I first saw clips of this movie when I saw 'That's Entertainment' a few months ago. Naturally, I was intrigued as it came up so frequently in that film and it looked like a very good film. As clear as crystal in dazzling technicolour and directed by the great Vincent Minnelli, The Band Wagon is clearly one of the most famous musicals, with famous numbers such as 'That's Entertainment', 'Triplets' (how on Earth they did that, I don't know!) and 'Girl Hunt'. It looks like it could have been made yesterday - and yet it's well over 50 years old! That's the magic of musicals - they never seem to age and more importantly, music will never go out of fashion. And the dancing - oh, the dancing! Magnificent, dramatic, unusual and dreamy are just some adjectives you can use to describe the wonderful choreography featured.
I wasn't very sure of Cyd Charrise's dancing ability for this (I didn't think she was anything special) but this movie proved to me that she was a very excellent dancing, with style and grace. Although, I am not sure if she is much of an actress though. Fred Astaire is his normal light-on-his-feet self, proving that you can still be fit and fabulous when you're over 50 (goodness he looks fantastic!). Everyone else in the cast - Oscar Levant, Nanette Fabray, Jack Buchanan are very well cast.
Now for the plot: Tony Hunter is a has-been. He was once a very famous dancer and singer, but his career is at an all time low. However, he has some old friends to help him. They've written a new musical for him and it would be perfect comeback material. They hire bigshot "artistic" director/producer/star Jeffrey Cordova and from then on, things get out of hand, not to mention there are conflicts between Tony and Gabrielle Gerard (Cyd Charisse).
All in all, a stunning musical no matter how cheesy or cliché it may seem. We all need to escape from reality sometimes and what a better way to escape than to be thrown into the world of lavish Broadway productions, great songs, sexy dances and magnificent colour. Great film.
I wasn't very sure of Cyd Charrise's dancing ability for this (I didn't think she was anything special) but this movie proved to me that she was a very excellent dancing, with style and grace. Although, I am not sure if she is much of an actress though. Fred Astaire is his normal light-on-his-feet self, proving that you can still be fit and fabulous when you're over 50 (goodness he looks fantastic!). Everyone else in the cast - Oscar Levant, Nanette Fabray, Jack Buchanan are very well cast.
Now for the plot: Tony Hunter is a has-been. He was once a very famous dancer and singer, but his career is at an all time low. However, he has some old friends to help him. They've written a new musical for him and it would be perfect comeback material. They hire bigshot "artistic" director/producer/star Jeffrey Cordova and from then on, things get out of hand, not to mention there are conflicts between Tony and Gabrielle Gerard (Cyd Charisse).
All in all, a stunning musical no matter how cheesy or cliché it may seem. We all need to escape from reality sometimes and what a better way to escape than to be thrown into the world of lavish Broadway productions, great songs, sexy dances and magnificent colour. Great film.