[THUNDER CRACKING]
[SCATTING]
[SINGING] I'm singin' in the rain
Just singin' in the rain
What a glorious feeling I'm happy again
SINATRA: The year is 1929. The singer, Cliff Edwards, also known as Ukulele Ike.
The film, Hollywood Revue. It is the first all-talking...
...all-singing, all-dancing movie ever made.
EDWARDS: Everyone from the place
Come on with your rain
I've got a smile on my face
I'll walk down the lane
SINATRA: In the years that followed, "Singin' in the Rain" would become...
...a theme song for MGM.
EDWARDS: Singin' in the rain
[HUMMING "SING-IN' IN THE RAIN"]
SINATRA: In the 1930s, Jimmy Durante gave us this rendition.
[HUMMING "SING-IN' IN THE RAIN"]
You wrote that this morning?
Yeah, it's something they'll remember.
Yeah, I remember it already.
[SINGING] I'm singin' in the rain
Oh, I'm singin' in the rain
What a grand, what a glorious feeling I'm happy again
SINATRA: In the 1940s, Judy Garland did it her way.
So dark up above
The sun's in my heart
I'm gettin' ready for love
Let the stormy clouds chase Everyone from the place
And come on with the rain
I've a smile on my face I'll walk down the lane
With a happy refrain
And singin'
Sin gin '
I'm singin' in the rain
SINATRA: In the 1950s, Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds and Donald O'Connor...
...put it all together in what many folks would call the best musical ever made.
Sin gin ' in the rain Just singin' in the rain
What a glorious feelin' We're happy again
SINATRA: If you're wondering what happened in between, well...
...sit back and relax. You're about to find out.
It's been quite some time since I first came to this place.
And MGM is certainly not the same studio...
...and Hollywood's not the same town.
But the films we made here are still around.
Some studios can claim they made the finest gangster films...
...or the greatest horror movies...
...but when it came to musicals, MGM, they were the champions.
Musicals were fantasy trips for the audiences of their day.
For instance, boy meets girl, boy loses girl...
...boy sings a song and gets girl.
The plots were that simple.
The musicals of the 1930s, '40s, or even the '50s...
...may not tell you where our heads were at...
...but they tell you where our hearts were at.
SINATRA: And all of this lovable nonsense began back in 1929...
...when the silent film had suddenly become a thing of the past...
...and sound was the king.
KING [SINGING]: Don't bring a frown to old Broadway
You've gotta clown on Broadway
SINATRA: Broadway Melody of 1929 won an Oscar for the Best Picture that year...
...and MGM was off and running with a new formula for success.
Charles King and a line of slightly overweight chorus girls...
...were the beginning of a new motion picture art form...
...that would captivate audiences for years to come.
KING: No skies of gray On the Great White Way
That's the Broadway Melody!
No skies of gray On the Great White Way
That's the Broadway Melody!
SINATRA: Within a few short years, the musical had come of age.
The primitive stage show had now become a cinematic spectacular.
Here Frank Morgan, Ray Bolger, Nelson Eddy and a cast of thousands...
...watched Eleanor Powell dance in Rosalie.
[CHEERING & APPLAUSE]
[BANK PLAYING UP-TEMPO MUSIC]
[SINGING] When I'm calling you
SINATRA: The most successful singing team in the history of motion pictures...
...Nelson Eddy and Jeanette MacDonald in Rose-Mark.
EDDY: Will you answer too?
- Then I will know - Then I will know
- Our love - Our love
- Will come true - Will come true
- You'll belong to me - You'll belong to me
- I'll belong - I'll belong
- To you - To you
SINATRA: In 1936, The Great Ziegfeld won an Oscar for Best Picture that year...
...and it's no wonder.
Virginia Bruce and a gang of lovely ladies...
...cluttered up Hollywood's biggest staircase.
And somewhere in that lovely mob, you'll find Dennis Morgan singing a song.
If anyone could afford to film this extravagant number today...
...perhaps it would look something like this.
MEN [SINGING]: Just like a heavenly rhapsody
She captures you right from the start
Just like a beautiful melody
She'll play on the strings of your heart
A pretty girl ls like a melody
That haunts you night and day
Just like the strain Of a haunting refrain
She'll start upon a marathon
And run around your brain
You can't escape
She's in your memory
By morning, night and noon
She will leave you And then
- Come back again - Will come back
A pretty girl
ls just like a pretty
Tune
She's in your memory
By morning, night and noon
She will leave you And then
Come back again
A pretty girl
ls just like a pretty tune
SINATRA: The last of the big black-and-white production numbers...
...starring Eleanor Powell and Fred Astaire.
Cole Porter's music, the sets and the camera work...
...the direction by Norman Taurog, the incredible tap dancing by these two...
...well, it all seemed to come together in Broadway Melody of 1940.
You know, you can wait around and hope, but I'll tell you...
...you'll never see the likes of this again.
[SINGING] Don't be afraid You'll make the grade
Why, you can sing As good as Bing
SINATRA: And here, the old pro, James Durante, gives a newcomer...
...a few pointers in It Happened in Brooklyn.
DURANTE: Sing it, Danny, make me proud.
Okay, Nick, stand back.
It doesn't have to be witty or smart
Smile.
Long as it comes from the heart
Keep going.
It doesn't have to be classic or rock
Great.
Long as it comes from the heart
I'll give 'em that
I'll give 'em this
I'll strut away
Boy! You can't miss!
Just put a star on my chart
You won't need this anymore.
'Cause the song's gonna come From the heart
Don't work cheap.
- On opening nights - On opening nights
- Your name in lights - Your name in lights
Why we won't stop 'Til you reach the top
- We'll order our meal a la carte - We'll order our meal é la carte
- That's expensive! - That's expensive!
- If the song comes from the heart - If the song comes from the heart
We'll be tremendous!
- If the song comes from the heart - If the song comes from the heart
They'll holler, "Bravo."
- If the song - If the song
- Comes from the heart - Comes from the heart
- Head - Head
That's just a sample of what's been going on around here for the past 40 years.
The work was hard, but it was great fun.
Because the people you worked with really knew what they were doing.
It was said that through those doors passed the most famous stars in Hollywood.
I don't think you'll find anyone around this town who will argue about it.
Here's one of the most lovely and talented of those stars...
...Miss Elizabeth Taylor.
I was 10 years old when I first came to MGM.
And I spent most of the next 18 years of my life...
...behind the walls of that studio.
As a young girl growing up in that strange place...
...it's hard to recall what was real and what wasn't.
Perhaps, my most vivid memories were of MGM musicals.
Just to stand there on the set and watch...
...the singing and the dancing. It was like fantasy come true.
Total innocence. Loveliness.
[SINGING] I love a melody
Of spring
Lilacs in bloom
Birds on the wing
TAYLOR: I made my musical debut when I was 15 years old...
...in a film called Cynthia.
I was certainly no threat to Jane Powell or Judy Garland...
...as you will see.
[SINGING] For life is an eager
Joyous thing
Whenever I hear
The music
Of
Spring
Maybe that experience helped give me...
...the enormous regard that I have for musical talent.
And believe me, at MGM, I saw the best.
HORNE [SINGING] Every honeybee sighs with jealousy
TAYLOR: For instance, if Lena Horne was in a movie...
...then it almost had to be from MGM.
HORNE". Honeysuckle rose
When we're passin' by Flowers droop and sigh
And I know the reason why
You're much sweeter Goodness knows
Honeysuckle rose
I don't buy sugar
You just have to touch my cup
You're my sugar
It's sweet when you stir it up
When I'm takin' sips From your tasty lips
Seems the honey fairly drips
You're confection Goodness knows
You're my honeysuckle rose
- 'Cause it's one - Two
- Three strikes, you're out - Three strikes, you're out
- At the old ball game - At the old ball game
TAYLOR: When Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly teamed up for a series of films...
...the results were irresistible.
This is one of their best, Take Me Out to the Ball Game.
[SINGING] Thou swell, thou witty
Thou sweet, thou grand
Wouldst kiss me pretty?
Wouldst hold my hand?
Both thine eyes are cute too
What they do to me
Hear me holler I choose a sweet lollapalooza in thee
TAYLOR: June Allyson, MGM's most popular musical sweetheart...
...in Rodgers and Hart's Words and Music.
ALLYSON: Two rooms and kitchen
I'm sure would do
Give me just a plot of
Not a lot of land
And thou swell
Thou witty, thou grand
TAYLOR: Everybody's favorite college musical...
"Good News, starring June Allyson and Peter Lawford.
Those sure were the good old days.
ALL [SINGING]: The boy, "gargon"
His girl, "la fille"
That's good, "c'est bon"
The show, "fini"
The moral to this tale ls not just "parlez-vous"
Send her a billet-doux
Tell her her eyes are blue
They sure are blue.
"Je vous adore" means
I love you
What wonderful years those were at MGM.
One day, I remember meeting a terribly handsome young man from England.
He'd just started work at the studio. Naturally, I fell wildly in love with him.
I still adore him.
He's still one of my closest and dearest friends.
Peter Lawford.
This building, or what's left of it...
...was, among other things, Tait College in Good News.
You might say that June Allyson, Mel Torme and I graduated from here.
We were all under contract to MGM in those days.
And the studio pretty much told us what pictures we were gonna appear in.
They put us in dramas, comedies and in my case...
...don't ask me why, an occasional musical.
As a singer or dancer, I was ill-equipped to compete with Astaire or Kelly...
...but we did what we were told to do.
LAWFORD". When I first came to MGM, the world was at war.
To the Gls overseas and the audiences here at home...
...the musicals were a very special kind of escape...
...both during the war and afterwards.
The films we made here had a certain style...
...a look that was unmistakable.
Whether it was the directing, or the writing, or the scenery...
...the costumes, the lighting, I don't really know.
But somehow you could always tell that it was an MGM movie.
Especially the musicals.
MAN 1: All right, cut it.
- Print it, Jane. - Okay.
All right, take me into number one. Okay, number one.
MAN 2: Can you see your marks, Joe?
MAN 3: Okay, everybody. - Quiet! We're rolling.
Speed. Action.
LAWFORD: The studio was constantly experimenting...
...constantly showcasing new talent.
For instance, Debbie Reynolds and Carleton Carpenter in Two Weeks with Love.
BOTH [SINGING]: Bab-a, dab-a, dab-a
[SINGING] Said the chimpy to the monk
Said the monkey to the chimp
All night long they'd chatter away All day long they were happy and gay
Swinging and singing In a honky-tonky way
Bab-a, dab-a, dab-a
Means, "Monk, I love but you"
"Bab-a, dab-a, dab-a" in monkey talk Means, "Chimp, I love you too"
Then the big baboon, one night in June He married them, and very soon
They went upon their Aba daba honeymoon
LAWFORD: Elizabeth Taylor starred in A Date With Judy...
...one of the first in a new wave of teenage musicals...
...most of them produced by Joe Pasternak.
That isn't Elizabeth's voice you're hearing.
MGM kept her too busy to rehearse and record.
But her costar, Jane Powell, quickly became one of the studio's...
...most popular young talents.
TAYLOR [SINGING]: As an old
Native-born
Californian would say
It's a most unusual day
There are people greeting people
There is sunshine everywhere
There are people greeting people
And a feeling of spring in the air
It's a most unusual time
I keep feeling my temperature climb
If my heart won't behave in the usual way
Well, there's only one thing to say
It's a most unusual Most unusual
Most unusual day
Here she comes!
[PEOPLE CHEERING]
[ALL HUMMING]
[SINGING] Hey, Jim, you better get the rig
[ALL HUMMING]
She's got a list of passengers That's pretty big
And they'll all want lifts to Brown's Hotel
'Cause lots of them been travelin' For quite a spell
All the way to California
On the Atchison, Topeka
On the Atchison, Topeka And the Santa Fe
LAWFORD: The Harvey Girls, directed by George Sidney...
...starred Judy Garland and Ray Bolger.
And this Oscar-winning song was written by Harry Warren and Johnny Mercer.
ALL [SINGING]: In this day and age Girls don't leave home
But if ya get a hankerin' You wanna roam
Our advice to you is run away
On the Atchison, Topeka And the
Santa Fe
All aboard!
We came across the country /ickety-split Rolling 90 miles an hour, fit to be tied
I can't believe I'm here at last
When you go traveling It's natch for you
To take the Atchison, Topeka And the Santa Fe
I can't believe that anything Would go so fast
Then you pull that throttle
Whistle blows
A-huff in' and a-puffin' And away she goes
All aboard for California
- On the Atchison - On the Atchison
- On the Atchison, Topeka - On the Atchison, Topeka
- On the Atchison, Topeka and - On the Atchison, Topeka and
On the Atchison, Topeka And the
Santa Fe
By the 1950s, the movie musical was reaching a level...
...of inventiveness and sophistication that was pretty hard to top...
...even by today's standards.
But it wasn't always like that. And here's someone to tell you about it.
And he's pretty hard to top too. Mr. James Stewart.
In the late 1920s and early '30s...
...these 200 acres of real estate were seeing a panic, pandemonium.
Sound pictures had replaced silent films virtually overnight.
The only actor in town that wasn't worried was Rin Tin Tin.
As long as he could bark, well, sound was no threat to him.
STEWART". For MGM and the rest of Hollywood...
...there were gloomy days ahead.
Some of the biggest silent stars spoke with thick foreign accents.
Others had a lisp or talked through their noses.
The early microphones seemed to exaggerate the flaws...
...that silent film had hidden.
As quickly as the sound stages went up, careers collapsed.
The studio heads were desperate.
Where would the new stars, the new personalities come from, they wondered.
Well, the answer was obvious. From the theater, from Broadway.
Theatrical experience suddenly became a passport to Hollywood...
...even if it meant no more than a few weeks of summer stock.
Over the next few years, a steady stream of hopefuls...
...marched through the gates of every studio in town, including MGM.
I should know, I was one of those hungry young actors from the East.
- Sam, is everything all right? - Okay, Fred.
- How are the cameras? - All right.
Bob, how are your lights?
BOB: All set, whenever you are.
Good. How's the music--?
STEWART". Musicals were the most popular commodity in the early '30s.
And they were cranked out at an incredible rate.
Most of them really weren't very good.
But if audiences suffered, they didn't complain.
The real victims were the dramatic actors.
The studio pushed nearly every one of them into musical roles.
MONTGOMERY [SINGING]: It must be you
Who carries me away
STEWART". Here, an uncomfortable Robert Montgomery tries his best.
MONTGOMERY: But when you're near
The music in my soul
Would fade each time we part
STEWART". Bob Montgomery was only one of many MGM contract players...
...forced to sing and dance.
In the frantic search for musical stars, many would be called...
...but few would succeed.
Here's one of my favorites. And I know you all like her too.
Because she's the personification of youth...
...and beauty and joy and happiness, Joan Crawford.
[SINGING] Did you ever see somebody Who could love somebody
Much as I love you? Huh, did you?
You're the kind of sweet somebody Who could love somebody
How about me too, huh?
Oh, my You're the one I crave
I could be your slave
Honey, let me rave
Got a feelin' for you
Crazy about your smile
Hey, an easy style
Got it all the time
Got a feelin' for you
Like your turned-up nose
Like your knees down low
From your head to toe
Got a feelin' for you
Did you ever see somebody Who could love somebody
Much as I love you?
You're the kind of sweet somebody Who could love somebody
Could you love me too?
You're the one I crave
I could be your slave
Honey, let me say Got a feelin' for you
What'll you ever be? What'll you ever do?
How'll you ever know If you don't take a chance?
STEWART". Jean Harlow, the blonde bombshell...
...tried out her musical abilities in Reckless.
HARLOW". I wanna live, love, learn a lot
I'll light my candle And I'll burn a lot
You'll have some bad shots Hard knocks
I'm on my own if I bruise
And there'll be smiles here Shouts here
And I can take it on the chin if I lose Because I'm reckless
Because she's reckless
Reckless
Because I'm reckless
I'm gonna go places And look life in the face
Hey.
[SINGING] Did I remember
STEWART". Jean Harlow's musical talents were somewhat limited...
...and the studio usually used someone else's voice for her vocals.
But in a movie called Suzy, her costar, Cary Grant, did his own singing.
And darn well too.
HARLOW: How do you know? You didn't hear it.
I assure you I heard every word. Let me convince you.
Sit down. Gentlemen, play it again. You be the audience.
Did I remember to tell you you're delightful?
You're everything I want you to be.
[SINGING] Your eyes look lovely And far beyond comparing
Especially when they're glaring At me
I can't think up words to say How swell you are
But I can tell you are
I know so well you are
I started falling The moment that I saw you
Believe me, I adore you Cherie
[SINGING] I'm sure you'll hate to hear
That I adore you, dear
But grant me just the same
I'm not entirely to blame
For you'd be
So easy to love
STEWART". I was lucky enough to sing a Cole Porter song...
...in Born to Dance with Eleanor Powell.
At first, the studio planned to have someone else record the vocal.
But the tune became such a big hit that they decided to let me do it.
You see...
...they figured the song was so good that even my singing couldn't hurt it.
[SINGING] We'd be so grand
At the game
So carefree together
That it does seem a shame
That you can't see
Your future with me
'Cause you'd be, oh
So easy to love
I know that you'll join us in giving a really rousing, rip-roaring reception...
...to Harry Van and Les Blondes. Mr. Van.
STEWART". Norma Shearer and Edward Arnold looked on as Clark Gable...
...made his musical debut in Idiot's Delight.
GABLE: Hello, people, and thanks a lot for that very lovely reception.
Thanks a million, and I won't settle for a cent less.
In our modest act tonight, we'll be ably assisted...
...by Professor Palova and his talented team. Give them a hand, folks.
Okey-dokey, fellas. Take it away.
- This will be amusing, Achille. - I hope so.
[SINGING] If you're blue and you don't know Where to go to
Why don't you go Where Harlem sits?
Puttin' on the Ritz
Spangled gowns upon the bevy Of highbrows
But down the levee All misfits
Puttin' on the Ritz
That's where each and every Lulu Belle goes
Every Thursday evening With her swell beaus
Rubbing elbows
Come with me and we'll attend The jubilee
And see them spend Their last two bits
Puttin' on the Ritz
STEWART". Clark Gable surprised everyone with his delightfully corny routine.
And yet, his fans were just outraged...
...to see him even try singing and dancing.
Their hero was above such nonsense.
But it was perfectly all right for a youngster named Judy Garland...
...to dedicate a song to their idol.
GARLAND [SINGING]: Dear Mr. Gable
I am writing this to you
And I hope that you will read it So you'll know
My heart beats like a hammer
And I stutter and I stammer
Every time I see you At the picture show
I guess I'm just another fan of yours
And I thought I'd write And tell you so
You made me love you
I didn't wanna do it
You made me love you
And all the time you knew it
I guess you always knew it
You made me happy
Sometimes you made me glad
But there were times, sir
You made me feel so sad
You made me sigh 'cause
I didn't wanna tell you
I think you're grand
That's true
Yes, I do, 'deed I do You know I do
I don't care what happens Let the whole world stop
As far as I'm concerned You'll always be the top
'Cause you know
You made me
Love you
"Dear Mr. Gable" was a milestone in its day.
It was the first time a studio permitted a song to be dedicated to one of its stars.
And it was sung by a little girl...
...who would soon become MGM's newest star.
And here's someone who can tell you more about that remarkable talent.
He's a remarkable talent himself. Mickey Rooney.
This is Carvel Street.
For anyone who's ever seen an Andy Hardy movie...
...well, this is where they were all shot, right here.
Over there, that was Polly Benedict's home across the street.
And this was the home of the Hardy family.
The picket fence is gone, and the mailbox too...
...but it's still the Hardy home.
It might seem strange that a person could spend over 20 years...
...growing up on the same movie set.
But in a way, that's what happened to me.
I was about 10 years old when I first came to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer...
...and I was raring to go.
ROONEY: The movie was Broadway to Hollywood.
And you guessed it, it was a musical.
[APPLAUSE]
Well, we-- We all change a little over the years, don't we?
You know, when you've been raised at a studio, the way I was...
...you learn a certain ability that time can't seem to erase.
You learn to recognize real talent.
You see so many people come and go...
...that when an exceptional talent comes along...
...it seems to stick out like a sore thumb.
I was a seasoned veteran of 17 when I first had the opportunity...
...of working with the great and wonderful Judy Garland.
I knew when I saw her standing before the camera...
...that she had that certain magic.
Her talent seemed to jump right off the screen at you.
GARLAND [SINGING]: Do re mi fa so la ti do
RODNEY: Judy and I became close friends when we did a series of films together...
...that the studio called "backyard musicals."
Audiences seemed to love the pictures...
...even though the plots were suspiciously alike.
Only our names seemed to change.
How do you do?
Good morning. I'm Betsy Booth.
- I sing, you know. - I know, I heard you.
You're Andy Hardy, aren't you?
This is Barbara Jo. This is Mr. Williams.
Pleased to meet you, Mr. Williams.
Danny, this is my grandchild, Ms. Ginger Gray.
- Yes, we've met. - This is my cousin, Ms. Polly Williams.
Mr. Daniel Churchill, a junior.
Ms. Barton, this is Ms. Essex, the once famous "Baby Rosalie."
How do you do? This is Mickey Moran.
How do you do?
My name's Williams, Tommy Williams. What's yours?
- I don't think I like you. - Thank you.
You're welcome.
- I want success. - And you'll have it.
I know you will, Mickey. Just think when our names are up in electric lights.
You the big composer and producer, and me the singing star.
We could have our own great modern dance orchestra.
We've got everything we need here. We've got the brass...
...the piano and the reeds.
We can make our own arrangements, specialties and play for all the dances.
We've gotta have a great show with a million laughs.
And color, a lot of lights to make it sparkle.
And songs, wonderful songs with you out there selling them.
It'll be wonderful.
Say, that's not a bad idea.
We could put on our own show. That'd be different.
Why, it looks as if you'll need a whole city block.
Yeah. Sure, that's it.
Right in the neighborhood, and everybody'll come to it.
A Western rodeo, once a year we'll bring back the West.
- Daniel Boone. - Jesse James, Buffalo Bill.
- A hundred beautiful girls. - On horseback.
- Glorious costumes, happy, carefree. - Gay!
I'm gonna write a show for us right here in Seaport.
It'd be the most up-to-date thing these hicks around here have seen.
Opening night, we'll have Max Gordon and Sam Harris...
...down to give us the once-over. How about it, kids?
- They call us babes in arms - We never dance
- They think they must direct us - But no chance
- But if we're babes in arms - High romance
- We'll make them all respect us - Why, oh, why
Why have we got our arms
What have we got our sight for?
Play day is done We've a place in the sun
We must fight for
RODNEY". When our movies took off at the box office...
...we found our budgets taking off too.
So they moved Judy and I out of the backyard and into the barn...
...then to the high school gym...
...and later to a Broadway stage that would never have fit in a real theater.
Where we got all that energy, I'll never know.
But a lot of it was inspired by our director, a genius...
...Busby Berkeley.
ALL [SINGING]: Small town Living in a small town
When you're in a small town You gotta make friends
- One, two, three - One, two, three
Watch them shuffling along
See them shuffling along
Go take your best gal Your real pal
Go down on the levee I said to the levee
And we'll join that shuffling throng
Hear that music and song
It's simply great, mate
Waitin' on the levee
Waitin' for the Robert E. Lee
We're babes on Broadway
We're goin' places
When our new faces appear
It's a wonderful street For babes like us to be on
We're here because We want our names in neon
We left Topeka We left Eureka
And came to seek a career
Oh, we're milkin' applause Instead of milkin' a cow
'Cause we're babes on Broadway now
With our flag unfurled
We can face the world
Hey, leader
Strike up the band
RODNEY". There's another fellow who worked on this lot with Judy...
...and some of MGM's best musicals...
...are a direct result of his considerable talents.
Gene Kelly.
This is MGM's New York street.
And for as long as I can remember...
...this has been the busiest standing set on the whole backlot.
Any actor or actress...
...who made more than one or two films at this studio...
...sooner or later probably would find himself shooting a sequence here.
Which reminds me, if you're a song-and-dance man...
...and you've spent some time in pictures...
...inevitably, some interviewer will ask:
"Who was your favorite dancing partner?
Was it Rita Hayworth, or Vera-Ellen, or Leslie Caron?"
But if you're smart, you'll never give them a straight answer.
I'm gonna break that rule right now.
It may not be gallant...
...but I'd like to show you the greatest partner I've ever danced with.
KELLY: When you dance with Fred Astaire, you really have to be on your toes.
This number from Ziegfeld Follies...
...was the only time we've had a chance to work together.
But I'd change my name to Ginger if we could do it again.
KELLY". Fred Astaire has been the tops...
...in every field of show business he ever entered.
And the motion-picture musical owes him a great deal.
ASTAIRE [SINGING]: The way you wear your hat
The way you sip your tea
The memory of all that
No, no They can't take that away from me
The way your smile just beams
The way you sing off-key
The way you haunt my dreams
No, no They can't take that away from me
KELLY". When he starred in a series of musicals with Ginger Rogers...
...they quickly became the most popular dance team...
...in the history of motion pictures.
But for Fred, as an individual...
...it was only the beginning of a screen career...
...that would delight several generations of moviegoers.
ASTAIRE [SINGING]: Stand up and sing
We've got the gang together
We always sang together
Stand up and sing
KELLY: Over the years, Fred Astaire's trademark would become...
...the top hat and tails.
He wore the outfit in his very first film appearance...
...Dancing Lady with Joan Crawford.
BOTH [SINGING]: I guess I'll have to change my plan
I should have realized There'd be another man
KELLY: Jack Buchanan, the debonair British musical star...
...joined Fred in The Band Wagon.
BOTH [SINGING]: Until the big affair began
Before I knew where I was at
I found myself upon the shelf And that was that
I tried to reach the moon
But when I got there
All that I could get was the air
My feet are back upon the ground
I've lost the one girl I'd found
KELLY". But besides elegance, there's a lot more to the Astaire style.
Fred was constantly striving for perfection.
Rehearsing hour after hour...
...searching for a new step or a new device...
...that would bring something fresh to each of his numbers.
KELLY". Because of his ingenuity and precision...
...audiences never realized how much incredible effort...
...Fred poured into his work.
He made it all appear so easy.
In Royal Wedding, Fred danced with a hat rack.
And as usual, he made his partner look good.
KELLY: In The Barkleys of Broadway...
...Fred and choreographer Hermes Pan...
...conceived the brilliant "Shoes With Wings On" number.
KELLY". Fred and director Stanley Donen...
...collaborated on this mind-boggling routine from Royal Wedding.
Movie buffs are still arguing about how it was done.
KELLY". The gimmicks Fred used were exciting and fun.
But his talents were so extraordinary...
...that he could easily get along without them.
This is the Astaire I love to watch.
With a lovely partner like Cyd Charisse...
...a simple setting...
...a marvelous song by Howard Dietz and Arthur Schwartz...
...these are the only ingredients Fred would need...
...to create a classic moment.
"Dancing in the Dark" from The Band Wagon.
Fred Astaire was and is a unique talent.
There'll never be another like him...
...and that's what I love about our profession.
Because every so often an artist comes along...
...who's impossible to compare with anyone else.
KELLY". Here's another of my favorite dancing partners...
...Donald O'Connor.
MGM seemed to acquire talent the way you and I pick up paper clips...
...by the handful.
When I was at the studio...
...we were up to our ears in tenors, baritones, tap dancers, pianists...
...and they were all good.
But this set belonged pretty much to one star...
...and one star alone.
I only wish we'd had a chance to work together.
Well, she was not only a lovely actress, with a beautiful face and figure...
...but she could also sing and dance, and even handle comedy.
And if that wasn't enough, she was dynamite in the water.
Of course I'm talking about Ms. Esther Williams.
O'CONNOR: A champion swimmer...
...Esther was working as a model in a Los Angeles department store...
...when MGM talent scouts discovered her.
The studio built a special swimming pool for her on the backlot...
...and starred her in a film called Bathing Beauty.
The rest is history.
O'CONNOR". MGM featured Esther in a series of spectacular productions.
During her career, she swam...
...opposite some of MGM's most popular leading men.
Some of them even got their hair wet.
Like Howard Keel...
...Fernando Lamas, whom she would later marry...
Van Johnson...
...Peter Lawford...
...Ricardo Montalban...
...even Torn and Jerry.
Jimmy Durante...
...and Red Skelton.
As her fame grew...
...so did the size and population of her swimming pools.
Esther no longer could simply climb up a diving board and jump in.
Now, she had to be presented like Venus...
...rising from the sea.
In the ranks of great musical stars, there have been singers, dancers...
...musicians, even ice skaters.
But MGM saw to it there was only one Esther Williams.
[LAUGHS]
Eat your heart out, Mark Spitz.
People say that performers are overly affectionate with one another.
And that may be true.
I don't have to apologize for the way I feel...
...about a young lady that I worked with here at MGM.
I love her.
And she's as big a hit right now on Broadway...
...as she was here in Hollywood.
She never stops.
Miss Debbie Reynolds.
I made my first movie for MGM back in 1950.
[CLEARS THROAT]
Remember Three Little Words?
Hey, fellas, can we borrow your piano just a minute?
REYNOLDS". Of course, the real stars were Fred Astaire and Red Skelton...
...but see that funny-looking kid coming down the steps?
Look out, Hollywood. Here I come.
ASTAIRE [SINGING]: I wanna be loved by you alone
Boop-boop-bee-doo
I wanna be loved by you Just you
And nobody else but you
I wanna be loved by you
Alone
REYNOLDS". Carleton Carpenter and I only did this one number in the picture.
But it certainly helped our careers.
Even though the voice wasn't mine...
...MGM brought in the song's originator, Helen Kane, to sing the vocal.
[SINGING] And make you my own
Bap-bap-bee-dap Boop-boop-ba-doo
I wanna be loved by you Just you
And nobody else but you
I wanna be loved by you
Bap-bap-bee-dap-bee-dap-bee-dap Boop-boop-ba-doo
REYNOLDS". When I first reported at the studio...
...MGM was celebrating its 25th anniversary.
They had converted the biggest sound stage on the lot into a restaurant.
They only served one meal, but it was a lunch that old-timers still talk about.
The studio used to boast that it had more stars than there are in the heavens.
And that day, they weren't kidding.
The first time I met the king, Clark Gable...
...he looked down at me and said, "Hello, beautiful. "
And I nearly fainted.
This place was the land of giants, and I was a small fry.
But like any other young hopeful, I was determined...
...that somehow and someday I'd measure up.
In the early 1950s...
...MGM was entering a new era of motion pictures...
...with more star power...
...than virtually every other studio in Hollywood combined.
[SINGING] I've gotta hear that beat I've gotta hear those drums
And even when it comes to romance
When I feel that I might fall
I always stall and play it smart
Till I hear that beat
I've gotta hear that beat
That certain beat in my heart
REYNOLDS". Ann Miller, the best tap-dancing lady on the lot.
Annie's talents and Busby Berkeley's imaginative direction...
...were a perfect combination in Small Town Girl.
[SINGING] Be my love
For no one else can...
REYNOLDS". A truck driver from Philadelphia became the most sensational new voice...
...in motion pictures.
Mario Lanza. He made only a few films.
And The Toast oi New Of leans with Kathryn Grayson was one of his best.
[SINGING] Just fill my arms The way you've filled my dreams
The dreams that you inspire
With every sweet desire
Be my love
And with your kisses set me burning
One kiss is all I need to seal my fate
And hand in hand
We'll find love's promised land
There'll be no one but you for me
Eternally
If you will be
My love
Make 'em laugh Make 'em laugh
Don't you know Everyone wants to laugh
REYNOLDS: Donald O'Connor in Singin' in the Rain...
...in my opinion, the funniest musical number ever done.
O'CONNOR [SINGING]: They'll be standin' in lines
For those old honky-tonk monkeyshines
Or you could study Shakespeare And be quite elite
And you can charm the critics And have nothin' to eat
Just slip on a banana peel The world's at your feet
Make 'em laugh Make 'em laugh
Make 'em laugh
Don't you know Everyone wants to laugh
My grandpa said Go out and tell 'em a joke
But give it plenty of hoke
Make 'em roar, make 'em scream
Take a fall, butt a wall, split a seam
You start off by pretending You're a dancer with grace
You wiggle 'till they're giggling All over the place
And then you get a great big Custard pie in the face
Make 'em laugh Make 'em laugh
Make 'em laugh
Make 'em laugh Don't you-- All the--
My dad--
They'll be standing in lines
For those old honky-tonk monkeyshines
Make 'em laugh Make 'em laugh
Don't you know
Make 'em laugh
PEOPLE [SINGING] Cotton Blossom
Cotton Blossom
The showboat's coming.
Come on, mule. Git.
[BOAT'S HORN TOOTING]
REYNOLDS". Show Boat, one of the best musical films MGM ever made.
It starred Kathryn Grayson, Howard Keel, Marge and Gower Champion...
...Joe E. Brown, William Warfield and Ava Gardner.
[BOAT'S HORN TOOTING]
ALL [SINGING]: See the showboat
That's old Captain Andy's Cotton Blossom
Will you go? Are you coming to the show?
'Twill be delightful
Right, right, rightfully they say There's not another show
Don't you want to see the show?
Captain Andy has gathered a troupe in the Greatest of dramas and jolly comedies
Stephen Baker The handsomest leading man
And beautiful Julie Laverne as well
Cotton Blossom, Cotton Blossom
Captain Andy's floating show
Thrills and laughter, concert after
Everybody's sure to go
Leave the lumber in the sawmill
Leave the cotton on the stalk
Make believe
Our lips are blending
In a phantom kiss
Or two or three
Might as well make believe
I love you
For to tell the truth
I do
OI' man river
That ol' man river
He must know somethin'
But don't say nothin'
He just keeps rollin'
He keeps on rollin'
Along
You and me, we sweat and strain
Body all aching and racked with pain
Tote that barge and lift that bale
You get a little drunk
And you land in
Jail
I gets weary
And sick of trying
I'm tired of living
And scared of dying
But ol' man river
He just keeps rolling
Along
I'll go my way by myself
Like a bird on the wing
REYNOLDS: I remember something else I learned at the studio...
...during my stay there. MGM's motto:
"Do it big, do it right, and give it class."
I'd like you to meet someone who certainly measures up to that phrase.
He's the classiest gentleman I've ever worked with.
Mr. Fred Astaire.
ASTAIRE [SINGING]: I'm by myself
Alone
[HUMMING]
I have a great many fond memories about this place.
So many happy moments worrying about whether or not...
...we were getting the job done. What fun.
We shot some of The Band Wagon here.
Being here again brings to mind some of the wonderful people...
...I've worked with over the years.
One of them in particular...
...is my long-time friend...
...Gene Kelly.
ASTAIRE: In The Pirate with the Nicholas Brothers...
...Gene displayed the rough-and-tumble kind of acrobatic dancing...
...that quickly became a popular part of his repertoire.
From the start, Gene was constantly experimenting...
...from classical ballet to a burlesque buck-and-wing.
He was determined to broaden the horizons of the film musical.
And in doing so, he became one of the most versatile...
...and original performers the movies have ever known.
ASTAIRE: Kelly was forever breaking rules.
Though the studio often tried to stop him...
...Gene insisted on doing his own stunts.
His bosses always seemed to find out about it after the scene had been shot.
But audiences loved the sight of Gene himself...
...flying through the air in film after film.
[SCREAMING]
New York, New York, a wonderful town
The Bronx is up and the Battery's down
The people ride in a hole in the ground
New York, New York It's a wonderful town
ASTAIRE: In On the Town with Frank Sinatra and Jules Munshin...
...Manhattan became the backdrop for this unforgettable romp.
A tribute to Gene's persistence...
...it was the first major musical to be filmed on location.
SINATRA [SINGING]: The famous places to visit are so many
Or so the guidebooks say
I told my grandpa I wouldn't miss on any
But we got just one day
Gotta see the whole town Right from Yonkers on down to the bay
In just one day
New York, New York, a wonderful town
The Bronx is up and the Battery's down
The people ride in a hole in the ground
New York, New York It's a wonderful town
Manhattan women are all in silk and satin
Or so the fellas say
There's just one thing necessary In Manhattan
When you got just one day
Gotta pick up a date, maybe seven or eight On your way
In just one day
New York, New York, a wonderful town
The Bronx is up and the Battery's down
The people ride in a hole in the ground
New York, New York
It's a wonderful town
ASTAIRE: I've had a lot of partners in my day.
But can you imagine a grown man dancing with a mouse?
Well, Gene did just that in Anchors Aweigh.
His dancing partner was Jerry the Mouse of Tom and Jerry fame.
Critics said it was the most effective use of live and animation technique...
...ever put on film.
And I certainly agree.
Look at me. I'm dancing.
[HUMMING]
ASTAIRE: More than any other star, I think Gene Kelly became the symbol...
...of the MGM musical of the 1950s.
And here's a classic routine that audiences would never forget.
This is my favorite number from one of his very best musicals...
...Singin' in the Rain.
KELLY [SINGING]: I 'm singin' in the rain
Just singin' in the rain
What a glorious feelin'
I'm happy again
I'm laughing at clouds
So dark up above
The sun's in my heart
And I'm ready for love
Let the stormy clouds chase
Everyone from the place
Come on with the rain
I've a smile on my face
I walk down the lane
With a happy refrain
Just singin'
Sin gin ' in the rain
Dancin' in the rain
[HUMMING]
I'm happy again
I'm singin' and dancin' in the rain
I'm dancin' and singin'
In the rain
ASTAIRE: The finale to the Broadway ballet from Singin' in the Rain...
...seems to me to exemplify the genius of Gene Kelly.
Actor, singer, dancer, choreographer and director.
MAN [SINGING]: Gotta dance
Gotta dance
Gotta dance Gotta dance
That's the Broadway
Melody
You've seen Gene Kelly's work on the screen.
I think I've said it all.
He's one of those rare talents who really understands...
...what the movie musical is all about.
Now I'd like you to meet someone that recently joined the gang.
If Hollywood breeding could be compared to royalty...
...then she would certainly be our crown princess.
I remember so well when she, as a tiny little girl...
...used to sit on the set watching her father, Vincente Minnelli...
...directing me in several pictures.
Her mother, the fabulous Judy Garland.
Yet this young lady has made it all on her own. Yes, she has.
Miss Liza Minnelli.
The first studio I'd ever been inside was MGM.
I can't really say that I grew up here.
But I know that for over 1 O years, I'd race like crazy after school...
...to get down here and visit whatever set my parents were on.
You may not know this...
...but I made my film debut at MGM.
MINNELLI: In the very last shot for The Good Old Summertime...
...they needed a little girl to play the daughter...
...of Van Johnson and Mama. Guess who got the part.
There she is, folks. What personality.
No wonder I didn't get any billing.
It's no wonder this place will always be a part of me.
My father directed dozens of films here...
...and Mama, well, this was her home for over 15 years...
...and 30 films.
It began in 1935.
[SINGING "LA CUCARACHA"]
MINNELLI: In an MGM musical short...
...a vaudeville team called the Gumm Sisters. ..
...made their first appearance on film.
Twelve-year-old Frances was the standout...
...and talent scouts from MGM decided to give her a chance.
But first they changed her name from Frances Gumm to Judy Garland.
The studio put Mom in another short subject.
This time they paired her off with a young operatic singer named...
...Deanna Durbin.
These musical shorts were like a screen test.
In those days, if you came across in a two-reeler...
...you just might have a chance in a real musical.
GARLAND [SINGING]: Swing
North, south, east, west Just swing
You'll find that swing is best Swing
Make it a national thing
[SCATTING]
You'll find
There is a chance for romance
Here on the dance floor, so dance
Dance, dance, dance
America
MINNELLI: Although MGM would drop Deanna Durbin...
...some executives at the studio pleaded to keep my mother under contract.
And they finally won.
Well, they kept her at MGM just barely.
She spent the next few years in low-budget musicals.
Once in a while, she'd appear as a sort of novelty act...
...in a big extravaganza like the Broadway Melody of 1938...
...with Buddy Ebsen.
Mama once told me...
...MGM seemed obsessed with Shirley Temple.
They even offered 20th Century Fox Jean Harlow and Clark Gable...
...just to get Temple for a certain picture Metro was preparing.
But the deal fell through.
So MGM finally went ahead with the picture...
...and let Mama play the role of Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz.
ALL [SINGING]: You're off to see the wizard The wonderful wizard of Oz
You'll find he is a whiz of a wiz If ever a wiz there was
If ever, oh, ever a wiz there was The wizard of Oz is one because
Because, because, because Because, because
Because of the wonderful things he does
I'm afraid there's no denyin' I'm just a dandelion
A fate I don't deserve
I'd be brave as a blizzard
I'd be gentle as a lizard
I'd be clever as a gizzard
If the Wizard is a Wizard Who will serve
Then I'm sure to get a brain
- A heart - A home
The nerve
MINNELLI: The Wizard of Oz finally did it for Mama.
With Ray Bolger, Jack Haley, and Bert Lahr...
...she really started off on the road to success.
Whatever rocks or bumps there were in that road...
...she never let it show in her films.
For Mama, it was straight up all the way.
Somewhere over the rainbow
Way up high
There's a land that I heard of
Once in a lullaby
Somewhere over the rainbow
Skies are blue
And the dreams that you dare to dream
Really do come true
Someday I'll wish upon a star
And wake up where the clouds are far
Behind me
Where troubles melt like lemon drops
Away above the chimney tops
That's where you'll find me
They're writing songs of love
But not for me
A lucky star's above
But not for me
With love to lead the way
I've found more skies of gray
Than any Russian play
Could guarantee
Clang, clang, clang went the trolley
Ding, ding, ding went the bell
Zing, zing, zing went my heartstrings
From the moment I saw him, I fell
Chug, chug, chug went the motor
Bump, bump, bump went the brake
Thump, thump, thump Went my heartstrings
When he smiled I could feel the car shake
He tipped his hat and took a seat
He said he hoped He hadn't stepped upon my feet
He asked my name, I held my breath
I couldn't speak Because he scared me half to death
Howdy Doody!
Chug, chug, chug went the motor
Flop, flop, flop went the wheels
Stop, stop, stop went my heartstrings
As he started to go Then I started to know
How it feels
When the universe reels
If you like-a me, like I like-a you
And we like-a both the same
I like-a say this very day
I like-a change your name
'Cause I love-a you and love-a you true
And if you-a love-a me
One live as two, two live as one
Under the bamboo tree
How can I ignore
The boy next door
I love him more than I can say
Doesn't try to please me
Doesn't even tease me
And he never sees me
Glance his way
MINNELLI: Summer Stock was Mama's final film for MGM.
Her last days of shooting here were devoted to this number...
...which a lot of people including myself feel was one of her very best.
GARLAND [SINGING]: Forget your troubles Come on, get happy
You better chase all your cares away
Shout hallelujah Come on, get happy
Get ready for the judgment day
The sun is shining Come on, get happy
The Lord is waiting to take your hand
Shout hallelujah Come on, get happy
We're going to the promised land
We're heading across the river
Wash your sins away in the tide
It's all so peaceful on the other side
Forget your troubles Come on, get happy
You better chase all your cares away
Shout hallelujah Come on, get happy
Get ready for the judgment day
Forget your troubles Come on, get happy
Chase your cares away
Hallelujah Get happy
Before the judgment day
The sun is shining Come on, get happy
The Lord is waiting to take your hand
Shout hallelujah Come on, get happy
We're going to be going to the promised land
Shout hallelujah Come on, get happy
You better chase all your cares away
Shout hallelujah Come on, get happy
Get ready
For the judgment day
[APPLAUSE]
Thank God for film.
It can capture a performance and hold it right there forever.
And if anyone says to you, "Who was he?" or "Who was she?"
Or "What made them so good?"
I think a piece of film answers that question better than any words I know of.
My generation... Well, we're just beginning.
It takes a lot of film and a lot of experience...
...and a lot of talent to become a real star.
Now here's somebody who I think qualifies on all of those counts. Oh, boy.
Mr. Bing Crosby.
You know, one sound stage, well, it looks pretty much like another.
But a backlot, out here where they shoot the exteriors...
...that seems to me that the backlot reflects the personality...
...the character of its studio.
This was the biggest...
...and I think, perhaps, the best backlot in all of Hollywood.
Of course the old backlot looks a little shabby right now, sort of scruffy...
...kind of an illusion on an illusion...
...but that's because most Hollywood filmmakers...
...they don't use backlots any more.
They prefer the real thing.
ALL [SINGING]: Hollywood
Hollywood
CROSBY". I remember when I did my first musical at this studio...
...they designed a big production number.
It was all to take place in a vast Manhattan railroad terminal.
Of course we didn't bother to go to New York City.
MGM simply recreated Grand Central Station...
...added a couple of thousand extras and filmed the whole number right here.
ALL [SINGING]: Once again
Goodbye, pal
Out where they say Let us be gay
I'm going Hollywood
I'll ballyhoo greetings to you
I'm going Hollywood
Say, while you sleepyheads Are in that hay
I'll be dancing
I'm gonna be dancing With a sun-kissed baby
And I'm on my way
Here's my beret
I'm going Hollywood
[LAUGHS]
Well, it was vigorous. Spirited, anyhow.
I was, what you might call, a casual participant in MGM musicals...
"because over 20 years went by...
...between the little effort which you've just seen...
...and my next attempt.
And I found fantastic changes had occurred.
They had color, oh, stereophonic sound, even wide screens.
And MGM, in a loose moment, had decided to give me another chance...
...in a little pastiche to be called High Society.
This starred Grace Kelly, Louis Armstrong, and Celeste Holm...
...and was directed by Chuck Walters.
Oh, yes, there was another featured performer in there.
What was his name? A brash young newcomer. Frank, uh--
A clever kid. He had a lot to offer too. Frank, uh--
Well, you'll recognize him when you see the footage.
[SINGING] Have you heard about dear Blanche?
- Got run down by an avalanche - No.
Don't worry, she's a game girl, you know. Got up and finished fourth.
- Kid's got guts. - Having a nice time?
Grab a line.
- Have you heard that Mimsie Starr - What now?
- She got pinched in the Astor Bar - Sauced again, eh?
She was stoned.
- Well, did you ever? - Never.
What a swell party this is
- I'm gonna have a drink. - I may have a bit of the bubbly myself.
- I'm gonna dance. - Don't get hurt.
Oh, no.
- It's great - It's great
- It's grand - So grand
It's wonderland
[HUMMING]
- We sing - We sing
- So rare - So rare
Like old Camembert
Like baba au rhum
Don't dig that kinda croonin', chum
You must be one of the newer fellas.
Have you heard? It's in the stars
Next July we collide with Mars
Well, did you ever?
What a swell party
Swell party
Swellegant, elegant party This is
CROSBY [SINGING]: While I give to you
And you give to me
True love
So on and on
It'll always be
True love
For you and I
Have a guardian angel
On high
With nothing to do
But to give to you
And to give to me
Love forever
True
Love forever
True
I'm recalling times when I was falling
Like a free jubilee day
CROSBY: Get this cast:
Russ Tamblyn, Vic Damone, Tony Martin...
...Kay Armen, Debbie Reynolds, Jane Powell, Ann Miller...
...and the Pacific Fleet...
...in Hit the Deck.
ALL [SINGING]: Sing hallelujah, hallelujah
And you'll shoo the blues away
When cares pursue ya Hallelujah
Gets you thru the darkest day
Satan lies a-waitin'
- And creatin' skies of gray - Skies of gray
But hallelujah, hallelujah
Helps to shoo the clouds away
Satan lies a-waitin'
- And creatin' skies of gray - Hallelu
But hallelujah, hallelujah
Hallelujah, hallelujah
Helps to shoo the clouds away
Sing hallelu-lu-lu-lu-lu-lujah
CROSBY". The next time anyone says that dancing is for sissies...
...remind them of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.
Produced by Jack Cummings, directed by Stanley Donen...
...and choreographed by Michael Kidd...
...it's perhaps the most vivid and exuberant ballet ever put on film.
JOURDAN [SINGING]: Gigi Am I a fool without a mind
Or have I merely been too blind to realize
Oh, Gigi
Why you've been growing up Before my eyes
Gigi
You're not at all That funny awkward little girl
I knew
Oh, no
Overnight there's been A breathless change
In you
CROSBY: One of the finest musicals ever made...
...Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe's Gigi.
It was that rare blend of story and song...
...and it starred Leslie Caron, Louis Jourdan, Hermione Gingold...
...and the marvelous Maurice Chevalier.
All under the inspired direction of Vincente Minnelli.
[DOORBELL RINGING]
- May I come in? - Yes.
Gaston, please. No newspapers, no scandal.
Madame, will you do me the honor...
...the favor...
...give me the infinite joy of bestowing on me...
...Gigi's hand in marriage.
Thank heaven.
[SINGING] For little girls
For little girls get bigger every day
Thank heaven for little girls
They grow up in the most delightful way
Those little eyes So helpless and appealing
One day will flash and send you crashin'
Through the ceiling
Thank heaven for little girls
Thank heaven for them all
No matter where, no matter who
Without them, what would little boys do?
- Thank heaven - Thank heaven
Thank heaven
For little girls
Through the years, MGM has produced over 200 musical films.
And if you had to select one number from one film...
...that would best represent the MGM musicals...
...I have a feeling that the vote would be unanimous...
...especially among the people who worked here...
...and that's why we've saved the best for the last.
An American in Paris, starring Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron.
It won an Oscar as best picture of the year...
mover '20 years ago.
But the ballet from that film...
...is as timeless as the day you and I first saw it.
Produced by Arthur Freed, directed by Vincente Minnelli...
...and choreographed by Gene Kelly...
...it can only be described as MGM's masterpiece.
[ENGLISH SDH]