Karry Best movie of this year hands down!

BoardChiri Bad Acting and worse Bad Screenplay

Afouotos Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

Derry Herrera Not sure how, but this is easily one of the best movies all summer. Multiple levels of funny, never takes itself seriously, super colorful, and creative.

aramis-112-804880 Fred Astaire, the finest movie dancer of his day, was in his mid fifties when he made "The Bandwagon." He's still impressive. I'm around his age and my knees give me trouble. As much as he's used his leg joints the amazing thing is that he's not shambling across the sound stage.Gone are the familiar tap routines as performed with Ginger Rogers or (once) the even-greater Eleanor Powell. Fred has lost none of his style, but possibly because of his age his dances here are more "balletic" (meaning slow, apparently) and he's paired with the lissome Cyd Charisse (Cyd has a few good songs, but her voice is dubbed).The Story: Fred plays an aging Hollywood hoofer who hasn't made a movie in two years. In need of funds, he auctions off mementos, but they don't bring much. So he packs up for the Big Apple, where a couple of writers (Nanette Fabray at 33 and Oscar Levant at 47) have cobbled together a show for him they hope will be a fun Broadway sensation. Unfortunately, they place it in the hands of director Jeffrey Cordova (Jack Buchanan, loosely based on then-wunderkind of Broadway Jose Ferrer) who turns the light and tuneful musical into a Faustian drama that looks about to tank.Everyone gives it all they got, but "The Band Wagon" has a serious flaw in its book, that mirrors the problems in the play-in-a-play. It starts out light and airy but trudges into melodrama. And most of the songs are, as in the Busby Berkeley movies Astaire disdained early in his career, shoved into the back end, making most of the movie too talky.High points: Fred and Cyd "Dancing in the Dark." Though not as flashy as a younger Fred might produce, it carries such beauty and elegance it remains one of his best dance routines. And one of the few new numbers, "That's Entertainment." If ANNIE GET YOUR GUN's "There's No Business Like Show Business" is the theater's unofficial anthem, "That's Entertainment" shoulders in beside it as the anthem of MGM musicals. MGM released several movie-retrospectives under that name.In his RKO musicals, Fred and his production team charted the progress of their stories, so much plot before another routine. Here, the dances are too far in between. MGM's Freed unit probably hoped lightning would strike twice as it's a Broadway version of the earlier "Singing in the Rain" with Gene Kelly, this time highlighting the work of Dietz and Schwartz. But "The Band Wagon" was a troubled production eventually lacking the charm of "Singing in the Rain." Still, Fred is good so long as he dances, Cyd Charisse is a beautiful (and amazingly flexible) partner and everyone else is game. Until it lapses into melodrama it's really a fun flick.

mark.waltz A fading movie star returns to his roots of Broadway to try and make a come-back and encounters issues with the oh-so dramatic director who wants to musicalize "Faust", turning the simple musical comedy he wants to star in upside down with pretentious ideas. Fred Astaire never came back to Broadway after 1932's "The Gay Divorce", but after almost 20 years on the Great White Way, film stardom kept him busy in Hollywood for another 20 years before he made this film. Arthur Freed's follow-up to "Singin' in the Rain", this was a glorious salute to Broadway, almost as if Gene Kelly's character had aged into Astaire's character here, and needed Broadway to help boost his career. Under the direction of Vincent Minnelli, it is an artistic triumph that was also a commercial hit.While Fred makes his entrance escorting a very glamorous MGM star off of the train, it is obvious that all attention is on her, and to the New York press, he is a has-been. Astaire sings the solemn "By Myself" (which Judy Garland later belted angrily in "I Could Go on Singing") then heads to a 14th Street arcade where he takes over after getting "A Shine on My Shoes". This well-staged number features practically every archetype of New York character, particularly a frumpy old lady whom he scares while singing of his shoe shine. Oscar Levant and Nanette Fabray are outstanding as an Adolph Green/Betty Comden type writing team, and 1920's British heartthrob Jack Buchannan is the extremely eccentric director who can't see beyond his obsession with "Oedipus Rex".After almost a decade in supporting roles in MGM musicals, Cyd Charisse moved up to leading lady, here playing an ego-driven ballet star who is brought down to earth by Astaire. Her equally egotistical ballet star is the fantastic James Mitchell (Yes, "All My Children's" Palmer Cortlandt and "Oklahoma's" Dream Curley). Charisse, who previously danced with Astaire in "Ziegfeld Follies", is a somewhat wooden actress, but when she starts to dance, the magic explodes. "Dancing in the Dark" is one of the classiest musical numbers where nobody sings, later spoofed by Steve Martin and Gilda Radner on "Saturday Night Live", and Charisse (dubbed by India Adams) is delightful in her production number, "New Sun in the Sky". Fabray, a perky Broadway star who only made a small number of films, steals the show every moment she is on, turning "Louisiana Hayride" into a cute novelty number.Buchannan loosens up when he puts on white tie and tails and proceeds to accompany Astaire in "I Guess I'll Have to Change My Plan". Then, in "Triplets", Fabray joins them for a feisty look at what's going on in the minds of babies. Astaire had performed this number back in the 1931 musical revue which this took the title from, a story being added to give it some substance. Newly written, "The Girl Hunt Ballet" is an artsy look at the world of a Mickey Spillane type detective and one of the few times film noir met the world of musical comedy. Charisse gets to play several parts in this and like in "Singin' in the Rain's" big "Broadway Ballet", proves her usage as a dancer in movies isn't without merit.Then, there's the glorious title song, utilized in all three editions of "That's Entertainment!". And while the Broadway stage may never have been as big as the MGM sound-stages, that really doesn't matter because "the stage is a world, the world is a stage of entertainment!".

weezeralfalfa About 30 min too long, for me. Much of the between the musical numbers drama was painful for me to sit through. Oscar Levant and Jack Buchanan were generally a bore, not to mention Fred and Cyd in their May-December attraction-repulsion problem. Spritely Nanette Fabray is good in her Judy Garland-like role. While leggy Cyd was often a joy to watch in romantic, seductive or ballet numbers, she was no Judy Garland when it came to acting, comedy or singing(always dubbed). Some of her early dialogue makes her look like a school girl: not promising for an eventual romantic connection with Fred's mature character.I don't understand Cyd's rating of her dance with Fred to "Dancing in the Dark" as her favorite dance in her film career. It's a scenic romantic dance, no doubt, to a classic romantic song, staged as a spontaneous dance, making it seem more romantic. Fred does several partial lifts and supports. Unlike most male dancers, her never seemed to do full lifts, apparently being too weak(very skinny) to do so. Otherwise, I don't see this dance as being especially distinguished. Rather reminds me of Fred and Ginger or Rita. There are, of course, several additional memorable songs or dance routines. So, with fast forward DVD technology, this film is worth checking out, for those who enjoy watching dancing without slogging through the between verbiage.Along with a visible Fred, Cyd and others, the unseen musical stars are composer Arthur Schwartz, mostly with lyricist Howard Dietz, who collaborated, on and off, for decades, beginning in the late '20s, both being New Yorkers. Most of their best remembered songs are from several revues in the early-mid '30s, during the depths of The Depression. This film takes its title from one of these revues. However, the list of songs includes some from other shows during this period, as well as a couple of new compositions. By far, the most remembered of the latter is "That's Entertainment", which came to be the title and theme song for a series of compendia DVDs of the best musical moments in MGM films. In addition to being a lyricist, Dietz was important to MGM in spearheading many publicity campaigns and premieres, and came up with the roaring lion to start their films.Aware that most of the songs included were composed during The Depression, rather than during the relatively prosperous and optimistic '50s, gives us a better insight into the lyrics of the songs and even the plot of this film. The original "Band Wagon" was a musical revue, thus had no story to tell. It incidentally featured the dancing of Fred and his sister in their last stage performances before she retired for marriage and Fred went off to Hollywood. The screenplay concocted for this film involves an aging song and dance man(Fred) trying to decide whether to retire or try to find a new young partner(Cyd)to put some new spice into his act. While this had immediate personal relevance to Fred, it could also serve as an allegory to the state of mind of many people during The Depression. In Fred's first songs: "By Myself" and "With Shine on My Shoes", he's trying to cheer himself up, thumbing his nose at his recent professional flops, trying to convince himself that he can restart his career with the right new partner. Similarly, people during The Depression had hopes that prosperity would eventually return. While these scenes offer no remarkable dances, the inclusion of genuine African American shoeshine 'boy' Leroy Daniels, who attracted customers with song and comical dances, added more spice to Fred's adventures in the arcade.Yes, "Dancing in the Dark", at one level, provides a beautiful romantic tune and lyrics. The latter is saying that the combo of a new love and music can make us feel young again and have a joyful life as a team. But, it also has a realistic fatalistic component, in effect, reminding us that life is rather short and very uncertain(symbolized by darkness), hence we must be aggressive in finding and holding onto the most compatible mate we can find, to help make the most of our uncertain limited lives.The most innovative productions come toward the end. This includes the unique and very difficult(and painful) to do "The Triplets", in with Fred, Nanette and Buchanan are dressed as fraternal triplet babies, sing and do some 'dancing', with short artificial legs strapped to their knees: very awkward to deal with! The lyrics mostly emphasize the downside of being triplets...But the highlight of the film surely is the last big production: "The Girl Hunt": a very avant garde dance drama, lampooning the film noire genre. Fred plays Rod Riley: a NYC detective, who goes through a series of adventures, especially involving a team of gangster goons, a seductive blond and a seductive brunet(presumably both Cyd). The various scenes really have little connectivity, but all are interestingly staged, presumably by the talented choreographer Michael Kidd. In the end, Cyd appears to accompany Fred, after he has 'done in' the baddies. He remarks that she's clearly bad and dangerous(presumably a gangster's moll), but his kind of woman, nonetheless. ..Just before this production, Fred' character hints a marriage proposal to Cyd, but she says "I wish you wouldn't". But after the show, Cyd hints at a marriage proposal to Fred's character. The finale, in which all the principles join in a reprise of "That's Entertainment", provides the desired 'feel good' ending.

Spikeopath The Band Wagon is directed by Vincente Minnelli and written by Alan Jay Lerner, Betty Comden and Adolph Green. Songs are written by Arthur Schwartz and Howard Dietz. It stars Fred Astaire, Cyd Charisse, Oscar Levant, Nanette Fabray and Jack Buchanan. Out of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, it's a Technicolor production with cinematography by Harry Jackson.Story tells of ageing musical star Tony Hunter (Astaire) whose cinema glory days appear to be well behind him. Upon the request of his friends Lester (Lavant) & Lily Martin (Fabray), he heads to Broadway to appear in a play they have written with him in mind. He hopes this will restart his career, however, the play's director, Jeffrey Cordova (Buchanan), changes the play into an arty interpretation of the Faust legend. Not only that, but he brings in prima ballerina Gabrielle Gerard (Charisse) to star in it, and Tony and Gabrielle don't exactly hit it off.One of the greatest musicals to come out of MGM, The Band Wagon makes up for what it loses in plot ingenuity, with quality songs, stunning choreography, bustling vitality and heart, big heart! Three parts of the film is made up of character building and said characters attempts to put a show on successfully in spite of behind the scenes worries. Then the final third then switches in mood with a different show and primary characters come to their respective destinies.Along the way we are treated to a series of wonderful song and dance routines, with the stand outs being "Be Myself," "A Shine on My Shoes," "That's Entertainment," "Dancing in the Dark," "I Love Louisa," "I Guess I'll Have To Change My Plan" and the joyously macabre, "Triplets." These are then crowned magnificently by "Girl Hunt," an elongated parody of noir-type crime movies from the golden era, where it's not just Fred and Cyd who sparkle, but the dance troupe around them also dazzle the eyes with some truly amazing moves.Where the big heart comes in to it is with Astaire's take on the role of Tony. It's very touching at times, full of nostalgia pangs for his former glories. He also has good comic timing, whilst readily able to laugh at himself as the (thin) narrative thread reminds him of his ageing years. The latter of which accounts for the not so great chemistry with the divine Charisse, but the film under Minnelli's active direction easily overcomes this tiny flaw. There's also some salt in the story in the observation of what goes on behind the scenes of a Broadway play, specifically the people pulling the strings.Big production for a big movie, all told, it's big entertainment, yes indeed. 9/10