How others will see it. The Band Wagon has no weaknesses and many obvious strengths. Legendary Michael Kidd is the choreographer, and the noted team of Betty Comden and Adolph Green supplies the script and story. The cast is also first rate, beginning with the multi-talented Astaire, the always-welcome Levant, and of course, brunette goddess Cyd Charisse.
It's in color, like most musicals of the day, which makes it more accessible. The script is witty, and while dated, this only evokes the lost Golden Age of Hollywood. Musicals are still made now and then, but it's rare that they have the all-around quality of The Band Wagon. It's actually a good sign when the musical/dance numbers are sometimes weaker than the surrounding, supporting script and story.
How I felt about it. By 1953, Astaire's age was showing on his face, and he was never a prime physical specimen to begin with. But he was as graceful as ever, and his singing had actually improved. The idea that Astaire is a love match for the gorgeous and much younger Charisse is dubious, except as a career move for the latter, since Astaire's success as a producer and stage actor is ensured.
The Band Wagon lacks the greatness of Singin' in the Rain, which had better songs, extremely sharp direction, and spectacular choreography (remember "Make 'em Laugh"?) But, The Band Wagon sure beats An American in Paris, another contemporary musical, since it is unpretentious and doesn't let the requisite romance dominate the plot. In The Band Wagon, Tony gets the girl, but it's almost an afterthought.
The quality of The Band Wagon rests in a number of small but satisfactory moments. Astaire gives his hot dog to a kid, he gets a second fortune from the mechanical gypsy woman, Jack Buchanan breaks from his morbid stage character to greet his backstage friends. Nanette's smiles and bare arms. Levant's goofy faces. Charisse's legs. A great gag involving a long ladder. Astaire and Charisse dance with smoke bombs exploding around them.
One of the most revealing scenes about acting takes place in The Band Wagon. Astaire is listlessly practicing his lines. Buchanan takes him aside, and implores him to "give it 100%." Astaire plays the scene again, this time with such ridiculous intensity that the other actors appear almost frightened. This entertaining moment is not essential to the story, but it is priceless, since it demonstrates that acting is not about passion, but about the character.
Oh, there's also nonsense about Astaire winning Charisse from her humorless, commanding boyfriend. Buchanan is all too eager to abandon his Faust obsession, and take a second banana position, even if it does take a flop off his record. And Levant, Buchanan, and Fabray fade in favor of Astaire and his supermodel dance partner. But these sins are forgivable, and The Band Wagon is a winner.