Review of Blue Skies (1946) by Stephanie F — 17 Jan 2010

I would recommend this only for avid fans of the two male leads, especially those of Astaire who should definitely not miss his Puttin' on the Ritz number at about the 25-minute mark. Then again, that sequence - along with the only other highlight of the film, A Couple of Song and Dance Men, where Astaire and Crosby thrown in everything and the kitchen sink for a good ole vaudeville romp - is on YouTube, so there's really no point in putting anyone ever again through this tissue-thin story and even thinner plot device of a story-within-a-story (in this case, flashback-within-radio-show, which I could only imagine as one of those inane, talk show ones that I would only consider listening to if I was on the road at 2 in the morning a la Sleepless in Seattle; otherwise, the TV would be a safer bet).

Once you pass Song and Dance Men, feel free to stop the movie - you won't miss a thing if you've already seen Holiday Inn, the first and far better of the 2 Astaire-Crosby pairings. Though De Wolfe, who steals most of his scenes, does an amusing bit as an increasingly inebriated woman celebrating her 18th wedding anniversary and Astaire does fair enough in a Caribbean-themed routine to a jazzed-up reprise of Puttin' on the Ritz towards the end, both numbers sag in the middle and are largely forgettable, much like the movie itself.

Astaire had announced this film as his swan song from entertainment, and if his intention was to bow out without a bang, he did it alright; thank goodness for Easter Parade. P.S. It seems that the only memborable moments are when Astaire was in his element, dancing.

And to be fair, Crosby does a touching scene with his little, on-screen daughter where he serenades her on a bite-sized piano; the kid steals the scene and Crosby's reactions are heartaching - a bittersweet mix.