{"product_id":"9781496817334-that-was-entertainment","title":"That Was Entertainment","description":"\u003cmeta content=\"text\/html; charset=utf-8\" http-equiv=\"Content-Type\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Golden Age of the MGM Musical\u003cbr\u003eTraces the development of the MGM musical from \u003cem\u003eThe Broadway Melody\u003c\/em\u003e (1929) through its heyday in the 1940s and 1950s and its decline in the 1960s. \u003cem\u003eThat Was Entertainment\u003c\/em\u003e uniquely reconstructs the life of Arthur Freed, whose unit at MGM became the gold standard against which the musicals of other studios were measured.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eThat Was Entertainment: The Golden Age of the MGM Musical\u003c\/i\u003e traces the development of the MGM musical from \u003ci\u003eThe Broadway Melody\u003c\/i\u003e (1929) through its heyday in the 1940s and 1950s and its decline in the 1960s, culminating in the notorious 1970 MGM auction when Judy Garland's ruby slippers from \u003ci\u003eThe Wizard of Oz\u003c\/i\u003e, Charlton Heston's chariot from \u003ci\u003eBen-Hur\u003c\/i\u003e, and Fred Astaire's trousers and dress shirt from \u003ci\u003eRoyal Wedding\u003c\/i\u003e vanished to the highest bidders.\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eThat Was Entertainment\u003c\/i\u003e uniquely reconstructs the life of Arthur Freed, whose unit at MGM became the gold standard against which the musicals of other studios were measured. Without Freed, Judy Garland, Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire, Ann Miller, Betty Garrett, Cyd Charisse, Arlene Dahl, Vera-Ellen, Lucille Bremer, Gloria DeHaven, Howard Keel, and June Allyson would never have had the signature films that established them as movie legends.\u003cbr\u003eMGM's past is its present. No other studio produced such a range of musicals that are still shown today on television and all of which are covered in this volume, from integrated musicals in which song and dance were seamlessly embedded in the plot (\u003ci\u003eMeet Me in St. Louis\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eSeven Brides for Seven Brothers\u003c\/i\u003e) to revues (\u003ci\u003eThe Hollywood Revue of 1929\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eZiegfeld Follies\u003c\/i\u003e); original musicals (\u003ci\u003eSingin' in the Rain\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eEaster Parade\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eIt's Always Fair Weather\u003c\/i\u003e); adaptations of Broadway shows (\u003ci\u003eGirl Crazy\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eOn the Town\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eShow Boat\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eKiss Me Kate\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eBrigadoon\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eKismet\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eBells Are Ringing\u003c\/i\u003e); musical versions of novels and plays (\u003ci\u003eGigi\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe Pirate\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eSummer Holiday\u003c\/i\u003e); operettas (the films of Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy); mythico-historical biographies of composers (Johann Strauss Jr. in \u003ci\u003eThe Great Waltz\u003c\/i\u003e and Sigmund Romberg in \u003ci\u003eDeep in My Heart\u003c\/i\u003e); and musicals featuring songwriting teams (Rodgers and Hart in \u003ci\u003eWords and Music\u003c\/i\u003e and Kalmar and Ruby in \u003ci\u003eThree Little Words\u003c\/i\u003e), opera stars (Enrico Caruso in \u003ci\u003eThe Great Caruso\u003c\/i\u003e and Marjorie Lawrence in \u003ci\u003eInterrupted Melody\u003c\/i\u003e), and pop singers (Ruth Etting in \u003ci\u003eLove Me or Leave Me\u003c\/i\u003e). Also covered is the water ballet musical--in a class by itself--with Esther Williams starring as MGM's resident mermaid. This is a book for longtime lovers of the movie musical and those discovering the genre for the first time.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rarewaves","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54853483135350,"sku":"9781496817334","price":30.18,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0092\/7504\/8033\/files\/stand_38247370.jpg?v=1763843882","url":"https:\/\/www.rarewaves.com\/products\/9781496817334-that-was-entertainment","provider":"Rarewaves.com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}