People are voting emotionally.

Simple and well acted, it has tension enough to knot the stomach.

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

The Belle of New York is not one of Fred Astaire's best movies but it is nowhere near his worst. Everything about the movie is sweet, charming and light. Vera Ellen is one of the best dancers in Hollywood and a great partner for Fred. The color is beautiful. The sets and the costumes are fantastic, and while it is true it is not one of the strongest stories, there are some good laughs along the way. The music is charming. The dancing is excellent. And the movie just glides along, mostly due to the very plentiful musical numbers. If you want some dramatic tension, look elsewhere. This movie has none. If you like musicals, if you like good dancing, in particular if you like Vera Ellen, this movie is a must see. The quality of the DVD release is excellent.

Fred was right; he should never have done this film.I've never seen "Yolanda and the Thief" so I can't compare it but this has got to be one of his worst musicals. Fred and the rest of the cast is pretty much wasted though the "I Wanna be a Dancin' Man" number is indeed a classic and handily escapes the mediocrity of the rest. But you can see it without having to endure this turkey, most notably in "That's Entertainment III". The cast has all appeared to better advantage elsewhere: Marjorie Main plays, surprise, surprise, a battle-ax and when she calls Fred "young man", you have to wonder what she's been drinking. (He was around 50 and looked it! In "Royal Wedding" which preceded it, at least he plays Jane Powell's brother, not love interest.) Alice Pearce plays the homely comedienne part to little avail even if she has a song ("Let a Little Love Come in") or two.Vera Ellen, an accomplished dancer, has near-zero chemistry with Fred and his "falling in love" with her or, even worse, she with him, has only to do with the script. His floating and dancing on air therefore looks doubly ridiculous and doesn't come off at all.Watch only if you must!

Considering the prodigious talent involved, possibly the worst musical of all time. This embarrassing mess underscores the importance of good writing in places where we might not think about its relevance, such as a musical. Plus the choreography is boring and the songs are awful. I thought it was going to be redeemed by the homely girl getting a guy, but noooo. The costumes were nice, but otherwise a complete waste of a wonderful cast!

The mostly negative reviews relating to this movie miss the mark. Although the script and special effects are undeniably weak, the partnered dancing of Fred Astaire and Vera-Ellen has never been equaled. One dance of particular note is the finale to the Currier and Ives number. It's simply breathtaking. Don't worry about the plot when you're watching the two best dancers in the history of Hollywood at the zenith of their powers.