, commonly known as the Beverly Wilshire Hotel, is a historic luxury hotel in Beverly Hills, California. Located at the intersection of Wilshire Boulevard and Rodeo Drive, it was completed in 1928. It has ...

for the post-screening dinner and dancing. Also promoted were the 100 movie stars in attendance. Anyone paying $100 per seat for the dinner could sit at a table with a movie star. The premier also featured several live introductions to the various on-screen segments; it was co-hosted by Sammy Davis Jr. and Liza Minnelli and featured live stage appearances by Debbie Reynolds, Frank Sinatra, Gene Kelly, Elizabeth Taylor, and others. The premiere, as an event and a party, was a dazzling success. However, as a publicity event for MGM, it was completely overshadowed; the expected press were all across town covering the breaking news of the Symbionese Liberation Army shootout that night. The film had its New York premiere on May 23 and opened the following day at the Ziegfeld Theatre. The film opened nationwide in June 1974.

Reception

The film grossed $25,600 in its first week in Los Angeles and did even better the following week with $45,000. Over the 4-day

Memorial Day Memorial Day (originally known as Decoration Day) is a federal holiday in the United States for mourning the U.S. military personnel who have fought and died while serving in the United States armed forces. It is observed on the last Monda ...

weekend at the Ziegfeld it grossed $71,164. The film was United Artists' highest-grossing film of the year. Adjusted for inflation, the film has grossed $19.1 million worldwide.

Sequels

Despite statements made in the original theatrical trailer and promotional materials that such a production would never be repeated, ''That's Entertainment!'' is one of the few documentaries to spawn official sequels. '' That's Entertainment, Part II'' was released in 1976. The use of myriad hosts was dropped for this production, instead Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly partnered to co-host the retrospective, which expanded beyond musicals to pay tribute to dramatic and comedy stars as well. The sequel would turn out to be the last time Astaire and Kelly danced together on film. ''

'' was released in 1985. Unlike the two prior ''That's Entertainment!'' films, this documentary was not limited exclusively to MGM productions. The film is closely related to the ''That's Entertainment!'' series, with shared studio and producers credits, but also since its opening credits contain a card with the title ''That's Entertainment! III'' (not to be confused with the subsequent 1994 film). '' That's Entertainment! III'' was released in 1994. The film featured more archival footage, with a distinct focus on previously unreleased (or rarely seen) material cut from the MGM films. Gene Kelly is the only individual to host in all four films.

Home media

All three ''That's Entertainment!'' films were released to DVD in 2004. The box set collection of the films included a bonus DVD that included additional musical numbers that had been cut from MGM films as well as the first release of the complete performance of "Mr. Monotony" by Judy Garland (the version used in ''That's Entertainment! III'' is truncated). ''That's Dancing!'' received a separate DVD release in 2007. The MGM trilogy also received a Blu-ray release in the late 2000s; the bonus content of the DVD box set was spread among the three films rather than presented as a standalone disc.

References

External links

* * * * {{Authority control 1974 films 1974 documentary films 1970s musical films American documentary films American musical films Documentary films about films Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films Films directed by Jack Haley Jr. Documentary films about Hollywood, Los Angeles Compilation films Golden jubilees 1970s English-language films 1970s American films

Dedication

Musical numbers

Charts

Appearances

Release

Reception

Sequels

Home media

See also

References

External links