Cyd Charisse in ‘The Band Wagon’ and ‘Meet Me in Las Vegas’

In this installment of ‘Comparing Classic Cinema,” we watch Cyd Charise sweep the dance floor of the silver screen.

Ballerina Gabrielle Gerard (Cyd Charisse) dances, in "The Band Wagon." MGM

Cyd Charisse was one of the most talented classical ballerinas to grace the screen in classic Hollywood. However, she was often a featured dancer or secondary character, rather than the leading lady. She did star in “The Band Wagon” (1953) and “Meet Me in Las Vegas” (1956). In both films, Charisse leads a talented musical cast as a ballerina who learns to cut loose, and let romance into her life under the influence of her leading men, Fred Astaire and Dan Dailey. 

While “The Band Wagon” is remembered as a great movie musical with its plethora of hit songs and memorable numbers, “Meet Me in Las Vegas” has been largely forgotten. This is a real shame because it has its share of memorable tunes and showstopping numbers. With great singing, dancing, and acting, both movies are a testament to the talent and beauty of this great Hollywood ballerina.

‘The Band Wagon’

In “Band Wagon,” everyone thinks former Hollywood star Tony Adams (Fred Astaire in a thinly veiled take on himself) is all washed up. However, he has a chance for a stage comeback when his long-time friends, married playwrights Lester and Lily Martin (Oscar Levant and Nanette Fabray), invite him to New York to star in their latest creation, an adaptation of “Faust.”