Blue Skies

Fred Astaire's dancing and Bing Crosby's singing: wow, not a bad combination! As good as Bing's voice was, I preferred seeing Fred dance so the picture is only so-so for me. Either way, you'd think with these two stars, this musical would be tremendous, but it isn't.

Astaire has three of his four dance numbers in the first half of the movie. One of them, "Puttin' On The Ritz," is one of the most impressive performances, if not THE best, he's ever done. It is absolutely spectacular. The movie is worth seeing for that performance alone. For the next hour, there is a romance gone sour and Crosby's crooning (some good songs, some bad).

The film's intent was to pay tribute to Irving Berlin and all the music he gave us, and it succeeds on that level. There are nothing but nice people in the movie and tons of music.....but the whole thing lacks something.

Blue Skies was to be Fred's "swan song" as he had announced he would retire from dancing. He had been on the stage since being a child, and at age 46 thought he was danced out. The very last dance number filmed (as in all Astaire musicals) were his solos. The last number, he thought, ever to be filmed in his life was Puttin' On The Ritz. After the last take, he pulled off his mini-rug and stomped on it saying he was glad he didn't have to wear that thing ever again.

His retirement didn't last too long (he spent time with his race horses)as Gene Kelly called saying he had broken his foot playing football, and Fred came back to film work in Easter Parade.

There was to be a third paring of Crosby and Astaire in White Christmas, but Fred had other commitments, that's when Danny Kaye was brought in. Both Astaire and Crosby made their last recording together in the early 1970's called, "A Couple of Song and Dance Men". When they started to record the album, one of them remarked this was the first time they had worked together since Blue Skies. It was their last recording date as Crosby died shortly after, and Astaire never made other recordings.

Sure it's the same old story of two showbiz guys fighting over the girl, but that's just an excuse to have fun with Fred and Bing. The two dance and sing several fine numbers throughout the film.

And there's the added treat of music by one of the legendary composers. Irving Berlin provides his beautiful songs, including the Oscar-nominee "You Keep Coming Back Like a Song." Fred Astaire does his famous "Puttin on the Ritz" number, while Bing sings the title tune. The duo work well together as they did on "Holiday Inn" four years earlier.

Billy De Wolfe has some funny moments in songs and sketches.

Overall, a colorful and entertaining musical. Don't listen to those who'd turn you away just because the plot is kinda thin.

What more could you want?

I had wanted to see this film for years. Despite the talent involved: Astaire; Crosby; Berlin and the best production values that money could buy, I found it to be very disappointing. Part of the problem is, I believe, the lackluster performance of Joan Caulfield who becomes annoying with her vacillating romance between Astaire and Crosby. One wonders why one, much less two, guys would fall for her. Billy DeWolfe and Olga San Juan are very good in supporting roles and,of course, the Irving Berlin score is great, but somehow it all fails to jell.

I believe that this film shows the different "style" of the studios. Had this been made at M-G-M, if probably would have been great, at Paramount it falls flat. "Lady in the Dark" was another Paramount opus which had a similar fault.

Fred Astaire, Bing Crosby, and Joan Caulfield star in "Blue Skies," a 1946 musical film also starring Billy de Wolfe and Olga San Juan. The film starts with Jed (Astaire) on the radio telling the story of his buddy Johnny's (Crosby) relationship with Mary (Caulfield), and saying that he hoped Mary, wherever she was, would hear him. Both Jed and Johnny had been in love with her, but she had chosen Johnny.

The story of this love triangle is backed up by one Irving Berlin song after another - there is a lot of music, some fine singing by Crosby and tremendous dancing by Astaire. This was to be his last film but his retirement only lasted a couple of years. He worked in film until 1977 and continued working in television and doing voiceovers until 1981; he died in 1987. In the late '50s, he did two dance specials on television, and he did one in 1968. Was he dancing at the age of 69? Probably.

The movie doesn't really hang together. The production values are great, but the story is trite, and there aren't enough fabulous numbers. Astaire does "Puttin' on the Ritz," which is the height of the film, also "Heat Wave," and with Crosby, "A Couple of Song and Dance Men." There is a section during World War II where Crosby sings some of his Berlin standards, "This is the Army, Mr. Jones," "White Christmas," and "Any Bonds Today?" The beautiful "Always" is done as a chorus number, as is "How Deep is the Ocean," with Crosby sometimes singing along.

Having heard Crosby when he had something to prove back in the early '30s, I can never be content with his crooning, except perhaps in some parts of "Holiday Inn." Astaire is the one who makes this film worthwhile at all. See it for him and for some of the music and musical numbers. Ignore the story.