Editing The Band Wagon

{{short description|1953 musical film by Vincente Minnelli}}
{{about|the 1953 film|the musical play|The Band Wagon (musical){{!}}''The Band Wagon'' (musical)|other uses|Bandwagon (disambiguation)}}
{{use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{use mdy dates|date=December 2024}}
{{Infobox film
| name           = The Band Wagon
| image          = The Band Wagon (1953 poster).jpg
| alt            = 
| caption        = Theatrical release poster
| director       = [[Vincente Minnelli]]
| writer         = {{unbulleted list|[[Betty Comden]]|[[Adolph Green]]}}
| producer       = [[Arthur Freed]]
| starring       = {{unbulleted list|[[Fred Astaire]]|[[Cyd Charisse]]|[[Oscar Levant]]|[[Nanette Fabray]]|[[Jack Buchanan]]|[[James Mitchell (actor)|James Mitchell]]}}
| cinematography = [[Harry Jackson (cinematographer)|Harry Jackson]]
| color_process  = [[Technicolor]]
| editing        = [[Albert Akst]]
| music          = {{unbulleted list|[[Howard Dietz]]|[[Arthur Schwartz]]}}
| studio         = [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]]
| distributor    = [[Loews Cineplex Entertainment|Loew's, Inc]]
| released       = {{film date|1953|7|9|New York City}}
| runtime        = 111 minutes
| country        = United States
| language       = English
| budget         = $2.9&nbsp;million<!-- 2,873,000 --><ref name="Mannix">{{Citation | title = The Eddie Mannix Ledger | publisher = Margaret Herrick Library, Center for Motion Picture Study | place = Los Angeles}}</ref>
| gross          = $3.5&nbsp;million<!-- 3,502,000 --><ref name="Mannix"/>
}}

[[File:The Band Wagon (1953) trailer 1.jpg|thumb|right|275px|[[Cyd Charisse]] and [[Fred Astaire]] in one of the film's highlights, "[[Dancing in the Dark (Howard Dietz and Arthur Schwartz song)|Dancing in the Dark]]"]]
'''''The Band Wagon''''' is a 1953 American [[Musical film|musical]] [[romantic comedy]] film directed by [[Vincente Minnelli]], starring [[Fred Astaire]] and [[Cyd Charisse]]. It tells the story of an aging musical star who hopes a [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] show will revive his career. However, the play's director wants to make it a pretentious retelling of the  ''[[Faust]]'' legend and brings in a ''[[prima ballerina]]'' who clashes with the star. Along with ''[[An American in Paris (film)|An American in Paris]]'' (1951) and  ''[[Singin' in the Rain]]'' (1952), it is regarded as one of the finest [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]] musicals, although it was a box-office disappointment on first release.

The songs were written by the team of composer [[Arthur Schwartz]] and lyricist [[Howard Dietz]]. Schwartz was a prolific Hollywood composer who teamed with numerous lyricists over the years, while Dietz, a studio publicist, generally collaborated with Schwartz. Some of the songs in the film had been created for the original 1931 Broadway musical by Schwartz and Dietz, also titled ''[[The Band Wagon (musical)|The Band Wagon]],'' with a book by [[George S. Kaufman]] and starring [[Fred Astaire]] and his sister [[Adele Astaire|Adele]]. The movie's dances and musical numbers were staged by [[Michael Kidd]].

The song "[[That's Entertainment! (song)|That's Entertainment!]]", which Schwartz and Dietz wrote specifically for the film, was a hit and has become a standard in popular music. Another song orchestrated by [[Conrad Salinger]], "[[Dancing in the Dark (Howard Dietz and Arthur Schwartz song)|Dancing in the Dark]]", is considered part of the [[Great American Songbook]] and was from the original Broadway production. Astaire's early number in the film, "A Shine on Your Shoes", was written for a 1932 Broadway revue with music and lyrics by Dietz and Schwartz titled ''[[Flying Colors (musical)|Flying Colors]]''. (It was originally performed by the dancing team of [[Buddy Ebsen|Buddy]] and [[Vilma Ebsen]]). In the film version of ''The Band Wagon'', the song was reworked as a specialty number by jazz arranger [[Skip Martin]] to showcase all of Astaire's musical talents.{{sfn|Fordin|1996|p=409}} Performed as a duet with uncredited [[Leroy Daniels]], it was the only time that Astaire danced on-screen with a black dancer.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Baldwin |first=Kate |title=The Racial Imaginary of the Cold War Kitchen: From Sokol'niki Park to Chicago's South Side |publisher=Dartmouth College Press |year=2015 |isbn=9781611688641 |pages=225}}</ref>

The musical director was [[Adolph Deutsch]] and the production was designed by [[Oliver Smith (designer)|Oliver Smith]] working for the first time in motion pictures. The film was nominated for [[Academy Awards]] for [[Academy Award for Best Costume Design|Best Costume Design, Color]], [[Academy Award for Best Original Score|Best Music, Scoring of a Musical Picture]] and [[Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay|Best Writing, Story and Screenplay]].

Screenwriters [[Betty Comden]] and [[Adolph Green]], who received the nomination for the screenplay, patterned the film's characters Lester and Lily Marton after themselves; however, the fictional characters were a married couple, and Comden and Green were not romantically involved. The character of an overachieving impresario was developed with the successful producer-director-actor [[José Ferrer]] in mind.{{sfn|Fordin|1996|p=401}}

In 1995, ''The Band Wagon'' was selected for preservation in the United States [[National Film Registry]] by the [[Library of Congress]] as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".<ref>{{Cite web|title=Complete National Film Registry Listing |url=https://www.loc.gov/programs/national-film-preservation-board/film-registry/complete-national-film-registry-listing/|access-date=2020-09-16|publisher=[[Library of Congress]]}}</ref> In 2006, this film ranked number 17 on the [[American Film Institute]]'s [[AFI's 100 Years of Musicals|list of best musicals]].

==Plot==
Tony Hunter, once a famous star of musical comedies on stage and later on screen, is largely forgotten after three years without appearing in a film. He returns from Hollywood to New York. At [[Grand Central Terminal]], he is recognized but almost ignored by reporters who are there by chance as [[Ava Gardner]] is on the same train. However, he is greeted enthusiastically by his good friends Lester and Lily Marton, and they tell him they have written a stage show, a light musical comedy, that will be a perfect comeback for Tony. They will also act in it, and they already have caught the interest of Jeffrey Cordova, who they say can do anything: Currently he is starring in, as well as directing, a new adaptation of ''[[Oedipus Rex]]'' that he wrote based on the original Greek story.

As soon as Jeffrey hears Lily outline the play, he declares it to be a brilliant reinterpretation of the ''[[Faust]]'' legend, which should star Tony and himself as the characters corresponding to Faust and the Devil. The Martons are delighted that he will be acting as well as directing, but Tony is dubious about the ''Faust'' idea. Jeffrey declares that the boundaries between genres in the theater are artificial, and "[[William Shakespeare|Bill Shakespeare]]" and [[Bill Robinson]] are all parts of the same whole. Tony agrees, and Jeffrey has the Martons rewrite the play as a dark, pretentious musical drama (when Lester also becomes dubious, Lily insists that one person must be in charge and Jeffrey can succeed at anything).

Jeffrey does succeed in arranging for the beautiful and talented ballerina Gabrielle "Gaby" Gerard to join the production, along with Paul Byrd, who is her boyfriend, choreographer, and manager—even though he always insisted that a musical play would be beneath her. When Tony and Gaby meet, they become sarcastic and hostile to each other, but this is actually because they are insecure: Each of them feels much less talented than the other.

Eventually, it all proves too much for Tony, and he walks out. Gaby follows to meet him privately. In his hotel room, she comments that the paintings by famous artists on the wall are better reproductions than usual in a hotel; he says they are his own property, and are originals. She recognizes a painting of ballerinas as an early [[Edgar Degas|Degas]]. Tony and Gaby put their troubles aside, go for a horse-drawn carriage ride, dance together, and realize they can work together after all. They also begin to fall in love.

When the first out-of-town tryout in New Haven proves disastrous, Tony demands that Jeffrey convert the production back into the light comedy that the Martons had envisioned. Jeffrey says that while they will have to find new backers because the original ones have walked out, he will be happy to appear in that show—if Tony is in charge of it. Tony accepts, using his art collection to finance the production. <!-- There's mention of him selling the art, but he could also have ended up using it as collateral for a loan, so let's leave that non-explicit. --> Paul says the show is no longer suitable for Gaby and walks out, expecting her to follow, but she is pleased to stay and work with Tony.

After some weeks on tour to perfect the new lighthearted musical numbers, the revised show proves to be a hit on its Broadway opening. Gaby professes her love to Tony.

==Cast==
[[File:Band Wagon still.JPG|thumb|right|Fred Astaire and Cyd Charisse in the "Girl Hunt Ballet"]]
[[File:The Band Wagon (1953) trailer 3.jpg|thumb|right|Finale, "[[That's Entertainment! (song)|That's Entertainment]]" (reprise). L–R: [[Oscar Levant]], [[Cyd Charisse]], [[Jack Buchanan]], [[Fred Astaire]], and [[Nanette Fabray]]]]
* [[Fred Astaire]] as Tony Hunter
* [[Cyd Charisse]] as Gabrielle Gerard
* [[Oscar Levant]] as Lester Marton
* [[Nanette Fabray]] as Lily Marton
* [[Jack Buchanan]] as Jeffrey Cordova
* [[James Mitchell (actor)|James Mitchell]] as Paul Byrd
* [[Robert Gist]] as Hal Benton

'''Uncredited'''
* [[India Adams]] as the singing voice of Cyd Charisse
* [[Ava Gardner]] as herself (cameo)
* [[Thurston Hall]] as Colonel Tripp
* [[Douglas Fowley]] as auctioneer
* [[Madge Blake]] as investor
* [[Judy Landon]] as dancer in troupe
* [[Bobby Watson (actor)|Bobby Watson]] as Bobby
* [[Sue Casey]] as tall girl in arcade
* [[Leroy Daniels]] as shoeshine man in arcade in "Shine on Your Shoes" 
* [[Henry Corden]] as orchestra leader
* [[Julie Newmar]] as model / chorine in "Girl Hunt Ballet"
* [[Fred Aldrich]] as hot dog vendor
* [[Richard Alexander (actor)|Richard Alexander]] as stagehand
* Jimmy Thompson as Jimmy
* [[Roy Engel]] as reporter
* [[Emory Parnell]] as man on train
* [[Herb Vigran]] as man on train
* Dee Turnell as Barbara
* [[Dee Hartford]] as model in "Girl Hunt Ballet"

==Musical numbers==
{{see also|The Band Wagon (soundtrack)}}
{{Incomplete list|date=August 2021}}<!-- There are more numbers, such as that in the break room after the failed first performance. These should be added to the list. Added several more numbers, based on soundtrack. -->
'''Source:'''<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0045537/soundtrack |title=The Band Wagon (1953) – Soundtracks |website=[[IMDb]]}}</ref>

# "[[By Myself (1937 song)|By Myself]]" – Tony (introduced in the stage musical ''[[Between the Devil]]'')
# "Shine on Your Shoes" – Tony and a shoeshine man (Leroy Daniels; the song was first introduced in the stage musical ''[[Flying Colors (musical)|Flying Colors]]'')<ref>{{cite book |last=Knowles |first=Mark |year=2013 |title=The Man Who Made the Jailhouse Rock: Alex Romero, Hollywood Choreographer |location=Jefferson, North Carolina |publisher=[[McFarland & Company]] |isbn=978-1-4766-0368-1 |quote=Leroy Daniels, who has been mixing shoeshining and bebop at Sixth and Main for 10 years, got his movie break after dancing star Fred Astaire decided he wanted another dancer to do a specialty number called 'Shine Your Shoes'}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Manning |first=Harriet J. |year=2016 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CH0HDAAAQBAJ&pg=PA56 |title=Michael Jackson and the Blackface Mask |page=56 |location=London |publisher=[[Routledge]] |isbn=978-1-3170-9688-7 |quote=The supportive and uncredited appearance of LeRoy Daniels in his dance with Fred Astaire in ''The Band Wagon'' (1953) provides the perfect example of the black sidelining that was standard practice. Of note, this was the only scene in Astaire's filmic career ...}}</ref>
# "[[That's Entertainment! (song)|That's Entertainment!]]" – Jeffrey, with Tony, Lester and Lily. This sequence was used in the film ''[[Joker: Folie à Deux]]'' from 2024.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://screenrant.com/joker-folie-a-deux-easter-eggs-dc-references-explained/ | title=Joker: Folie a Deux – 23 DC Easter Eggs & References Explained | website=[[Screen Rant]] | date=October 4, 2024 }}</ref>
# "The Beggars Waltz" – danced by Gabrielle, James Mitchell, and corps de ballet
# "High and Low" – Chorus
# "[[Dancing in the Dark (Howard Dietz and Arthur Schwartz song)|Dancing in the Dark]]" – danced by Tony and Gabrielle
# "[[You and the Night and the Music]]" – Chorus, danced by Tony and Gabrielle
# "Something to Remember You By" – Chorus
# "I Love Louisa" – Tony, Lester, and Lily
# "New Sun in the Sky" – Gabrielle
# "[[I Guess I'll Have to Change My Plan]]" – Tony and Jeffrey
# "Louisiana Hayride" – Lily and Chorus (the song was first introduced in the stage musical ''[[Flying Colors (musical)|Flying Colors]]'')
# "Triplets" – Tony, Jeffrey, and Lily (the performers dance on their knees, costumed in baby attire; the song was first introduced in the stage musical ''[[Between the Devil]]'')
# "The Girl Hunt Ballet" (inspired by the novels of [[Mickey Spillane]]) – danced by Tony and Gabrielle. The music video of ''[[Smooth Criminal]]''  by [[Michael Jackson]] was heavily inspired by this sequence.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://x.com/tcm/status/1238545082317504518 | title=TCM (@TCM) on X | work=X (formerly Twitter) }}</ref>
# "That's Entertainment!" (reprise/finale) – Lester, Gabrielle, Jeffrey, Tony and Lily

One musical number shot for the film, but dropped from the final release, was a seductive dance routine featuring Charisse performing "Two-Faced Woman". As with the other Charisse songs, her singing was dubbed by [[India Adams]]. Adams' recording of the song was reused for ''[[Torch Song (1953 film)|Torch Song]]'' (1953) for a musical number featuring [[Joan Crawford]]. The MGM retrospective ''[[That's Entertainment! III]]'' (1994) released the Charisse version to the public for the first time. This footage was included with the 2005 DVD release of ''The Band Wagon''.<ref>{{cite web |last=Erickson |first=Glenn |url=https://www.dvdtalk.com/dvdsavant/s1544band.html |title=DVD Savant Review: The Band Wagon |website=[[DVD Talk]] |date=March 11, 2005}}</ref>

==Release==
In seven weeks at [[Radio City Music Hall]] in New York City, the film grossed $1,044,000, one of the higher grossing films at the theater.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Heat Fails to Wilt B'way Grosses; Martin & Lewis-'Plunder' Wow 140G, 'Roman' Noble 165G, 'Squad' Right 24G|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=September 2, 1953|page=9|url=http://www.archive.org/stream/variety191-1953-09#page/n8/mode/1up|via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref> According to MGM records, the film earned distributor rentals of $2.3&nbsp;million in the U.S. and Canada and $1,202,000 in other countries, resulting in a loss of $1,185,000.<ref name="Mannix"/>

==Reception==
In a 1999  ''[[The Guardian|Guardian]]'' article about the importance of the film, Derek Desmond wrote: "But the whole point about The Band Wagon, and one which sometimes makes people underrate it, was the way everything seems to mesh so seamlessly—almost effortlessly, in fact. That was due to Minnelli, whose flair and imagination, admittedly aided by the huge array of MGM talent both behind and in front of the cameras, was matched by his almost perfect control."<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Malcolm |first1=Derek |last2=Malcolm |first2=By Derek |date=February 11, 1999 |title=Vincente Minnelli: The Band Wagon |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/1999/feb/11/derekmalcolmscenturyoffilm.derekmalcolm |access-date=2024-10-10 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>

[[Martin Scorsese]] listed ''The Band Wagon'' as his favorite musical.{{sfn|Wilson|2011|p=72}}

==Stage adaptation==
[[File:The_Band_Wagon_at_New_York_City_Center_2014.jpg|thumb|right|Poster from 2014 production at the New York City Center]]
A musical stage adaptation, titled ''Dancing in the Dark'', ran at the [[Old Globe Theatre]] in San Diego from March 4 to April 20, 2008, with plans to bring the show to Broadway. [[Gary Griffin (director)|Gary Griffin]] directed, with a book by [[Douglas Carter Beane]] and choreography by Warren Carlyle. The cast included [[Patrick Page]] as the "deliciously pretentious" director-actor-producer Jeffrey Cordova, [[Mara Davi]] playing Gabrielle Gerard, and [[Scott Bakula]] as "song-and-dance man" Tony Hunter.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Jones |first=Kenneth |url=http://www.playbill.com/news/article/113751.html |title=Douglas Carter Beane Lovingly Steers 'Band Wagon' to Create ''Dancing in the Dark'' |magazine=[[Playbill]] |date=December 23, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071225050550/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/113751.html |archive-date=December 25, 2007 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theoldglobe.org/pressphotos/Dancing_in_the_Dark.html |title=Dancing in the Dark |publisher=[[Old Globe Theatre]] |access-date=October 4, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120906020314/http://theoldglobe.org/pressphotos/Dancing_in_the_Dark.html |archive-date=September 6, 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |last=Jones |first=Kenneth |url=http://www.playbill.com/news/article/115540.html |title='The Band Wagon' Has a New Shine on Its Shoes in ''Dancing in the Dark'' March 4 – April 13 |magazine=Playbill |date=March 4, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080330063556/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/115540.html |archive-date=March 30, 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |last=Jones |first=Kenneth |url=http://www.playbill.com/news/article/116076.html |title=That's More Entertainment: Old Globe Gives ''Dancing in the Dark'' an Extra Week |magazine=Playbill |date=March 19, 2008 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20080512151239/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/116076.html |archive-date=May 12, 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

In the ''Variety'' review of the musical, Bob Verini wrote: "There's no reason this reconstituted ''Band Wagon'' can't soar once it jettisons its extraneous and self-contradictory elements."<ref>{{cite magazine | url=https://variety.com/2008/legit/markets-festivals/dancing-in-the-dark-3-1200535802/ | title=Review: 'Dancing in the Dark' | first=Bob | last=Verini | date=March 16, 2008 | magazine=Variety | access-date=November 27, 2022}}</ref>

A revised version of the stage adaptation under the name ''The Band Wagon'' was presented in a staged concert in November 2014 as part of a [[New York City Center]] [[Encores!]] special event. The cast starred [[Brian Stokes Mitchell]], [[Tracey Ullman]], [[Michael McKean]], [[Tony Sheldon (actor)|Tony Sheldon]], and [[Laura Osnes]], with direction and choreography by [[Kathleen Marshall]].<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Suskin |first=Steven |url=http://www.playbill.com/news/article/thats-entertainment-star-studded-the-band-wagon-brings-sweet-music-to-city-center-335230 |title="That's Entertainment!" Star-Studded ''The Band Wagon'' Brings "Sweet Music" to City Center |magazine=Playbill |date=November 11, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141214112657/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/thats-entertainment-star-studded-the-band-wagon-brings-sweet-music-to-city-center-335230 |archive-date=December 14, 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Works cited==
* {{cite book|last=Wilson |first=Michael |title=Scorsese On Scorsese |publisher=[[Cahiers du Cinéma]] |date=2011 |isbn=9782866427023}}

==Further reading==
{{Refbegin}}
* {{cite book |last=Eagan |first=Daniel |chapter=The Band Wagon |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=deq3xI8OmCkC&pg=PA473 |title=America's Film Legacy: The Authoritative Guide to the Landmark Movies in the National Film Registry |publisher=[[A & C Black]] |year=2010 |pages=473–475 |isbn=978-0826-42977-3}}
* {{cite book |last=Fordin |first=Hugh |year=1996 |title=M-G-M's Greatest Musicals: The Arthur Freed Unit |location=New York |publisher=[[Da Capo Press]] |isbn=978-0-3068-0730-5}}
* {{cite journal |last=Stevenson |first=Diane |title=In Praise of Praise: An essay on Stanley Cavell's ''Philosophy The Day After Tomorrow'' |journal=[[Film International]] |volume=4 |issue=4 |date=September 2006 |pages=6–13 |doi=10.1386/fiin.4.4.6 |issn=1651-6826 |oclc=803316091}}
{{Refend}}

==External links==
* {{IMDb title}}
* [https://www.allmovie.com/movie/the-band-wagon-am33917 ''The Band Wagon'' at AllMovie]
* {{AFI film}}
* {{TCMDb title}}
* [https://masterworksbroadway.com/artist/howard-dietz-and-arthur-schwartz/ Howard Dietz and Arthur Schwartz] at [[Masterworks Broadway]]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070602033732/http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8007400/site/newsweek/?rf=wiki ''Newsweek'' discussion transcript about ''The Band Wagon'']
* {{IBDB show|1825}} (1931 stage musical)
* {{Rotten Tomatoes}}

{{Navboxes
|title=Articles and topics related to ''The Band Wagon''
|state=collapsed
|list1=
{{Vincente Minnelli}}
{{Comden and Green}}
{{Arthur Freed}}
{{Arthur Schwartz}}
}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Band Wagon, The}}
[[Category:1950s American films]]
[[Category:1950s English-language films]]
[[Category:1950s romantic musical films]]
[[Category:1953 films]]
[[Category:1953 musical comedy films]]
[[Category:1953 romantic comedy films]]
[[Category:American musical comedy films]]
[[Category:American romantic comedy films]]
[[Category:American romantic musical films]]
[[Category:English-language musical comedy films]]
[[Category:English-language romantic comedy films]]
[[Category:English-language romantic musical films]]
[[Category:films about musical theatre]]
[[Category:films directed by Vincente Minnelli]]
[[Category:films produced by Arthur Freed]]
[[Category:films scored by Adolph Deutsch]]
[[Category:films set in New York City]]
[[Category:films with screenplays by Betty Comden and Adolph Green]]
[[Category:Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films]]
[[Category:musicals by Arthur Schwartz]]
[[Category:United States National Film Registry films]]