1943 (September) An RKO Radio Picture Produced by David Hempstead Directed by Edward H.Griffith Written by Frank Fenton and Lynn Root Photographed by Russell Metty Songs by Johnny Mercer and Harold Arlen Music by Leigh Harline 89 minutes Starring Fred Astaire, Joan Leslie; with Robert Benchly, Robert Ryan, Elizabeth Patterson, Marjorie Gateson, Freddie Slack and His Orchestra Fred Astaire plays Fred Atwell, a Flying Tiger on leave in the United States, waiting to be tansferred to Naval aviation. An ace fighter pilot, Fred wearies of the cross-country publicity circus his squadron is treated to, jumps off his train, and hitches his way to New York City for some fun. He finds his way to the Colonial Club, a posh New York nightclub, where he immediately falls in love with a beautiful news photographer named Joan Manion (Joan Leslie, of course). Joan is there on assignment, taking pictures of celebrities, but what she really wants is a job as a war correspondent (she also, incidentally, sings and dances well enough to go professional). Robert Benchley plays her boss, Phil Harriman, also in love with her, and Robert Ryan is Reginald Fenton, another Flying Tiger who flits in and out of the plot at odd moments. Naturally, Joan is intrigued by Fred (he dances divinely), but she is more than a little miffed when he seems to take no interest in the war. Calling himself Fred Burton, Fred Atwell allows Joan to think he's a carefree bum -- as he explains to Reggie when the latter shows up at the Stage Door Canteen, he doesn't want to be interviewed about the world political situation when making time with his new amour (he only has seven days' leave). Joan too begins to fall in love with Fred, but becomes frustrated, and calls off their engagement (!) when he seems uninterested in finding work. In the end, Fred's identity is at last revealed, and the movie ends with Joan pledging her undying love for Fred as he boards a military plane bound for his bomber squadron in Australia. Joan Leslie made The Sky's the Limit on one of her rare loan-outs from Warner Bros. She had tried out for Paramount's Holiday Inn, and Astaire liked her enough to ask for her when he started his next project at RKO. Conscious of the prestige a pairing with Astaire would bring, Warners readily agreed to lend Radio its brightest new star. The movie, however, was not the big commercial success RKO (and Warners) had hope it would be. At the time, critics complained of the paper-thin plot, but since when has plot mattered in Fred Astaire musicals? The Johnny Mercer-Harold Arlen songs are few in number, but of superb quality. They include the ballad "My Shining Hour" (several times reprised and Oscar-nominated), "A Lot in Common with You" (a joshing duet in which Fred and Joan call for Hayworth and Cagney respectively), and the classic saloon song "One For My Baby" (which Fred sings and dances solo while on a late-night bender). Joan Leslie is a nimble dancer, and sings rather better than her ghostess in the one number she gets to warble herself ("A Lot in Common with You"). The movie ends on a downer, though, and this may account for some of the public's indifference. Wonderful as the dancing is, the image viewers carry away with them is the closing shot of Joan's tear-stained face as she watches Fred's plane lift off into the night sky. Their future together is uncertain at best. It's a heartbreaking, beautiful shot -- and one of Joan's best acting jobs. It's the kind of scene -- all too familiar in real life -- wartime audiences went to musicals to get away from. Very highly recommended. |
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