The Band Wagon (1953)

User Rating:

7.6/10   

Director:

Vincente Minnelli

Writers:

Betty Comden (story) and
Adolph Green (story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

7 August 1953 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Family | Musical | Romance

Tagline:

Get Aboard!

Plot:

A pretentiously artistic director is hired for a new Broadway musical and changes it beyond recognition.

Plot Keywords:

Choreographer | Movie Star | Director | Top Hat | Ballet

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 2 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Fred Astaire	...	Tony Hunter
Cyd Charisse	...	Gabrielle Gerard
Oscar Levant	...	Lester Marton
Nanette Fabray	...	Lily Marton
Jack Buchanan	...	Jeffrey Cordova
James Mitchell	...	Paul Byrd
Robert Gist	...	Hal
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Fred Aldrich	...	Hot Dog Vendor (uncredited)
Richard Alexander	...	Stagehand (uncredited)
Ernest Anderson	...	Train Porter (uncredited)
Lysa Baugher	...	Dancer in troupe (uncredited)
Ralph Beaumont	...	Dancer in troupe (uncredited)
Madge Blake	...	Investor (uncredited)
Paul Bradley	...	Waiter (uncredited)
Joe Brockman	...	Driver (uncredited)
Robert Burton	...	Caterer (uncredited)
Sue Casey	...	Tall girl in Arcade (uncredited)
James Conaty	...	First Nighter (uncredited)
Henry Corden	...	Orchestra Leader (uncredited)
Lillian Culver	...	Investor (uncredited)
Leroy Daniels	...	Arcade shoeshine man (uncredited)
Helen Dickson	...	Dowager First Nighter (uncredited)
Roy Engel	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Betty Farrington	...	Fitter (uncredited)
Al Ferguson	...	Stagehand (uncredited)
Bess Flowers	...	Lady on train / Extra in Girl Hunt Ballet (uncredited)
Steve Forrest	...	Passenger on train (uncredited)
Bill Foster	...	Dancer in troupe (uncredited)
Douglas Fowley	...	Auctioneer (uncredited)
Ava Gardner	...	Herself / Cameo Appearance (uncredited)
Jack Gargan	...	Hotel Porter (uncredited)
Marion Gray	...	Investor (uncredited)
Thurston Hall	...	Col. Tripp (uncredited)
Dee Hartford	...	2nd (quick shot) model in "Girl Hunt" style show (uncredited)
Sam Hearn	...	Agent (uncredited)
Al Hill	...	Arcade shooting gallery operator (uncredited)
Stuart Holmes	...	Investor (uncredited)
Curtis Loys Jackson Jr.	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Ted Jordan	...	Member of stage cast of the play (The Band Wagon) (uncredited)
Colin Kenny	...	Sidewalk Extra (uncredited)
Donald Kerr	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Judy Landon	...	Dancer in troupe (uncredited)
Shirley Lopez	...	Dancer in troupe (uncredited)
John Lupton	...	Jack (promoter) (uncredited)
Matt Mattox	...	Featured dancer (uncredited)
Bert May	...	Dancer in troupe (uncredited)
Owen McGiveney	...	Prop man (uncredited)
Harold Miller	...	Extra in Girl Hunt Ballet (uncredited)
Peggy Murray	...	Dancer in troupe (uncredited)
Julie Newmar	...	Salon model / Chorine in Girl Hunt Ballet (uncredited)
Manuel París	...	Waiter (uncredited)
Emory Parnell	...	1st man (glasses) on Cal-NY train (uncredited)
Elynne Ray	...	Dancer in troupe (uncredited)
Charles Regan	...	Stagehand (uncredited)
Barbara Ruick	...	Passenger on train (uncredited)
Frank J. Scannell	...	Reporter (uncredited)
George Sherwood	...	Investor (uncredited)
Harry Stanton	...	Investor (uncredited)
Lotte Stein	...	Cordova's German chambermaid (uncredited)
Bert Stevens	...	Train Station Extra (uncredited)
Jack Stoney	...	Stagehand (uncredited)
Brick Sullivan	...	Special Effects Man (uncredited)
Jack Tesler	...	Ivan (uncredited)
Jimmy Thompson	...	Jimmy (uncredited)
Dee Turnell	...	Barbara (uncredited)
Herb Vigran	...	2d man (from Calif.) on Cal-NY train (uncredited)
Bobby Watson	...	Bobby (uncredited)
Smoki Whitfield	...	Chauffeur (uncredited)
Stuart Wilson	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Wilson Wood	...	Can-toss booth operator (uncredited)

Directed by
Vincente Minnelli

Writing credits
Betty Comden		(story) and
Adolph Green		(story)
Betty Comden		(screenplay) and
Adolph Green		(screenplay)
Alan Jay Lerner		uncredited

Produced by
Roger Edens	....	associate producer
Arthur Freed	....	producer

Cinematography by
Harry Jackson		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Albert Akst

Art Direction by
E. Preston Ames		(as Preston Ames)
Cedric Gibbons

Set Decoration by
F. Keogh Gleason		(as Keogh Gleason)
Edwin B. Willis

Costume Design by
Mary Ann Nyberg

Makeup Department
Sydney Guilaroff	....	hair stylist
William Tuttle	....	makeup designer

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jerry Thorpe	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Douglas Shearer	....	recording supervisor

Special Effects by
Warren Newcombe	....	special effects

Music Department
Alexander Courage	....	orchestrator
Adolph Deutsch	....	musical director
Michael Kidd	....	dances and musical numbers staged by
Skip Martin	....	orchestrator
Conrad Salinger	....	orchestrator
Oliver Smith	....	musical numbers designer

Other crew
Robert Brower	....	technicolor color consultant
Henri Jaffa	....	technicolor color consultant
Alex Romero	....	assistant choreographer (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (controlled by Loew's Incorporated)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1953) (USA) (theatrical)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1964) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Chapel Distribution (1997) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Argentina Video Home (2004) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Argentina Video Home (2004) (Argentina) (VHS) (re-release)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (USA) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (USA) (laserdisc)
• Warner Bros. (2004) (Argentina) (all media) (re-release)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (Germany) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Vídeo (2005) (Brazil) (DVD)

Also Known As:

I Love Louisa (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

111 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono )Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Argentina:Atp | West Germany:12 | Canada:G (video rating) | USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | Australia:G | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:U | USA:Approved (PCA #16342)

Filming Locations:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

Betty Comden and Adolph Green made the characters played by Nanette Fabray and Oscar Levant a married couple because they felt that the audiences would not accept a male/female writing team who weren't married to each other, even though the characters were based on Comden and Green, who were themselves not married to each other.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: About halfway through "Louisiana Hayride", a crew member can be clearly seen for 2-3 seconds, creeping off to the left of screen

Quotes:

Lester Marton, Lily Marton: Rah, rah Tony! Rah, rah Tony! Tony! Hunter! Sis boom bah!

Movie Connections:

Spoofs An American in Paris (1951)

Soundtrack:

I Guess I'll Have to Change My Plan

When there's a shine on your shoes, there's a melody in your heart!

Vincente Minnelli was a director that worked well in different genres, as his distinguished career shows. He excelled in the musicals he directed. In "The Band Wagon", Mr. Minnelli gave us one of the perhaps, most satisfactory musicals of all times. In fact, this is a film that doesn't have many original songs like some other MGM musicals, but still shows the talented Betty Comden and Adolph Green at their best.

Some of the criticism directed to "The Band Wagon" in this forum has to do with the perception that Fred Astaire, the star of the film, was finished, but as he brilliantly demonstrates, he still had a lot left in him. One of the most brilliant numbers of the film involves Mr. Astaire dancing with Leroy Daniels "Shine on my Shoes" at an arcade on 42 Street. Both Mr. Astaire and Mr. Daniels do amazing dancing in a number that will remain one of the classics of the American musicals in film.

The pairing of Fred Astaire and Cyd Charisse proves to be one of the most felicitous things in the movie. Ms. Charisse and Mr. Astaire are seen dancing beautifully in "Dancing in the Dark" and in the ballet sequence. Ms. Charisse was one of the most talented dancing stars at MGM and it's a shame she didn't get more opportunities in which to shine, as she does in "The Band Wagon".

Oscar Levant and Nannette Fabray are excellent playing Adolph Green and Betty Comden, that in the film they are named Lester and Lily Marton. Jack Buchanan plays Jeffrey Cordova, the classical actor that turns all shows into hits. Mr. Buchanan is hysterical with his approach to turn the show the Martons have written into a variation of "Faust", with disastrous consequences.

Among the other great numbers in the film, "The Triplets", in which Jeff, Lily and Tony, are seen as dancing and singing babies in a delightful turn. Also Nannette Fabray in "Louisiana Hayride" shows her best qualities. Other songs heard are "By Myself", "Change my Plan", and that hymn about show business, "That's Entertainment".

"The Band Wagon" is a film to cherish because all the right elements were put together by the genius of Vincente Minnelli.