Rate THE BAND WAGON (1953)

If a movie is lighthearted, its conflict doesn't have to be serious. However, there have to be stakes of some kind. Otherwise, why have a conflict at all? The problem in THE BAND WAGON (which is about a washed-up actor named Tony Hunter who agrees to work on a Broadway show) isn't that the problems are solved easily; it's that the characters don't seem that affected by them. It's funny at times (except whenever Lester & Lily Marton (the writers) are on screen), but none of the songs are memorable. Tony insists that he and Gaby Gerard (his co-star) need to talk to solve their rivalry... and then they dance without saying a word. SHINE ON YOUR SHOES and I LOVE LOUISA are the kind of "Doing fun stuff just for the sake of it, even if it doesn't advance the plot or develop any characters" musical numbers that should be done halfway through the movie. The former happens before the conflict has been introduced and before all the main characters have appeared, while the latter happens very late in the story, so neither of them work. What is the musical play even about? We see 3 songs unrelated to each other, including TRIPLETS, where 3 adults are dressed as babies. It's silly, but luckily, the dark humor in the lyrics are a way to acknowledge the silliness. Then we see a detective story that combines theatre, ballet and movie techniques. It's a mess! A play where the protagonist only speaks through narration (I assume that Tony had recorded his lines and they were played live) and where certain moments only make sense if you see it in close-ups?! That would never be a success in real life!

6/10
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