Warner Home Video Press Release:

Judy Garland, Fred Astaire & Gene Kelly Return in
CLASSIC MUSICALS FROM THE DREAM FACTORY VOL. 2

Get ready for toe-tapping, finger-snapping and tune-whistling fun when
Classic Musicals from the Dream Factory Volume 2, a collection of seven newly-remastered favorites from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's Golden Era, arrives July 24 from Warner Home Video.

The collection features the DVD debuts of The Pirate, That's Dancing, and Words and Music along with two new to DVD Double Feature discs: a pair of Mario Lanza/Kathryn Grayson musicals -- That Midnight Kiss and The Toast of New Orleans and two Fred Astaire favorites -- Royal Wedding and The Belle of New York.

Following last year's successful Volume 1 (It's Always Fair Weather, Summer Stock, Three Little Words, Till the Clouds Roll By, and Ziegfeld Follies), this second spectacular collection of the fabled studio's vintage musicals features some of the most memorable numbers by the greatest stars of the genre, top lined by the Hollywood musical's golden trio of immortal legends -- Judy Garland, Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly. Landmark numbers include Fred Astaire dancing on the ceiling and with a coat rack, Gene Kelly 's "Be a Clown," and Judy Garland belting out "Johnny One Note." The talents of Mickey Rooney, Jane Powell, Lena Horne, Ray Bolger and many more stars are also showcased.

Each feature film has been meticulously restored and remastered from its original elements and complemented with new featurettes, commentaries, rare outtake musical numbers, radio interviews, audio only bonus outtakes and vintage cartoons. The titles will be available individually for $19.97 SRP, the 2-disc DVD of Royal Wedding/The Belle of New York and 2-disc set of That Midnight Kiss/The Toast of New Orleans will sell for $24.98 SRP and the seven-disc collection will sell for $59.92 SRP.

The Pirate (1948)

A treasure trove of fun awaits when a Caribbean beauty (Judy Garland) with a mad crush on a legendary pirate meets a vagabond actor (Gene Kelly) who poses as the scoundrel. Vincente Minnelli, who was married to Garland at the time, directs, bringing his uncanny skill with color and design to this joyous romp set to Cole Porter tunes. Mixing tremulous girlishness with hellcat hilarity, Garland was never better as a comedienne. Parodying the rakish style of Fairbanks and Barrymore, Kelly duels, dupes and dances with buccaneer bravado. All by itself, his "Be a Clown" (danced with the Nicholas Brothers and reprised with Garland) is reason enough to love the film.

DVD Special Features:
Commentary by historian John Fricke (Noted Garland biographer Fricke details every aspect of this tempestuous production as Garland, Kelly and Minnelli pushed the artistic limits of the movie musicals to the breaking point)
New featurette The Pirate: A Musical Treasure Chest
Oscar®-nominated Pete Smith Specialty 1948 MGM comedy short You Can't Win
1947 MGM classic cartoon Cat Fishin'
Mack the Black stereo remix version
Audio-outtakes: "Love of My Life" and "Mack the Black"
Roger Edens' guide tracks of "Be a Clown", "Manuela", "Nina", "Voodoo" and "You Can Do No Wrong"
Promotional radio interviews with Gene Kelly for On the Town and Judy Garland for The Pirate
Theatrical trailer
Subtitles: English (feature film only)


Words and Music (1948)

Hart wrote the lyrics. Rodgers wrote the music. Audiences still applaud the results. Mickey Rooney (as Lorenz Hart) and Tom Drake (as Richard Rodgers) team in a splashy biopic of the songwriters behind Babes in Arms, Pal Joey and more Broadway classics. In glossy Hollywood style, the film plays loose with facts and lets the songs speak for themselves. Judy Garland belts out "Johnny One Note". Lena Horne delivers a haunting "Where or When". Gene Kelly and Vera-Ellen lead a streetwise "Slaughter on 10th Avenue ballet". Some 22 songs/specialties and a baker's dozen of major stars are included within the film.

DVD Special Features:
Commentary by historian Richard Barrios [Author and historian Barrios provides fascinating insights into the genius of Rodgers and Hart, one of the greatest songwriting teams of the twentieth century, and why the studio
failed to bring the truth of Hart's story to the screen.]
New featurette A Life in Words and Music
Oscar-nominated Theatre of Life 1948 MGM short Going to Blazes!
1948 MGM classic cartoon The Cat That Hated People
"Lover" and "You're Nearer" Outtakes featuring Perry Como
Audio-only bonuses: Outtakes of "Falling In Love With Love", "I Feel At Home With You", "Manhattan" (alternate version), "My Funny Valentine", "My Heart Stood Still", "On Your Toes" (alternate version) and "Way Out West On West End Avenue"
Theatrical trailer
Subtitles: English (feature film only)

The other DVDs in the collection (click on the images for DVD details):