Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Blue Skies Blu-ray Movie Review

Blue Skies is considered as one of the best early era Hollywood musicals. The production is based on an original idea by Irving Berlin. Adapted by Allan Scott, Blue Skies is produced by Sol C. Siegel (High Society, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes) and the musical spectacular was a grand showcase for stars Bing Crosby and Joan Caulfield. The film features 30 Irving Berlin songs include the famous Puttin’ on the Ritz selection. Musical fans won’t want to miss out on this classic.

Johnny Adams (Bing Crosby) and Jed Potter (Fred Astaire) are both madly in love with the same woman: Mary O'Hara (Joan Caulfield). Johnny is a nightclub owner (with Mary serving as the club songstress). Jed is the lead dance star for the night club and people show up to the club just to see him dance and tap his feet away. Though Mary ultimately marries to Johnny, he drives them apart by focusing on his business and prioritizing selling other nightclubs. Jed ends up seeing an opportunity to win back her heart – yet the ultimate fate of her hand remains to be seen.

The performances are enormous fun. This is one of the most charming elements of Blue Skies and one of the key reasons why audiences appreciated the production. The film features both Holiday Inn co-stars Fred Astaire and Bing Crosby. Alongside Joan Caulfield, the performances are certainly exceptional. A delightful musical with plenty of merit. The ensemble cast provides a unique sense of style to the fun music numbers with each performer contributing something special to the experience.

The production has plenty of other impressive merits as well. The art direction by Hans Dreier (Double Indemnity, Sunset Blvd.) and Hal Pereira (Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Vertigo) is something that shines and provides a luxurious backdrop to the song and dance numbers. These aspects are also enhanced by worthwhile set decorations by Sam Comer (To Catch a Thief, Breakfast at Tiffany’s) and Maurice Goodman (Samson and Delilah, The Rat Race). These elements are especially compelling during sequences showcasing the first-rate dancing of star Bing Crosby.

The costumes by Waldo Angelo (The Perils of Pauline, Variety Girl), Edith Head (Roman Holiday, The Sting), and Barbara Karinska (Joan of Arc, The Pirate) are fantastic old-fashioned Hollywood glam. Wonderful designs comprise the efforts on the film. The characters look their part and wear an assortment of elegant designs. These costumes seem tailored perfectly to the stars.

The make-up by Wally Westmore (Vertigo, Rear Window) makes a solid impression as well (and serves as a nice accompaniment to the costuming). An important element of the film and why these classic Hollywood musicals stand up so well to this day. A noteworthy effort by Westmore.

The cinematography by Charles Lang (Some Like It Hot, The Magnificent Seven) and William E. Snyder (Creature from the Black Lagoon, The Loves of Carmen) shines. The black and white visuals are quite compelling and provide the film with the right ingredients for a memorable viewing experience. An impressive – lush and sophisticated – aesthetic. Lang and Snyder understand how to highlight the dancing with the right visual veneer.

The score composed by Robert Emmett Dolan (My Favorite Brunette, Sorrowful Jones) adds to the fun and energy of the production. Alongside the assortment of songs contributed by the great Irving Berlin, Blue Skies dazzles with a great soundtrack and plenty of wonderful score music. These musical elements enhance the showmanship of the filmmaking and bring out the best of the musical genre. These kinds of classic Hollywood musicals simply can’t shine without exceptional music and Blue Skies is no exception to the rule.

Edited by LeRoy Stone (Going My Way, The Big Clock), Blue Skies zips along with a great energy. The film certainly provides plenty of energetic fun for the performers to shine. The pace is excellent and the film doesn’t drag its feet (pun intended). There is plenty of toe-tapping dancing and the editing handles the show with ease.

The screenplay by Arthur Sheekman (Duck Soup, Call Me Madam) adds charm to the breezy filmmaking. The script has quality dialogue and fun characters to propel the story forward. Sheekman has fun with a number of comedic elements in the script. This is no surprise given the writers own involvement on the classic Duck Soup.

Directed by Stuart Heisler (Island of Desire, The Glass Key), Blue Skies is undeniably joyful fun and the classic song-and-dance numbers will have audiences feeling relaxed and mesmerized. The film is an outstanding showcase for the lead performers and Heisler helps to bring forth solid performances. Highlighting the dancing and keeping the focus on a light and charming atmosphere was a good approach. Blue Skies is all the more entertaining as a result.

Blue Skies Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from distributor Kino Lorber, Blue Skies is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.37:1 full frame. The presentation is sourced from a new 2K restoration of the feature-film. The new restoration for the film looks organic and pleasing throughout the presentation.

The black and white cinematography looks especially pleasing with the high-definition presentation capably showcasing the wonderful visuals of the production. The encoding is solid, too. The encoding handles the dance routines and there are no egregious issues with compression. A strong presentation provided by Kino Lorber.

Blue Skies Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release features a brand-new audio restoration. The release is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono. The lossless audio encoding sounds worthwhile on the release. The sound quality is crisp: providing a solid soundstage for both the score and the songs. The presentation is certainly a solid match to the quality video restoration on the release.

The first print run of the release did have a rare problem with select dance scenes having low volume reproduction during the tap dances. These moments of quiet tap dancing were problematic for some listeners and a disc replacement program was created for those who contacted Kino Lorber. Please be aware that all current pressings of the release feature the revised presentation.

For those who purchased the title during the original release street date (or nearby), buyers can contact distributor Kino Lorber if there are concerns about the disc. If one orders the title today on Amazon (or at any time in the future), the new pressings are all correct with the tap-dancing elements sounding just as crystal clear as the other audio elements on the release. Rest assured this is a rare occurrence – in my years of reviewing titles distributed by Kino Lorber, these issues are rare outliers.

Blue Skies Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Audio Commentary by Film Critic and Author Simon Abrams

The release also includes a selection of trailers:

Road to Morocco – Trailer (SD, 2:13)

Daddy Long Legs – Trailer (SD, 2:42)

Love Me Tonight – Trailer (HD, 1:46)

Thoroughly Modern Millie – Trailer (HD, 2:39)

Blue Skies Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Blue Skies is a vibrant and charming classic Hollywood musical. The filmmaking is enormously entertaining and the performances by Bing Crosby, Fred Astaire, and Joan Caulfield shine. A wonderful testament to the power of classic Hollywood filmmaking. The film also provides audiences with some wonderful soundtrack gems by Irving Berlin (including Puttin' on the Ritz). The music selections are fantastic and essential to the experience.

The Blu-ray release includes a wonderful high-definition presentation sourced from a brand new 2K restoration. The audio elements have been restored for the release as well. The Blu-ray release is worthwhile for fans of the film seeing the best video and audio presentations (and a nice copy to permanently own and display on their shelf). A genuine classic and one that is well worth seeking out. Highly recommended.