The Band Wagon

"Get Aboard!"

1953 1h 52m EN

👍

7.2

SOLID

★7.2TMDB · 251

ComedyRomance

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A Broadway artiste turns a faded film star's comeback vehicle into an artsy flop.

“Get Aboard!”

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Cast

Fred Astaire
Tony Hunter
Cyd Charisse
Gabrielle Gerard
Oscar Levant
Lester Marton
Nanette Fabray
Lily Marton
Jack Buchanan
Jeffrey Cordova
James Mitchell
Paul Byrd
Robert Gist
Hal
Ava Gardner
Ava Gardner (uncredited)

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Vincente Minnelli
Writers: Betty Comden, Adolph Green, Adolph Green
Languages: French, English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $2.9M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

73 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: French, English.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Vincente Minnelli, shot by Harry Jackson. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor George White shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

AWARDS

Did you know

Fred Astaire and Cyd Charisse and Oscar Levant carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Get Aboard!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0045537 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Vincente Minnelli directs. Harry Jackson behind the camera. George White cuts. Profitable at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in French, English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Shot for just $2.9M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
273 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Dialogue crosses 2 languages: French, English.
4Directed by Vincente Minnelli, shot by Harry Jackson. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Editor George White shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Fred Astaire and Cyd Charisse and Oscar Levant carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "Get Aboard!".
8IMDB entry: tt0045537 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Classified under 8 themes, including "new york city", "musical", "top hat", "choreographer".

The technical file

Cinematography: Harry Jackson
Editing: George White
Production design: Oliver Smith
Costume design: Mary Ann Nyberg
Makeup / hair: William Tuttle
Runtime: 112 min · 1h 52m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $2,900,000
Box office: $3,500,000
Return: 121% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: The Band Wagon (1953)

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Vincente Minnelli

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Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2024-07-16
★ 7/10
Now I do watch quite a lot of horrors films, but it's been a while since I've seen something quite so un-nerving as Fred Astaire, Cyd Charisse and Oscar Levant all dressed up as babies singing a song about having a gun! That rather sums up this entertainingly eclectic story that sees the theatrically flamboyant "Cordova" (Jack Buchanan) drafted in to try and inject some life into the lacklustre "Tony" (Astaire). He's been feeling a bit down in the dumps for ages and now that he's no longer the apple of anyone's eye, is downright dejected. Luckily for him (and us) his two friends "Les" (Levant) and "Lily" (Nanette Fabray) aren't giving up. Problem? Well they have to find him a co-star for his new show - and when they alight on the somewhat highly-strung "Gabrielle" (Charisse) things don't exactly work. Indeed, she and "Tony" can barely bear to be in the same room as each other, much less share a stage - and so tantrums and stroppings galore ensue. It's all about the art, though, darling, as his pals use the toe-tapping "That's Entertainment" - a refrain frequently used throughout - to remind "Tony" that the clown with his pants falling down is all part of the job. Of course, there's no jeopardy at all here - you know pretty much from the outset just how well the ducks are going to get in their row, but the film looks great and there's a lovely chemistry between Charisse and Astaire that allows both actors to flourish amidst some perfect choreography, gentle comedy and memorable numbers from Messrs Schwartz and Dietz as they take their show on a tour of the United States. You might want to lock away your dolls at night, though...

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