That's Entertainment, Part II (1976)

All three of the 'That's Entertainment' films are recommended very highly, with the first film being the best. Its two follow ups are not quite as good, but anybody expecting entertainment from such a title will not be disappointed as there's entertainment aplenty in all three.'That's Entertainment II' is the weakest and a slight disappointment after being fresh from seeing the first film, which was not perfect but when it was good boy was it good and even the word good didn't do it justice. This said even though it is not as strong as the other two it still lives up to its name and also achieves the goals of being a delightful couple of hours, a nostalgic trip down memory lane it is affectionate, hugely entertaining and also moving and makes one want to watch or re-watch the films and scenes included, goals that the first film in particular did so brilliantly.Where 'That's Entertainment II' falls down in particular is in the hosting scenes between Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire. It is a joy seeing both of them dance together and so well and Astaire looks great for his age, but their dialogue aims for the wistful approach and ends up being clunky, very cheesy and corny, while also not saying enough about the personalities and life stories behind the stars. The travelogue scenes also slow the film down and look just as jarringly cheap as the dilapidated MGM backdrops and sets in the hosting segments.Also disappointing is that it doesn't feel very ordered structurally. 'That's Entertainment' had a logical, ordered and thematic structure that made sense, the structure in 'That's Entertainment II' feels sprawling, random and somewhat jumpy. Not confusing or incoherent or anything, just wished it was more logical and focused. Editing can be an issue too, not always but scenes like the scene from 'A Night at the Opera' are too short and edited too hastily and that scene and a few others (especially "Good Mornin" do deserve better than that.However, What immediately captivated was seeing the who's who of musical/dance/singing talent being featured. The production values are lavish and just beautiful to look at, the music dazzles and is full of emotions and the choreography is often enough to make the jaw drop. Almost all the scenes featured are great to masterpieces, with the exceptions being the ones with Bobby Van, liked the energy but the routine was just weird, and the French segment with Kelly.It is interesting to see Robert Taylor sing and Greta Garbo dance, not brilliant but a long way from bad (nowhere near to Joan Crawford bad for example). Esther Williams skiing was almost as dazzling as that incredible water ballet featured in the first 'That's Entertainment'. Also loved the moving tribute to Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy (almost as moving as Liza Minnelli's tribute to Judy Garland in the first film, though do have to agree that the omission of 'Guess Who's Coming to Dinner' was a mistake). One can't mention the film either without mentioning the awesome title sequence, definitely the cleverest and most memorable one of all three films to me.Standout sequences are Judy Garland singing "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas", Gene Kelly's roller-skating routine, Frank Sinatra "I Got Rhythm", Ethel Waters, Garland and Kelly in 'The Pirate', Eleanor Powell, Lena Horne, the use of classics like "Ol Man River" and "There's Nothing Like Show Business" and Cyd Charisse in one of 'Singin in the Rain's' most unforgettable moments.Overall, 'That's Entertainment II' is the weakest of the 'That's Entertainment' trilogy but it lives up to its name and meets nearly all its main objectives. 7/10 Bethany Cox

Disappointing follow-up to "That's Entertainment!" The clips are fine though not up to the first film's selection. They added non-musical clips that just don't seem to work as well, in my opinion. It's missing the added interest that came from seeing various silver screen stars of old walking around the dilapidated MGM backlot before it was torn down. That added a certain poignancy to what otherwise was just a simple compilation film. Instead, we get Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly walking around gaudy '70s style sets. Kelly is particularly cringeworthy, looking like a TV game show host. Astaire seems like a classy old gent but Kelly looks like an old man trying to cling to his youth. What was he thinking with that awful toupee? If the first film's undercurrent was one of regret and mourning for a bygone era, this one's undercurrent is second-hand embarrassment for Gene Kelly. Anyway, seeing the two of them dance together will make their fans smile. It's impressive to see them dancing at their age (especially 76 year-old Astaire). Overall, if you liked the first "That's Entertainment!" you'll probably like this one, though I doubt as much.

Objectively speaking, it's hard to argue with those who believe that 'That's Entertainment! (1974)' towers over its sequel. Indeed, the first film naturally had all the classics to choose from, and so director Jack Haley Jr. was able to throw all the very best bits into his film. When Gene Kelly arrived on the scene to direct 'That's Entertainment, Part II (1976),' he found no shortage of interesting clips in the MGM archives, but occasionally had to settle for the secondary musical numbers from the most famous musicals, for example, having to settle with "Good Morning" instead of "Singin' in the Rain." Nevertheless, I think I enjoyed the sequel even more than the original, not because of the nostalgic clipshow, but because of the interludes in between. Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire, performing together for the first (and only) time since 'Ziegfeld Follies (1946),' light up the screen with their lighthearted theatrics, proving – at ages 64 and 77, respectively – that time has done little to dim their talent for entertainment.For all its nostalgic spectacle, 'That's Entertainment!' had still been a rather impersonal affair. Plenty of faded stars appeared on screen to briefly recount their experiences, but their monologues were obviously tightly scripted and lacked the intimacy and insight that they might have had. By 1976, Gene Kelly was already an experienced director (most notably in his collaborations with Stanley Donen) and so he decided to dress up his newly-shot interludes, sacrificing wistful recollection for just one more opportunity to see two of cinema's greatest sharing the stage, all to the tune of Arthur Schwartz and Howard Dietz's "That's Entertainment!" {from the film 'The Band Wagon (1953)'}. Both stars, incredibly, dart across the stage with all of their usual exuberance, and, in his final filmed performance, Fred Astaire apparently still retains the liveliness of a man two decades his junior. Kelly also breaks up the film with a brief vignette on location in Paris, where MGM Oscar-winning blockbusters 'An American in Paris (1951)' and 'Gigi (1958)' were set.The most exciting element of the 'That's Entertainment!' series, I think, is that not only can we relive all those precious classic moments, but we can also learn of the more obscure musicals about which we would otherwise have known nothing. For my part, the film added 'The Band Wagon' and 'Easter Parade (1948)' to my must-see list {yes, I am still a novice!}, and piqued my interest in many others. One hilarious sequence from 'Small Town Girl (1953),' frequently disparaged by reviewers, sees Bobby Van bounding across town like a kangaroo/pogo stick hybrid – where did that man get so much energy? All in all, I found 'That's Entertainment, Part II' to be a supreme piece of musical entertainment, mostly due to the newly-shot footage featuring Kelly and Astaire… I know I'll be humming the title song all weekend. I'm now interested in watching Part III, if only to find out how Bud Friedgen and Michael J. Sheridan, with a dwindling selection of numbers, managed to keep the series fresh.

Following the surprising success of That's Entertainment in 1974, Gene Kelly was the driving force behind this sequel, which not only further highlighted the M-G-M musical, but opened the door for wider range of genres.Showcased along side the great musical numbers, comedy and melodrama are given equal screen time with stars like Kathrine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy realising that together they could lick 'em all, John Barrymore begging Greta Garbo to stay when she so obviously and characteristically 'wants to be alone' and Clark Gable showing us exactly why he didn't give a damn!!Vintage footage from The Marx Brothers, Laurel and Hardy, Abbott and Costello, Robert Benchley and William Powell and Myrna Loy keep the laughs coming, while deeper delves into the musical archives, link this movie to it's predecessor.Ann Miller, Fred and Ginger, Gene Kelly, Bobby Van, Lena Horne, Bob Fosse, Debbie Reynolds, Mickey and Judy, Cyd Charisse and many more are all featured, picking up where the first movie left off, and for lovers of Frank Sinatra, there is a special segment of the movie purely reserved to spotlight his talent, narrated by his long-time friend, Gene Kelly.Kelly himself is not only seen in the archive footage, but he also directed, and choreographed all the new scenes and dance routines that link the classic clips together as well as pulling presenting and narrating duties with another old friend and M-G-M stalwart Fred Astaire.The two had only performed together on film on one prior occasion, dancing to George Gershwin's 'Babbitt and the Bromide' in the penultimate act of Zeigfeld Follies in 1946 and now thirty years later these two screen dancers were set to have the time of their lives.However although it was a rare treat to see them nimbly treading around their props, it looks sadly like two old men going through the motions as Fred and Gene who were at the time 77 and 64 respectively, have neither the speed or agility they both once had, although if I could perform even half as good at either of their ages I'd know I was wearing the years well. This was Fred's last ever dancing on film of which he said later, "that wasn't dancing, that was just moving around"I especially liked the finale when they reel off a long list of the movie stars who have featured in the compilation all done to music and all done in rhyme. However, the real treat from these guys are not what they were doing in the link up's but rather what they did way back when, and fortunately in That's Entertainment Part II there are more classic clips than you can shake a stick at.