That's Entertainment, Part II

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That's Entertainment, Part II
That's Entertainment, Part II.png
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Gene Kelly
Written by Leonard Gershe
Produced by Saul Chaplin
Daniel Melnick
Starring Fred Astaire
Gene Kelly
Edited by David Bretherton
Music by Nelson Riddle
Production
company
Distributed by United Artists (United States/Canada)
Cinema International Corporation (International)
Release dates
  • May 10, 1976 (1976-05-10)(Premiere)
  • May 16, 1976 (1976-05-16)
Running time
126 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

That's Entertainment, Part II is a 1976 American compilation film released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and a sequel to That's Entertainment! (1974). [1] 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.

Contents

For this second documentary, archivists featured more obscure musical numbers from MGM's vaults, and also featured tributes to some of the studio's best known comedy teams such as the Marx Brothers and Laurel and Hardy, romantic teams such as Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn, and a montage of iconic stars such as Greta Garbo, Clark Gable, Mickey Rooney, John Barrymore, Wallace Beery, Joan Crawford, Jean Harlow, James Stewart and Lana Turner.

Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire hosted the film and Kelly directed the introductory segments featuring him and Astaire, which included location footage of Kelly returning to Paris, the city featured in two of MGM's most famous productions, An American in Paris and Gigi . This was the last film Kelly directed.

Several new musical numbers featured Astaire and Kelly, including a couple of routines in which they danced together for the first time since the 1945 film Ziegfeld Follies , and for only the second time in their careers. It was the last time the 76-year-old Astaire danced in a film, though the veteran actor continued to make film and TV appearances until 1981; Kelly would last appear in the 1980 musical film Xanadu . According to film historian Robert Osborne, in specially-filmed introductions produced for Turner Classic Movies, it was Astaire who suggested to Kelly that the two take advantage of this potentially last-in-a-lifetime opportunity to perform together, something Kelly actually wishes for out loud during his narration of the first That's Entertainment! film.

The opening title sequence was designed by Saul Bass, and pays homage to the range and style of title sequences produced between the 1930s and early 1950s.

Some 18 years later, it was followed by That's Entertainment! III , with Kelly once again appearing.

Appearances

Films shown

Musical numbers

Release

The film had its premiere at the Ziegfeld Theatre in New York City on May 10, 1976 as the annual fund raising gala for the Film Society of Lincoln Center. The film opened the Cannes Film Festival on May 13, 1976 before opening in London and Hollywood. [2]

Reception

The sequel received more critical acclaim, but was not as successful at the box-office as the first film. A.D. Murphy in Variety called it "a knockout." [1] Elizabeth Taylor was quoted as feeling exploited by MGM in the sequel, appearing in the advertisements for the film but only appearing in the film for a few seconds. [2]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Murphy, A.D. (May 5, 1976). "Film Reviews: That's Entertainment, Part 2". Variety . p. 18.
  2. 1 2 "Lincoln Center Film Society Gets Coin, MGM the Publicity in 'Entertainment 2' Fund-Raiser". Daily Variety . May 12, 1976. p. 2.
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