That’s Entertainment! 50th Anniversary Remastered Edition - Warner Archive Collection

That's Entertainment! changed my life. That might sound like hyperbole, but it really is true. I was 11 when my parents dragged me to this now iconic celebration of MGM musicals during its initial theatrical run in 1974. "A documentary??!!" I groaned. I couldn't imagine anything more boring. But when the lights went down and the film began, I found myself instantly transfixed and consistently dazzled by the amazing array of talent on screen. Though I had barely heard of Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly and only knew Judy Garland from The Wizard of Oz, I left the theater an unabashed fan of all three, as well as many other MGM stars. My love affair with classic movies in general and Golden Age musicals in particular started then and there and has continued to this day. 

Produced and directed by Jack Haley, Jr., the Tin Man's son, That's Entertainment! chronicles the evolution of the MGM musical from the dawn of talkies up through the Oscar-winning Gigi in 1958. A host of legendary MGM stars, including Astaire, Kelly, Frank Sinatra, Elizabeth Taylor, Peter Lawford, Mickey Rooney, Bing Crosby, Debbie Reynolds, Donald O'Connor, and James Stewart, along with Garland's daughter (and Jack Haley, Jr.'s wife at the time) Liza Minnelli, narrate various sequences, but the vast array of clips largely speak - or should I say sing and dance - for themselves.

Some of the best are Astaire and Eleanor Powell tapping up a storm to Cole Porter's "Begin the Beguine" in Broadway Melody of 1940 ("You can wait around and hope," Sinatra says, "but you'll never see the likes of this again." And he was right!), Lena Horne performing a scorching rendition of "Honeysuckle Rose" from Thousands Cheer, June Allyson crooning "Thou Swell" with the Blackburn Twins in Words and Music, Kelly and Sinatra hoofing to the title tune in Take Me Out to the Ball Game, Sinatra and Crosby trading melodic witticisms in the clever "Well, Did You Evah?" from High Society, an army of macho dancers led by Tommy Rall and Russ Tamblyn strutting their stuff to "Bless Yore Beautiful Hide" from Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, and the breathtaking climactic ballet from An American in Paris.

Other highlights include a sequence chronicling the trials various non-singing actors faced when they were cast in musicals, a montage saluting the youthful exuberance of Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland and the similarities of their let's-put-on-a-show musicals, and most thrilling of all, lengthy individual tributes to Astaire, Kelly, and Garland that spotlight such iconic numbers as "Dancing in the Dark" from The Band Wagon, the innovative wall and ceiling dance from Royal Wedding, "Singin' in the Rain," "Over the Rainbow" from The Wizard of Oz, "The Trolley Song" from Meet Me in St. Louis, and "Get Happy" from Summer Stock. 

All that and a cavalcade of clips from Esther Williams' swimming spectaculars, too.

We all know they don't make 'em like that anymore, which is why That's Entertainment! remains such a vital and important film. Preserving our film history is essential, and That's Entertainment! reminds us what a treasure trove the MGM vaults are. The talent on the screen is evident and copious, but just as important are the myriad craftsmen working behind the scenes whose vision and expertise enabled these glorious musicals to be fully realized. Film buffs know who they are, but to the bulk of the public they are truly unsung heroes. That's Entertainment! honors them as well.

I never get tired of That's Entertainment! Maybe it's because of that special personal connection I have with it, but I'm sure there are countless movie fans who feel the same way. If it's on TV, it's one of those films that just sucks me in and holds my attention no matter where I drop in on it. "I'll just watch one more number," I tell myself, and before I know it I've watched the whole movie. I just hope Warner Archive remasters the two That's Entertainment! sequels with the same care and releases them in the not too distant future, because the tagline for the original still holds true today: "Boy. Do we need it now." 

Vital Disc Stats: The Blu-ray
The 50th Anniversary Remastered Edition of That's Entertainment! arrives on Blu-ray packaged in a standard case. Video codec is 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 and audio is DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. Once the disc is inserted into the player, the static menu with music immediately pops up; no previews or promos precede it.

Warner Archive has been remastering MGM musicals for many years and the fruits of those labors are on full display in almost every frame of That's Entertainment! The 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 transfer is not only struck from original negatives and the best preservation elements, it also presents all the clips in their original aspect ratios (although some, like "A Pretty Girl Is Like a Melody" from The Great Ziegfeld, have been meticulously reframed for widescreen). The result is a stunning presentation that's head and shoulders above the 2007 Blu-ray.

Though the entire transfer looks crisper and more vibrant, boasts better contrast, and packs way more brilliant color than its 2007 Blu-ray counterpart - all without sacrificing a film-like appearance - the greatest difference between the two transfers is the treatment of the black-and-white clips. All the heavy grain and rampant print damage that plagued the bulk of the black-and-white clips on the 2007 Blu-ray have been removed. Those images now look sharp and feature lush blacks, bright whites, and better defined grays. (The night-and-day difference is especially evident in the sequence showcasing some of the non-singing actors who were forced to warble tunes in MGM musicals.)

The color clips burst with eye-popping hues that not only enhance the talent on screen, but celebrate Technicolor itself. Bold primaries and delicate pastels wield similar power and allow us to drink in all the opulence in the ornate sets and lavish costumes. Even the narration sequences shot largely on the MGM lot and backlot exhibit a perkier appearance. If you're a That's Entertainment! fan, an upgrade is mandatory. End of discussion.

The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track sounds marginally better than the Dolby TrueHD 5.1 track on the 2007 Blu-ray. A tad more tonal depth and an increase in fidelity contribute to a very satisfying soundscape that allows the musical numbers to truly sing. Of course, the best sequences are the ones filmed during the 1950s following technological audio advancements, but even the earliest clips sound clean and full. A wide dynamic scale gives Henry Mancini's orchestrations plenty of room to breathe (don't skip the overture or exit music), Garland's powerhouse vocals and Crosby's crooning both exude a lovely resonance, the tap dancing of Astaire, Kelly, and Eleanor Powell is crisp, and all the narration and song lyrics are clear and easy to comprehend. That's Entertainment! looks great, but it also sounds great, too.

Most - but not all - of the extras from the 2007 box set have been ported over to this 50th Anniversary release. The introduction by the late TCM host Robert Osborne is gone, as well as the highly entertaining newsreel celebrating MGM's 25th anniversary. The other extras, reviewed below by Peter Bracke, remain.

• Vintage TV Special: "That's Entertainment! 50 Years of MGM" (SD, 66 minutes) - Originally produced to promote the film at the time of its original theatrical release in 1974 and hosted by George Hamilton and his then-wife Alana, this is primarily an extended interview show, featuring chats with stars Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire, Donald O’Connor, Debbie Reynolds and Liza Minnelli. The special is capped by an 8-minute montage of additional clips from the movie.
• Vintage Featurette: "Just One More Time" (SD, 8 minutes) - The 1974 equivalent of an EPK, this short piece has cheesy narration and more (very poor quality) clips from the flick.
• Theatrical Trailer (SD) - The original 1974 trailer for That's Entertainment!, looking a bit ragged.

We need it now and always. That's Entertainment! is chicken soup for a movie musicals lover's soul and this remastered 50th anniversary edition from Warner Archive gives this classic documentary one of the best facelifts I've ever seen. A lush, vibrant video transfer struck from the best original and preservation elements and full-bodied audio restore That's Entertainment!'s luster and make this classic movie something to see and hear over and over again. Must Own.