The Band Wagon (1953)

Cyd Charisse: Gabrielle Gerard

Photos 

19 more photos

Quotes 

• Gabrielle Gerard : Oh, that's a very early Degas, isn't it?

  [examines painting] 

  Gabrielle Gerard : 1877.

  Tony Hunter : [playing up their age difference]  Yeah, I swiped it from his desk in school. Was he sore.

• Tony Hunter : Oh, I'm afraid I've been awfully rude, I haven't told you how wonderful you were tonight.

  Gabrielle Gerard : Oh, thank you, I'm a great admirer of yours too.

  Tony Hunter : Oh, I didn't think you'd ever even heard of me.

  Gabrielle Gerard : Heard of you? I used to see all your pictures when I was a little girl. And I'm still a fan, I recently went to see a revival of them at the museum.

  Tony Hunter : [offended]  Museum? 'Step right this way, ladies and gentlemen, Egyptian mummies, extinct reptiles, and Tony Hunter, the grand old man of the dance!"

  Gabrielle Gerard : Oh I-I didn't mean...

  Tony Hunter : Young lady, I want you to know I can still thread a needle without my eyeglasses and still occasionally do a soft-shoe shuffle! Nothing balletic, of course.

  Gabrielle Gerard : You're not a ballet devotee, are you?

  Tony Hunter : Oh, yes! I was going to the ballet before you were born. I saw Pavlova, Carsanova, all the real ballet greats. You don't see dancing like that nowadays. Oh, I'm terribly sorry.

  Gabrielle Gerard : Oh, that's all right! I don't expect you to class me with Pavlova. In fact, if she were around, I doubt if she'd be good enough to dance with you. You'd probably insist on an audition first!

  Tony Hunter : I sure would, I'd audition my own grandmother.

  Gabrielle Gerard : Then why don't you audition mine? She'd be just about right for you! Oh, I'm terribly sorry.

  Tony Hunter : Oh, no you're not.

  Gabrielle Gerard : No I'm not!

  Tony Hunter : Neither am I!

  Gabrielle Gerard : Good!

• Gabrielle Gerard : The show's a big hit, Tony... It's going to run for a long time.As far as I'm concerned, it's going to run forever.

• Tony Hunter : Now look, now look, I thought I was the only nervous wreck around here. All this time, you've been behaving...

  Gabrielle Gerard : [Sobbing]  I've behaved terribly to you and I know it. I'm not used to behaving horribly. Its a big strain!

• Gabrielle Gerard : [Sobbing]  Don't be nice to me! It just makes me seem twice as ugly.

• Tony Hunter : Do you know what those are on those benches? People. Happy people. Would you believe it, they don't even care if we have a damnation scene in our show or not.

  Gabrielle Gerard : Neither do I.

• Gabrielle Gerard : What does he want with me? He's a famous movie and stage actor. He's practically an historical character by now! Dancing with him is like - dancing with a statue of General Grant.

• Gabrielle Gerard : Tony, can you and I really dance together?

  Tony Hunter : I don't know. Let's find out.

• Tony Hunter : El Morocco, please.

  Gabrielle Gerard : Oh, no!

  Tony Hunter : Well, the Stork? The Waldorf?

  Gabrielle Gerard : No, look, I'm not dressed. I just came from rehearsal. I can't go to any of those places.

  Tony Hunter : You look fine to me.

• Gabrielle Gerard : Are we really supposed to open tomorrow night?

• Tony Hunter : Oh, sweetie, I just want to say that no matter what happens tonight, its been...

  Gabrielle Gerard : I know, Tony, its been that for me too.

• Tony Hunter : Will you have a cigarette?

  Gabrielle Gerard : No, thanks. I don't smoke.

  Tony Hunter : Never?

  Gabrielle Gerard : Well, I don't think that dancers should smoke.

  Tony Hunter : Oh, I see.