In 1927 Hollywood, a silent film star falls for a chorus girl just as he and his paranoid screen partner struggle to make the difficult transition to talking pictures.
Schoolteacher Bertram Cates is arrested for teaching his students Darwin's theory of evolution. The case receives national attention and one of the newspaper reporters, E.K. Hornbeck, arranges to bring in renowned defense attorney and atheist Henry Drummond to defend Cates. The prosecutor, Matthew Brady is a former presidential candidate, famous evangelist, and old adversary of Drummond.
Jerry Mulligan is an exuberant American expatriate in Paris trying to make a reputation as a painter. His friend Adam is a struggling concert pianist who's a long time associate of a famous French singer, Henri Baurel. A lonely society woman, Milo Roberts, takes Jerry under her wing and supports him, but is interested in more than his art.
A nightclub dancer makes it big in modeling, leaving her dancer boyfriend behind.
Three sailors wreak havoc as they search for love during a whirlwind 24-hour leave in New York City.
A four-time widow discusses her four marriages, in which all of her husbands became incredibly rich and died prematurely because of their drive to be rich.
A young femme fatale realizes that the man she married is an incorrigible wastrel.
Two vaudeville performers fall in love, but find their relationship tested by the arrival of WWI.
While working as a counselor at a summer camp, college-student Marjorie Morgenstern falls for 32-year-old Noel Airman, a would-be dramatist working at a nearby summer theater. Like Marjorie, he is an upper-middle-class New York Jew, but has fallen away from his roots, and Marjorie's parents object among other things to his lack of a suitable profession. Noel himself warns Marjorie repeatedly that she's much too naive and conventional for him, but they nonetheless fall in love.
The Wolves baseball team gets steamed when they find they've been inherited by one K.C. Higgins, a suspected "fathead" who intends to take an active interest in running the team. But K.C. turns outs to be a beautiful woman who really knows her baseball. Second baseman Dennis Ryan promptly falls in love. But his playboy roommate Eddie O'Brien has his own notions about how to treat the new lady owner and some unsavory gamblers have their own ideas about how to handle Eddie.
A girl is engaged to the local richman, but meanwhile she has dreams about the legendary pirate Macoco. A traveling singer falls in love with her and to impress her he poses as the pirate.
In turn-of-the-century New York, an Italian seeks vengeance on the mobsters who killed his father.
In 17th century France, young D'Artagnan wants to join the King's Musketeers, but instead befriends three legendary musketeers—Athos, Porthos, and Aramis—and together, they become embroiled in the political intrigue surrounding King Louis XIII and his adversaries, particularly the powerful Cardinal Richelieu.
After an overnight fling with a man nearly 20 years her junior while vacationing in Greece, Ann Stanley returns to New York assuming she'll never see Peter Latham again. Until, that is, he shows up on her doorstep to take her daughter to a party. Despite her yearning for Peter and the encouragement of her friends and family, Ann initially rebuffs him when he pursues her, but slowly she yields to his charm and her own stifled emotions.
A documentary film about dancing on the screen, from it's orgins after the invention of the movie camera, over the movie musical from the late 20s, 30s, 40s 50s and 60s up to the break dance and the music videos from the 80s.
A Southern Gothic parable (truncated on-screen as “The Life You Save”) that twists the typical story of chivalrous boy-meets-girl romance, it follows a seemingly aimless drifter who inserts himself into the isolated lives of an old spinster and her invalid daughter. Adaptation of the short story by Flannery O’Connor.
To Jane Falbury's New England farm comes a troup of actors to put up a show, invited by Jane's sister. At first reluctant she has them do farm chores in exchange for food. Her reluctance becomes attraction when she falls in love with the director, Joe, who happens to be her sister's fiance.
The late, great impresario Florenz Ziegfeld looks down from heaven and ordains a new revue in his grand old style.
After writing a tell-all book about her days in the dance troupe "Barry Nichols and Les Girls", Sybil Wren is sued for libeling her fellow dancer Angele. A Rashômon style narrative presents the story from three points of view where Sybil accuses Angele of having an affair with Barry, while Angele insists that it was actually Sybil who was having the affair. Finally, Barry gives his side of the story.
Hat check man Louis Blore is in love with nightclub star May Daly. May, however, is in love with a poor dancer but wants to marry for money. When Louis wins the Irish Sweepstakes, he asks May to marry him and she accepts even though she doesn't love him. Soon after, Louis has an accident and gets knocked on the head, where he dreams that he's King Louis XV pursuing the infamous Madame Du Barry.
Acrobat Eddie Marsh is in the army now. His first act is to become friendly with Kathryn Jones, the colonel's pretty daughter. Their romance hits a few snags, including disapproval from her father. Eddie's also plagued by fear of having an accident during his family's trapeze act in the army variety show, which also features a gallery of MGM stars.
Kira, a Greek muse incarnated on Earth to inspire people, helps Dan McGuire and an artist named Sonny Malone to meet. She inspires them to build a huge disco roller rink called Xanadu.
Richard and Karen Carpenter host a musical celebration of the holiday with celebrity guests Gene Kelly, Georgia Engel, and Jimmy & Kristy McNichol.
Three completely different stories are told through dance.
Two sailors on shore leave head out for four days of partying – only to become involved in the affairs of an aspiring singer and her precocious nephew.
Three World War II buddies promise to meet at a specified place and time 10 years after the war. They keep their word only to discover how far apart they've grown. But the reunion sparks memories of youthful dreams that haven't been fulfilled -- and slowly, the three men reevaluate their lives and try to find a way to renew their friendship.
Americans Jeff and Tommy, hunting in Scotland, stumble upon a village - Brigadoon. They soon learn that the town appears once every 100 years in order to preserve its peace and special beauty. The citizens go to bed at night and when they wake up, it's 100 years later. Tommy falls in love with a beautiful young woman, Fiona, and is torn between staying or going back to his hectic life in New York.
Celebrates the 20th anniversary of the Hanna-Barbera partnership.
While a few Hollywood celebrities such as James Stewart and Clark Gable saw combat during World War II, the majority used their talents to rally the American public through bond sales, morale-boosting USO tours, patriotic war dramas and escapist film fare. Comedian David Steinberg plays host for this star-studded, 90-minute documentary, which looks at the way Tinseltown helped the United States' war effort.
A delightful retelling of the classic fairytale by Hanna-Barbera, using live action and animation.
Comprised of eight unrelated episodes of inconsistent quality, this anthology piece of American propaganda features some of MGM Studios' best directors, screenwriters and actors; it is narrated by Louis Calhern. Stories are framed by the lecture of a university professor. In one tale a Boston resident becomes angry when the census forgets to record her presence. Another sketch chronicles the achievements of African Americans while still another pays tongue-in-cheek tribute to Texas.
Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire present more golden moments from the MGM film library, this time including comedy and drama as well as classic musical numbers.
The legendary stuntman plans his most incredible stunt yet while battling the mob in this action-adventure.
French soldiers surrender to lying Nazis and are herded into a barbaric prison of war camp. From there they plan an uprising.
A fascinating look at the most beloved comedy team in motion picture history. Exclusive interviews with those closest to the brothers supplement this collection of highlights from their film, theater, and television appearances and offer a compelling look at their lives both on and off-screen.
A small group of Allied soldiers and airmen on Java are being bombed by Japanese 'planes daily. With only one working fighter of their own, and five pilots anxious to fly it, the Dutch commander chooses George Collins to fly a mission to drop a 500-lb bomb on the Japanese carrier lying offshore. As the flight progresses, the commander asks the other pilots to tell him about George. They recount his rise from brilliant law student, through the time he became involved in the corrupt machine of his state's Governor, and his attempts to redeem himself, both in his own eyes, and in Fredie, his long-time love.
Jeff Elliot is an American GI investigating a black market gang in Munich.
A documentary about the glorious history of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios and its decline leading to the sale of its back lot and props. By extension this provides a general history of Hollywood's Golden Age and the legendary studio system.
A World War II pilot (Gene Kelly) comes home to a bride (Marie McDonald) who, spoiled by her father (Charles Winninger), now wants a divorce.
Two children run away from a Swiss boarding school and set out for Paris, with their frantic parents in hot pursuit.
A Navy lieutenant is borrowed by the British to supervise torpedo experiments after one of their scientists is killed.
Agnes Varda's documentary of the celebrations arising from the 25th anniversary of her husband Jacques Demy's film The Young Girls of Rochefort.
An animated Plasticine man enacts favourite scenes from Hollywood classics.
Based on the first centenary of the largest exporter of films in the world, that is Hollywood, is the story told by its protagonists, actors and writers and other people who made life in this business, interspersing images of famous movies.
Encomium to Larry Hart (1895-1943), seen through the fictive eyes of his song-writing partner, Richard Rodgers (1902-1979): from their first meeting, through lean years and their breakthrough, to their successes on Broadway, London, and Hollywood. We see the fruits of Hart and Rodgers' collaboration - elaborately staged numbers from their plays, characters' visits to night clubs, and impromptu performances at parties. We also see Larry's scattered approach to life, his failed love with Peggy McNeil, his unhappiness, and Richard's successful wooing of Dorothy Feiner.
Biographical portrait of one of Broadway's most brilliant songwriters. Told through the use of archival material and interviews with the rich and famous that knew him, this portrait concentrates on his career and his public life events.
This documentary tells the story of the making of Irving Berlin's Easter Parade.
Documentary on the 1953 musical "The Band Wagon."
For the first time in their careers, all the Muppets (except the ones that couldn't make it, like the Doozers, Gorgs and most of the Fraggles) have gathered together in one place to celebrate their thirtieth anniversary and honor the one who brought them together: Kermit the Frog (and by doing so, Jim Henson).
This documentary short subject for DVD gives a look at the making of Cole Porter's MGM classic, "Les Girls". Hosted by Finnish film legend and star of "Les Girls", Taina Elg tells of working with Gene Kelly, Kay Kendall and George Cukor on one of the last great MGM musicals.
This 53-minute television special retraces Michael Jackson’s rise from child prodigy with the Jackson 5 to global superstar of the 1980s. Combining rare archive footage, music video excerpts, concert clips, and interviews with collaborators, it showcases the milestones of his career up to the Bad era. Narrated in documentary style, the program highlights Jackson’s artistic evolution, humanitarian work, and cultural impact. Originally broadcast on television in 1988 and later released on VHS, it serves as both a career retrospective and a portrait of his enduring influence on pop music and entertainment.
Host Gene Kelly takes a nostalgic look at silent films from their earliest beginnings to the introduction of sound with "The Jazz Singer."
Various MGM stars from yesterday present their favorite musical moments from the studio's 50 year history.
Filmed in front of a live audience on a soundstage in Hollywood, but with the feel of an intimate concert, this "comeback" special proves the Chairman hadn't lost a step.
Patricia Ward Kelly remembers Gene Kelly directing "Hello, Dolly!"
Biographic movie about the American composer Sigmund Romberg.
French superstar Sylvie Vartan performs at the MGM in Las Vegas with an introduction by Gene Kelly.
The program on this DVD is basically a retrospective produced in the early 1990s for public television that was originally called «A Bing Crosby Christmas: Just Like the Ones You Used to Know» that was narrated by Gene Kelly and hosted by Bing's widow, Kathryn Crosby. The program itself features clips from fifteen of Bing's classic television specials, concentrating on the period from the early 1960s onwards when he included Kathryn and their three children in the programs.
The co-founder of the Gamma press agency, Raymond Depardon, created this documentary of press photographers in Paris and their subjects by following the photographers around for one month, in October, 1980. In-between long hours waiting for a celebrity to emerge from a restaurant or a hotel, boredom immediately switches to fast action as the cameras click and roll when the person appears. The reaction to the gaggle of photographers is as varied as the people they often literally chase all around town. While some of the celebrities, such as Jacques Chirac who was mayor of Paris at the time, are perceived as comical caricatures, others are shown simply going about ordinary pursuits - including Catherine Deneuve, Gene Kelly, and Jean-Luc Godard.
BBC TV special interviews Gene Kelly about his life and career.
In 1958, NBC's OMNIBUS, the Golden Age of Television’s most distinguished series, commissioned Gene Kelly’s first television special. Written, choreographed, co-directed and starring the Hollywood legend, DANCING, A MAN’S GAME enlisted some of the top names in sports to illustrate Kelly’s message about the masculine grace of dance.
American Masters Series. Documentary on Gene Kelly that gives insight into his dancing, how he formed a style (first "blue collar dancer") and developed different cinematique techniques, such as brilliantly shot dancing sequences.
Some of MGM'S musical stars review the studios history of musicals. From The Hollywood Revue of 1929 to Brigadoon, from the first musical talkies to Gene Kelly in Singin' in the Rain.
As Hollywood biographies go, Judy Garland's story is one of the saddest success stories you'll ever hear. The sanitized studio version of her life presented a smiling kid with the big voice, who, alongside Mickey Rooney, just wanted to put on a show. But drugs, overwork, even psychological abuse at the hands of the studio is now part of the Garland legend. But despite the number of Garland books and documentaries, one account has always been missing -- Garland herself never managed to write a memoir. She did make several attempts at an autobiography, often recording stories on a tape recorder. Judy Garland: By Myself (2004), finally fills in the blanks - using Judy's personal recordings to tell the story in her own words.
Highlights from the great musicals of the 1940s. Stars featured include Judy Garland, Mickey Rooney, Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, Bing Crosby, Doris Day, Danny Kaye, Jimmy Durante and Frank Sinatra.
In this variety special, Olivia shares the evening with Andy Gibb, Elton John, Ted Knight, Gene Kelly and Toni Tennille. The special included songs from Grease and the Totally Hot album as well as some other artists' covers : the Eagles, Bob Seger, Elton John and Buddy Holly. Olivia also performed a parody of the jazz/blues classic Makin' Whoopee with Gene Kelly, changing the lyrics to Makin' Movies and dealing with Olivia's dream of producing a musical. The show was aired internationally and did very well in the ratings, as did her two previous US television specials on the same network. It is to be noted that Tina Turner's appearance on Olivia's special helped her sign a contract with then Olivia's manager Roger Davies, who ultimately helped her to go back into the spotlight.
A documentary about the great American movie palaces of the 1920s and 1930s. Filmed on location at some of the extraordinary theaters across the country, the program explores the diverse and priceless architecture of such greats as the Atlanta Fox, the Wiltern in Los Angeles, San Antonio's Majestic, Seattle's Fifth Avenue and, perhaps the most famous, Radio City Music Hall in New York City. Also included are stills and vintage clips of classic movies and newsreels of the era that illustrate the historical evolution and mass appeal of the movie palaces. Picture palace organist Gaylord Carter performs a variety of movie accompaniments.
When billionaire Jean-Marc Clement learns that he is to be satirized in an off-Broadway revue, he passes himself off as an actor playing him in order to get closer to the beautiful star of the show, Amanda Dell.
A WWII military training film in which a Navy officer is being treated for combat fatigue after his ship was torpedoed and sunk. The narrative explores the way his combat fatigue has affected him and proper treatment to help him recover.
Contacted by Fred Silverman, the President of NBC, Lucille Ball accepts to go back to work as a producer. With the help of her faithful production assistant, Gale Gordon, she starts working on a new series titled "The Music Mart".
A look back at the first 21 years of Britain's most successful film series.
Celebrate the fiftieth birthday of the animated cat-and-mouse team, Tom & Jerry, including clips from their animated shorts!
This short celebrates the 20th anniversary of MGM. Segments are shown from several early hits, then from a number of 1944 releases.
This program features then-newcomer Sandy Duncan in her first network television special. Only a few years after being passed over by Gene Kelly for a role in Hello Dolly, Duncan's star had ascended so far so fast that he was now her special guest star. Paul Lynde is also featured in a campy version of "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown".
The Julie Andrews Show is a television special that was broadcast by NBC in November 1965. This was Andrews' first solo American TV Special, although she had previously starred in several dramatic television works (High Tor, Cinderella) and co-starred with Carol Burnett in a major special. However by November 1965 Andrews was now a major movie star with both Mary Poppins and Sound of Music still in cinemas and an Oscar already sitting on her mantelpiece. Julie's guests included Gene Kelly and The New Christy Minstrels.
An experimental film superimposing a clip from "Singin' in the Rain" over itself seven times.
This short focuses on the job of the costume designer in the production of motion pictures. The costume designer must design clothing that is correct for the film historically and geographically, and must be appropriate for the mood of the individual scene. We see famed costume designer Edith Head at work on a production. The Costume Designer was part of The Industry Film Project, a twelve-part series produced by the film studios and the Academy. Each series episode was produced to inform the public on a specific facet of the motion picture industry. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in 2012.
A dance instructor falls in love with a smart theatre agent; while he returns her affections, it's just not enough to give up his exciting bachelor life.
A behind-the-scenes documentary hosted by Joanna Cassidy on the making of Who Framed Roger Rabbit.
When the silent cinema learned to speak, the audience was surprised not only by the voices of the actors and the sound effects, but also by a new element, the music, which, combined with the dance and an unprejudiced imagination, gave rise to a new genre, as important to Hollywood cinema as the western was: the musical. A journey through the history of this genre, from its beginnings to the present day.
Documentary about James Stewart's long career as an actor and positive personal life.
A collection of film clips profiling animal actors.
"Mickey's 50" is a 90-minute special that aired on The Wonderful World of Disney on November 19, 1978. The special was made to commemorate the 50th birthday of Mickey Mouse and highlights many moments in his career.
The U.S. Pacific submarine fleet was all that was available in the early days of America's involvement in World War 2 and it took the fight to the Japanese with great success.
Explore the dramatic career and personal struggles of the talented and tragically short-lived entertainer Judy Garland through rare concert footage, never-heard-before voice recordings and personal photos.
Four legendary performances from around the world, In the release of 2 DVD's, the four performances are not delivered in chronological order.
Delphine and Solange are two sisters living in Rochefort. Delphine is a dancing teacher and Solange composes and teaches the piano. Maxence is a poet and a painter. He is doing his military service. Simon owns a music shop, he left Paris one month ago to come back where he fell in love 10 years ago. They are looking for love, looking for each other, without being aware that their ideal partner is very close...
Gala tribute to the Chairman of the Board.
A cherished remembrance of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers reunited for the film, "The Barkleys of Broadway."
A chronicle of the 1975 International Press Conclave hosted by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer over two days in May 1975.
The most glittering, expensive, and exhausting videotaping session in television history took place Friday February 19, 1982 at New York's Radio City Music Hall. The event, for which ticket-buyers paid up to $1,000 a seat (tax-deductible as a contribution to the Actors' Fund) was billed as "The Night of 100 Stars" but, actually, around 230 stars took part. And most of the audience of 5,800 had no idea in advance that they were paying to see a TV taping, complete with long waits for set and costume changes, tape rewinding, and the like. Executive producer Alexander Cohen estimated that the 5,800 Radio City Music Hall seats sold out at prices ranging from $25 to $1,000. The show itself cost about $4 million to produce and was expected to yield around $2 million for the new addition to the Actors Fund retirement home in Englewood, N. J. ABC is reputed to have paid more than $5 million for the television rights.
Stamatis cannot get over his breakup with Katerina. He stays locked inside, until one night Katerina visits him with one purpose only: to get him out of the house.
This is a two-hour in-depth exploration into the Hollywood musicals of the 1940s.
During the 1950s, musical masterpieces that have yet to be equaled were produced in Cinemascope with stereophonic sound. These two episodes explore how the post-war years were alive with bold experimentation in musical film. Later in the decade, Rock & Roll became the musical choice of the younger generation and movie musicals followed suit. Highlights of this 2-part program include: Films based on smash Broadway musicals become the rage. A pretty starlet with no musical training named Marilyn Monroe takes the country by storm in "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes." With favorites from the previous decade continue to delight audiences: Rock & Roll films, songs and musical numbers.
The top 100 songs of the past 100 years chosen by the American Film Institute are presented by host-actor John Travolta.
Gene Kelly is a legend of the heyday of the Hollywood musical. His name stands for masterpieces such as "Singin' in the Rain" and "An American in Paris". As a singer, dancer, actor, choreographer and director, he was a true all-round artist who revolutionized the world of dance in particular. Kelly, who loved to experiment, explored new forms of dance expression and helped a whole generation of young talents to fame. From his beginnings in cabarets and on Broadway to his recognition as a choreographer and director, the documentary shows how the good-looking star with a charming smile expanded the boundaries of dance expression: He danced in the open air in the streets of New York, with a cartoon character or his own reflection. But this dazzling entertainer image should not obscure the fact that Kelly, as a staunch supporter of the American civil rights movement, also saw dancing as a political statement.
Six-part documentary on the making of Jacques Demy's 'Le demoiselles de Rochefort'
Discussion of the making of the film Summer Stock (1950).
From backstage magic to applause in the spotlight! Young talent Marlene Ricci shares the stage with entertainment's biggest stars in her chance of a life time, taped at the Caesar's Palace casino in Las Vegas.