An international bestseller, a nominee for the National Book Critics Circle Award, and made into a critically acclaimed movie, Shilts' expose revealed why AIDS was allowed to spread unchecked during the early 80's while the most trusted … Stars: Jason Alexander, Stephen Spinella, Stephen Bogardus...And the Band Played On (1980) And the Band Played On (TV Movie 1993) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. Upon it's first publication twenty years ago, And The Band Played on was quickly recognized as a masterpiece of investigative reporting. And the Band Played On is as important a tool in the teaching of American history as Uncle Tom's Cabin, The Jungle, The Grapes of Wrath, and I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. And the Band Played On adds its own snare-drum resonance to the AIDS catastrophe, beating elements of Randy Shilts' journalism into a passionate, incisive condemnation of … When crafting the required reading for students of American history, And the Band Played On needs to be added to that list.