--- title: "The Band Wagon: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-band-wagon/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/the-band-wagon" critics_score: 74 critics_reviews: 9 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # The Band Wagon (1953): what the critics said Critics' score 74 from 9 reviews: 5 positive, 3 mixed, 1 negative. Most critics favour The Band Wagon, with praise concentrated on Minnelli’s direction, the staging and the dancing of Astaire and Charisse. The enthusiastic reviews admire how carefully the musical’s elements fit together, from its backstage comedy to its production design. The “Girl Hunt” ballet draws particular attention, while Astaire’s technical skill earns approval even from critics less persuaded by the film around him. Buchanan’s comedy also receives praise. The spread is wide, however, and the reservations centre on the story. Slant Magazine finds it thin and the romance short of chemistry, despite admiring the performances and individual numbers. The Los Angeles Times is more dismissive, judging the film overrated and its plot creaky, while still enjoying several Astaire routines. These objections concern the connective scenes more than the dancing. Two reviews have inaccessible text, so their specific reasoning cannot be established. ## Radio Times — Tony Sloman Rating ★★★★★. Sloman gives the musical a strongly enthusiastic verdict, calling it a peak of Astaire’s screen work. He singles out Minnelli’s direction and the film’s production design, as well as Astaire and Charisse’s dancing. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-sdwwbl/the-band-wagon/) ## Empire — Kim Newman Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2000. Newman calls it a perfect backstage musical, full of wonderful moments. He especially praises Cyd Charisse’s red dress in the “Girl Hunt” ballet. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/band-wagon-review/) ## The Guardian — Derek Malcolm Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 11 February 1999. Malcolm regards The Band Wagon as an increasingly perfect musical and a great achievement by Minnelli. He particularly praises how Minnelli’s precise control makes the film’s many elements mesh seamlessly. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/1999/feb/11/derekmalcolmscenturyoffilm.derekmalcolm) ## Time Out — TM Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). The available description presents the film as one of Minnelli’s best musicals. It praises the ingenious book and its highbrow-producer setup for Astaire’s comeback show. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-band-wagon) ## Variety — Variety Staff Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 1953. The review is positive about the musical’s performances and staging. It singles out the “Girl Hunt” ballet as an imaginative highlight and praises Jack Buchanan’s comedy. [Read the review](https://variety.com/1952/film/reviews/the-band-wagon-1200417401/) ## RogerEbert.com Fi1m's normalised score 68/100 (inferred from the text). The URL identifies a Great Movies review of the specified film, but the page content is unavailable. The critic’s verdict and any specific praise or complaint cannot be verified. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-band-wagon-1953) ## The New York Times — Bosley Crowther Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 10 July 1953. The page identifies a New York Times screen review, but its text is inaccessible. The critic’s verdict and any specific praise or complaint cannot be determined. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1953/07/10/archives/the-screen-in-review.html) ## Slant Magazine — Jeremiah Kipp Rating 2.5/4. 14 March 2005. The review finds the musical uneven, with dazzling performances and set pieces but a thin story and little romantic chemistry. It praises Astaire’s technical skill, especially when he dances alone. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/the-band-wagon/) ## Los Angeles Times — BARBARA SALTZMAN Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 10 May 1991. Saltzman finds the film generally overrated, with a creaky plot that is best skipped. She praises several Astaire production numbers and the restored disc’s color and sound. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-05-10-ca-1528-story.html) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/the-band-wagon.md