The Belle of New York (1952)

Playboy Charlie Hill meets beautiful Angela Bonfils, a mission house worker in the Bowery. He genuinely falls in love, so dedicated to winning over her, Charlie cleans up his act and even gets a job as a driver to impress her.

Director:

Charles Walters

Writers:

C.M.S. McLellan (play) (as Hugh Morton), Chester Erskine (adaptation)

Stars:

Fred Astaire, Vera-Ellen, Marjorie Main

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Fred Astaire	...	Charlie Hill
Vera-Ellen	...	Angela Bonfils
Marjorie Main	...	Mrs. Phineas Hill
Keenan Wynn	...	Max Ferris
Alice Pearce	...	Elsie Wilkins
Clinton Sundberg	...	Gilford Spivak
Gale Robbins	...	Dixie 'Deadshot' McCoy

Storyline

In squeaky-clean New York at the turn of the century, playboy Charlie Hill falls so much in love that he can walk on air. The object of his affections is beautiful Angela Bonfils, a mission house worker in the Bowery. He promises to reform his dissolute life, even trying to do an honest day's work.

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Plot Keywords:

remake | based on play | dance | 

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Taglines:

M.G.M's Gay TECHNICOLOR Musical!

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Genres:

Comedy | Musical | Romance

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

The redhead who gives the toast at Charlie's bachelor dinner is played by Lyn Wilde, one of the Wilde Twins, who appeared in several MGM productions, including Andy Hardy's Blonde Trouble (1944), Twice Blessed (1945), and Till the Clouds Roll By (1946).

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Goofs

(around 65 mins) When Angela covers a tambourine with a cloth and props it up on a chair, the cloth slips off the tambourine. But when it cuts immediately to a long-shot the cloth is back in place on the tambourine.

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Quotes

Angela Bonfils: There's nothing wrong with you.
Charlie Hill: Yes there is, I'm in love.
Angela Bonfils: Love.
Charlie Hill: You probably don't know about love.
Angela Bonfils: Well I certainly know it isn't about being numb, weak at the knees.

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Connections

Referenced in At the Movies: That's Entertainment III/3 Ninjas Kick Back/Being Human/Dream Lover/Kika (1994)

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Soundtracks

When I'm Out With the Belle of New York
(uncredited)
Music by Harry Warren
Lyrics by Johnny Mercer
Sung by chorus

User Reviews

Since when didn't Kelly want to make EASTER PARADE?

Although I have no quarrel with Joseph's mostly astute comments about THE BELLE OF NEW YORK, I must question his assertion that Gene Kelly never wanted to do EASTER PARADE and faked an injury to get out of it. Can Joseph cite a source for this assertion? There are many sources that cite Kelly's injury as a real one. (As a contract player, how could he have faked it, anyway?) The only controversy at the time was that Kelly told MGM he'd hurt his foot during rehearsals, when in reality he'd broken it at his home playing one of his fiercely competitive games of football. Judy Garland -- Irving Berlin -- Arthur Freed producing -- why wouldn't Kelly have wanted to get in on such a project? It had "hit" written all over it, and of course that's exactly what it turned out to be when it was finally released with Astaire in Kelly's role.

-- Preston Neal Jones

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 February 1952 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Belle of New York

Filming Locations:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$2,563,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

82 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1