| Gene Kelly | ... | Himself - Co-host / Narrator (also archive footage) |
| June Allyson | ... | Herself - Co-host / Narrator (also archive footage) |
| Cyd Charisse | ... | Herself - Co-host / Narrator (also archive footage) |
| Lena Horne | ... | Herself - Co-host / Narrator (also archive footage) |
| Howard Keel | ... | Himself - Co-host / Narrator (also archive footage) |
| Ann Miller | ... | Herself - Co-host / Narrator (also archive footage) |
| Debbie Reynolds | ... | Herself - Co-host / Narrator (also archive footage) |
| Mickey Rooney | ... | Himself - Co-host / Narrator (also archive footage) |
 | Esther Williams | ... | Herself - Co-host / Narrator (also archive footage) |
| rest of cast listed alphabetically: |
| Jeanette MacDonald | ... | Herself (clips from "Naughty Marietta" / "Maytime") (archive footage) |
| Adrian | ... | Himself, film clip (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| George K. Arthur | ... | Himself (clip from "Hollywood Revue") (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| Fred Astaire | ... | Himself (clips from "Easter Parade" / "Band Wagon" etc.) (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| Lucille Ball | ... | Herself (clip from "Ziegfeld Follies") (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| Jack Benny | ... | Himself (clip from "Hollywood Revue") (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| Ingrid Bergman | ... | Herself, film clip (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| Ray Bolger | ... | Himself (clip from "Harvey Girls") (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| Joseph Breen | ... | Himself, newsreel clip (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| Lucille Bremer | ... | Herself (clip from "Yolanda and the Thief") (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| Jack Buchanan | ... | Himself (clip from "Band Wagon") (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| Billie Burke | ... | Herself (clip from "Wizard of Oz") (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| Leslie Caron | ... | Herself (clips from "American in Paris" / "Gigi") (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| Claudette Colbert | ... | Herself (clip from "Boom Town") (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| Joan Crawford | ... | Herself (clips from "Hollywood Revue" / "Torch Song") (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| Bing Crosby | ... | Himself (clip from "High Society") (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| Xavier Cugat | ... | Himself (clip from "Bathing Beauty") (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| Arlene Dahl | ... | Herself (clip from "Three Little Words") (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| Marion Davies | ... | Herself (clip from "Hollywood Revue") (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| Doris Day | ... | Herself (clip from "Love Me or Leave Me") (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| Gloria DeHaven | ... | Herself (clip from "Best Foot Forward") (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| Marlene Dietrich | ... | Herself (clip from "Kismet") (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| Marie Dressler | ... | Herself (clip from "Hollywood Revue") (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| Rosetta Duncan | ... | Herself (clip from "It's a Great Life") (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| Vivian Duncan | ... | Herself (clip from "It's a Great Life") (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| Jimmy Durante | ... | Himself (clip from "This Time for Keeps") (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| Buddy Ebsen | ... | Himself (clip from "Broadway Melody of 1938") (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| Nelson Eddy | ... | Himself (clip from "Naughty Marietta") (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| Cliff Edwards | ... | Himself (clip from "Hollywood Revue") (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| Nanette Fabray | ... | Herself (clip from "Band Wagon") (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| The Five Locust Sisters | ... | Themselves - film clip (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| Clark Gable | ... | Himself (clip from "Dancing Lady") (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| Greta Garbo | ... | Herself (clips from "Camille / "Two Faced Woman") (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| Ava Gardner | ... | Herself (clip from "Show Boat") (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| Judy Garland | ... | Herself (clips from "Babes in Arms" / "Summer Stock" / "Annie Get Your Gun") (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| Betty Garrett | ... | Herself (clip from "On the Town") (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| Greer Garson | ... | Herself, film clip (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| Paulette Goddard | ... | Herself (clip from "The Women") (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| Dolores Gray | ... | Herself (clip from "It's Always Fair Weather") (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| Kathryn Grayson | ... | Herself (clip from "Anchors Aweigh") (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| Oliver Hardy | ... | Himself (clip from "Hollywood Party") (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| Jean Harlow | ... | Herself (clip from "Dinner at Eight") (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| Katharine Hepburn | ... | Herself, film clip (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| Bob Hope | ... | Himself - newsreel clip (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| Betty Hutton | ... | Herself (clip from "Annie Get Your Gun") (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| Harry James | ... | Himself (clip from "Best Foot Forward") (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| Betty Jaynes | ... | Herself (clip from "Babes in Arms") (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| Louis Jourdan | ... | Himself (clips from "The Swan" / "Gigi") (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| Buster Keaton | ... | Himself (clip from "Hollywood Revue") (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| Grace Kelly | ... | Herself (clip from "The Swan") (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| Hedy Lamarr | ... | Herself (clip from "Ziegfeld Girl") (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| Angela Lansbury | ... | Herself (clip from "Harvey Girls") (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| Stan Laurel | ... | Himself (clip from "Hollywood Party") (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| Vivien Leigh | ... | Herself (clip from "Waterloo Bridge") (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| Oscar Levant | ... | Himself (clip from "Band Wagon") (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| Carole Lombard | ... | Herself (clip from "Gay Bride") (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| Myrna Loy | ... | Herself (clip from "Barbarian") (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| Tony Martin | ... | Himself (clip from "Ziegfeld Girl") (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| Joan McCracken | ... | Herself (clip from "Good News") (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| Ray McDonald | ... | Himself (clips from "Till the Clouds Roll By" / "Good News") (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| Douglas McPhail | ... | Himself (clip from "Babes in Arms") (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| Una Merkel | ... | Herself, film clip (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| Carmen Miranda | ... | Herself (clip from "Nancy Goes to Rio") (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| Marilyn Monroe | ... | Herself (clip from "Asphalt Jungle") (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| Polly Moran | ... | Herself (clip from "Hollywood Revue") (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| Jules Munshin | ... | Himself (clip from "On the Town") (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| George Murphy | ... | Himself (clip from "Broadway Melody of 1938") (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| J. Carrol Naish | ... | Himself (clip from "Annie Get Your Gun") (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| Donald O'Connor | ... | Himself (clips from "Singin in the Rain" / "I Love Melvin") (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| Janis Paige | ... | Herself (clip from "Silk Stockings") (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| Jack Pearl | ... | Himself (clip from "Hollywood Party") (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| Eleanor Powell | ... | Herself (clips from "Broadway Melody of 1938" / "Lady Be Good") (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| Jane Powell | ... | Herself, film clip (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| Elvis Presley | ... | Himself (clip from "Jailhouse Rock") (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| Luise Rainer | ... | Herself (clip from "Great Ziegfeld") (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| Ginger Rogers | ... | Herself (clip from "Barkleys of Broadway") (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| Aggie Ross | ... | Herself (clip from "Broadway Rhythm") (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| Elmira Ross | ... | Herself (clip from "Broadway Rhythm") (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| Maggie Ross | ... | Herself (clip from "Broadway Rhythm") (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| Rosalind Russell | ... | Herself (clip from "The Women") (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| Norma Shearer | ... | Herself (clip from "Marie Antoinette") (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| Frank Sinatra | ... | Himself (clip from "On the Town") (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| Ann Sothern | ... | Herself (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| Clinton Sundberg | ... | Himself (clip from "Annie Get Your Gun") (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| Don Taylor | ... | Himself (clip from "BoomTown") (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| Elizabeth Taylor | ... | Herself (clip from "Father of the Bride") (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| Lana Turner | ... | Herself (clips from "Ziegfeld Girl" / "Three Musketeers") (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| Lupe Velez | ... | Herself (clip from "Hollywood Party") (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| Vera-Ellen | ... | Herself (clip from "On the Town") (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| Nancy Walker | ... | Herself (clip from "Best Foot Forward") (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| Frances Williams | ... | Herself (clip from "Hollywood Party") (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| Chill Wills | ... | Himself (clip from "Harvey Girls") (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| Robert Young | ... | Himself (clip from "Hollywood Party") (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| Roland Young | ... | Himself (clip from "Two Faced Woman") (archive footage) (uncredited) |
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Every THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT film has a hook to draw new viewers in--the first film had the sheer novelty of these film giants talking to us about the work they did in that glorious, music-filled period of movie-making, although these legends were reduced to reading off pre-written scripts. The second movie had a more intriguing main attraction: only two narrators, but when those two narrators were Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly actually dancing and singing their way through the gorgeous clips stacked up? Fantastic.
Well, THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT III sure tries its best to live up to its predecessors. Retaining the narration technique used in the same film, albeit with the second generation of MGM musical stars (and only Gene Kelly, sporting enormous glasses!, retained from the first two films), the film's hook is the rare special footage it boasts--from a background tracking shot showing the vast amount of money and manpower invested in just one Eleanor Powell number, through to valuable outtakes such as Debbie Reynolds' 'You Are My Lucky Star' number (cut from SINGIN' IN THE RAIN but available on DVD now) and the Indians number in ANNIE GET YOUR GUN as originally performed by Judy Garland. There are other little treasure nuggets as well, all deleted scenes, such as Judy Garland's song 'Mr Monotony', meant for Easter Parade; and Lena Horne's risky bubble bath chanson filmed for CABIN IN THE SKY. And I do wonder what was so bad about Ava Gardner's lost vocals for SHOWBOAT--I thought she sounded pretty darn good myself!
I personally thought the best thing about this film was the way some of this rare footage was displayed--the split-screen technique was quite the stroke of genius. It was used to simply brilliant effect, for example, in showcasing two versions of a number filmed to the same dubbed vocals, the first starring Joan Crawford (for TWO-FACED WOMAN, in rather astonishingly Technicolour and camp blackface) and the second Cyd Charisse (for THE BANDWAGON). No guessing which number SHOULD have been retained (hint: Charisse is one of the best dancers of any time; Crawford is... not), but it was hilarious watching the very VERY different ways in which the same song was approached in the two different films.
My favourite part of the whole film was a number similarly presented, except this time it pitted Fred Astaire against himself. The sand-enhanced song-and-dance, to the tune 'I'm Just A Dancing Man', was filmed once, but deemed not classy enough. So there are two versions--one of Fred in top hat and tails, the other in overalls. Guess what? Astaire keeps to his own internal rhythm perfectly, and proves in this juxtaposition of the two scenes that he is his own best partner. It's pretty damn amazing, and probably the best and most jaw-dropping part of the film.
The rest of THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT III is pretty run-of-the-mill in comparison. It's not stuff we haven't seen before (we've seen better clips in the previous two films), and there are still the prerequisite sections dedicated to Fred Astaire, Judy Garland and Gene Kelly (oh yes, and Esther Williams, of course). It's a shame that there wasn't a Cyd Charisse segment, or one dedicated to Ann Miller. Considering that both these dancing ladies were presenters during the film, it'd have been nice to recognise the great contribution their long legs made to film musical history. I did enjoy the clip from THE KISSING BANDIT that had Charisse and Miller pitted against each other in a catfight slash dance-off, which was very cool, very intense and great fun to watch. But otherwise, it's all stuff that would work better in the original films.
So while THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT III again succeeds in doing what it sets out to do (leave the audience in a happy glow), it's less accomplished than its predecessors. It's not as engaging to new viewers as either of the first two (showcasing lesser-known numbers and films), and is of only average interest to the hardcore classic film buff. It's a hard line to straddle, and the film manages to do it, don't get me wrong. But well. You can't go wrong with this film, but it's all been done before, and dare I say it...? Done better. 7.5/10