THE BAND WAGON (1953)

Country: U.S.A.

Genre(s): Comedy / Musical

Director: Vincente Minelli

Cast: Fred Astaire / Cyd Charisse / Oscar Levant

Plot

Aging song-and-dance man Tony Hunter attempts a comeback as part of a new stage show.

What I Liked

All smiles and color, “The Band Wagon” exemplifies what passed for mass appeal entertainment in the early 1950s.  From the start, the movie declares its purpose to do nothing more than put on a great, escapist show.  By the early 1950s, the American movie industry was beginning to change; directors like Orson Welles and Alfred Hitchcock were exploring darker, psychological themes; Marlon Brando and other young actors were challenging themselves and audiences with new approaches to acting.  However, the majority of Americans still just wanted some great tunes, pretty faces, and beautiful costumes. By casting Fred Astaire as their lead, having him basically play himself (an aging performer of the old guard whose star had faded amid the new trends), and building around him a series of glittering song-and-dance numbers, the filmmakers made their purpose known.  Welles, Brando, subtlety, and darkness be damned; they were making a feel-good show stopper that appealed to nostalgia for the golden age of Hollywood.  Like the song says, “No death like you get in ‘Macbeth’ / No ordeal like the end of ‘Camille’ / This goodbye brings a tear to the eye / The world is a stage / The stage is the world of entertainment.”

Old-fashioned and outdated showbiz aside, some elements of “The Band Wagon” can still mesmerize today.  First and foremost is Fred Astaire, who still has enough pizazz, coolness, and athleticism to dazzle even the most cynical viewer, despite being in his fifties.  While several of the actors come off as disingenuous in their happy-go-lucky sappiness, Astaire never does.  He’s the epitome of confidence and swagger; hammy, yes, but majestically so.  His dance partner through most of the numbers is Cyd Charisse, who, for my money looks better than Ginger Rogers from any angle.  Of course, I prefer any angle that captures her incredible legs.  I can’t complain about any scene that features them.  Charisse provides the sex appeal for every taste.  At times she’s pristine and refined, at others slinky and seductive.  What’s more, she can keep up with Astaire’s effortless, gliding footwork, displaying some pretty stunning dance moves herself.

What I Didn’t Like

All that goofy, happy-go-lucky musical stuff just isn’t to my taste.  Several musical scenes just came off as stupid to me, in particularly “I Love Louisa” and “Louisiana Hayride.”  Not surprisingly, both feature Nanette Fabray prominently.  Her wide-eyed, silly faces just don’t work for me.  That said, I fully recognize that some people go for this sort of stuff – it was certainly popular back in the fifties! – and there is absolutely some fine talent and fabulous production values at work on this film.  So plenty of people will admire some of the scenes I could live without.

Most Memorable Scene

Well, there is a fantastic dance segment toward the end with some tremendous choreography and ambiance that clearly influenced more than one Michael Jackson video (Jackson was an admirer of Astaire, and vice versa).  Then there’s a scene earlier in the film where Astaire is bouncing and gliding with natural enthusiasm and coolness to a happy number called “Shine Your Shoes.”  Both stand out and I really can’t pick one.

My Rating: 3 out of 5