THE BANDWAGON

The Band Wagon
MGM, 1953, Color, 112 minutes, ***½
Released August, 1953

Originally a Broadway play.

Lestor and Lily Marton (Oscar Levant and Nanette Fabray emulating Comden and Green themselves, we assume) have written a musical. They want the hottest producer in town, Jeffrey Cordova (Jack Buchanan), to produce it. He agrees, and "washed up" song and dance man Tony Hunter (Fred Astaire) agrees to play the lead. But Cordova sees the play as a modern version of "Faust" and takes off with the production in a very wrong direction without listening to the opinions of anyone involved.

When the play lays an egg on opening night, the company decides they want to rework the play with the original script and take it on the road. And Tony Hunter sells his rare paintings collection to fund the effort. Hunter falls in love with Gaby Berard (Cyd Charisse), but they fight like cats and dogs, nearly halting the production. But in the end they do take the play on the road, and of course it's a big success. Musical highlights include "That's Entertainment" and "Triplets" (Buchanan, Levant, Fabray and Astaire), "Louisiana Hayride" (Fabray and Company), and Fred and Cyd "Dancing in the Dark".

Produced by: Arthur Freed
Associate Producer: Roger Edens
Directed by: Vincente Minnelli
Assistant Director: Jerry Thorpe
Story and Screen Play: Betty Comden and Adolph Green
Songs by: Howard Dietz and Arthur Schwartz
Dances and Musical Numbers Staged by: Michael Kidd
Music Direction: Adolph Deutsch
Musical Numbers Designed by: Olvier Smith
Orchestrations: Conrad Salinger, Skip Martin and Alexander Courage
Recording Supervisor: Douglas Shearer
Director of Photography: Harry Jackson
Technicolor Color Consultants: Henri Jaffa, Robert Brower
Art Directors: Cedric Gibbons and Preston Ames
Set Decorations: Edwin B. Willis, Keogh Gleason
Special Effects: Warren Newcombe
Costumes by: Mary Ann Nyberg
Hair Styles by: Sydney Guilaroff
Make-Up Created by: William Tuttle
Film Editor: Albert Akst

Awards: Academy Award nominations for Best Story / Screenplay (Betty Comden and Adolph Green); Best Score - Musical (Adolph Deutsch) and Best Costume Design - Color (Mary Ann Nyberg)

Cast: Fred Astaire [Tony Hunter], Cyd Charisse [Gaby Berard], Oscar Levant [Lester Marton], Nanette Fabray [Lily Marton], Jack Buchanan [Jeffrey Cordova], James Mitchell [Paul Byrd], Robert Gist [Hal Benton], Thurston Hall [Colonel Tripp], Ava Gardner [The Movie Star], LeRoy Daniels [Shoe Shine Boy], Jack Tesler [Ivan], Dee Turnell, Elynne Ray, Peggy Murray, Judy Landon [Girls in Troupe], Jimmie Thompson, Bert May [Boys in Troupe], John Lupton [Jack, the Prompter], Owen McGiveney [Prop Man], Sam Hearn [Agent], Herb Vigran, Emory Parnell [Men on Train], Ernest Anderson [Porter], Frank Scannell, Stu Wilson, Roy Engel [Reporters], Al Hill [Shooting Gallery Operator], Paul Bradley [Dancer in Park - Waiter], Bobby Watson [Bobby, the Dresser], Lotte Stein [Chambermaid], Smoki Whitfield [Chauffeur], Dick Alexander, Al Ferguson [Stagehands], Betty Farrington [Fitter], Bess Flowers [Lady leaving Train / Extra in "Girl Hunter" Number]

Musical Program: [0:07] By Myself (sung by Fred Astaire); [0:14] A Shine on Your Shoes (sung and danced by Fred Astaire with LeRoy Daniels); [0:19] Oedipus Bridge (Jack Buchanan and the MGM Studio Chorus); [0:28] That's Entertainment (sung and danced by Jack Buchanan, Nanette Fabray, Oscar Levant and Fred Astaire); [0:36] The Beggars Waltz (danced by Cyd Charisse, James Mitchell and Ballet Ensemble); [1:00] Dancing in the Dark (instrumental danced by Fred Astaire and Cyd Charisse); [1:09] You and the Night and the Music (sung by MGM Studio Chorus, danced by Cyd Charisse and Fred Astaire); [1:13] The Egg (short excerpt sung by MGM Studio Chous); [1:17] I Love Louisa (sung and danced by Fred Astaire, Nanette Fabray, Oscar Levant and Company); [1:24] New Sun in the Sky (sung by India Adams dubbing for Cyd Charisse and Chorus, danced by Cyd Charisse and Chorus); [1:25] I Guess I'll Have to Change My Plan (sung and danced by Fred Astaire and Jack Buchanan); [1:27] Louisiana Hayride (sung and danced by Nanette Fabray and Chorus); [1:32] Triplets (sung by Fred Astaire, Nanette Fabray and Jack Buchanan dressed as babies in highchairs); [1:36] "Girl Hunt" A Murder Mystery in Jazz (performed by Fred Astaire and Cyd Charisse); [1:51] Finale: That's Entertainment (sung by Fred Astaire, Nanette Fabray, Oscar Levant, Jack Buchanan, India Adams dubbing for Cyd Charisse, Company and Chorus); Sweet Music (outtake, Nanette Fabray and Jack Buchanan); Got a Bran' New Suit (outtake, Nanette Fabray and Fred Astaire, Oscar Levant on piano); Two-Faced Woman (outtake, India Adams with Oscar Levant on Piano)