Blu-ray Review A Few Words About A few words about...™ Blue Skies -- in Blu-ray (1 Viewer)

[OLDTIMER]

About the DVD looking decent, I used to have the Laser Disc copy of Blue Skies. On the DVD that I now have I had inserted a note that reads: "The Laser copy looks much better with regard colour and grey scale but a little softer".
Mr Harris says that the Blu-Ray (paraphrasing) has crushed blacks. I hope it doesn't look like some of those Fox 1940s' Technicolor dupes.

 

[RobertMG]

About the DVD looking decent, I used to have the Laser Disc copy of Blue Skies. On the DVD that I now have I had inserted a note that reads: "The Laser copy looks much better with regard colour and grey scale but a little softer".
Mr Harris says that the Blu-Ray (paraphrasing) has crushed blacks. I hope it doesn't look like some of those Fox 1940s' Technicolor dupes.

Yes Blue Skies looked better on laser than dvd. I hold the same for Easter Parade that looked great on Laser on dvd and blu some scenes look not so good I have Easter Parade on Super 8mm full length and even that prints looks better than the dvd and blu

 

[David Weicker]

Why is “Swingtime” the only Astaire & Rogers film on blu-ray? Why no restorations on the RKO series…?

Mainly because RKO (and subsequent owners) didn't maintain their film library well (for whatever reason). Films produced by RKO require a lot more work to create Blu-Ray worthy releases than other studios.

My own expectation is that Barkleys Of Broadway (an MGM production) will see Blu before the RKO titles

 

[RobertMG]

Mainly because RKO (and subsequent owners) didn't maintain their film library well (for whatever reason). Films produced by RKO require a lot more work to create Blu-Ray worthy releases than other studios.

My own expectation is that Barkleys Of Broadway (an MGM production) will see Blu before the RKO titles

Surprise it hasn't yet.

 

[Will Krupp]

Just for fun

Online lists of annual top grossers need to be taken with a big grain of salt (sometimes an entire shaker.) They're lazy lists and mostly include (as this one does) all reissues in the totals. All that will give you is the highest grossing films FROM 1946 not the highest grossing films OF 1946 and there's a difference. To look at these lists, you'd think every Disney movie was pure gold, since they are always at the top. The totals from SONG OF THE SOUTH your list cites, for example, use reissues from 1956, 1972, 1973, 1980 and 1986 (WITH inflation) to get there. Actual box office from its initial release is closer to $3.5 million.

If you want to look at true lists of original box office performance, you have to stick with contemporaneous accounts like Variety, which published them as they were happening.

This is the list of top grossers of 1946 (from a January 1947 issue of Variety)

Variety (January 1947) : Variety : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

archive.org

and this is 1947 (from a January 1948 issue of Variety)

Variety (January 1948) : Variety : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

archive.org

To get accurate numbers for films released late in the calendar year, you often have to look at TWO years because the movie might make most of its money in the year following its release.

 

[richbarrac1]

The Mueller book is definitely my favorite Astaire book although I dont always agree with him but STARRING FRED ASTAIRE was the first one I read back in the 70s and then the Arlene Croce book which i didnt understand or appreciate too much as a teenager but I do now.

I am never sure if BLUE SKIES or SECOND CHORUS is Astaire's worst film but since the former has one of his greatest dance numbers, I wouldnt dishonor it that way. But, sheesh, with Crosby, Astaire and Berlin, most of this is pretty dreary. He was a last minute replacement so luckily he's not in it all that much.

 

[Matt Hough]

Oh, brother, do we ever disagree about Blue Skies which I think is a terrific film with great, memorable music and more dramatic opportunities for both Bing and Fred (which they handle quite well) than the more frivolous, lighthearted (albeit undeniably entertaining) Holiday Inn.

 

[OLDTIMER]

Nobody's mentioned how entertaining Olga San Juan is in Blue Skies.

 

[RobertMG]

The Mueller book is definitely my favorite Astaire book although I dont always agree with him but STARRING FRED ASTAIRE was the first one I read back in the 70s and then the Arlene Croce book which i didnt understand or appreciate too much as a teenager but I do now.

I am never sure if BLUE SKIES or SECOND CHORUS is Astaire's worst film but since the former has one of his greatest dance numbers, I wouldnt dishonor it that way. But, sheesh, with Crosby, Astaire and Berlin, most of this is pretty dreary. He was a last minute replacement so luckily he's not in it all that much.

Sadly Belle Of New York might belong as one of his worst, Blue Skies has some outstanding moments but is a stop below Holiday Inn for sure. Who was he a last minute rep;acement for?

 

[marcco00]

Paul Draper, who i hadn't really seen before. he was a quite famous dancer working mainly on stage and night clubs. search 'paul draper ruby keeler' on youtube and check out the clip, he's pretty good

 

[marcco00]

Sadly Belle Of New York might belong as one of his worst, Blue Skies has some outstanding moments but is a stop below Holiday Inn for sure. Who was he a last minute rep;acement for?

the dance numbers are superb in every film. i'm there for the wonderful music and magical dancing. Astaire was a magical human being

 

[RobertMG]

Paul Draper, who i hadn't really seen before. he was a quite famous dancer working mainly on stage and night clubs. search 'paul draper ruby keeler' on youtube and check out the clip, he's pretty good

Amazing how Stars are discovered and made look at White Christmas - George Chakaris danced in the musical numbers with Rosemary Clooney and Vera Ellen and because of this film he went on to West Side Story!

 

[Matt Hough]

George was among the cadre of chorus dancers working through several Hollywood studios during the musical triumphant 1940s and 1950s periods. You can also find George in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, There's No Business Like Show Business, and Brigadoon if you look for him. He worked his way out of the chorus and onto the London stage as Riff in West Side Story before he was tapped to play Bernardo in the film.

 

[Waldo Lydecker]

Actually George was initially noticeable with Marilyn Monroe in her signature number “Diamonds are a girl’s best friend” in 1953’s “Gentleman Prefer Blondes”. He dances in “Brigadoon”, “Call Me Madam”, “The Great Caruso”…etc. All before “White Christmas”…???

 

[Waldo Lydecker]

Matt, you’re too quick for me…( which is not hard)

 

[RobertMG]

Matt, you’re too quick for me…( which is not hard)

And hearing Rosemary Clooney rave about him and how his appearcance in White Christmas helped his career, she stated I think, people started asking who was that dancer etc

 

[RobertMG]

And hearing Rosemary Clooney rave about him and how his appearcance in White Christmas helped his career, she stated I think, people started asking who was that dancer etc

Here is his answer in an interview when asked about White Christmas too - -
George Chakiris
You mentioned GENTLEMAN PREFER BLONDES and WHITE CHRISTMAS. Those two are my favorites for different reasons. In WHITE CHRISTMAS, Rosemary Clooney does a number called “Love, You Didn’t Do Right by Me” with just four guys. Because there were just four of us, we were more visible. I love the song. Rosie, she was a lovely person. Rosie was just so great.

And then the other one that I really loved to drop a name: Marilyn Monroe. Who doesn’t want to drop that name?

It gives me such a kick and such pleasure to be able to say, “I was one of the guys behind Marilyn Monroe in the ‘Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend’ number.” And by the way, you know when you’re working on something, you concentrate on the work and one of the things in retrospect thinking back that I noticed about her, at least I thought I noticed about her, was she was very quiet.

They save their energy, because they’re concentrating on the work. I’m saying it about her (Monroe), especially, because there are so many pre-conceived opinions about her. I like pointing out what a serious, reflective, devoted performer she was.

 

[MarkA]

George was among the cadre of chorus dancers working through several Hollywood studios during the musical triumphant 1940s and 1950s periods. You can also find George in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, There's No Business Like Show Business, and Brigadoon if you look for him. He worked his way out of the chorus and onto the London stage as Riff in West Side Story before he was tapped to play Bernardo in the film.

I didn't know he was in Brigadoon!

 

[marcco00]

just placed my pre-order in for this, the release date is march 22nd. according to info on another website, this is a new 2K master and newly remastered audio, that's news to me!

 

[Nick Eden]

Why is “Swingtime” the only Astaire & Rogers film on blu-ray? Why no restorations on the RKO series…?

Good question.
My heart sinks when a poster mentions a much lesser admired title and berates the fact it is missing on blu ray.
Blu ray has been around now for 15 years?
It is a shame that only the one Astaire Rogers title is available.