Cheap Band Wagon (Video) (Fred Astaire, Cyd Charisse) (Vincente Minnelli) Price

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Customer Reviews of Band Wagon

Focusing on a troup of actors trying to make a musical version of "Faust", THE BAND WAGON centres on the stormy relationship between the two leads - the washed-up hoofer (Astaire) and the prim and proper ballerina (Charisse). The relationship climaxes in the stunning "Dancing In The Dark" sequence, where they test their limits.

Fabray and Levant are endearing as the struggling writers/performers who come up with the impossible musical after the director (Buchanan) gets the wrong idea about the script.

The film also features the classic "Triplets" song with Astaire, Fabray and Buchanan, and the "Girl Hunt" ballet, a spoof of the Mickey Spillane spy stories, danced by Astaire and a dual role by Charisse.

Truly a masterpiece.

For Many of Us, the Best Musical
I'm not prepared to be objective about "The Band Wagon." To me it has the artistry of "An American in Paris" and the rollicking fun of "Singing in the Rain." Fred Astaire and Cyd Charisse have never danced better before or since and this backstage musical with plenty of tunes by Dietz and Schwartz gives them plenty of opportunity to strut their stuff. To me the "Dancing in the Dark" sequence is the most sublime dance number ever recorded on film.

"The Band Wagon" is not just a musical, but a musical about musicals. Fred Astaire plays a slightly down-and-out version of himself, "Tony Hunter," who was "in all those singing and dancing pictures ten or twelve years ago, but the critics say he's washed up." Against his better judgment Tony gets teamed up with Cyd in an arty version of "Faust" that has disaster written all over it. But you know show people . . . and musicals . . .

This movie really gets a split response. Nobody hates it but for some it's "just okay" and then there are the ones like me who LOOVE it. It's my favorite musical and one of my favorite movies, period. I'm very glad Amazon is stocking it again. If you're a fan of Astaire, director Vincente Minnelli, or the MGM films of the early fifties, I doubt you'll be disappointed if you take a chance on "The Band Wagon."

Throwback to Vaudeville
Astaire & buddies decide to put on a travelling show. This somewhat defiant response to Gene Kelly's forward looking & somewhat cynical Singin in the Rain, provided a big screen platform for an odd combination of small stage entertainment and Astaire's signature tap dancing mixed with ballroom dancing. The movie adopts a cheerful & innocent entertain the masses approach. Old fashioned on purpose. His dancing is wonderful and the film suffers in the scenes and numbers where he isn't front and center. Corny old songs like "Triplets" and "Louisiana Hayride" are dragged out & dusted off. Was Astaire really this devoted to his vaudeville roots or was it all he knew how to do? Astaire may not have born wearing a top hat and tails but he might as well have been. I wonder if it got to the point where someone he trusted had to sit down with Fred and convince him to let it go. Obviously, Singin in the Rain resonated more deeply with public. Astaire finally gave up on these throwback movies & took on dramatic roles in the late 50's. Big budget modernized musicals dominated the 50's & 60's.