Review: 'Blue Skies' is Worth It For Fred Astaire

Fred Astaire was one of the greatest onscreen song and dance performers of all time. One would argue that he and Gene Kelly revolutionized dance on film forever. So, even Astaire's lesser-quality films have substance, simply because he appears in them.

Astaire teamed up with Bing Crosby for the 1942 Irving Berlin musical comedy "Holiday Inn," probably best known for the Oscar-winning song "White Christmas," which then spawned a film of the same name (starring Crosby, a limited actor, and I'm being kind).

The Astaire/Crosby re-teaming for Stuart Heisler's "Blue Skies" in 1946, using recycled Berlin songs, tries to emulate the success of the previous teaming. Alas, it's doomed to fail, mostly because Astaire is so underused, and Crosby is just not that interesting.

The simplistic plot is told in flashback by now radio star, once Broadway baby Astaire. Post WWI, he falls for dancer Joan Caulfield, who does not return his feelings. Instead (and none too credibly), she has it bad for nightclub owner wannabe Crosby, who turns out to be an egotist and the worst kind of husband (Astaire warned her). She then decides to give it go with Astaire, and... are you asleep yet?

Peppered throughout Arthur Sheekman's exceedingly dull and painfully melodramatic screenplay (with story credit by Berlin) are vignette-y song and dance numbers (à la "Holiday Inn"), some of which are fabulous, like Astaire dancing with nine other Fred Astaires in "Puttin' on the Ritz," co-choreographed by the great Hermes Pan, Dave Robel, and Astaire himself.

"Heatwave" is also a major highlight, with Astaire hoofing it up with the amazing Olga San Juan.

Perhaps a stronger director might have jazzed things up a bit, but if you take out the musical numbers featuring Astaire you are left with a confounding cinematic mess with Caulfield at the center, an actress who has very little charm – at least, in this film. (It's interesting to note that she was having an affair with Crosby at the time of filming.)

A telling tidbit is that the Astaire character was originally going to be played by tap dancer Paul Draper, but his criticism of Caulfield had him replaced with Astaire, who said "Blue Skies" would be his last picture. One of the reasons he was growing tired of making films had to do with the quality of material and the idea of having to play 'second fiddle' to another lead. As if Fred Astaire could ever be anyone's second fiddle. He was back two years later, opposite Judy Garland in "Easter Parade."

The Kino Lorber Blu-ray has newly remastered audio, and it sounds fantastic. The 2K visual transfer is also impressive.

Critic Simon Abrams offers up an effusive audio commentary that is borderline giddy. He obviously loves the film much more than this cinephile.

Pick up "Blue Skies," but fast-forward to the Fred Astaire moments. The rest is hokum.

Blu-ray Extras Include: