That's Action (1977) is a motion picture anthology, with various scenes from 30 different films spanning 1939 to 1957. It highlights a particular kind of action and romance. Some movies have more than one scene shown. Some actors have several appearances, taken from different films. Put together by G. David Schine, executive producer of the five time Oscar winning The French Connection (1971), That's Action is less a documentary, more a tribute to the filmmakers, action stars, and leading ladies on the screen during this period. Running time is 108 minutes.

John Wayne is prominently featured, as he was a top box office draw for half of the 18 years covered. With 50 years in film, John Wayne remained a top box office draw, nominated for an Oscar twice, Sands of Iwo Jima (1949) and The Alamo (1960), winning an Oscar for True Grit (1969), and would continue acting until 1976.

To movie goers when That's Action was released in 1977, those appearing in it would be familiar to most, with many of the actors still active, so there was little need to provide further details of each scene, which might have also interfered with the presentation. That's Action encourages younger viewers who may be seeing these scenes or actors for the first time to explore more.

Nelson Riddle, a favorite arranger and conductor of Frank Sinatra, was brought in to compose the main theme, love theme, and score the background music. Riddle had recently won a music Oscar for The Great Gatsby (1974), with four prior Oscar nominations for music, also a three time Grammy winner, eight nominations. He had recently worked on That's Entertainment, Part II (1976).

Richard H. Kline shot the narration sequences, and was twice nominated for a cinematography Oscar: King Kong (1976) and Camelot (1967), and would soon after do Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) and Body Heat (1981).

Art Linkletter was chosen for the on and off camera narration. A household name for decades and Grammy winner, he hosted two long running radio and television programs, The Linkletter Show (1952) and People Are Funny (1954).

James R. Silke, a Grammy winning art director, screenwriter, novelist, and film historian, co-wrote and did the film design for That's Action.

With starring performance by John Wayne, Victor McLaglen, Maureen O'Hara.

And Ernest Borgnine, Joan Crawford, Marlene Dietrich, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., Barry Fitzgerald, Cary Grant, Sterling Hayden, Rita Hayworth, Sam Jaffe, Ben Johnson, Katy Jurado, Charles Laughton, Walter Pidgeon, Barbara Stanwyck, Claire Trevor.

Also John Agar, Judith Anderson, Anna Maria Alberghetti, Lola Albright, Abner Biberman, Ward Bond, Scott Brady, Walter Brennan, Lloyd Bridges, Harry Carey, Jr., MacDonald Carey, Richard Carlson, John Carradine, John Carroll, Eduardo Ciannelli, Ben Cooper, Ken Curtis, Jim Davis, Albert Decker, Joanne Dru, Charles Fitzsimons, Joan Fontaine, Francis Ford, Glenn Ford, Arthur Franz, George "Gabby" Hayes, Susan Hayward, Skip Homeier, Richard Jaeckel, Claude Jarman, Jr., Arthur Kennedy, Hedy Lamarr, Jack Lamert, James Lilburn, Marjorie Main, LeRoy Mason, Sean McGlory, Jack McGowran, Patricia Medina, Thomas Mitchell, George Montgomery, J. Carrol Naish, Mildred Natwick, Edmond O'Brien, George O'Brien, Vera Ralston, Gail Russell, Martha Scott, Arthur Shields, The Sons of the Pioneers, Forrest Tucker, Raymond Walburn, Chill Wills.

Films from Columbia Pictures, MGM, NTA, Republic Pictures, and RKO Radio Pictures.

Films in That's Action by title

Angel on the Amazon (1948)
Brimstone (1949)
Change of Heart aka Hit Parade of 1943 (1943)
Dakota Incident (1956)
Dark Command (1940)
Fair Wind to Java (1953)
The Fighting Seabees (1944)
Flame of the Barbary Coast (1945)
Flying Tigers (1942)
Gunga Din (1939)
High Noon (1952)
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939)
Johnny Guitar (1954)
The Last Command (1955)
The Loves of Carmen (1948)
Man of Conquest (1939)
The Maverick Queen (1956)
New Frontier (1939)
Pawnee (1957)
The Quiet Man (1952)
Rancho Notorious (1952)
Rio Grande (1950)
Sands of Iwo Jima (1949)
Santa Fe Passage (1955)
Salome (1953)
She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949)
Stranger at My Door (1956)
Wake of the Red Witch (1948)
War of the Wildcats aka In Old Oklahoma (1943)
White Cargo (1942)

Films in That's Action by year

Gunga Din (1939)
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939)
Man of Conquest (1939)
New Frontier (1939)
Dark Command (1940)
Flying Tigers (1942)
White Cargo (1942)
Change of Heart aka Hit Parade of 1943 (1943)
War of the Wildcats aka In Old Oklahoma (1943)
The Fighting Seabees (1944)
Flame of the Barbary Coast (1945)
Angel on the Amazon (1948)
The Loves of Carmen (1948)
Wake of the Red Witch (1948)
Brimstone (1949)
Sands of Iwo Jima (1949)
She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949)
Rio Grande (1950)
High Noon (1952)
The Quiet Man (1952)
Rancho Notorious (1952)
Fair Wind to Java (1953)
Salome (1953)
Johnny Guitar (1954)
The Last Command (1955)
Santa Fe Passage (1955)
Dakota Incident (1956)
The Maverick Queen (1956)
Stranger at My Door (1956)
Pawnee (1957)