Main Cast: Fred Astaire, Vera-Ellen, Marjorie Main, Keenan Wynn, Alice Pearce
Release Year: 1952
Country: US
Run Time: 82 minutes
Plot
A lesser Fred Astaire effort, Belle of New York is set during the turn of the century. Astaire plays a footloose and fancy-free playboy who falls in love with Salvation Army lass Vera-Ellen. To prove his worth to the girl, Astaire breaks down and gets a job. Naturally, there's plenty of terpsichorean activity from the two stars, but nothing truly worth remembering save for Astaire's solo "I Wanna be a Dancin' Man". The film's best moments belong to such stellar supporting players as Alice Pearce, Marjorie Main, Keenan Wynn, Henry Slate, and the ubiquitous Percy Helton. Belle of New York was adapted by Chester Erskine from a play by Hugh Morton. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Review
After his classic films with Ginger Rogers, Fred Astaire went through quite an array of partners. Vera Ellen, his teammate for The Belle of New York, is one of his very finest in terms of technique -- and she's not a bad match for him overall, either. True, there's a substantial difference in their ages, but this was often the case with Astaire and his co-stars. While not a great actress, Vera Ellen has an attractive personality that plays well off of Astaire, who is in his usual superb form as the debonair playboy (not a stretch). The two stars have three marvelous dances that allow them to strut their stuff together, but it's two Astaire solos that are especially memorable. "I Wanna Be a Dancing Man" is a traditional Astaire signature number and "Seeing's Believing" is an amazing trip across the rooftops of New York City. Comedienne Alice Pearce also gets a few chances to shine, especially in "Naughty But Nice." Unfortunately, the screenplay is a letdown, with a terribly thin plot and leaden dialogue. This prevents the movie from being something special, but the highlights are noteworthy. Astaire's next film would be one of the classics of the film musical, Band Wagon. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
Clinton Sundberg - Gilfred Spivak; Gale Robbins - Dixie McCoy; Lisa Ferraday - Frenchie; Henry Slate - Clancy; Carol Brewster - One of Frenchie's girls; Meredith Leeds - One of Frenchie's girls; Lynn Wilde - One of Frenchie's girls; Roger Davis - Judkins; Buddy Roosevelt - Cab Driver; Percy Helton - Bowery Bum; Tom Dugan - Bowery Bum; Oliver Blake - Currier; George Boyce - Bowery Bum; Jean Corbett - One of Frenchie's Girls; Joe Evans - Bowery Bum; Lola Kendrick - One of Frenchie's Girls; Donald Kerr - Bowery Bum; Reginald Simpson - Casino Headwaiter; Dick Wessel - Bowery Bum; Dorinda Clifton - One of Frenchie's Girls
Credit
Cedric Gibbons - Art Director, Jack Martin Smith - Art Director, Roger Edens - Associate Producer, Robert Alton - Choreography, Helen Rose - Costume Designer, Gile Steele - Costume Designer, Al Jennings - First Assistant Director, Charles Walters - Director, Albert Akst - Editor, Johnny Mercer - Composer (Music Score), Harry Warren - Composer (Music Score), Adolph Deutsch - Musical Direction/Supervision, William J. Tuttle - Makeup, Robert Planck - Cinematographer, Arthur Freed - Producer, Richard A. Pefferle - Set Designer, Edwin B. Willis - Set Designer, Warren Newcombe - Special Effects, Irving G. Ries - Special Effects, Sally Benson - Screenwriter, Irving Brecher - Screenwriter, Irving Elinson - Screenwriter, Chester Erskine - Screenwriter, Fred F. Finklehoffe - Screenwriter, Robert O'Brien - Screenwriter, Joseph Fields - Screenwriter, Jerry Davis - Screenwriter, Hugh Morton - Play Author
Belle of New York, The (1897), a musical comedy by Hugh Morton (book, lyrics), Gustave Kerker (music). [ Casino Theatre, 56 perf.] Violet Gray (Edna May), a Salvation Army lass, takes it upon herself to reform the spendthrift ways of Harry Brown (Harry Davenport), who has been cast out by his hypocritical, crusading father, Ichabod (Dan Daly). So grateful is Ichabod that he is prepared to break his son's engagement to another girl, Cora (Ada Dare), and force him to marry Violet. Realizing that Harry and Cora are very much in love, Violet purposely alienates Ichabod by singing a risqué ditty. Notable songs: The Purity Brigade; She Is the Belle of New York; They All Follow Me. Although the George Lederer–produced musical's run in New York was brief, it was taken to London, where it became the first American musical to achieve real success, compiling 674 performances in the West End. It was also mounted with great success on the Continent. While there have been a number of important and profitable European revivals, the musical has never been given a major rehearing in America except for a 1921 rewriting called The Whirl of New York.
This whimsical (even by Astaire's standards) musical failed at the box office and impressed few critics at the time, mainly due to the nature of the plot which empowers lovers to float free of the influence of gravity - a conceit reprised in the 1999 film Simply Irresistible. Astaire was reluctant[1] to take the project - he was originally supposed to play the role in 1946 but had avoided it through retirement. Clearly stung by its failure, Astaire later claimed that the dance routines - of which there are more than usual - are of a particularly high standard - a rare verdict from such a notoriously self-critical artist. Vera-Ellen is generally viewed[2] as one of Astaire's most technically proficient dance partners, and this was a factor[1] in his readiness to expand the dance content of the film beyond its traditional proportions.
Set in turn-of-the-century New York, wealthy playboy Charles Hill (Fred Astaire) is causing difficulties for his guardian, Aunt Lettie (Marjorie Main) and lawyer, Max (Keenan Wynn). Prone to fall in love then ditching his showgirl brides-to-be at the altar, the compensation bills are mounting. After the most recent episode, he hears Angela (Vera-Ellen) leading a Salvation Army band in song. He falls in love at first sight and when she scoffs at him, telling him that if he were in love his feet would leave the ground, he promptly floats high into the air. He pursues her, even vowing to do an honest day's work for the first time in his life. After various attempts to convince her, Angela's feeling finally cause her feet to leave the ground. After a couple of misunderstandings are resolved, they float into the air together, to a chorus of well-wishers below.
Musical numbers
The choreography makes play[2] with ideas of lightness, of floating on air[1] and on ice, and the use of platforms, with Astaire consciously avoiding his usual love of noise-making in his solos. Vera-Ellen's lithe and waif-like figure (she suffered from anorexia nervosa in real life) facilitated this concept. This also marks choreographer Robert Alton's last collaboration with Astaire.
When I'm Out With The Belle Of New York: The film's signature waltz is delivered by a male chorus outside Vera-Ellen's window.
Who Wants To Kiss The Bridegroom: Astaire sings and dances with seven lovely women in sequence, finishing the routine on a table.
Let A Little Love Come In: Sung by Alice Pierce and then by Vera-Ellen (dubbed here by Anita Ellis).
Seeing's Believing: Astaire fantasy song-and-dance solo performed atop a mock-up of Washington Square Arch and which makes considerable use of process photography. Astaire's verdict[1] was: "After much experimentation and testing, it neither came off photograpically nor story-wise."
Baby Doll: Partnered romantic duet, with gentle comic overtones, sung by Astaire and danced by Astaire and Vera-Ellen with much emphasis[2] on twirling motifs and platform work.
Oops: Comic dance duet, sung by Astaire, takes place in and around a moving horse-drawn streetcar which introduces the platform ingredient into a linear side-by-side style[2] of choreography incorporating gags and tap routines which echo aspects of the I'm Putting All My Eggs In One Basket Astaire-Rogers number from Follow the Fleet.
A Bride's Wedding Day Song (Curries And Ives): After some unfortunately cloying[2] opening scenes, and an attractive swirling routine on an ice-skating rink, Astaire and Vera-Ellen launch into a duet which in terms of virtuosity is equalled only by the famous Waltz In Swing Time Astaire-Rogers dance from Swing Time, with which this routine has some elements in common, being also a syncopated waltz with tap components, this time to a speeded-up version of The Belle Of New York. The apparent ease with which Vera-Ellen copes with the myriad complexities of this routine has sealed her reputation as one of Astaire's most accomplished dance partners. Lastly, this dance is noteworthy for being Astaire's last full tap duet with a leading lady on film, as Ellen was the last of his dance partners who could tap.
Naughty But Nice: A solo song (dubbed by Ellis) and dance routine by Vera-Ellen which attempts[2] to be erotic.
I Wanna Be A Dancin' Man: Astaire's second solo routine is a song and sand-dance (only his second sand-dance on film, the other being the No Strings number from Top Hat), and one which - by running separate takes side by side in split screen - has been used in That's Entertainment, Part III to illustrate the extreme precision of Astaire's dance technique. The number - whose lyrics are a tribute to Astaire by his friend Mercer - is a humorous study in nonchalance, with Astaire's choreography deliberately offsetting[2] Mercer's tribute.
References
^ abcdAstaire, Fred (1959). Steps in Time. London: Heinemann. pp. 299–300. ISBN0-241-11749-6.
^ abcdefgMueller, John (1986). Astaire Dancing - The Musical Films. London: Hamish Hamilton. pp. 332–347. ISBN0-241-11749-6.
