That's Entertainment II - [Mike Douglas Show pt.1]

From the episode of The Mike Douglas Show aired on February 20th, 1976.
Mike talks to Saul Chaplin, Dan Melnick, Hermes Pan, as well as the MGM stars Nanette Fabray, Debbie Reynolds, Ann Miller, Janis Paige, Gene Kelly, Jane Powell, and Fred Astaire on Soundstage 27.
No copyright infringement intended in the posting of this video.
Thanks for watching & please comment. Enjoy!

[@ernanidimassa4968]

I Produced The Mike Douglas Show in the 70;s and was with him for 12 years... Mike was as thrilled as I was to be part of That's Entertainment II it's a night I will never forget.. and oh by the way Fred Astaire was and is my all time favorite guest we ever had on the show!

[@marcchevalier3750]

shut up u old man. YOU were NEVER born in the GREATEST GENERATION . . . 1890s to early 1920s. STOP being so arrogant saying you touched those 1930s bodies when you were probably born in the silent/baby boom generation.

[@ange9663]

Love Fred Astaire my favourite everything♥️, great to see all this wonderful talent together. Thanks for posting ⭐

[@clarencehenderson7634]

I absolutely love ANN MILLER what a talented and classy lady!! 40 years ago back in April I was lucky enough to see her in Sugar Babies!

[@sammy10ization]

Ann Miller was a true star. She always looked fabulous.

[@jackanthony976]

That hairdo of Ann Miller has got to go. It looks like bees could make honey in that hairdo!!!

[@Lgevirtz]

Being an MGM musical starust have been stimulating--all those interviewed here lived into their 80s or 90s. (The last survivor, Janis Paige, is currently 99.)

[@spagandtuna]

Can you imagine if a healthy Judy Garland could have been part of this conversation? So sad, as talented as all of these greats were, there would always be a hole or void in any reunion without her.

[@futuresum1671]

The time period so wonderful and only the video remains

[@zoeebarker5086]

I love it how Debbie repeated 'everything' when she was telling everyone gene taught her everything she knows and the look on her face when she said it lol I don't think she ever quite recovered from 'Singin in the Rain' but her career did blossom afterwards because of him

[@MrImiller07]

Debbie Reynolds relates an anecdote from the filming of Singin In The Rain, in which she was sobbing hysterically as a result of being driven to perfection by Gene Kelly since she was a novice dancer. Fred Astaire, also filming on the MGM lot, heard her crying and invited her to watch him rehearsing a dance number repeatedly with Hermes Pan on a sound stage until he was satisfied and it looked "effortless". He then said to Reynolds, "you see what I have to do to get the result you see on screen?

[@susanlloyd7395]

Debbie made up a lot of stories.

[@etrimbleable]

It's great that all these people are so beloved all these years later. Astaire was such a gentleman. He didn't have the heart to correct Jane Powell about the retirement year of his sister Adele. Their last professional appearance on Broadway was in 1932 when Adele left the act to marry.

[@MrImiller07]

Interesting to note that Astaire worked with Nanette Fabray in Minnelli's The Band Wagon at Metro; Astaire and Jane Powell co-starred in Royal Wedding; Astaire and Debbie Reynolds worked together in The Pleasure Of His Company in 61, and Astaire and Kelly both co-starred with Ann Miller: Kelly in On The Town, and Astaire in Berlin's Easter Parade. Astaire worked with Janis Paige in Cole Porter's Silk Stockings.

[@TheCatgirl6]

This is amazing footage. The show originally aired when I was a teenager and I completely ignored it then--thought Mike Douglas was too vanilla to bother watching--and took the great stars he talks to here completely for granted as well... It's true what they say about youth being wasted on the young! Man, do I miss this guy now...

[@roxy5588]

I love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love Gene Kelly so much! ♡ ♥ ♡ ♥ ♡ ♥ ♡ ♥ ♡ ♥ ♡ ♥ ♡ ♥

[@tarashlynka5837]

According to Wikipedia, Judy Garland was the 3rd choice for Royal Wedding, the 1st 2 choices were Ginger Rogers and June Allyson.

[@9aspengold5]

Fabulous upload Youtalker. Thank you for the memories. Wow!! Shame we don't have Stars with character these days.

[@HunterMann]

Great comb-over Mike! I love That's Entertainment and hope more people can pause the 3D DVD reality long enough to see this!

[@guppy0112]

Not to mention the 10 movies he did with Ginger Rogers! His longest running dance/acting partner- they were really good too! Classic, some of them!

[@HimynameisLM]

They are so cute in old person form :DDDD Gene is still a cutie even at his age here. :] I wonder if the stars from now will be like that in a few decades...probably not...

[@sisterluke]

“Remember when all of us were let go in 1955?” Debbie Reynolds: “Am I a joke to you?”

[@nicktinsman275]

when they first stared talking before they showed the footage if you listen in the background over the rainbow

[@YouTalker]

Oh, I know, I'm a huge Gene fan myself! ;)

[@ChrisStockslager]

Definitely Fred! Gene was incredible too, but I just find it funny that in "That's Entertainment Part II," the 76-year-old Astaire just completely upstages the much younger Kelly, dance-wise!

[@susanlloyd7395]

On what planet?

[@MyLovelyDeadFriends]

@@susanlloyd7395 on every planet in the solar system, including earth.

[@esmeephillips5888]

Fred's hairpiece is a better fit too. Taking part in these nostalgia fests was most unusual for him. He hated celebrating his past, refusing countless honors. Willingness to reminisce with a truckling gladhander such as Douglas signaled that the champ had finally hung up his dancing shoes. He certainly did not need the dough, though Kelly might have.

[@esmeephillips5888]

At 6:22 Debbie says 'Jack Cummings gave me a break'. One of the great mystery men of the Golden Age, a producer comparable to Freed or Pasternak but totally averse to personal publicity. Cummings was Mayer's nephew, but spent more than ten years working his way up before Uncle Louis trusted him to produce a movie. That was 'Broadway Melody of 1936', the smash hit which launched Eleanor Powell. Cummings made eight further profitable titles with her; when she retired he orchestrated the equally unlikely rise of Esther Williams. Mayer was planning to go into independent production with Cummings, but died in 1957.

[@silverlakeas]

Wish we can see the whole week of shows they hosted.

[@PRLambert63]

Notice Debbie Reynolds reaction to Nanette Fabrays comment about everyone being fired after the Band wagon 6:31. She shakes her head in disagreement then quietly says no to this as her contract continued for several more years.

[@jackanthony976]

What I think Nanette meant was that after the Bandwagon (1953) studio contracts were on the wane but few managed to hang on like Ann Miller until 1956, Cyd Charisse until 1959, Gene Kelly until 1957. Debbie hung on to her MGM contract until the early 60's as did Elizabeth Taylor.

[@esmeephillips5888]

@@jackanthony976 Nanette's remark is suspect. She was easily bored by the slow pace of movie-making, arguing with Minnelli on 'The Band Wagon' (admittedly he did not handle talent well) and fighting with her co-stars. She was much happier playing to live audiences on Broadway or TV, like Arlene Francis.

[@esmeephillips5888]

@@jackanthony976 'Party Girl', which is an intriguing if off-key Prohibition era pastiche, was Robert Taylor's and Cyd Charisse's way of discharging their obligations to MGM. They had been on the payroll for 24 and 14 years respectively. The film marks the end of the studio system.

[@arelyflores1986]

Greer Garson in the background

[@MrImiller07]

Unlike Kelly's widow, Patricia, who has done everything humanly possible to perpetuate Gene Kelly's legacy of great films, Astaire's widow has done everything within her power to prevent his television specials from being commercially released on Bluray DVD. fortunately, Turner Classic Movies continues to feature his MGM, Paramount, RKO and 20th Century Fox films.

[@cvb6957]

The hairdo of Ann Miller is really burlesque 😅

[@darlinkula1]

In one of Gene Kelly's last projects he was fired from the making of a Madonna video...R.I.P. Good Taste !

[@haumea420]

This was literally aired 10 days after Sal Mineo’s murder.

[@MrImiller07]

First, I miss Mike Douglas and his great show. Astaire has left a wonderful legacy of films; The Band Wagon, Daddy Long Legs, Funny Face, Silk Stockings come to mind, and, of course, the marvelous tv specials. Kelly should have had a more productive film career after An American In Paris and Singin In The Rain, however, his appearance in the Jacques Demy musical in 67 was disappointing and Xanadu was a disaster. His involvement in That's Entertainment I and II as star and director was great.

[@andyvanm1]

Thank You MGM was the greatest studio ever,the studio system created real stars,and those who say different were more Communists than actors....Mike Douglas was a class act ...

[@mr.balloffur]

That's Entertainment II wasn't as good as the first because it's missing Jack Haley Jr. He was the magic behind the first one and without him... it's just clips.

[@sandroserna6883]

I wish Judy Garland was thr she did so much much ... she was the best

[@lc6067]

Greatest of them all. ❤️

[@patzeram]

At about 3:30 to 4:00 I saw an actor in the background and it looks like Al Pacino. Am I wrong??

[@TheBraveIntrovert]

Mr. kelly LOL She still called him Mr. Kelly. Where was Donold O'Connor By the way?

[@susanlloyd7395]

As she should.

[@hellasexy22]

You're so right, Ann Miller looked a "horrid" mess with those 70's clothes,hair & make-up, a horrible mess! She should have arrested by the fashion police right on the spot! Fred Astaire looked so sharp & cool, even at age 76. Gene Kelly was too cute & hilarious in this piece; he was charismatic, for real. I always liked him the moment I saw him on "I got Rhythm" number from "An American in Paris."