That’s Entertainment, Part II
Directed by Gene Kelly
Written by Leonard Gershe
1976/US
IMDb page
Repeat viewing/Amazon Prime rental
Gene Kelly: [narrating over a clip from For Me and My Gal with Judy Garland] For Me and My Gal was my first film, and boy was I lucky! I co-starred with Judy Garland. That’s what I call starting at the top!
Movie buffs will want to start with Part I, but there are many gems from the MGM legacy in Part II.
Gene Kelly directed and he and Fred Astaire are the co-hosts. This means that they get to dance together a couple of different times! They are sill sublime years after their prime.
Most of the movie is devoted to clips from lesser-known musicals, many of which I have not seen. There are also clips from some of MGM dramas and comedies showcasing a bevy of the famous stars in the MGM galaxy. My favorite clips were of Eleanor Powell dancing. How unjustly forgotten she is! Absolutely the most amazing female tapper that ever lived.
I needed something uplifting after Carrie (1976) and this was just the ticket!
Trailer
