Good, but not great
Added 9/13/2009
First, the good points: Fred Astaire is ... Fred Astaire, and Cyd Charisse is an all-time great Hollywood dancer. Some numbers, such "The Girl Hunt" and especially "Dancing in the Dark" are simply great.
But the story doesn't even vaguely hold together. Almost none of the songs in the "show-within-a-show" have anything to do with either show, or advance the plot in any way. Jack Buchanan is fun in spots, but has an odd grimace when he dances. Oscar Levant just isn't that funny, and Nanette Fabray doesn't have much to do. The storyline about the disastrous production has great potential, but ........
At times, Comden and Green are clearly trying to have it both ways - entertaining while making fun of a musical genre, but too often they don't quite make it on this one. There are some terrific lyrics, but it never makes it into the pantheon of great musicals.
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not available
Added 8/10/2009
Product was not available and I was promptly notified so that I could make other plans for purchase.
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Movie purchase
Added 4/15/2009
Have always loved this movie - Fred Astair, Cyd Charisse - what's not to love.
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Don't miss bonus disc
Added 4/1/2009
The film itself is good and there is no more to add about it. The special thing about the 2-DVD edition is the 'Two-Faced Woman' number (on Disc 2) danced by Cyd Charisse & the chorus. This excellent number-- at about 5 minutes, it is long for a movie-musical dance-- was cut from the release. Talk about hard work going to waste. Thankfully someone decided to include it here, although the materials still haven't been restored as the film itself has. Part of it was shown in THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT; the whole is available here both as an edited outtake and as the dailies.
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Wonderful and classic
Added 11/28/2008
Perhaps one of the rarer teens of our generation, I discovered good, old MGM musicals when my father became sick and had to watch movies at home. As we became closer, it seemed that both of us had a healthy interest in musicals. After we watched the "That's Entertainment" series, we rushed to buy "An American in Paris," "Take me out to the Ball Game," "Singin' in the Rain," and "The Band Wagon." We would soon get a collection that rivaled any DVD store's.
Cyd Charisse had always charmed both my father and I. She was beautiful, a brilliant dancer, and never seemed to be bad in any way. She showed acting skills in "Silk Stockings," where I truly started to look for movies with her. (Which led to a discovery of Brigadoon.)
In "The Band Wagon," Fred Astaire is a movie star by the name of TONY HUNTER, and is seen getting off a train after briefly talking to Ava Gardner (in a cameo)and heads off, meeting the two writers of the show he had decided to be in.
He watches a ballet starring GABRIELLE GERALD (Cyd Charisse) and is enchanted, although he is worried about her height.
At their first encounter, they do not like each other and are spiteful to each other. They practice for the show for many weeks, until Tony Hunter finally gives up and walks away.
Gabrielle knocks on his door, although he is still upset. They try to ignore their differences, and go out into the park to try to see if they can really dance with each other.
This is where they perform the famous, magical "Dancing in the dark." Afterwards, it seems that Tony Hunter has returned to the show, now that he and Gabrielle have figured out that they can work together.
Unfortunately, the show seems to have been a disaster when some audience members left, looking grim.
This is when Tony Hunter decides that they should make their own show, and take the writer's original script (before their director had changed a lot of it) and he gets jolly with the other members, planning out their performances.
Gabrielle's boyfriend, up until now, had been the choreographer for the show. Disappointed that Tony is taking over the show, he leaves, giving Gabrielle an ultimatum.
The shows that Tony had planned out were a major success, and they toured places like Boston, and did many interesting performances, such as "The Triplets," "Louisiana Hayride," and a ballet performance by Gabrielle as the "sun" in "a new sky."
Finally, there is the "Girl Hunt Ballet," where Tony plays as a detective trying to find a killer, who happens to play a saxaphone. He gets clues, and does several dance routines with a blonde who passes through randomly, and a sultry brunette who dances with him in a more jazzy way, as compared to the blonde's elegant ballet movements. (Gabrielle Gerald plays both parts.)
The saxaphone player turns out to be the "innocent" blonde, but is dying from the shot from Tony. Feeling a little remorse, he is instantly happier when seeing the brunette again, and they leave the stage together.
This show was also a fabulous success,a dn Tony is in his dressing room, getting ready to go out and have some drinks. He is met by the sight of the whole cast, including Gabrielle, dressed formally singing "For he's a jolly good fellow."
Gabrielle gives him a touching speech about how much he's helped everyone, and tells him that they all learned to love him, including her. After a brief kiss, the writers of the script and the former director start singing. This is what would soon be the theme song of "That's Entertainment," which is the title of the song.
Overall, this was a wonderful movie that every musical fan should watch.
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Good, but not great
Added 9/13/2009
First, the good points: Fred Astaire is ... Fred Astaire, and Cyd Charisse is an all-time great Hollywood dancer. Some numbers, such "The Girl Hunt" and especially "Dancing in the Dark" are simply great.
But the story doesn't even vaguely hold together. Almost none of the songs in the "show-within-a-show" have anything to do with either show, or advance the plot in any way. Jack Buchanan is fun in spots, but has an odd grimace when he dances. Oscar Levant just isn't that funny, and Nanette Fabray doesn't have much to do. The storyline about the disastrous production has great potential, but ........
At times, Comden and Green are clearly trying to have it both ways - entertaining while making fun of a musical genre, but too often they don't quite make it on this one. There are some terrific lyrics, but it never makes it into the pantheon of great musicals.
0 out of 1 people found this helpful.
|
not available
Added 8/10/2009
Product was not available and I was promptly notified so that I could make other plans for purchase.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
|
Movie purchase
Added 4/15/2009
Have always loved this movie - Fred Astair, Cyd Charisse - what's not to love.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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