My 150 Favorite Movies - #52

The Band Wagon (1953)

Unlike some who feel that Singin' in the Rain is the ne plus ultra of 50's MGM musicals, to me The Band Wagon takes top prize. Besides the fact that it stars Fred Astaire, Jack Buchanan, Cyd Charisse, Oscar Levant and Nanette Fabray, the score by Arthur Schwartz and Howard Dietz soars, and the show itself, written by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, has an inside showbiz irreverence that still zings. Among the now classic musical numbers are included, "I Guess I'll Have to Change My Plan," "By Myself," and "That's Entertainment!," a number specifically written for the movie.