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The Band Wagon (1953) marked the culmination of a series of near-autobiographical pictures Fred Astaire made for MGM following his return from premature retirement in the late '40s. Astaire plays Tony Hunter, a fading film star (his big hit: Flying Down to Panama) who decides to return to his former glory, the Broadway stage. (In 1931, Astaire had starred on Broadway with sister Adele in The Band Wagon, a revue that lent some of its songs to this film.) His playwright-songwriter friends (Nanette Fabray and Oscar Levant) hook him up with Broadway's hottest director, Jeffrey Cordova (a nicely hammy Jack Buchanan), who proves that the "new" theater traditions can be an awkward fit with the old. Hunter also finds himself at odds with his prima ballerina leading lady (Cyd Charisse), one of his chief worries being that she seems a little tall. Along the way, producer Arthur Freed, director Vincente Minnelli, choreographer Michael Kidd, and songwriters Howard Dietz and Arthur Schwartz treat us to some quintessential MGM numbers: Astaire's solo ode "By Myself," the flashy arcade romp "A Shine on Your Shoes," Astaire and Charisse's romantic duet "Dancing in the Dark," the faux-German drinking song "I Love Louisa," the manic trio "Triplets" (with Astaire, Fabray, and Buchanan in matching baby outfits), the Mickey Spillane-esque "Girl Hunt Ballet," and the classic show-biz anthem "That's Entertainment." Even if its ending and obligatory romance fall a little flat, The Band Wagon is one of the classic backstage musicals, a grandiose MGM spectacle that also manages to poke some fun at how grandiose MGM pictures had become. --David Horiuchi
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Most helpful customer reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
"MGM has got a Leo, but mama has got a trio"...pure genius!,
By A Customer
This review is from: Bandwagon, the (VHS Tape)
No movie musical comes close to []the Band Wagon. The film is physically stunning and varied in terms of musical numbers. In fact, it's fantastic in every department. This is []the ultimate Vincente Minnelli musical. His brilliant use of sets in such numbers as A SHINE ON YOUR SHOES, DANCING IN THE DARK, and THE GIRL HUNT make the film one of the most atmospheric musicals to hit the screen. The quality of musical numbers in THE BAND WAGON is far more consistent than in SINGIN' IN THE RAIN. For instance, TRIPLETS is funnier, and more original than MAKE 'EM LAUGH. In A SHINE ON YOUR SHOES, Minnelli treats the "breaking into song and dance" concept literally. In a 1930s musical, extras would stand around the action with a fake smile. Here the people in the background react realistically to Astaire's routine (everything from walking by to screaming from fright). The blending of real and unreal adds an entire dimension to the number. THE GIRL HUNT BALLET manages to be dream-like, humourous, and structured. It has a magical quality without being as lasse faire as the ballets in SINGIN' IN THE RAIN or AN AMERICAN IN PARIS. It's my candidate for the greatest musical number ever filmed...a close race with everything else in THE BAND WAGON. Oh, yeah. Many consider this film to include Fred Astaire's finest performance. He's a fabulous performer, in a semi-autobiographical role.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent fantasy musical,
By
This review is from: The Band Wagon (Two-Disc Special Edition) (DVD)
This is one of my favourite musicals, with lots of Cyd Charisse and Fred Astaire. The musical numbers are a mix of beauty and riotous humour. This was during the last hurrah of the studio era's musicals, and a later Astaire film in which he shines. I highly recommend it for any musical fan.
3.0 out of 5 stars
Throwback to Vaudeville,
By
This review is from: Bandwagon, the (VHS Tape)
Astaire & buddies decide to put on a travelling show. This somewhat defiant response to Gene Kelly's forward looking & somewhat cynical Singin in the Rain, provided a big screen platform for an odd combination of small stage entertainment and Astaire's signature tap dancing mixed with ballroom dancing. The movie adopts a cheerful & innocent entertain the masses approach. Old fashioned on purpose. His dancing is wonderful and the film suffers in the scenes and numbers where he isn't front and center. Corny old songs like "Triplets" and "Louisiana Hayride" are dragged out & dusted off. Was Astaire really this devoted to his vaudeville roots or was it all he knew how to do? Astaire may not have born wearing a top hat and tails but he might as well have been. I wonder if it got to the point where someone he trusted had to sit down with Fred and convince him to let it go. Obviously, Singin in the Rain resonated more deeply with public. Astaire finally gave up on these throwback movies & took on dramatic roles in the late 50's. Big budget modernized musicals dominated the 50's & 60's.
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