TheLittleSongbird None of the three 'That's Entertainment' films are without flaws, but they all live up to their name and achieve their main goals to entertain and fascinate.The best of the three is the first, not only being first-class entertainment but also being nostalgically affectionate and very moving (especially Liza Minnelli talking about her mother Judy Garland). Part 2 is a disappointment, due to the badly written hosting segments, a too sprawling structure, those unnecessary travelogue segments and a couple of scenes too short and hastily cut, but has a lot of interest points and a lot of treasures (including the best title sequence of the three films).Part 3 is not as good as Part 1, though there are a couple of things it actually does better, but it is better than Part 2. There is not a huge amount wrong actually, the 'Brigadoon' dance sequence does look phoney which jars with the lavishness of the rest of the film and while the hosting is charming, subtly witty and affecting it was sad to see Gene Kelly in one of his last appearances on film looking so frail and ill, lacking his usual exuberance (before looking it up, and finding that it happened after the film's release, did think that it was due to having a stroke). While it was interesting seeing so much footage that didn't make it into the films they were meant to be part of, there could have been more of the classic moments.Where it improves over Part 1 is that it has the best hosting segments of the three, both in the writing and pacing. Here they were the most informative, thought-provoking and said the most about the commitment and difficulties behind the scenes of making these scenes and films possible and personalities behind the stars which were glossed over in comparison in the previous two films. Also it is the film with the best editing. A vast majority of the scenes are used to their full potential instead of being too short and it is not as hasty or jumpy. It also returns to the more logical, ordered and thematic kind of structure the first film had, a welcome return indeed.Like the first two films, 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 included. 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. Scenes are mostly great, with far fewer missteps than with Part 2 (though there are only a few there), the only notable one is the scene from 'Brigadoon'.Judy Garland's scenes (especially the 'Annie Get Your Gun' and 'Easter Parade' scenes, though her rapport with Mickey Rooney is charming too) are clear standouts, as are Eleanor Powell, Debbie Reynolds, "Can't Help Loving Dat Man". Debbie Reynolds and Ann Miller at this point show all the shining qualities that made them such stars, it was nice to see Mickey Rooney too but he doesn't look at his best either if not as sad as Kelly.In conclusion, a real treat. The first 'That's Entertainment' is the best of the three, but this is almost as good and even makes improvements in a couple of areas. 8/10 Bethany Cox

bobtaurus As others have commented, the strength of TE3 is the special, never-before-seen footage, which is very, very interesting. However, the standard MGM excerpts are often less than remarkable, and occasionally downright boring. It makes sense: The original TE used much of the very best numbers available. TE2 used what didn't fit into the original. By the time they got to TE3, they had to settle for some "also-rans." BARELY A SPOILER ***Fred Astaire had a nice way with a song, but when you see an entire number with him singing and *not* dancing, that's a sign that the pickings were slim.*** END OF "SPOILER" Still, there's enough good stuff in here for a very enjoyable viewing. And since you're not watching it in the theater, you can fast-forward to the next number if you're feeling a bit bored.By the way, if you're a "That's Entertainment" fan, you *must* check out "That's Dancin'," which rises to the standard of the original TE.

MartynGryphon The original That's Entertainment was released in 1974 at a time when MGM were celebrating their 50th anniversary. The film was introduced by many MGM Stars of Yesteryear and it's aim was to highlight the quill of MGM musical magic from the 1930's - 1950's.Two years later That's Entertainment II appeared with Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire wonderfully singing and dancing their way through another nostalgic compilation that once again displayed the best MGM musical clips from the same era, that due to time constraints could not be included in TE1.That's Entertainment III, released in 1994, looks at the MGM musical from a different perspective. Here we concentrate on scene's that never quite made it into the finished film, scenes that in all probability WOULD have made it into the finished film, had the film actually been finished. and Scene's that did make it into a finished film but because of time's indiffence have long been forgotten.The highlight for me was watching Fred Astaire AND Fred Astaire in split screen format dancing to the song "I Wanna Be A Dancing Man" from the otherwise poor movie "The Belle Of New York". Although it was the same song and the same routine, (albeit in different costume), he is in perfect unison with his previously recorded counterpart, which perfectly shows the lengths Astaire went to achieve his perfection.The film opens with Gene Kelly explaining about the birth of the musical back when Hollywood first started talking. Apart from MGM's Hollywood Revue of 1929, (widely believed to be the first all talking, all singing and all dancing movie ever made), it was in fact Warner Brothers that streaked ahead in the development of the movie musical with the Busby Berkeley choreographed Dick Powell & Ruby Keeler musicals of the early 1930's. However, a few of MGM's early efforts are shown here which if I were to be blunt and honest, seem nothing more than pale ghosts of a Warner Brothers big production number especially the risqué 'girls in the shower' sequence which Berkeley would sort of make his pre-code trademark.RKO were the next studio to become the musical 'big boys' with the success of the Fred Astaire & Ginger Rogers musical comedies. While Fred & Ginger were taking the depression out of the depression, MGM were getting serious with high brow operettas starring Nelson Eddy and Jeanette MacDonald. Not surprisingly, Astaire & Rogers were shooing away 'nearly' all of their rivals with their light-hearted plot lines. I say 'nearly', because MGM had their own version of Astaire about to hit the big time, albeit female, in the form of Ms Eleanor Powell, the undisputed Queen of tap. Here we see her performing a couple of great numbers from the 1930's. Her brilliant routine to George & Ira Gershwin's "Fascinating Rhythm", had already been included in the original That's Entertainment, but it's here again in part three,with another split screen effect that shows us how much effort and off screen technicians we used to perfect the scene, such as men with trucks removing superfluous portions of the stage allowing the camera to move in closer to Ms Powell as her routine progresses.It was the advent of Eleanor Powell, the birth of the Mickey Rooney & Judy Garland partnership in the Andy Hardy movies and the acquisition of Fred Astaire and the discovery of Gene Kelly two years later, that paved the way for MGM to dominate the movie musical for the next 20 years.TEIII however, does have a heartbreaking side to it. Fred Astaire, who was so involved in the first two installments, had passed away only seven years earlier and needless to say, his absence from a presenting role is just as noticeable as his presence in his archived footage.Another thing that made me quite emotional was to see such an obviously ailing Gene Kelly, this movie was made about 18 months before his death, and it's actually painful to watch Gene as the frail shadow of his former athletic self with even his speech at times sounding powerless and laboured.Of the nine stars that donated their time and talent for a presenting role as of today's date only 3 of them remain.So, given my last three paragraphs, it was very difficult to watch That's Entertainment III without having some degree of mixed emotions, as I ended up putting too much emphasis on Man's Mortality and maybe not enough emphasis on how the movies are both timeless and lasting, and a moving snapshot of a different time. MGM Musicals are certainly timeless, lasting and above all, seriously enjoyable.I have, in fact, only given TEIII a 9 out of 10 rating as it includes a scene from Gigi that DIDN'T include Maurice Chevalier or Hermione Gingold. Pretty shallow huh?.

ccthemovieman-1 This last "Entertainment" installment offers a few different aspects that the first two "That's Entertainment!" packages didn't have, such as some song-dance routines that never made it on screen (and should have) or a behind-the-scenes look at cameramen filming a particular number. The latter is interesting to see as they filmed an Eleanor Powell dance ("Lady Be Good")It also was interesting to see some of the stars in the early '90s when this was made, as they host certain segments of this 113-minute tribute. I am referring to June Allyson, Cyd Charisse, Lena Horne, Howard Keel, Gene Kelly, Ann Miller, Debbie Reynolds, Mickey Rooney and Esther Williams. I'd say the person who most looked a lot like they did when they were much younger was Horne.I also appreciated the fact they showed quite a bit of numbers in the widescreen format, something we never saw viewing these great musicals on VHS. We also see a very early edition of "Singin In The Rain," with the likes of Jack Benny and Joan Crawford.Overall, a worthy edition to the "That's Entertainment!" package.