Product Description

The classic Hollywood movie musical-a genre defined by MGM with its films from the 1920s through the 1950s-is among America's most important contributions to popular culture. The timeless music these films delivered wasn't only the sound of Hollywood, but the cornerstone of the great American popular songbook. In 1974 MGM marked its 50th anniversary with That's Entertainment!, a film compilation of its greatest musical moments that allowed longtime fans to re-experience movie music magic on the big screen and introduced new generations to Judy Garland, Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra, Fred Astaire and other legendary stars. That's Entertainment, Part 2 ('76) and That's Entertainment! III ('94') followed, further mining MGM's peerless archives. That's Entertainment! is an essential 6-disc audio companion to these cinematic treasures, presenting the original soundtrack versions of the beloved songs featured in all three films, plus a full CD of previously unissued rarities.

About the Artist

Save for a few major exceptions like the Astaire and Rogers masterpieces, which were released by RKO, M-G-M embodied the American film musical, particularly in the 1940s and 1950s. The studio celebrated its own legacy in 1974 with the wildly successful movie That's Entertainment!, a patchwork of classic scenes from its library of musicals, then further mined the motherlode with sequels in 1976 and 1994. This six-CD box set documents these three movies and is a new, improved version of the 1995 edition. The bulk of the set remains the same, though the sound on about 30 percent of the tracks has been cleaned up, and songs have been added here and there. The biggest difference is on the sixth disc, which replaces the rarities of 1995--some of which have since popped up on reissues—with a new batch of previously unreleased tracks, mostly outtakes. The thematic organization makes more sense onscreen than on CD, so the best is to let yourself go from one song to another without overthinking too much: A simple look at the track listing tells you that the set is bursting with classic tunes. As for those rarities on disc 6, some are real doozies, like the full version of Sophie Tucker's "Some of These Days" from Broadway Melody of 1938, a demo of Kay Thompson performing the title song from Weekend at the Waldorf, Lee Wiley demoing "Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man" from Showboat, and Fanny Brice's take on "My Man" from The Great Ziegfeld. Only hardcore afficionados will want to trade their 1995 set for this one. Newcomers, on the other hand, should definitely pick up this thrilling overview of the 1929–1958 apex of the American movie musical. --Elisabeth Vincentelli