Product: Birth Of The Blues/Blue Skies - Double Feature (1941)
Rating: 5.0
Blue Skies...smilin' at me...
-and I'm smilin' right back. Three cheers to "Universal" for doing this double feature justice. Both films look and sound wonderful, better than ever. Clearly done with care. "Birth of the Blues" is great fun, featuring excellent and exciting small group dixieland jazz playing. "Blue Skies" is a little hokey-but who cares? Great numbers with Bing and Fred.Not to crazy about leading lady Joan Caulfield though. I just wish they would have cast a girl with more charisma...like Rita Hayworth. Imagine, Fred and Rita dancing in technicolor...don't get me started. Of course, this film contains one of Fred Astaire's best routines-the amazing "Puttin' On The Ritz". Is there anyone on this earth who could rival Astaire's class, timing and smoothness factor in this number? No,there isn't!