An absolute sparkling 1953 musical is The Band Wagon. The film just goes to prove that you can't have Faust plays turned into musicals, as they shall lay an egg as shone so beautifully on stage.Jack Buchanan just steals every scene that he is in as director De Cordova, the expert on Faust who falls for the idea of making a musical.Nanette Fabray and Oscar Levant are just perfect as the couple who wrote the original play, only to rewrite it for Faust and then go back to the necessary adjustments when the play opens on Broadway and is a disaster.Fred Astaire is the has-been actor who comes to N.Y. to do the play and Syd Charisse, a ballet dancer, becomes his partner in the production. The two can't get along but love as we know finds a way to bring them together.I'll Go My Way By Myself seems to be where Fred's career is at the beginning of this delightful film, with dance sequences wonderfully staged. That sure is entertainment!

About 30 min too long, for me. Much of the between the musical numbers drama was painful for me to sit through. Oscar Levant and Jack Buchanan were generally a bore, not to mention Fred and Cyd in their May-December attraction-repulsion problem. Spritely Nanette Fabray is good in her Judy Garland-like role. While leggy Cyd was often a joy to watch in romantic, seductive or ballet numbers, she was no Judy Garland when it came to acting, comedy or singing(always dubbed). Some of her early dialogue makes her look like a school girl: not promising for an eventual romantic connection with Fred's mature character.I don't understand Cyd's rating of her dance with Fred to "Dancing in the Dark" as her favorite dance in her film career. It's a scenic romantic dance, no doubt, to a classic romantic song, staged as a spontaneous dance, making it seem more romantic. Fred does several partial lifts and supports. Unlike most male dancers, her never seemed to do full lifts, apparently being too weak(very skinny) to do so. Otherwise, I don't see this dance as being especially distinguished. Rather reminds me of Fred and Ginger or Rita. There are, of course, several additional memorable songs or dance routines. So, with fast forward DVD technology, this film is worth checking out, for those who enjoy watching dancing without slogging through the between verbiage.Along with a visible Fred, Cyd and others, the unseen musical stars are composer Arthur Schwartz, mostly with lyricist Howard Dietz, who collaborated, on and off, for decades, beginning in the late '20s, both being New Yorkers. Most of their best remembered songs are from several revues in the early-mid '30s, during the depths of The Depression. This film takes its title from one of these revues. However, the list of songs includes some from other shows during this period, as well as a couple of new compositions. By far, the most remembered of the latter is "That's Entertainment", which came to be the title and theme song for a series of compendia DVDs of the best musical moments in MGM films. In addition to being a lyricist, Dietz was important to MGM in spearheading many publicity campaigns and premieres, and came up with the roaring lion to start their films.Aware that most of the songs included were composed during The Depression, rather than during the relatively prosperous and optimistic '50s, gives us a better insight into the lyrics of the songs and even the plot of this film. The original "Band Wagon" was a musical revue, thus had no story to tell. It incidentally featured the dancing of Fred and his sister in their last stage performances before she retired for marriage and Fred went off to Hollywood. The screenplay concocted for this film involves an aging song and dance man(Fred) trying to decide whether to retire or try to find a new young partner(Cyd)to put some new spice into his act. While this had immediate personal relevance to Fred, it could also serve as an allegory to the state of mind of many people during The Depression. In Fred's first songs: "By Myself" and "With Shine on My Shoes", he's trying to cheer himself up, thumbing his nose at his recent professional flops, trying to convince himself that he can restart his career with the right new partner. Similarly, people during The Depression had hopes that prosperity would eventually return. While these scenes offer no remarkable dances, the inclusion of genuine African American shoeshine 'boy' Leroy Daniels, who attracted customers with song and comical dances, added more spice to Fred's adventures in the arcade.Yes, "Dancing in the Dark", at one level, provides a beautiful romantic tune and lyrics. The latter is saying that the combo of a new love and music can make us feel young again and have a joyful life as a team. But, it also has a realistic fatalistic component, in effect, reminding us that life is rather short and very uncertain(symbolized by darkness), hence we must be aggressive in finding and holding onto the most compatible mate we can find, to help make the most of our uncertain limited lives.The most innovative productions come toward the end. This includes the unique and very difficult(and painful) to do "The Triplets", in with Fred, Nanette and Buchanan are dressed as fraternal triplet babies, sing and do some 'dancing', with short artificial legs strapped to their knees: very awkward to deal with! The lyrics mostly emphasize the downside of being triplets...But the highlight of the film surely is the last big production: "The Girl Hunt": a very avant garde dance drama, lampooning the film noire genre. Fred plays Rod Riley: a NYC detective, who goes through a series of adventures, especially involving a team of gangster goons, a seductive blond and a seductive brunet(presumably both Cyd). The various scenes really have little connectivity, but all are interestingly staged, presumably by the talented choreographer Michael Kidd. In the end, Cyd appears to accompany Fred, after he has 'done in' the baddies. He remarks that she's clearly bad and dangerous(presumably a gangster's moll), but his kind of woman, nonetheless. ..Just before this production, Fred' character hints a marriage proposal to Cyd, but she says "I wish you wouldn't". But after the show, Cyd hints at a marriage proposal to Fred's character. The finale, in which all the principles join in a reprise of "That's Entertainment", provides the desired 'feel good' ending.

I've come to the conclusion that Vincente Minelli and Oscar Levant are cinematic poison. Imagine how good An American in Paris and Brigadoon could have been if Stanley Donen and Gene Kelly had been the directing team. Imagine how much better all movies, TV shows and piano recitals could have been without Oscar Levant, whose main claim to fame was that he was a friend of George Gershwin.Astaire and Charisse are phenomenal, but even they can't redeem this mishmash of forgettable songs, tortuous plotting and second-rate supporting actors/singers/dancers.They deserved better.

The Band Wagon is directed by Vincente Minnelli and written by Alan Jay Lerner, Betty Comden and Adolph Green. Songs are written by Arthur Schwartz and Howard Dietz. It stars Fred Astaire, Cyd Charisse, Oscar Levant, Nanette Fabray and Jack Buchanan. Out of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, it's a Technicolor production with cinematography by Harry Jackson.Story tells of ageing musical star Tony Hunter (Astaire) whose cinema glory days appear to be well behind him. Upon the request of his friends Lester (Lavant) & Lily Martin (Fabray), he heads to Broadway to appear in a play they have written with him in mind. He hopes this will restart his career, however, the play's director, Jeffrey Cordova (Buchanan), changes the play into an arty interpretation of the Faust legend. Not only that, but he brings in prima ballerina Gabrielle Gerard (Charisse) to star in it, and Tony and Gabrielle don't exactly hit it off.One of the greatest musicals to come out of MGM, The Band Wagon makes up for what it loses in plot ingenuity, with quality songs, stunning choreography, bustling vitality and heart, big heart! Three parts of the film is made up of character building and said characters attempts to put a show on successfully in spite of behind the scenes worries. Then the final third then switches in mood with a different show and primary characters come to their respective destinies.Along the way we are treated to a series of wonderful song and dance routines, with the stand outs being "Be Myself," "A Shine on My Shoes," "That's Entertainment," "Dancing in the Dark," "I Love Louisa," "I Guess I'll Have To Change My Plan" and the joyously macabre, "Triplets." These are then crowned magnificently by "Girl Hunt," an elongated parody of noir-type crime movies from the golden era, where it's not just Fred and Cyd who sparkle, but the dance troupe around them also dazzle the eyes with some truly amazing moves.Where the big heart comes in to it is with Astaire's take on the role of Tony. It's very touching at times, full of nostalgia pangs for his former glories. He also has good comic timing, whilst readily able to laugh at himself as the (thin) narrative thread reminds him of his ageing years. The latter of which accounts for the not so great chemistry with the divine Charisse, but the film under Minnelli's active direction easily overcomes this tiny flaw. There's also some salt in the story in the observation of what goes on behind the scenes of a Broadway play, specifically the people pulling the strings.Big production for a big movie, all told, it's big entertainment, yes indeed. 9/10