Frequently Bought Together
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Product details
|
Reviews
PRODUCT DESCRIPTION. TWO DISK SET. Directed by Vincente Minnelli, this charming musical comedy that echoes "Faust" stars Fred Astaire as a washed-up movie star hoping to return to the limelight as the lead in a new Broadway show. While dealing with difficult co-star Cyd Charisse, Astaire finds his comeback threatened when flamboyant director Jack Buchanan throws the production into turmoil. Songs include "Dancing in the Dark," "Shine on Your Shoes," "That's Entertainment." With Oscar Levant, Nanette Fabray. 112 min. Standard; Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Digital mono, French Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English, Spanish, French; SPECIAL FEATURES: Audio Commentary; Theatrical Trailers; "Making of" Documentary; Documentary Vincent Minelli ; Musical Outtakes; Bonus short "Jack Buchanan with The Glee Quartet."
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
50 of 54 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Hey, you're 54 and you have to dance round the screen! WOW Could this guy dance or not? Astaire was the very best exponent of screen dancing (sorry Kelly fans) and this is his best film by a long chalk. Cyd Charisse is, well, fantastic. Beautiful, elegant, and a great partner. Different, very different, from Ginger but then the dancing is different proving that Fred did move with the times. There isnt a bad song in the show nor a bad dance. It is quite simply, along with Silk Stockings, the best of Astaire.
If you like good music, good dancing, a happy ending, and a 'put on a show' story, then this will do.
Buy it, buy it now and enjoy!!
If you like good music, good dancing, a happy ending, and a 'put on a show' story, then this will do.
Buy it, buy it now and enjoy!!
13 of 15 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
The Band Wagon is an old-fashioned Hollywood musical. Sadly, they don't make them like this any more. It's worth the money just for Fred Astaire and Jack Buchanan's duet "I guess I'll have to change my plan". It's all great fun.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
The Band Wagon is directed by Vincente Minnelli and written by Alan Jay Lerner, Betty Comden and Adolph Green. Songs are written by Arthur Schwartz and Howard Dietz. It stars Fred Astaire, Cyd Charisse, Oscar Levant, Nanette Fabray and Jack Buchanan. Out of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, it's a Technicolor production with cinematography by Harry Jackson.
Story tells of aging musical star Tony Hunter (Astaire) whose cinema glory days appear to be well behind him. Upon the request of his friends Lester (Lavant) & Lily Martin (Fabray), he heads to Broadway to appear in a play they have written with him in mind. He hopes this will restart his career, however, the play's director, Jeffrey Cordova (Buchanan), changes the play into an arty interpretation of the Faust legend. Not only that, but he brings in prima ballerina Gabrielle Gerard (Charisse) to star in it, and Tony and Gabrielle don't exactly hit it off.
One of the greatest musicals to come out of MGM, The Band Wagon makes up for what it loses in plot ingenuity, with quality songs, stunning choreography, bustling vitality and heart, big heart! Three parts of the film is made up of character building and said characters attempts to put a show on successfully in spite of behind the scenes worries. Then the final third then switches in mood with a different show and primary characters come to their respective destinies.
Along the way we are treated to a series of wonderful song and dance routines, with the stand outs being "Be Myself," "A Shine on My Shoes," "That's Entertainment," "Dancing in the Dark," "I Love Louisa," "I Guess I'll Have To Change My Plan" and the joyously macabre, "Triplets." These are then crowned magnificently by "Girl Hunt," an elongated parody of noir-type crime movies from the golden era, where it's not just Fred and Cyd who sparkle, but the dance troupe around them also dazzle the eyes with some truly amazing moves.
Where the big heart comes in to it is with Astaire's take on the role of Tony. It's very touching at times, full of nostalgia pangs for his former glories. He also has good comic timing, whilst readily able to laugh at himself as the (thin) narrative thread reminds him of his aging years. The latter of which accounts for the not so great chemistry with the divine Charisse, but the film under Minnelli's active direction easily overcomes this tiny flaw. There's also some salt in the story in the observation of what goes on behind the scenes of a Broadway play, specifically the people pulling the strings.
Big production for a big movie, all told, it's big entertainment, yes indeed. 9/10
Story tells of aging musical star Tony Hunter (Astaire) whose cinema glory days appear to be well behind him. Upon the request of his friends Lester (Lavant) & Lily Martin (Fabray), he heads to Broadway to appear in a play they have written with him in mind. He hopes this will restart his career, however, the play's director, Jeffrey Cordova (Buchanan), changes the play into an arty interpretation of the Faust legend. Not only that, but he brings in prima ballerina Gabrielle Gerard (Charisse) to star in it, and Tony and Gabrielle don't exactly hit it off.
One of the greatest musicals to come out of MGM, The Band Wagon makes up for what it loses in plot ingenuity, with quality songs, stunning choreography, bustling vitality and heart, big heart! Three parts of the film is made up of character building and said characters attempts to put a show on successfully in spite of behind the scenes worries. Then the final third then switches in mood with a different show and primary characters come to their respective destinies.
Along the way we are treated to a series of wonderful song and dance routines, with the stand outs being "Be Myself," "A Shine on My Shoes," "That's Entertainment," "Dancing in the Dark," "I Love Louisa," "I Guess I'll Have To Change My Plan" and the joyously macabre, "Triplets." These are then crowned magnificently by "Girl Hunt," an elongated parody of noir-type crime movies from the golden era, where it's not just Fred and Cyd who sparkle, but the dance troupe around them also dazzle the eyes with some truly amazing moves.
Where the big heart comes in to it is with Astaire's take on the role of Tony. It's very touching at times, full of nostalgia pangs for his former glories. He also has good comic timing, whilst readily able to laugh at himself as the (thin) narrative thread reminds him of his aging years. The latter of which accounts for the not so great chemistry with the divine Charisse, but the film under Minnelli's active direction easily overcomes this tiny flaw. There's also some salt in the story in the observation of what goes on behind the scenes of a Broadway play, specifically the people pulling the strings.
Big production for a big movie, all told, it's big entertainment, yes indeed. 9/10
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Most Recent Customer Reviews
band wagon
I was interested to see Fred Astaire perform as I had never seen any of his films. Darcy Bussell started me off at Christmas with her show about his dancing. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Gray Mage
That's entertainment!
The Band Wagon was one of those films I'd always managed to miss but which turned out to be a lot of fun. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Trevor Willsmer
Bandwagon
Not in a position to review this, as it was a present for my mother in law, and apparently doesn't play anyway, so will be asking for a replacement.
Published 14 months ago by carber45
Film crew member's sudden appearance on the set during Louisianna...
I appreciate that Hollywood musicals shouldn't be taken too seriously and enjoyed in the spirit in which they are intended and I am generally entertained but I found this to be... Read more
Published 15 months ago by The Right Reverend
Band Wagon
there are many arguments over the best musical ever made However Bandwagon has got to be right up there at the top. Read more
Published 18 months ago by Bill Pearson
dancing in the dark
fabulous brightly coloured classic film musical with fred doing an amazing tongue in cheek number based on a cheap detective paperback with "the legs up to here" cyd charisse. Read more
Published 22 months ago by R. Poole
Smooth Criminal?!
This is a classic Fred Astaire movie! He is a bit old and it is a bit cheesey but well worth the watch. Read more
Published on 5 Jan 2010 by Xx Claire xX
The Band Wagon - the movie
The Band Wagon - the movie
This was the movie version of a Broadway stage show from 1931. The score was by Arthur Schwartz and Howard Dietz. Read more
This was the movie version of a Broadway stage show from 1931. The score was by Arthur Schwartz and Howard Dietz. Read more
Published on 15 Nov 2009 by Dr. H. A. Jones
Total escapism
For some reason I never saw this film until an advanced age, though I was familiar with all the b/w Astaire films of the 30s, and other musicals of the 50s (Singin' in the... Read more
Published on 25 July 2009 by J. Buckingham
Good
Fred is a bit old in this one but he can still dance. The story about putting on a show is a familiar tale and the supporting cast are good - Jack Buchanan, Cyd Charisse and... Read more
Published on 14 Mar 2009 by Alex da Silva
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
|
|
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
