Main Cast: Fred Astaire, Cyd Charisse, Oscar Levant, Nanette Fabray, Jack Buchanan
Release Year: 1953
Country: US
Run Time: 112 minutes
Plot
One of the most subtle and sophisticated of the musical comedies that came out of MGM's Arthur Freed Unit in the '40s and '50s, The Band Wagon stars Fred Astaire as Tony Hunter, a movie star whose career is in a downturn. Looking for a boost, Tony decides to try starring in a Broadway musical. His friends Lester and Lily Marton (Oscar Levant and Nanette Fabray) have written a show they feel would be just right for Tony, and the three team up with Jeffrey Cordova (Jack Buchanan), a self-styled "genius" director, who gets the idea to turn the play into a revised version of Faust. Cordova's more pretentious ideas don't always sit well with the Martons, and Tony isn't too happy with his leggy co-star, Gaby Gerard (Cyd Charisse), whom he's convinced is too tall (then again, she thinks he's too old). But when the show proves a disaster in out-of-town tryouts, everyone realizes they have to put aside their differences if they want a show that will be on Broadway for longer than four hours. The Band Wagon featured a rare American appearance for British musical star Jack Buchanan, who does a fine soft-shoe with Fred Astaire on "I Guess I'll Have to Change My Plan." Astaire also shines in the numbers "Shine on Your Shoes" and "The Girl Hunt," a witty Mickey Spillane parody. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Review
Made towards the end of MGM producer Arthur Freed's peak period of musical productions, at a time when movies, theater, and other forms of entertainment were all feeling the heat from the rise of television, preeminent musical director Vincente Minnelli's backstage story celebrates the musical itself and its brand of pop entertainment. Pitting Fred Astaire's washed-up movie hoofer against Jack Buchanan's high-falutin' artiste and Cyd Charisse's transplanted ballerina, The Band Wagon reflexively pokes fun at the musical's excesses and delves into the question of what an audience really wants, implicitly defending traditional forms of entertainment at a time when Hollywood was in decline and consumers were turning to new form of recreation. As with Freed's Singin' in the Rain (1952), the sophisticated comedy of show business manners becomes a showcase for the Freed Unit's sparkling production values and musical acumen, as well as Minnelli's stylistic virtuosity. While numbers such as Astaire's 42nd street dance "Shine on Your Shoes" and Astaire's and Charisse's "Dancing in the Dark" reveal Minnelli's mastery at integrating dance and story, the final "Band Wagon" revue is a peerless sequence of pure musical entertainment, with "The Girl Hunt" deftly mixing the high and low arts of ballet and jazz in a parody of Mickey Spillane's detective yarns. Though not one of Minnelli's Oscar winners, The Band Wagon has come to be considered his best musical, and a wise elegy to the form. ~ Lucia Bozzola, All Movie Guide
Band Wagon, The (1931), a revue by George S. Kaufman (sketches), Howard Dietz (sketches, lyrics), Arthur Schwartz (music). [ New Amsterdam Theatre, 260 perf.] The Max Gordon revue was one of the first to successfully abandon the often heavy‐handed opulence of the Ziegfeld era. Its designer, Albert R. Johnson, and director, Hassard Short, made effective use of revolving stages to speed the action, and it was the first show to discard footlights in favor of lighting from the balcony. Among the high points, apart from the great songs, were its opening, where the arriving audience found the curtain up and, onstage, the chorus pretending to be another audience taking its seats and singing “It Better Be Good”; a ballet, “The Beggar Waltz,” in which Fred Astaire played a beggar who dreams he dances with a great ballerina (Tilly Losch); and a skit, “The Pride of the Claghornes,” which satirized Southern mores. Other notable songs: Dancing in the Dark; High and Low; I Love Louisa; New Sun in the Sky. Brooks Atkinson wrote, “Mr. Schwartz's lively melodies, the gay dancing of the Astaires, and the colorful merriment of the background and staging begin a new era in the artistry of the American revue.” The stellar cast also included Frank Morgan, Helen Broderick, and Adele Astaire. The show was the last appearance by the Astaires together; after the musical closed, Adele retired to marry an English lord.
The Band Wagon is a 1953musical comedyfilm that many critics rank (along with Singin' in the Rain) as the finest of the MGM musicals, although it was only a modest box-office success. It tells the story of an aging musical star who hopes a Broadway play will restart his career. However, the play's director wants to make it a pretentious retelling of Faust, and brings in a prima ballerina who clashes with the star.
Stage and screen star Tony Hunter (Fred Astaire), a veteran of musical comedy, is concerned that his career might be in decline. His good friends Lester and Lily Marton (Oscar Levant and Nanette Fabray) have written a show that they believe is perfect for his comeback. Tony signs up, despite misgivings after the director, Jeffrey Cordova (Jack Buchanan), changes the light comedy into a dark reinterpretation of the Faust legend, with himself as the Devil and Tony as the Faust character. Tony also feels intimidated by the youth, beauty, and classical background of his female costar, noted ballerina Gabrielle "Gaby" Gerard (Cyd Charisse). Unbeknownst to him, she is just as insecure in his presence, awed by his long stardom.
Fred Astaire and Leroy Daniels in the "Shine on Your Shoes" number in The Band Wagon.
Eventually, it all proves too much for Tony. He walks out, but Gaby speaks with him alone and they work out their differences. They also begin to fall in love, though she already has a boyfriend, the show's choreographer Paul Byrd (James Mitchell).
When the first out-of-town tryout in New Haven proves to be a disaster, Tony persuades Jeffrey to let him convert the production back into what the Martons had originally envisioned. Tony takes charge of the production, taking the show on tour to perfect the new lighthearted musical numbers. Since the original backers have walked out, he finances it by selling his personal art collection. Byrd walks out of the show when Tony takes charge, but Gaby remains. The new show proves to be a hit on its Broadway opening. Afterwards, Gaby lets Tony know how she feels about him.
"Louisiana Hayride" — Lily and Chorus (introduced in the stage musical Flying Colors (musical))
"Triplets" — Tony, Jeffrey, and Lily (The three performers dance on their knees, dressed in baby clothes) (introduced in the stage musical Between the Devil)
One musical number shot for the film, but dropped from the final release, was a seductive dance routine featuring Charisse performing "Two-Faced Woman". As with the other Charisse songs, her singing was dubbed by India Adams. Adams' recording of the song was reused for Torch Song for a musical number featuring Joan Crawford. The retrospective That's Entertainment! III released the Charisse version to the public for the first time. This footage was also included with the most recent DVD release of The Band Wagon itself.[2]
Stage adaptation
A musical stage adaptation, titled "Dancing in the Dark," premiered at The Old Globe Theatre (San Diego) March 4-April 20, 2008, with plans to bring the show to Broadway. Gary Griffin directs, with a book by Douglas Carter Beane and choreography by Warren Carlyle. The cast includes Patrick Page as the "deliciously pretentious" director-actor-producer Jeffrey Cordova, Mara Davi playing Gabrielle Gerard and Scott Bakula as "song-and-dance man" Tony Hunter.[3][4][5][6]
In the Variety review of the musical Bob Verini wrote: "There's no reason this reconstituted "Band Wagon" can't soar once it jettisons its extraneous and self-contradictory elements. But "Dancing" is some distance from finding its footing, despite finale's admonition to "Admit we're a hit and we'll go on from there." Not yet."[7]
According to an October 16, 2008 article in Playbill, this musical is undergoing revision. A late October 2008 reading in New York City of the rewritten musical, now titled The Band Wagon, is expected.[8]
Music Videos
Michael Jackson in his music video for Smooth Criminal pays tribute to the Fred Astaire movie in his dance sequence in the 1930's or 40's style lounge as in the Astaire movie where the bar fight takes place. Dancers can be seen doing similar moves as female dancers wear similar designed outfits in Jackson's video. Jackson wears a white suit with a blue collar shirt underneath and a white hat with a black strip on it paying tribute to what Astaire was wearing.
