As was the case in many of his films, Fred often wanted to come up with innovative ideas to incorporate filmmaking with dancing. He danced on the ceiling, in slow motion while his back-up dancers moved at normal speed, and also while flying - the latter you can see in The Belle of New York. After falling in love with the beautiful and pure Vera-Ellen, he feels so happy he literally walks (and dances) on air.
The plot of The Belle of New York is very cute, and it seems like a great audition piece for Fred to play in Guys and Dolls (imagine him and Gene Kelly in the leads!) Fred is a gambling, partying playboy who falls in love with a "mission doll" and has to reform. It's a different time period, though, and no one talks like gangsters - but still, it would have been adorable. Set at the turn of the century, you'll get to see tons of gorgeous costumes by Helen Rose and Giles Steele. Old fashioned charm is featured in every scene, helping us overlook the somewhat corny dialogue. I really like Vera-Ellen and appreciate the immense talent she brought to the screen. Maybe the songs could have been a little stronger, but then again, some of the songs Fred sang with Ginger Rogers weren't winners either. This one's definitely worth watching to see two great talents combined. And if you want to see Fred living it up as a ladies' man, it's very cute.
The plot of The Belle of New York is very cute, and it seems like a great audition piece for Fred to play in Guys and Dolls (imagine him and Gene Kelly in the leads!) Fred is a gambling, partying playboy who falls in love with a "mission doll" and has to reform. It's a different time period, though, and no one talks like gangsters - but still, it would have been adorable. Set at the turn of the century, you'll get to see tons of gorgeous costumes by Helen Rose and Giles Steele. Old fashioned charm is featured in every scene, helping us overlook the somewhat corny dialogue. I really like Vera-Ellen and appreciate the immense talent she brought to the screen. Maybe the songs could have been a little stronger, but then again, some of the songs Fred sang with Ginger Rogers weren't winners either. This one's definitely worth watching to see two great talents combined. And if you want to see Fred living it up as a ladies' man, it's very cute.