I am not a fan of musicals, for the usual reason cited by many- they are not very realistic. People breaking out into song and dance while doing mundane things just doesn't happen. But paradoxically I really like show tunes, particularly those from movies and shows of the Fifties. So with a little trepidation I set out to watch "The Band Wagon".
Fred Astaire, as Tony Hunter, is getting a little long in the tooth and he knows it. Nonetheless he agrees to perform in an upcoming stage production. The director, pretty full of himself, quickly decides to completely change the plot of the play. Tony is reluctant, but stays with the project.
The addition of Cyd Charisse (as Gabrielle) to the cast doesn't go well at first. But over time, after many stumbling blocks are overcome, things start to click.
I would have been happy to not have seen and heard most of the tunes in this film, but "That's Entertainment" and "Dancing in the Dark" are two of the memorable show tunes of the era, and they make the movie worth watching. That and a number called "Girl Hunt", in which the major player is Tony Hunter. Astaire is still spry in this production; he was fifty three at the time. His movements in this latter number are first rate, and I only recall "I Left My Hat in Haiti" having more complexities.
The supporting cast is excellent. Nanette Fabray (as Lily, a friend of Tony's) showed me more talent than I ever knew she possessed, having mostly seen her on television over the years. Wise-cracking Oscar Levant (as Lily's husband Lester) performs as a wonderful foil. Jack Buchanan (as Jeffrey Cordova) convincingly plays the egomaniacal director.
The production values of any MGM musical is first rate, and that is no less true here. Surprisingly entertaining, there really isn't a sour note in the whole movie.
Three stars.
Fred Astaire, as Tony Hunter, is getting a little long in the tooth and he knows it. Nonetheless he agrees to perform in an upcoming stage production. The director, pretty full of himself, quickly decides to completely change the plot of the play. Tony is reluctant, but stays with the project.
The addition of Cyd Charisse (as Gabrielle) to the cast doesn't go well at first. But over time, after many stumbling blocks are overcome, things start to click.
I would have been happy to not have seen and heard most of the tunes in this film, but "That's Entertainment" and "Dancing in the Dark" are two of the memorable show tunes of the era, and they make the movie worth watching. That and a number called "Girl Hunt", in which the major player is Tony Hunter. Astaire is still spry in this production; he was fifty three at the time. His movements in this latter number are first rate, and I only recall "I Left My Hat in Haiti" having more complexities.
The supporting cast is excellent. Nanette Fabray (as Lily, a friend of Tony's) showed me more talent than I ever knew she possessed, having mostly seen her on television over the years. Wise-cracking Oscar Levant (as Lily's husband Lester) performs as a wonderful foil. Jack Buchanan (as Jeffrey Cordova) convincingly plays the egomaniacal director.
The production values of any MGM musical is first rate, and that is no less true here. Surprisingly entertaining, there really isn't a sour note in the whole movie.
Three stars.