That's Entertainment Part II (1976) - Star of the month... Frank Sinatra

Due to popular demand, and the success of 'That's Entertainment' (1974), we are presented with 'That's Entertainment, Part II' (1976), with even more music and even more entertainment.

In a slightly different format to the first film, 'That's Entertainment, Part II' is hosted solely by Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire, and includes newly filmed musical numbers of the duo. This film also extends beyond the MGM musical, and presents clips from MGM comedies and dramas.

Designed by Saul Bass, the opening title sequence pays homage to the range and style of title sequences from films from the 1930s and early 1950s.

Highlights from 'That's Entertainment, Part II'

• Overture - As with the first film, an overture plays
• That's Entertainment - Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly perform a newly filmes version of 'That's Entertaiment' with new lyrics
• The Stateroom Scene from 'a Night in the Ioera'
• Tributes to Cyd Charisse, Lena Horne, Leslie Caron and Marge/Gower Champion
• From This Moment On - from 'Kiss Me Kate' (1953)
• Black and White Montage -  clips from black and white musicals such as Judy Garland, Mickey Rooney, Jeanette MacDonald, Nelson Eddy and Jimmu Durante
• Slapstick comedy montage of Laurel and Hardy, Abbott and Costello and Jack BEnny
• Good Morning from 'Singin in the Rain'
• Triplets from 'The Bandwagon'
• Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas from 'Meet Me in St. Louis' (1944)
• 10 Cents a Dance - Doris Day's first appearance in a 'That's Entertainment' film
• Special tribute to Frank Sinatra
• Immortal stars and lines, featuring Greta Garbo "I vant to be alone", WC Fields in 'David Copperfield', Jean Harlow and Marie Dressler in 'Dinner at Eight' and Clark Gable in 'Gone With the Wind'
• Travel Talks montage
• France montage - Maurice Chevalier, Dinah Shore singing 'The Last Time I Saw Paris;' in 'Till The Clouds Roll By' (1943), 'I'll Build a Stairway to Paradise' and Gwen Verdon's can can
• There's No Business Like Show Business from 'Annie, Get Your Gun' (1952)
• Tribute to Katharine Hepburn & Spencer Tracy - both on their own and together
• Cypress Gardens Waterski Spectacular - what better way to close the film than with Esther Williams
• That's Entertainment (finale) - from 'The Bandwagon' (1953)
• Exit Music 

Featured performers (in alphabetical order):

Bud Abbott, Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson, Louis Armstrong, Mary Astor, Lew Ayres, John Barrymore, Lionel Barrymore, Freddie Batholomew, Wallace Beery, Robert Benchley, Constance Bennett, Jack Benny, Nacio Herb Brown, Jack Buchanan, Billie Burke, James Cagney, Sammy Cahn, Louis Calhern, Leslie Caron, Gower Champion, Marge Champion, Cyd Charisse, Maurice Chevalier, Ronald Colman, Gino Corrado, Lou Costello, Jeanne Coyne, Joan Crawford, Bing Crosby, Dan Dailey, Doris Day, Robert Donat, Fifi D'Orsay, Tommy Dorsey, Melvyn Douglas, Tom Drake, Marie Dressler, Margaret Dumont, Jimmy Durante, Nelson Eddy, Cliff Edwards, Nanette Fabray, W.C. Fields, James A. Fitzpatrick, Bob Fosse, Arthur Freed, Clark Gable, Greta Garbo, Judy Garland, Betty Garrett, Greer Garson, Hermione Gingold, Cary Grant, Charley Grapewin, Fernand Gravey, Kathryn Grayson, Carol Haney, Oliver Hardy, Jean Harlow, Katharine Hepburn, Judy Holliday, Sterling Holloway, Lena Horne, Betty Hutton, Harry James, Allan Jones, Buster Keaton, Howard Keel, Grace Kelly, June Knight, Miliza Korjus, Hedy Lamarr, Lassie, Stan Laurel, Vivien Leigh, Oscar Levant, Myrna Loy, Jeanette MacDonald, The Marx Brothers, Chico Marx, Groucho Marx, Harpo Marx, Roddy McDowall, Ann Miller, Robert Montgomery, Esther Muir, Dave O'Brien, Donald O'Connor, Maureen O'Sullivan, Walter Pidgeon, Eleanor Powell, William Powell, Tommy Rall, Debbie Reynolds, Ginger Rogers, Mickey Rooney, Christian Rub, Al Shean, Dinah Shore, Frank Sinatra, Red Skelton, Ann Sothern, James Stewart, Lewis Stone, Elizabeth Taylor, Robert Taylor, Marshall Thompson, Franchot Tone, Spencer Tracy, Lana Turner, USC Trojan Marching Band, Bobby Van, Gwen Verdon, Ethel Waters, David Wayne, Johnny Weissmuller, Esther Williams, Ed Wynn, Keenan Wynn, Robert Young

Fred Astaire & Gene Kelly in their second
and last appearance together

Did you know...

• This was Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire's first appearance together in over 30 years - they last appeared together in 'Ziegfeld Follies' (1945)
• In this film, Gene Kelly is 63 and Fred Astaire is 76 - the level of stamina they still have is impressive
• This was Gene Kelly's last directing credit
• This was the last time Fred Astaire danced on film
• 18 years later, this was followed by 'That's Entertainment III' (1994), which also featured Gene Kelly
• During the clip of 'From This Moment On' from 'Kiss Me Kate' (1948), Gene Kelly identifies Ann Miller, Tommy Rall, Bob Fosse, Carol Haney and Bobby Van, but does not identify Jeanne Coyne - Coyne was Kelly's second wife and had died from leukaemia three years earlier
• The song "Good Morning" from 'Singin' in the Rain' (1952), was originally to appear in the first 'That's Entertainment' (1974), but cut before release 

Closing remarks

'That's Entertainment, Part II' is an entertaining compilation of film clips. I personally find this to be the least enjoyable of the three films. Sadly Part 2 does not feature any clips of MGM greats June Allyson and Mario Lanza. A notable musical number which would have been ideal for inclusion is Ann Miller's show stopping 'Too Darn Hot' from 'Kiss Me Kate' (1953).

Show-Business at War (1943) - Star of the month... Frank Sinatra

'Show-Business at War' (March of Time, Volume 9, Number 10) is a 1943 short film newsreel chronicling the many ways in which the American entertainment industry was assisting during World War II. 

Watch the film:

From the publication of the "Show Business at War" edition of Variety newspaper, to the many stars dedicating their time to raise money on war bonds, to the volunteering at the Hollywood Canteen. I found it interesting to see Hollywood cameraman up-skilling army officers in how to use film cameras  to enable them to film their combats.

Hollywood studios had an important role to play during the war, by not only  providing entertainment to those risking their lives, but to also produce propaganda films to discredit the enemy.

The newsreel features the following personalities:

• Al Jolson (actor, who entertained troops)
• Alfred Hitchcock (director)
• Alfred Lunt (stage actor, who cooked for soldiers)
• Anatole Litvak (director)
• Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo (ballet company, who entertained troops)
• Bette Davis (actress)
• Bing Crosby (singer)
• Bob Hope (actor)
• Carole Lombarde (actress, who was tragically killed in a plane crash returning from a war bond rally)
• Clark Gable (actor, who enlisted)
• Daryl Zanuck (film producer)
• Deanna Durbin (actress, who danced with soldiers at the Hollywood Canteen)
• Dorothy Lamour (actress)
• Edgar Bergen (ventriloquist, who entertained troops with his doll Charlie McCarthy)
• Errol Flynn (actor)
• Ethel Barrymore (actress)
• Frank Sinatra (actor)
• Fred MacMurray (actor)
• Gertrude Lawrence (actress)
• Ginger Rogers (actress)
• Glenn Ford (actor)
• Hal B. Wallis (producer)
• Hedy Lamarr (actress, who danced with soldiers at the Hollywood Canteen)
• Irene Dunne (actress)
• Irving Berlin (composer, who wrote the songs in the wartime musical 'This is the Army', which featured an all-soldier cast)
• Jack Benny (radio comedian, who entertained troops)
• Jack L. Warner (head of Warner Bros.)
• James Cagney (actor)
• Joe E. Brown (comedian, who entertained troops)
• John Ford (film director, who headed the film producing unit of the Office of Strategic Services)
• John Garfield (actor, who co-founded the Hollywood Canteen)
• Kay Francis (actress)
• Lana Turner (actress)
• Linda Darnell (actress)
• Loretta Young (actress)
• Louis Armstrong (entertainer, who entertained troops)
• Marlene Dietrich (actress, who danced with soldiers at the Hollywood Canteen)
• Michael Curtiz (director)
• Mickey Rooney (actor)
• Myrna Loy (actress)
• Olivia de Havilland (actress, who danced with soldiers at the Hollywood Canteen)
• Orson Welles (actor/director)
• Rita Hayworth (actress)
• Robert Benchley (comedian, who volunteered at the Hollywood Canteen)
• Tyrone Power (actor, who enlisted)
• Walt Disney (who provided Disney studio resources to aid the production of instructional films for the armed forces)
• W.C. Fields (actor)

The musical highlight in the film is Al Jolson singing his signature tune "Mammy".

That's Entertainment Part II (1976) - Star of the month... Elizabeth Taylor

Due to popular demand, and the success of 'That's Entertainment' (1974), we are presented with 'That's Entertainment, Part II' (1976), with even more music and even more entertainment.

In a slightly different format to the first film, 'That's Entertainment, Part II' is hosted solely by Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire, and includes newly filmed musical numbers of the duo. This film also extends beyond the MGM musical, and presents clips from MGM comedies and dramas.

Designed by Saul Bass, the opening title sequence pays homage to the range and style of title sequences from films from the 1930s and early 1950s.

Highlights from 'That's Entertainment, Part II'

• Overture - As with the first film, an overture plays
• That's Entertainment - Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly perform a newly filmes version of 'That's Entertaiment' with new lyrics
• The Stateroom Scene from 'a Night in the Ioera'
• Tributes to Cyd Charisse, Lena Horne, Leslie Caron and Marge/Gower Champion
• From This Moment On - from 'Kiss Me Kate' (1953)
• Black and White Montage -  clips from black and white musicals such as Judy Garland, Mickey Rooney, Jeanette MacDonald, Nelson Eddy and Jimmu Durante
• Slapstick comedy montage of Laurel and Hardy, Abbott and Costello and Jack BEnny
• Good Morning from 'Singin in the Rain'
• Triplets from 'The Bandwagon'
• Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas from 'Meet Me in St. Louis' (1944)
• 10 Cents a Dance - Doris Day's first appearance in a 'That's Entertainment' film
• Special tribute to Frank Sinatra
• Immortal stars and lines, featuring Greta Garbo "I vant to be alone", WC Fields in 'David Copperfield', Jean Harlow and Marie Dressler in 'Dinner at Eight' and Clark Gable in 'Gone With the Wind'
• Travel Talks montage
• France montage - Maurice Chevalier, Dinah Shore singing 'The Last Time I Saw Paris;' in 'Till The Clouds Roll By' (1943), 'I'll Build a Stairway to Paradise' and Gwen Verdon's can can
• There's No Business Like Show Business from 'Annie, Get Your Gun' (1952)
• Tribute to Katharine Hepburn & Spencer Tracy - both on their own and together
• Cypress Gardens Waterski Spectacular - what better way to close the film than with Esther Williams
• That's Entertainment (finale) - from 'The Bandwagon' (1953)
• Exit Music 

Featured performers (in alphabetical order):

Bud Abbott, Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson, Louis Armstrong, Mary Astor, Lew Ayres, John Barrymore, Lionel Barrymore, Freddie Batholomew, Wallace Beery, Robert Benchley, Constance Bennett, Jack Benny, Nacio Herb Brown, Jack Buchanan, Billie Burke, James Cagney, Sammy Cahn, Louis Calhern, Leslie Caron, Gower Champion, Marge Champion, Cyd Charisse, Maurice Chevalier, Ronald Colman, Gino Corrado, Lou Costello, Jeanne Coyne, Joan Crawford, Bing Crosby, Dan Dailey, Doris Day, Robert Donat, Fifi D'Orsay, Tommy Dorsey, Melvyn Douglas, Tom Drake, Marie Dressler, Margaret Dumont, Jimmy Durante, Nelson Eddy, Cliff Edwards, Nanette Fabray, W.C. Fields, James A. Fitzpatrick, Bob Fosse, Arthur Freed, Clark Gable, Greta Garbo, Judy Garland, Betty Garrett, Greer Garson, Hermione Gingold, Cary Grant, Charley Grapewin, Fernand Gravey, Kathryn Grayson, Carol Haney, Oliver Hardy, Jean Harlow, Katharine Hepburn, Judy Holliday, Sterling Holloway, Lena Horne, Betty Hutton, Harry James, Allan Jones, Buster Keaton, Howard Keel, Grace Kelly, June Knight, Miliza Korjus, Hedy Lamarr, Lassie, Stan Laurel, Vivien Leigh, Oscar Levant, Myrna Loy, Jeanette MacDonald, The Marx Brothers, Chico Marx, Groucho Marx, Harpo Marx, Roddy McDowall, Ann Miller, Robert Montgomery, Esther Muir, Dave O'Brien, Donald O'Connor, Maureen O'Sullivan, Walter Pidgeon, Eleanor Powell, William Powell, Tommy Rall, Debbie Reynolds, Ginger Rogers, Mickey Rooney, Christian Rub, Al Shean, Dinah Shore, Frank Sinatra, Red Skelton, Ann Sothern, James Stewart, Lewis Stone, Elizabeth Taylor, Robert Taylor, Marshall Thompson, Franchot Tone, Spencer Tracy, Lana Turner, USC Trojan Marching Band, Bobby Van, Gwen Verdon, Ethel Waters, David Wayne, Johnny Weissmuller, Esther Williams, Ed Wynn, Keenan Wynn, Robert Young

Fred Astaire & Gene Kelly in their second
and last appearance together

Did you know...

• This was Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire's first appearance together in over 30 years - they last appeared together in 'Ziegfeld Follies' (1945)
• In this film, Gene Kelly is 63 and Fred Astaire is 76 - the level of stamina they still have is impressive
• This was Gene Kelly's last directing credit
• This was the last time Fred Astaire danced on film
• 18 years later, this was followed by 'That's Entertainment III' (1994), which also featured Gene Kelly
• During the clip of 'From This Moment On' from 'Kiss Me Kate' (1948), Gene Kelly identifies Ann Miller, Tommy Rall, Bob Fosse, Carol Haney and Bobby Van, but does not identify Jeanne Coyne - Coyne was Kelly's second wife and had died from leukaemia three years earlier
• The song "Good Morning" from 'Singin' in the Rain' (1952), was originally to appear in the first 'That's Entertainment' (1974), but cut before release 

Closing remarks

'That's Entertainment, Part II' is an entertaining compilation of film clips. I personally find this to be the least enjoyable of the three films. Sadly Part 2 does not feature any clips of MGM greats June Allyson and Mario Lanza. A notable musical number which would have been ideal for inclusion is Ann Miller's show stopping 'Too Darn Hot' from 'Kiss Me Kate' (1953).

That's Entertainment Part II (1976) - Star of the month... Greta Garbo

Due to popular demand, and the success of 'That's Entertainment' (1974), we are presented with 'That's Entertainment, Part II' (1976), with even more music and even more entertainment.

In a slightly different format to the first film, 'That's Entertainment, Part II' is hosted solely by Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire, and includes newly filmed musical numbers of the duo. This film also extends beyond the MGM musical, and presents clips from MGM comedies and dramas.

Designed by Saul Bass, the opening title sequence pays homage to the range and style of title sequences from films from the 1930s and early 1950s.

Highlights from 'That's Entertainment, Part II'

• Overture - As with the first film, an overture plays
• That's Entertainment - Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly perform a newly filmes version of 'That's Entertaiment' with new lyrics
• The Stateroom Scene from 'a Night in the Ioera'
• Tributes to Cyd Charisse, Lena Horne, Leslie Caron and Marge/Gower Champion
• From This Moment On - from 'Kiss Me Kate' (1953)
• Black and White Montage -  clips from black and white musicals such as Judy Garland, Mickey Rooney, Jeanette MacDonald, Nelson Eddy and Jimmu Durante
• Slapstick comedy montage of Laurel and Hardy, Abbott and Costello and Jack BEnny
• Good Morning from 'Singin in the Rain'
• Triplets from 'The Bandwagon'
• Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas from 'Meet Me in St. Louis' (1944)
• 10 Cents a Dance - Doris Day's first appearance in a 'That's Entertainment' film
• Special tribute to Frank Sinatra
• Immortal stars and lines, featuring Greta Garbo "I vant to be alone", WC Fields in 'David Copperfield', Jean Harlow and Marie Dressler in 'Dinner at Eight' and Clark Gable in 'Gone With the Wind'
• Travel Talks montage
• France montage - Maurice Chevalier, Dinah Shore singing 'The Last Time I Saw Paris;' in 'Till The Clouds Roll By' (1943), 'I'll Build a Stairway to Paradise' and Gwen Verdon's can can
• There's No Business Like Show Business from 'Annie, Get Your Gun' (1952)
• Tribute to Katharine Hepburn & Spencer Tracy - both on their own and together
• Cypress Gardens Waterski Spectacular - what better way to close the film than with Esther Williams
• That's Entertainment (finale) - from 'The Bandwagon' (1953)
• Exit Music 

Featured performers (in alphabetical order):

Bud Abbott, Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson, Louis Armstrong, Mary Astor, Lew Ayres, John Barrymore, Lionel Barrymore, Freddie Batholomew, Wallace Beery, Robert Benchley, Constance Bennett, Jack Benny, Nacio Herb Brown, Jack Buchanan, Billie Burke, James Cagney, Sammy Cahn, Louis Calhern, Leslie Caron, Gower Champion, Marge Champion, Cyd Charisse, Maurice Chevalier, Ronald Colman, Gino Corrado, Lou Costello, Jeanne Coyne, Joan Crawford, Bing Crosby, Dan Dailey, Doris Day, Robert Donat, Fifi D'Orsay, Tommy Dorsey, Melvyn Douglas, Tom Drake, Marie Dressler, Margaret Dumont, Jimmy Durante, Nelson Eddy, Cliff Edwards, Nanette Fabray, W.C. Fields, James A. Fitzpatrick, Bob Fosse, Arthur Freed, Clark Gable, Greta Garbo, Judy Garland, Betty Garrett, Greer Garson, Hermione Gingold, Cary Grant, Charley Grapewin, Fernand Gravey, Kathryn Grayson, Carol Haney, Oliver Hardy, Jean Harlow, Katharine Hepburn, Judy Holliday, Sterling Holloway, Lena Horne, Betty Hutton, Harry James, Allan Jones, Buster Keaton, Howard Keel, Grace Kelly, June Knight, Miliza Korjus, Hedy Lamarr, Lassie, Stan Laurel, Vivien Leigh, Oscar Levant, Myrna Loy, Jeanette MacDonald, The Marx Brothers, Chico Marx, Groucho Marx, Harpo Marx, Roddy McDowall, Ann Miller, Robert Montgomery, Esther Muir, Dave O'Brien, Donald O'Connor, Maureen O'Sullivan, Walter Pidgeon, Eleanor Powell, William Powell, Tommy Rall, Debbie Reynolds, Ginger Rogers, Mickey Rooney, Christian Rub, Al Shean, Dinah Shore, Frank Sinatra, Red Skelton, Ann Sothern, James Stewart, Lewis Stone, Elizabeth Taylor, Robert Taylor, Marshall Thompson, Franchot Tone, Spencer Tracy, Lana Turner, USC Trojan Marching Band, Bobby Van, Gwen Verdon, Ethel Waters, David Wayne, Johnny Weissmuller, Esther Williams, Ed Wynn, Keenan Wynn, Robert Young

Fred Astaire & Gene Kelly in their second
and last appearance together

Did you know...

• This was Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire's first appearance together in over 30 years - they last appeared together in 'Ziegfeld Follies' (1945)
• In this film, Gene Kelly is 63 and Fred Astaire is 76 - the level of stamina they still have is impressive
• This was Gene Kelly's last directing credit
• This was the last time Fred Astaire danced on film
• 18 years later, this was followed by 'That's Entertainment III' (1994), which also featured Gene Kelly
• During the clip of 'From This Moment On' from 'Kiss Me Kate' (1948), Gene Kelly identifies Ann Miller, Tommy Rall, Bob Fosse, Carol Haney and Bobby Van, but does not identify Jeanne Coyne - Coyne was Kelly's second wife and had died from leukaemia three years earlier
• The song "Good Morning" from 'Singin' in the Rain' (1952), was originally to appear in the first 'That's Entertainment' (1974), but cut before release 

Closing remarks

'That's Entertainment, Part II' is an entertaining compilation of film clips. I personally find this to be the least enjoyable of the three films. Sadly Part 2 does not feature any clips of MGM greats June Allyson and Mario Lanza. A notable musical number which would have been ideal for inclusion is Ann Miller's show stopping 'Too Darn Hot' from 'Kiss Me Kate' (1953).

That's Entertainment Part II (1976) - Star of the month... Gene Kelly

Due to popular demand, and the success of 'That's Entertainment' (1974), we are presented with 'That's Entertainment, Part II' (1976), with even more music and even more entertainment.

In a slightly different format to the first film, 'That's Entertainment, Part II' is hosted solely by Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire, and includes newly filmed musical numbers of the duo. This film also extends beyond the MGM musical, and presents clips from MGM comedies and dramas.

Designed by Saul Bass, the opening title sequence pays homage to the range and style of title sequences from films from the 1930s and early 1950s.

Highlights from 'That's Entertainment, Part II'

• Overture - As with the first film, an overture plays
• That's Entertainment - Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly perform a newly filmes version of 'That's Entertaiment' with new lyrics
• The Stateroom Scene from 'a Night in the Ioera'
• Tributes to Cyd Charisse, Lena Horne, Leslie Caron and Marge/Gower Champion
• From This Moment On - from 'Kiss Me Kate' (1953)
• Black and White Montage -  clips from black and white musicals such as Judy Garland, Mickey Rooney, Jeanette MacDonald, Nelson Eddy and Jimmu Durante
• Slapstick comedy montage of Laurel and Hardy, Abbott and Costello and Jack BEnny
• Good Morning from 'Singin in the Rain'
• Triplets from 'The Bandwagon'
• Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas from 'Meet Me in St. Louis' (1944)
• 10 Cents a Dance - Doris Day's first appearance in a 'That's Entertainment' film
• Special tribute to Frank Sinatra
• Immortal stars and lines, featuring Greta Garbo "I vant to be alone", WC Fields in 'David Copperfield', Jean Harlow and Marie Dressler in 'Dinner at Eight' and Clark Gable in 'Gone With the Wind'
• Travel Talks montage
• France montage - Maurice Chevalier, Dinah Shore singing 'The Last Time I Saw Paris;' in 'Till The Clouds Roll By' (1943), 'I'll Build a Stairway to Paradise' and Gwen Verdon's can can
• There's No Business Like Show Business from 'Annie, Get Your Gun' (1952)
• Tribute to Katharine Hepburn & Spencer Tracy - both on their own and together
• Cypress Gardens Waterski Spectacular - what better way to close the film than with Esther Williams
• That's Entertainment (finale) - from 'The Bandwagon' (1953)
• Exit Music 

Featured performers (in alphabetical order):

Bud Abbott, Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson, Louis Armstrong, Mary Astor, Lew Ayres, John Barrymore, Lionel Barrymore, Freddie Batholomew, Wallace Beery, Robert Benchley, Constance Bennett, Jack Benny, Nacio Herb Brown, Jack Buchanan, Billie Burke, James Cagney, Sammy Cahn, Louis Calhern, Leslie Caron, Gower Champion, Marge Champion, Cyd Charisse, Maurice Chevalier, Ronald Colman, Gino Corrado, Lou Costello, Jeanne Coyne, Joan Crawford, Bing Crosby, Dan Dailey, Doris Day, Robert Donat, Fifi D'Orsay, Tommy Dorsey, Melvyn Douglas, Tom Drake, Marie Dressler, Margaret Dumont, Jimmy Durante, Nelson Eddy, Cliff Edwards, Nanette Fabray, W.C. Fields, James A. Fitzpatrick, Bob Fosse, Arthur Freed, Clark Gable, Greta Garbo, Judy Garland, Betty Garrett, Greer Garson, Hermione Gingold, Cary Grant, Charley Grapewin, Fernand Gravey, Kathryn Grayson, Carol Haney, Oliver Hardy, Jean Harlow, Katharine Hepburn, Judy Holliday, Sterling Holloway, Lena Horne, Betty Hutton, Harry James, Allan Jones, Buster Keaton, Howard Keel, Grace Kelly, June Knight, Miliza Korjus, Hedy Lamarr, Lassie, Stan Laurel, Vivien Leigh, Oscar Levant, Myrna Loy, Jeanette MacDonald, The Marx Brothers, Chico Marx, Groucho Marx, Harpo Marx, Roddy McDowall, Ann Miller, Robert Montgomery, Esther Muir, Dave O'Brien, Donald O'Connor, Maureen O'Sullivan, Walter Pidgeon, Eleanor Powell, William Powell, Tommy Rall, Debbie Reynolds, Ginger Rogers, Mickey Rooney, Christian Rub, Al Shean, Dinah Shore, Frank Sinatra, Red Skelton, Ann Sothern, James Stewart, Lewis Stone, Elizabeth Taylor, Robert Taylor, Marshall Thompson, Franchot Tone, Spencer Tracy, Lana Turner, USC Trojan Marching Band, Bobby Van, Gwen Verdon, Ethel Waters, David Wayne, Johnny Weissmuller, Esther Williams, Ed Wynn, Keenan Wynn, Robert Young

Fred Astaire & Gene Kelly in their second
and last appearance together

Did you know...

• This was Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire's first appearance together in over 30 years - they last appeared together in 'Ziegfeld Follies' (1945)
• In this film, Gene Kelly is 63 and Fred Astaire is 76 - the level of stamina they still have is impressive
• This was Gene Kelly's last directing credit
• This was the last time Fred Astaire danced on film
• 18 years later, this was followed by 'That's Entertainment III' (1994), which also featured Gene Kelly
• During the clip of 'From This Moment On' from 'Kiss Me Kate' (1948), Gene Kelly identifies Ann Miller, Tommy Rall, Bob Fosse, Carol Haney and Bobby Van, but does not identify Jeanne Coyne - Coyne was Kelly's second wife and had died from leukaemia three years earlier
• The song "Good Morning" from 'Singin' in the Rain' (1952), was originally to appear in the first 'That's Entertainment' (1974), but cut before release 

Closing remarks

'That's Entertainment, Part II' is an entertaining compilation of film clips. I personally find this to be the least enjoyable of the three films. Sadly Part 2 does not feature any clips of MGM greats June Allyson and Mario Lanza. A notable musical number which would have been ideal for inclusion is Ann Miller's show stopping 'Too Darn Hot' from 'Kiss Me Kate' (1953).

Show-Business at War (1943) - Star of the month... Olivia de Havilland

'Show-Business at War' (March of Time, Volume 9, Number 10) is a 1943 short film newsreel chronicling the many ways in which the American entertainment industry was assisting during World War II. 


Watch the film:

From the publication of the "Show Business at War" edition of Variety newspaper, to the many stars dedicating their time to raise money on war bonds, to the volunteering at the Hollywood Canteen. I found it interesting to see Hollywood cameraman up-skilling army officers in how to use film cameras  to enable them to film their combats.


Hollywood studios had an important role to play during the war, by not only  providing entertainment to those risking their lives, but to also produce propaganda films to discredit the enemy.


The newsreel features the following personalities:

• Al Jolson (actor, who entertained troops)
• Alfred Hitchcock (director)
• Alfred Lunt (stage actor, who cooked for soldiers)
• Anatole Litvak (director)
• Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo (ballet company, who entertained troops)
• Bette Davis (actress)
• Bing Crosby (singer)
• Bob Hope (actor)
• Carole Lombarde (actress, who was tragically killed in a plane crash returning from a war bond rally)
• Clark Gable (actor, who enlisted)
• Daryl Zanuck (film producer)
• Deanna Durbin (actress, who danced with soldiers at the Hollywood Canteen)
• Dorothy Lamour (actress)
• Edgar Bergen (ventriloquist, who entertained troops with his doll Charlie McCarthy)
• Errol Flynn (actor)
• Ethel Barrymore (actress)
• Frank Sinatra (actor)
• Fred MacMurray (actor)
• Gertrude Lawrence (actress)
• Ginger Rogers (actress)
• Glenn Ford (actor)
• Hal B. Wallis (producer)
• Hedy Lamarr (actress, who danced with soldiers at the Hollywood Canteen)
• Irene Dunne (actress)
• Irving Berlin (composer, who wrote the songs in the wartime musical 'This is the Army', which featured an all-soldier cast)
• Jack Benny (radio comedian, who entertained troops)
• Jack L. Warner (head of Warner Bros.)
• James Cagney (actor)
• Joe E. Brown (comedian, who entertained troops)
• John Ford (film director, who headed the film producing unit of the Office of Strategic Services)
• John Garfield (actor, who co-founded the Hollywood Canteen)
• Kay Francis (actress)
• Lana Turner (actress)
• Linda Darnell (actress)
• Loretta Young (actress)
• Louis Armstrong (entertainer, who entertained troops)
• Marlene Dietrich (actress, who danced with soldiers at the Hollywood Canteen)
• Michael Curtiz (director)
• Mickey Rooney (actor)
• Myrna Loy (actress)
• Olivia de Havilland (actress, who danced with soldiers at the Hollywood Canteen)
• Orson Welles (actor/director)
• Rita Hayworth (actress)
• Robert Benchley (comedian, who volunteered at the Hollywood Canteen)
• Tyrone Power (actor, who enlisted)
• Walt Disney (who provided Disney studio resources to aid the production of instructional films for the armed forces)
• W.C. Fields (actor)

The musical highlight in the film is Al Jolson singing his signature tune "Mammy".

The Strawberry Blonde (1941) - Star of the month... Olivia de Havilland

"Oh for Pete's sake Virginia, cut out the nonsense. This is a pre-arranged date and we all know it. I've got to get back on duty by eleven, so come on, let's shake our tootsies!" - Olivia de Havilland (as Amy Lind)

Olivia de Havilland as Amy shocks James Cagney
as Biff with her modern way of thinking

The Strawberry Blonde is a good old fashioned jolly folly from 1941 starring James Cagney, Olivia de Havilland and Rita Hayworth with Jack Carson, Alan Hale, George Tobias, Una O'Connor and George Reeves. The film is directed by Raoul Walsh and written by Julius J. Epstein and Philip G. Epstein.


Biff Grimes (played by Cagney) is infatuated by "the strawberry blonde" Virginia Brush (played by Rita Hayworth). Society girl Virginia chooses to give her affections to Biff's best friend Hugo Barnstead (played by Carson). Biff eventually marries Virginia's best friend, nurse Amy Lind (played by de Havilland).

Cagney returns to Warner Bros.

This was James Cagney's return to Warner Bros. after his 18 months contractual dispute. A clause in Cagney's new contract allowed Cagney to choose his own films. After showing his versatility in musical films such as 'Footlight Parade' and his ability play Shakespeare in 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', Cagney thought it fit to expand his repertoire with a nostalgic film set in the 1890s.

Musical program

As with all old fashioned jolly follies, 'The Strawberry Blonde' is jam packed with some great old fashioned jolly American songs from the 1890s such as "And the Band Played On", "Bill Bailey" and "Meet Me In St. Louis".


Watch a clip from the film:

Movie trailer
I really like the movie trailer for 'The Strawberry Blonde'. I wasn't able to find it on YouTube, so here are some images I managed to find online.

Did you know...

• James Cagney had wanted Brian Donlevy or Lloyd Nolan to play the role of as Hugo Barnstead, as he felt Jack Carson was too tall for him
• John Garfield was considered for the role of Biff Grimes
• Ann Sheridan was originally intended to play Virginia Brush, however she refused due to a contractual dispute
• Brenda Marshall screen tested for the role of Virginia Brush
• This film is believed to feature the only time Rita Hayworth is heard singing with her own voice - in her other films, her singing voice is dubbed

Award nominations

• Academy Award nomination for Best Musical Score

Closing remarks

'The Strawberry Blonde' features an iconic Olivia de Havilland image where she cheekily winks at the camera.  I like this film a lot, and there is only one thing I dislike about watching this film. Every time I finish watching it, I can never get the bloody song ("And the Band Played On") out of my head!!

A Dream Comes True - Star of the month... Olivia de Havilland

"A Dream Comes True: The Making of an Unusual Motion Picture" is a 8 minute short film documenting the making of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'.

Narrated by Addison Richards, the short begins with footage from the premiere of  A Midsummer Night's Dream', before going into the making of the film. 

A highlight of the film is the footage of Erich Wolfgang Korngold playing the piano, as it is the only known footage of Korngold playing the piano. 

There is also some interesting footage of a giant fan cooling the set after filming - the studio lights made the studio very hot and uncomfortable for cast and crew.

All the great stars from the film appear in the short: Olivia de Havilland, James Cagney, Dick Powell, Joe E. Brown, Anita Louise, Ian Hunter, Ross Alexander, Grant Mitchell, Frank McHugh, Victor Jory and Mickey Rooney. 

We are also treated to some other stars attending the premiere: Bette Davis, Errol Flynn, Paul Muni, Cesar Romero, George Brent, Frank McHugh, Pat O'Brien, Marion Davies, Freddie Bartholomew, Warren William, Lyle Talbot and Delores del Rio, just to name a few.

Behind the scenes footage of movies in the 1930's was not a regular activity, as it is today, which is what makes this short film so important and interesting to watch,

Watch the film on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4B-YLW1pOuA 

The Irish In Us (1935)

Star of the month... Olivia de Havilland 

The Irish In Us is a 1935 b-comedy directed by Lloyd Bacon and starring James Cagney, Pat O'Brien, Olivia de Havilland and Frank McHugh. 

After Pat O'Hara (played by O'Brien) introduces his fiance Lucille Jackson (played by de Havilland) to his family, Lucille begins to fall in love with his boxing promoter brother Danny (Cagney).

Closing remarks

Low budget film not great, a little dull and bland, but still worth watching for an early performance of Olivia de Havilland, who is beautiful as always.

A Midsummer Night's Dream (1935) Star of the month... Olivia de Havilland

'A Midsummer Night's Dream' is Warner Bros. 1935 version of Shakespeare's play, directed by Max Reinhardt and William Dieterle, the film features a cast of thousands with 15 Warner Bros. stars.

Dick Powell and Olivia de Havilland
as Lysander and Hermia

The film is based on Reinhardt's very successful 1927 Broadway revival of the play, and was made into a film after Dieterle saw a performance at the Hollywood Bowl in 1934 and convinced Warner Bros. to finance a big budget filming. With the recent introduction of the film production code, Warner Bros. were keen to lose their image of immoral gangster films, and produce something fun for the whole family.

This film is notable for being Olivia de Havilland's film debut, who had played Hermia, in Reinhardt's production at the Hollywood Bowl.

The music Felix Mendelssohn wrote in 1843 for 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' was re-orchestrated by Eric Wolfgang Korngold.




Watch the trailer here:

An all-star cast

The film's impressive all-star cast includes:

James Cagney as Bottom

• Olivia de Havilland as Hermia
• James Cagney as Bottom
• Dick Powell as Lysander
• Joe E. Brown as Flute
• Anita Louise as Titania
• Ian Hunter as Theseus
• Ross Alexander as Demetrius
• Grant Mitchell as Egeus
• Frank McHugh as Quince
• Victor Jory as Oberon 
• and an 11 year Mickey Rooney as Puck

Did you know...

• This was Olivia de Havilland's film debut
• Joe E. Brown remains one of the only vaudeville stars to play a Shakespearean role
• Although most of the actors were contract Warner Bros stars, both Olivia de Havilland and Mickey Rooney were selected to reprise their stage roles
• This was the first film director Max Reinhardt made in the US
• The film was originally banned in Nazi Germany due to director Reinhardt and composer Mendelssohn being Jewish

Closing remarks

I was initially a little apprehensive about watching this, as it looked a little boring, but being such a big fan of James Cagney and Olivia de Havilland I felt I had to see it. After watching it, I found it wasn't too bad. I really like the way it shows James Cagney's versatility as an actor in his only Shakespearean role. 

An 11 year old Mickey Rooney as Puck

Although Dick Powell comes across a little awkward as Lysander, and he even felt he was not right for the part.

Another highlight are the elegant ballet sequences choreographed by Bronislava Nijinska.

The film although successful when first released, received mixed reviews due it's Americanisation of Shakespeare. That said, the film is still often shown on TV and considered to be a great classic.