The Band Wagon is a
1953 musical comedy film that many critics rank (along with
Singin' in the Rain) as the finest of the MGM musicals, although it was only a modest box-office success. It tells the story of an aging musical star who hopes a
Broadway play will restart his career. However, the play's director wants to make it a pretentious retelling of
Faust, and brings in a
prima ballerina who clashes with the star.
The music was written by Arthur Schwartz and Howard Dietz originally for the 1931 Broadway musical, also called The Band Wagon, with a book by George S. Kaufman and starring Fred Astaire and his sister Adele. The film popularized the song "That's Entertainment!", which has become a standard. Another song, "Dancing in the Dark", is considered part of the Great American Songbook and was from the original Broadway production.
The film was nominated for
Academy Awards for
Best Costume Design, Color,
Best Music, Scoring of a Musical Picture and
Best Writing, Story and Screenplay (for Comden and Green).
Since the movie, the song has become an anthem for Hollywood and theater in general, being used as an opening number in many shows. It is considered, alongside "
There's No Business Like Show Business" and "
Hooray for Hollywood," entertainment's signature tune.
MGM used the song title for its nostalgic series of films featuring clips from its golden musical age, as That's Entertainment!. The original 1974 release spawned two sequels in which the song was retained.
In That's Entertainment, Part II, new lyrics were written for the song and performed by hosts Gene Kelly and Astaire.
A Star Is Born (1937 film), starring Janet Gaynor and Fredric March
A Star Is Born (1954 film), starring Judy Garland and James Mason
A Star Is Born (1976 film), starring Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson
cinephile66 @TCManiacs Nothing beats Judy singing The Man That Got Away. My vote is for '54. 
moviecollector A Star is Born (1937) & What Price Hollywood (1932): The 1930s should be in black and white. It's just plain.. http://tinyurl.com/bcr4qc 
KathieMidlife @MrsKutcher, I'd love to see 'A Star Is Born' made again - I loved Streisand and Kristoffersen in the last one but it's been what? 30 years? 
divorcedays @mrskutcher "a star is born" again! 
mammanan2 @mrskutcher "A Star Is Born"..the old 1976 Barbra Streisand/Kris Kristofferson..rock'n love story which was actually a remake itself 
mrskutcher What film would you like to see a remake of? 
fuzzywuzzyjr THE OPENING SEQUENCE TO "A STAR IS BORN" IS AMAZINGLY SIMILAR TO THAT OF "SINGING IN THE RAIN". I DON'T KNOW WHY I'M IN CAPS. 
theysaid Janet Gaynor was the very first actress to win an Oscar from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. 
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