Film

That's Entertainment!

Name: That's Entertainment!
Genre: Documentary, Family, Music
Released: 1974
Cast: Fred Astaire, Bing Crosby, Gene Kelly, Peter Lawford, Liza Minnelli

Musical
Light-hearted

A love letter to MGM's golden age, assembled by the studio's own legends. Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, Bing Crosby and others curate their favorite musical sequences from fifty years of spectacle, glamour and invention. It's a film made almost entirely of climaxes—no plot, just the moments that made people believe in movies.

TMDb rating

3.7

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you love old studio musicals and enjoy watching the craft of song-and-dance numbers, with the easy affection of stars who clearly relish the material and each other.

Skip it if you want a story with a plot and momentum, since this is a stitched-together parade of clips and host chatter rather than a single narrative driven by character.

What it asks of you: Settle in for a little over two hours of brief excerpts and linking commentary, unhurried and bright, with your attention mostly on sequences you can dip into and enjoy at your own pace.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

Singin' in the Rain1952

The pinnacle of Hollywood musical choreography, with Gene Kelly at his absolute peak. Every sequence builds on the last; the title number alone justifies the entire art form.

But It's unironic charm and technical perfection can feel cold if you're in a mood for something messier or more human.

The Wizard of Oz1939

The most perfect studio film ever made: Judy Garland's voice, the Technicolor, the design, the story structure. It contains multitudes—comedy, spectacle, genuine darkness, real heart.

But It's so familiar it's practically wallpaper. Hard to watch it fresh if you've grown up with it.

An American in Paris1951

Audacious, romantic, and visually ravishing. Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron dance through a Paris that never existed but feels more true than reality. The 17-minute ballet finale is unforgettable.

But The plot is gossamer-thin and exists mainly to hold together set pieces. Some find the romantic melodrama heavy-handed.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from That's Entertainment!

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Stormy Weather1943

A product of the same studio system and era, but sidelined by racism—the counter-narrative to the film's celebration of MGM's musical legacy.

An all-Black musical that MGM kept in the vault for decades. Lena Horne, Bill 'Bojangles' Robinson, and Fats Waller deliver performances of staggering charisma and artistry. It's the flip side of the same golden age coin.

But It's painful to watch knowing how the studio exploited and then suppressed these artists. The supporting stereotypes are awful. You'll need to sit with your anger.

Gigi1958

A musical that knows exactly what it is and delights in it. Leslie Caron is luminous, and Vincente Minnelli's direction makes Belle Époque Paris shimmer. The songs are clever and gorgeous.

But The framing of its heroine as a commodity for wealthy men hasn't aged gracefully, and some scenes feel uncomfortably predatory by modern standards.

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers1954

Brutally physical choreography that still startles you—these men *move*. The barn-raising sequence is one of cinema's great set pieces. Fun, inventive, and genuinely surprising.

But The gender politics are appalling even by 1954 standards. Abduction played as romance doesn't land well anymore, and for good reason.

Funny Face1957

Fred Astaire and Audrey Hepburn in Paris, styled to perfection, dancing through sequences of pure visual joy. It's shallow and it knows it, and that's exactly the point.

But It's a fashion advertisement masquerading as a film, with minimal plot and characters who don't grow. If you want substance, look elsewhere.

The Band Wagon1953

A backstage musical where the backstage story is almost as good as the numbers. Fred Astaire is charming and game, and the production numbers are inventive and sometimes hilarious.

But Some of the comedy feels dated, and the plot about putting on a show has been done to death. It's a museum piece in places.

Easter Parade1948

Fred Astaire and Judy Garland together, which almost never happens. The dance numbers are joyful and the chemistry between them is easy and warm.

But It's lightweight even by musical standards, and the story mechanics are creaky. It exists mainly as an excuse to watch two great dancers.

Royal Wedding1951

Fred Astaire at his most playful, including a famous dance on the walls and ceiling. Jane Powell is charming, and the whole thing moves at a breeze.

But The plot is tissue-paper thin and the romantic subplot is forgettable. It's more of a series of dance showcases than a cohesive film.

Sunset Boulevard1950

The shadow side of show business glamour—what happened to the stars when the studio system chewed them up and spat them out.

A brilliant, vicious deconstruction of the Hollywood that made those MGM musicals possible. Gloria Swanson is haunting as a silent-era star watching her world disappear. It's cynical, dark, and entirely necessary.

But It's bleak and ugly about an industry the previous film celebrates as pure magic. If you want to stay in the spell, this will break it.

A Star Is Born1954

Garland narrates That's Entertainment, but this film is what her life actually looked like—musical spectacle built on a foundation of exploitation and suffering.

Judy Garland's greatest performance in a film about the cost of stardom. It's a musical that tears itself apart—spectacular numbers interspersed with genuine tragedy and rage. George Cukor directs with such care that every frame breaks your heart.

But It's three hours and emotionally exhausting. Some prints are incomplete. You'll need to be ready for something that uses music to explore real damage, not just to entertain.