Conversation so far:
What did Fred Astaire do with MGM?
Fred Astaire did Red Skelton for MGM.
Was the Red Skelton musical successful?
Why did Fred Astaire come out of retirement?
Fred Astaire returned to the big screen to replace an injured Kelly in Easter Parade.
When did Fred Astaire decide to retire for a second time?
Fred Astaire's final musical at MGM, Silk Stockings (1957), lost money at the box office. Afterward, Astaire announced that he was retiring from dancing in film.
Did Fred Astaire continue to act after On the Beach?
Fred Astaire continued to act in the 1970s. He appeared on television as the father of Robert Wagner's character, Alexander Mundy, in It Takes a Thief.

Question: What was his role in The Band Wagon?
Self-contained rewrite: What was Fred Astaire's role in The Band Wagon?