Blue Skies (1946)

A Broadway dancing star (Fred Astaire) and a nightclub owner (Bing Crosby) are both in love with the same girl (Joan Caulfield). She's not in love with the dancer, she's in love with the nightclub owner but he's too unstable to make a marriage work. Directed by Stuart Heisler (THE GLASS KEY) with songs by Irving Berlin. The narrative of this film is old hat and not even Berlin's music or Astaire's dancing can cover up the tired screenplay. I can give a musical's book a pass if the musical numbers are great but in this case, it's only Astaire's dancing and Hermes Pan's choreography that occasionally elevate the movie out of its slump. I've never been a fan of Bing Crosby (either his singing or acting) and while Joan Caulfield is lovely, she's on the bland side here. The musical highpoints of the film are Astaire's Puttin' On The Ritz number and the Heat Wave production number with Astaire and Olga San Juan. Still, the film was a huge hit and garnered good reviews. With Billy De Wolfe and Frank Faylen.