Mary Frances "Debbie" Reynolds was an American actress, singer and entrepreneur. Her acting career spanned almost 70 years. Reynolds performed on stage and television and in films into her 80s.
Adolph Green was an American lyricist and playwright who, with long-time collaborator Betty Comden, penned the screenplays and songs for musicals on Broadway and in Hollywood. Although they were not a romantic couple, they shared a unique comic genius and sophisticated wit that enabled them to forge a six-decade-long partnership. They received numerous accolades including four Tony Awards and nominations for two Academy Awards and a Grammy Award. Green was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1980 and American Theatre Hall of Fame in 1981. Comden and Green received the Kennedy Center Honor in 1991.
MGM Records was a record label founded by the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film studio in 1946 for the purpose of releasing soundtrack recordings of their musical films. It transitioned into a pop music label that continued into the 1970s. The company also released soundtrack albums of the music for some of their non-musical films as well, and on rare occasions, cast albums of off-Broadway musicals such as The Fantasticks and the 1954 revival of The Threepenny Opera. In one instance, MGM Records released the highly successful soundtrack album of a film made by another studio, Columbia Pictures's Born Free (1966).
Stanley Donen was an American film director and choreographer. He received the Honorary Academy Award in 1998, and the Career Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival in 2004. Four of his films have been inducted into the National Film Registry at the Library of Congress.
That's Entertainment! is a 1974 American compilation film released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer to celebrate the studio's 50th anniversary. The success of the retrospective prompted a 1976 sequel, the related 1985 film That's Dancing!, and a third installment in 1994.
"Singin' in the Rain" is a song with lyrics by Arthur Freed and music by Nacio Herb Brown. Doris Eaton Travis introduced the song on Broadway in The Hollywood Music Box Revue in 1929. It was then widely popularized by Cliff Edwards and the Brox Sisters in The Hollywood Revue of 1929. Many contemporary artists had hit records with "Singin' in the Rain" since its release, including Cliff Edwards, Earl Burtnett and Gus Arnheim in 1929 alone.
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, Rita Moreno and Cyd Charisse in supporting roles. It offers a lighthearted depiction of Hollywood in the late 1920s, with the three stars portraying performers caught up in the transition from silent films to "talkies".
That's Entertainment, Part II is a 1976 American compilation film released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and a sequel to That's Entertainment! (1974). Like the previous film, That's Entertainment, Part II was a retrospective of famous films released by MGM from the 1930s to the 1950s. Some posters for the film use Part 2 rather than Part II in the title.
"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 "Be a Clown" from the Freed-produced 1948 MGM musical film The Pirate, in which it was sung by Gene Kelly and Judy Garland. In the song, Cosmo explains that he loves making people laugh, and quotes back to the inspiring words of a man named Samuel J. Snodgrass, his dad and his grandpa.
"You Were Meant for Me" is a popular American song with music by Nacio Herb Brown and lyrics by Arthur Freed, published in 1929.
I Love Melvin is a 1953 American Technicolor musical romantic comedy film directed by Don Weis, starring Donald O'Connor and Debbie Reynolds.
"Indian Love Call" is a popular song from Rose-Marie, a 1924 operetta-style Broadway musical with music by Rudolf Friml and Herbert Stothart, and book and lyrics by Otto Harbach and Oscar Hammerstein II. Originally written for Mary Ellis, the song achieved continued popularity under other artists and has been called Friml's best-remembered work.
"Good Morning" is a song with music by Nacio Herb Brown and lyrics by Arthur Freed, originally written for the film Babes in Arms (1939) and performed by Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney.
The original soundtrack to the film Easter Parade was released by MGM Records as a set of four 10-inch 78-rpm shellac records and as a 10-inch 33-rpm long-play. The soundrack featured songs performed by Judy Garland, Fred Astaire, Peter Lawford, Ann Miller and played by the Johnny Green Orchestra.
The original soundtrack to the film Summer Stock was released by MGM Records as a set of four 10-inch 78-rpm shellac records and as a 10-inch 33-rpm long-play. The soundrack featured songs performed by Judy Garland, Gene Kelly, Phil Silvers and Gloria DeHaven.
The original soundtrack to the 1954 film A Star Is Born was released by Columbia Records in late 1954 in four formats: as a set of five 10-inch 78-rpm shellac records, a set of three EPs, as a 10-inch 33-rpm long-play, and as a 12-inch long-play. The latter was Columbia's first "de luxe" LP priced at 6.95 dollars. The soundtrack featured songs performed by Judy Garland.
The original soundtrack to the 1947 film Till the Clouds Roll By was released by MGM Records in the same year as a set of four 10-inch 78-rpm shellac records.
The original soundtrack to the 1948 film The Pirate was released by MGM Records earlier in the same year as a set of three 10-inch 78-rpm shellac records The album contained songs performed by Judy Garland and Gene Kelly.
The original soundtrack to the 1951 film An American in Paris was released by MGM Records in three formats: as a set of four 10-inch 78-rpm shellac records, as a set of four 7-inch EPs, and as a 10-inch long-play record. It contained songs sung by Gene Kelly and Georges Guétary and "An American in Paris" ballet music performed by Johnny Green and the MGM Studio Orchestra.
The original soundtrack to the 1958 film Gigi was released in the same year on MGM Records. It was the first-ever stereo tape release on the label.
