The Band Wagon ***** (1953, Fred Astaire, Jack Buchanan, Oscar Levant, Cyd Charisse, Nanette Fabray) – Classic Movie Review 3637

Fred Astaire, Jack Buchanan, Oscar Levant, Cyd Charisse and Nanette Fabray kick up a sensational storm in writers Betty Comden, Adolph Green and Alan Jay Lerner’s superlative MGM Technicolor backstage musical, directed in 1953 by Vincente Minnelli.

Astaire plays Tony Hunter, a washed-up old Hollywood hoofer who joins a pretentious, testy Broadway artistic director, Jeffrey Cordova (Buchanan), in putting on a musical show suggested to him by his old friends Lily and Les Marton (Fabray, Levant). When Cordova joins the production, he proclaims it is a contemporary version of Faust, changes it beyond recognition and insists on hiring prima ballerina Gabrielle Gerard (Charisse) to star opposite Tony. But they hate each other at first sight.

Fred Astaire, Nanette Fabray and Jack Buchanan in the Triplets number.

Minnelli directs as energetically as his stars perform, and the great rush of jokes, music and song sparkles. The main highlight sequences are ‘That’s Entertainment’, ‘By Myself’, ‘A Shine on Your Shoes’, ‘Dancing in the Dark’, ‘You and the Night and the Music’, ‘I Guess I’ll Have to Change My Plan’, ‘Louisiana Hayride’ and the Mickey Spillane spoof ballet ‘The Girl Hunt’.

The great evergreen tunes are by Howard Dietz (lyrics) and Arthur Schwarz (music), and the exciting choreography is by Michael Kidd. Ava Gardner has a walk-on cameo as the movie star the reporters are interested in.

Astaire on Charisse: ‘She came at me in sections. More curves than a scenic railway.’

Cyd Charisse: ‘More curves than a scenic railway.’

Fabray said Levant was difficult to work with. Whenever he made a mistake he would blame whoever was around. One time he blamed her for something, she lost her temper and told him off with strong language. Everyone on the set applauded her and after that he was much easier to work with.

The title is from a 1931 Broadway musical by Howard Dietz and Arthur Schwartz that starred Astaire and his sister Adele. Only its title and some of the songs are used for the film – its story is entirely different.

‘By Myself’ became a signature song for Judy Garland, who performs it in I Could Go on Singing (1963).

Nanette Fabray (born Ruby Bernadette Nanette Fabares; 27 October 1920 – 22 February 2018).

Nanette Fabray, born Ruby Bernadette Nanette Fabares in San Diego on 27 October 1920, died on 22 February 2018, aged 97. The Tony and triple Emmy-winning singer dancer comedienne had a long and great stage and TV career, but had only secondary roles in films such as The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex (1939). The Band Wagon is her one real claim to enduring movie fame, memorably performing ‘That’s Entertainment’ and ‘Louisiana Hayride’ and joining Astaire and Buchanan in the Triplets number.