The Band Wagon (Two-Disc Special Edition)
by Richard Schickel, Vincente Minnelli
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Cyd Charisse, Fred Astaire, Jack Buchanan, Nanette Fabray, Oscar LevantDirector: Richard Schickel, Vincente Minnelli
Brand: Warner Brothers
Writer: Richard Schickel
Producer: Arthur Freed
Writer: Adolph Green
Writer: Alan Jay Lerner
Writer: Betty Comden
Writer: Norman Corwin
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 1.0; French (Original Language), Dolby Digital 1.0
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, NTSC, Special Edition, Subtitled
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 112 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2005-03-15
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Warner Home Video
Movie Reviews of The Band Wagon (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Movie Review: That's Entertainment Indeed !
Summary: 5 Stars
Released in 1953, "The Band Wagon" remains one of the shining jewels from MGM's golden age of musicals. Directed by Vincente Minnelli with his usual flair and imagination, featuring Michael Kidd's extraordinary choreography,and with a sparkling cast, this lovely DVD answers the prayers of many fans of classic musicals who hoped that the film would receive a richly-deserved "special edition".
Even by 1953, the "let's put on a show" plot for musicals was becoming a cliche. It is to the credit of all concerned that "The Band Wagon" breathed new life into this frequently-used premise.
Incomparable Fred Astaire stars as Tony Hunter, a Hollywood song and dance man whose film career is on the skids. He arrives in New York, hoping to revive his career on Broadway. When he steps off the train, and is ignored by the press in favour of a big, current movie star ( beautiful Ava Gardner, in an amusing cameo ), Tony knows that his stock with the public has truly plummeted ! However, two old chums, Lester and Lily Marton ( sad-sack Oscar Levant and bubbly Nanette Fabray ) greet him with the news that they have written a new show which would be a perfect starring vehicle for him. The rest of the film deals with how this show is pulled together, with constant changes and set-backs, to ultimately become the Broadway hit they have all dreamed about.
First they have to convince megalomaniac producer Jeffrey Cordova ( wonderfully witty Jack Buchanan ) to direct and participate in the show. The final coup is to convince classical dancer Gabrielle Gerard ( stunning Cyd Charisse ) to join the show. Of course, the insecure Tony is worried about dancing with Gabrielle--is her style too sophisticated ? Is she too tall ? In fact, Tony and Gabrielle instantly clash--so viewers just know that, sooner or later, they are going to fall for one another.
The film is loaded with great songs and dance numbers--"By Myself", "When There's a Shine on Your Shoes", "Triplets",
"I Guess I'll Have to Change My Plan" and the great finale "That's Entertainment". Of course, there is also the wonderful scene, at night in Central Park, where Tony and Gabrielle decide to see if they really can dance together. The result is one of the most romantic sequences in the history of cinema, with Mr. Astaire and Ms. Charisse "Dancing in the Dark"--absolutely sublime !
Again the cast is excellent, and bringing Jack Buchanan over from England for this picture was a master stroke ! How sad that Mr. Buchanan would not have long to live--he succumbed to cancer in 1957. I have one criticism--Oscar Levant. I understand that he was a fine pianist, and a talented raconteur, despite chronic health problems. Well--I'm sorry--I can only review what I see on screen, which would be a sour-looking, unamusing individual, devoid of any charm, who stands out in this dazzling cast like a sore thumb ! From an interview with Nanette Fabray, included with the extras, it sounds like Mr. Levant wasn't much fun off-screen either .
The picture is full-screen--in keeping with the film's original aspect ratio--and the colour is really gorgeous. Mr. Minnelli was not shy about using every colour in the rainbow ! With two discs, fans have numerous extras to enjoy--we learn plenty of background about the making of the film from people like Nanette Fabray, Liza Minnelli, Fred Astaire's daughter and--yes--Ms Cyd Charisse herself. There is also a career retrospective on Vincente Minnelli, with many film clips, an amusing black and white short with a much younger Jack Buchanan, and several trailers for other Astaire films.
Bottom line--for collectors of classic musical films, your "collection" is seriously incomplete without "The Band Wagon". Highly recommended.
A very sad footnote, dated 18 June 2008--Ms. Cyd Charisse has passed away. While she did have some straight acting roles, she will be forever remembered as the beautiful, elegant dancer in several top-drawer fifties musicals with both Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly. If you like classic film musicals, this lovely woman will always have a special place in your memory.
Summary of The Band Wagon (Two-Disc Special Edition)
A washed-up movie star tries his luck on a faltering broadway show and manages to turn it into a smash hit. Some of the dazzling astaire dance numbers include triplets girl hunt dancing in the dark and thats entertainment. Studio: Warner Home Video Release Date: 03/15/2005 Starring: Jack Buchanan Cyd Charisse Run time: 112 minutesSimilar DVD Movies
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