The Belle of New York ** (1952, Fred Astaire, Vera-Ellen, Majorie Main, Keenan Wynn) – Classic Movie Review 5671

Director Charles Walters makes a 1952 MGM musical with Fred Astaire, Vera-Ellen, Majorie Main and Keenan Wynn. The spirits rise – but only to fall again, because this is a dull rendition of the Harry Warren-Johnny Mercer / Hugh Morton [C M S McLellan] and Gustave Kerker musical re-creating New York’s Gay Nineties (the straight 1890s that is). It is advertised as ‘M.G.M’s Gay TECHNICOLOR Musical!’ Some people might be disappointed.

When MGM completely overhauled the stage musical, they forgot to polish it as well. But Astaire is still on top form as Charlie Hill, a man-about-town socialite who has left five brides at the altar and now woos Angela Bonfils (Vera-Ellen), a Salvation Army mission house worker in the Bowery, who finally snares him.

The songs include ‘Oops’, ‘When I’m Out with the Belle of New York’, ‘Baby Doll’, ’Naughty but Nice’, and Roger Edens’s ‘Let a Little Love Come In’. The tunes are fine too – but there is nothing much going on between the song and dance numbers. It’s left up to the stars’ formidable dance numbers to carry the flimsy story.

Also in the cast are Alice Pearce, Clinton Sundberg, Gale Robbins, Lisa Ferraday, Henry Slate, Tom Dugan, Dick Wessel, Carol Brewster and Meredith Leeds.

The script is by Robert O’Brien and Irving Elinson, with adaptation by Chester Erskine.

Vera-Ellen (1921–1981) was Vera Ellen Westmeier Rohe, nicknamed Bunny. She also danced with Astaire in Three Little Words (1950), with Gene Kelly in On the Town (1949), with Donald O’Connor in Call Me Madam (1953) and in White Christmas (1954). Though her 10-year, 14-film career crashed with the demise of musicals, dancing legend Vera-Ellen is one of the great Veras.

© Derek Winnert 2017 Classic Movie Review 5671

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