Astaire's numbers shine in an otherwise routine musical
In 1942, the screen pairing of Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire in the Irving Berlin musical “Holiday Inn” yielded big profits for Paramount Pictures and gave the world one of its most famous holiday songs, “White Christmas.” Four years later, the stars were once again teamed up in “Blue Skies,” a romantic triangle featuring Berlin songs, Crosby’s crooning, and Astaire’s fancy footwork.<br /><br />Related in a series of extended flashbacks by radio star Jed Potter (Astaire), “Blue Skies” takes place during the years between the two world wars. Jed and Johnny Adams (Crosby) are former vaudeville partners. Jed falls heavily for showgirl Mary O’Hara (Joan Caulfield) but he’s too fast for her. She falls for Johnny, now a nightclub owner, and eventually marries him, but the marriage turns out to be rocky. She wants stability and security but Johnny has a penchant for buying and selling nightclubs all over the country. Reliable Jed is always on hand to offer Mary a sympathetic ear and a shoulder to lean on.<br /><br />The slight plot is peppered with mostly old songs, including “A Pretty Girl is Like a Melody,” “A Serenade to an Old-Fashioned Girl,” “How Deep Is the Ocean,” “You’d Be Surprised,” and “The Little Things in Life.” The best new number is the Academy Award-nominated “You Keep Coming Back Like a Song,” given a lush presentation by Crosby.<br /><br />Crosby, laid back as usual, goes through the movie with as much passion as a wet pillow though he comes to life briefly in his duet with Astaire, “A Couple of Song and Dance Men,” in which the crooner actually looks like he’s having fun. Since it’s a comedy number, Crosby’s less-than-stellar dance moves don’t really hurt the sequence.<br /><br />Astaire comes off best, playing a version of himself, a professional dancer.<br />An excellent solo number, “Puttin’ On the Ritz,” offers a chorus of Astaires backing him up thanks to special effects magic. Reminiscent of the title number in “Top Hat,” made eleven years earlier, it showcases Astaire at his best. He’s also the centerpiece of a big production number, “Heat Wave,” toward the end of the film, with a dance chorus and Olga San Juan singing and partnering with Astaire in a driving dance sequence. It’s a shame that Astaire is relegated to second fiddle status, since his numbers enliven an otherwise uninspired picture.<br /><br />Joan Caulfield is dull and bland as the woman two guys are crazy about. Her chemistry with Astaire is non-existent and her dramatic scenes with Crosby lack passion. She recites rather than acts her part and her reactions are blank, emotionless stares. She’s beautiful, but that’s all.<br /><br />Director Stuart Heisler was a replacement for Mark Sandwich, who died prior to filming, and his unfamiliarity with the musical genre is detrimental to the film. Caulfield couldn’t dance despite intensive efforts by dance teachers, director Hermes Pan, and  Astaire himself. Heisler wanted to replace her but she was having an affair with Crosby at the time, so he was stuck with her.<br /><br />The picture appears to be a cobbled together series of numbers loosely tied together with a dull plot enlivened only slightly by comedian Billy De Wolfe as Johnny’s friend and Olga San Juan as nightclub singer Nita Nova. As the story progresses, Caulfield’s fashions seem permanently locked into the 1910s, another indication that the film was a patchwork of musical scenes shuffled around willy-nilly. Almost complete reliance on the Berlin songs to carry the picture was a mistake. With the right material, Crosby could turn in a decent bit of acting, but here he simply coasts through the dramatic scenes. At the time, he was Paramount’s cash cow and could have demanded better material.<br /><br />An update from Kino-Lorber announced that an “audio error” is responsible for unimpressive taps in Astaire’s solo dances. Replacement discs that will fix the problem are being readied, but it will take 45-60 days to send them to customers. If you order “Blue Skies” directly from Kino-Lorber, the replacement disc will be sent automatically.<br /><br />Bonus materials on the unrated Kino-Lorber Classics Blu-ray release include the following:<br />Audio Commentary by Film Critic and Author Simon Abrams<br />“Road to Morocco” trailer (2:13)<br />“Daddy Long Legs” trailer (2:42)<br />“Love Me Tonight” trailer (1:46)<br />“Thoroughly Modern Millie” (2:39)<br /><br />“Blue Skies” offers a threadbare plot about a girl and the two guys who love her and is really an excuse to present a collection of songs by Irving Berlin. The movie lacks charm, style, and energy. The best way to enjoy it is to focus on the musical numbers, especially those with Astaire.
The movie title "Blue Skies [Blu-ray]," available on Movies & TV, has received an average rating of 4.5 from 180 reviewers. 
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 {"Genre": "Romance, Comedy, Musical", "Format": "Blu-ray", "Contributor": "Fred Astaire, Bing Crosby, Billy De Wolfe, Joan Caulfield, Olga San Juan", "Language": "English", "Runtime": "1 hour and 44 minutes", "Aspect Ratio": "1.37:1", "MPAA rating": "NR (Not Rated)", "Package Dimensions": "6.77 x 5.31 x 0.55 inches; 1.76 Ounces", "Media Format": "Blu-ray", "Run time": "1 hour and 44 minutes", "Release date": "March 22, 2022", "Actors": "Bing Crosby, Fred Astaire, Joan Caulfield, Billy De Wolfe, Olga San Juan", "Studio": "KL Studio Classics"}

Here is a brief synopsis of the title : Screen legends and Holiday Inn co-stars Bing Crosby (The Emperor Waltz) and Fred Astaire (Daddy Long Legs) reunite for another dazzling Irving Berlin musical spectacular, Blue Skies. Dancing star Jed Potter (Astaire) and singer/nightclub owner Johnny Adams (Crosby) are both in love with songstress Mary O’Hara (Joan Caulfield, Larceny). She marries Johnny but his passion for buying and selling nightclubs drives them apart. So Jed steps in, hoping to win Mary’s heart—until fate steps in and changes the lives of all three. Wonderfully directed by the versatile Stuart Heisler (Among the Living, Beachhead) and featuring thirty Irving Berlin songs including the showstopper “Puttin’ on the Ritz,” Blue Skies remains one of the all-time great musicals!.