One of the masterpieces of the American movie musical, The Band Wagon uses satire to lampoon the pomposity of the theater and in the process reconfirms the artistic standards of popular cinema. With more than a hint of the biographical, Fred Astaire stars as Tony Hunter, an over-the-hill movie star who is lured to Broadway for a musical role that could revive his career. Reworking the formula of the back-stage musical, director Minnelli contrasts Astaire's populist performance style with the artsy machinations of the show's director (the brilliant Jack Buchanan), who wants to pair Tony with a moody ballerina (Cyd Charisse) and transform the simple stage musical into a modern-day version of Faust. The results are hilariously disastrous.