The Band Wagon
A Broadway artiste repurposes a faded film star's comeback vehicle into an artsy flop.
Director(s)
Vincente Minnelli
Jerry Thorpe
Cast & Crew
Details
Reviews
CinemaSerf
Now I do watch quite a lot of horrors films, but it's been a while since I've seen something quite so un-nerving as Fred Astaire, Cyd Charisse and Oscar Levant all dressed up as babies singing a song about having a gun! That rather sums up this entertainingly eclectic story that sees the theatrically flamboyant "Cordova" (Jack Buchanan) drafted in to try and inject some life into the lacklustre "Tony" (Astaire). He's been feeling a bit down in the dumps for ages and now that he's no longer the apple of anyone's eye, is downright dejected. Luckily for him (and us) his two friends "Les" (Levant) and "Lily" (Nanette Fabray) aren't giving up. Problem? Well they have to find him a co-star for his new show - and when they alight on the somewhat highly-strung "Gabrielle" (Charisse) things don't exactly work. Indeed, she and "Tony" can barely bear to be in the same room as each other, much less share a stage - and so tantrums and stroppings galore ensue. It's all about the art, though, darling, as his pals use the toe-tapping "That's Entertainment" - a refrain frequently used throughout - to remind "Tony" that the clown with his pants falling down is all part of the job. Of course, there's no jeopardy at all here - you know pretty much from the outset just how well the ducks are going to get in their row, but the film looks great and there's a lovely chemistry between Charisse and Astaire that allows both actors to flourish amidst some perfect choreography, gentle comedy and memorable numbers from Messrs Schwartz and Dietz as they take their show on a tour of the United States. You might want to lock away your dolls at night, though...
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The Band Wagon FAQs
The directors of The Band Wagon are Vincente Minnelli and Jerry Thorpe.
The cast of The Band Wagon includes Al Ferguson as Stagehand (uncredited), Harold Miller as Bystander in Girl Hunt Ballet (uncredited), Ann McCrea as Chorus Member in Hotel Suite (uncredited), Don Beddoe as Producer (uncredited), Rudy Germane as Restaurant Patron (uncredited), Jack Gargan as Hotel Doorman (uncredited), Frank McLure as Investor (uncredited), Bert Stevens as Train Station Passenger (uncredited), George Sherwood as Investor (uncredited), George Ford as Auctioneer's Assistant (uncredited), Dick Gordon as Ballet Audience Member (uncredited), Herb Vigran as Man on Train (uncredited), and more.
The duration of The Band Wagon is 1h 52 mins.
Yes. You can watch the The Band Wagon trailer on this Fanbiz page on Fanziz.
The Band Wagon was released on 07 Aug 1953.
The Band Wagon is listed under Music, Comedy, and Romance on Fanbiz.
The Band Wagon has 1 review on Fanziz, with an average rating of 7.0/10. One reviewer wrote: "Now I do watch quite a lot of horrors films, but it's been a while since I've seen something quite so un-nerving as Fred Astaire, Cyd Charisse and Oscar Levant all dressed up as..."
