The Band Wagon

One of the greatest musicals of all time, Vincente Minnelli’s The Band Wagon features stunning choreography by Michael Kidd, including the memorable “Dancing in the Dark” sequence in Central Park, and a cheekily clever script by Betty Comden and Adolph Green. The film centers on a musical movie star (Fred Astaire) who fears his career is about to hit the skids, until two friends (Oscar Levant and Nanette Fabray) write a script for him that becomes Broadway-bound. But just as things begin to look promising, an egotistical director (Jack Buchanan) joins the project and casts ballerina Gaby Gerard (Cyd Charisse) as the leading lady. Tensions rise between the two co-stars, who clash immediately—and whose temperaments threaten to capsize the show—in this timeless classic of the backstage romantic musical genre.