THE BAND WAGON (1953)

Cast

Plot

One of Minnelli's best musicals, with Buchanan as a highbrow producer trying to turn Astaire's comeback show into an art house 'Faust' while Astaire and Charisse try to unite their dancing styles into a partnership. Astaire is superb in 'By Myself' and 'A Shine on Your Shoes' and, with Charisse, in 'Dancing in the Dark'. The film's most elaborate number is the 'Girl Hunt Ballet', a spoof of Mickey Spillane hard-boiled detective novels, with Michael Kidd's choreography and Charisse's femme fatale. Other numbers include 'That's Entertainment', 'I Guess I'll Have to Change My Plan' and 'Triplets'. The songs come from Howard Dietz-Arthur Schwartz. All this and witty dialogue too, possibly the greatest old time musical.