Blu-ray Review Blue Skies Blu-ray Review (1 Viewer)

[Matt Hough]

Irving Berlin’s usually buoyant tunes take on a decidedly melancholy tone in Stuart Heisler’s post-World War II musical Blue Skies, unsurprisingly matching the unsettled mood of the country after a devastating world war.



Blue Skies (1946)



Released: 16 Oct 1946
Rated: Approved
Runtime: 99 min




Director: Stuart Heisler, Mark Sandrich
Genre: Comedy, Musical, Romance



Cast: Fred Astaire, Bing Crosby, Joan Caulfield
Writer(s): Arthur Sheekman, Allan Scott, Irving Berlin



Plot: An ex-dancer and New York radio star narrates his love story for a band singer who loved a self-centered man who was unable to commit to his nightclub business or his family.



IMDB rating: 6.4
MetaScore: N/A





Disc Information



Studio: Paramount...

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[AnthonyClarke]

So we have to wait for the reissue. Kino usually does such a great job for us that it's a shame to see this happen. Someone must be entrusted with the job of comparing a finished Blu ray project with the best original source .. even to see how it compares to the very last DVD issue! It's obviously not worth purchasing in this state.

 

[lark144]

So we have to wait for the reissue. Kino usually does such a great job for us that it's a shame to see this happen. Someone must be entrusted with the job of comparing a finished Blu ray project with the best original source .. even to see how it compares to the very last DVD issue! It's obviously not worth purchasing in this state.

To each their own, but it's not a deal breaker for me. Just imagine you're watching a silent film. Or clap along with his toe tapping. Not the same, I understand, but I love this film and I'm getting it. For me, watching those movements is what counts, not so much the sound. Of course, that's just me. Perfection is wonderful, but I'll take what I can get. Anyway, never say never, but I doubt this will be reissued.

 

[Matt Hough]

I agree with you, Mark. I'd love to see a recall, but I doubt it will happen. This is likely all we're going to get.

 

[marcco00]

bummer. i'll have to dig out my dvd copy to compare. i always love listening to Astaire tap, he uses his feet like a musical instrument.

 

[RobertMG]

To each their own, but it's not a deal breaker for me. Just imagine you're watching a silent film. Or clap along with his toe tapping. Not the same, I understand, but I love this film and I'm getting it. For me, watching those movements is what counts, not so much the sound. Of course, that's just me. Perfection is wonderful, but I'll take what I can get. Anyway, never say never, but I doubt this will be reissued.

Kino has nothing to do with this problem and I wonder if Universal even has the tap tracks etc or any tracks on the film what elements do they really have on the film - too bad Universal cannot clarify Thankfully Kino has greenlighted corrected discs. Was it on Universals end?

 

[Matt Hough]

Kino has nothing to do with this problem and I wonder if Universal even has the tap tracks etc or any tracks on the film what elements do they really have on the film - too bad Universal cannot clarify

Up in the Kino Thoughts thread., it's being said that Kino is reviewing the situation presently and will issue a recall program if so justified.

 

[RobertMG]

Up in the Kino Thoughts thread., it's being said that Kino is reviewing the situation presently and will issue a recall program if so justified.

Been waiting to see dvdbeavers review too

 

[Peter Apruzzese]

Heard from KL again. They're fixing the Blue Skies master and will redo the discs, and should be able to send them out by late April or early May. They'll be sharing replacement disc links soon. Thanks so much to Kino Lorber!

From the "Your Thoughts on Kino Lorber..." thread

 

[marcco00]

KINO to the rescue......thanx KINO!!

 

[RobertMG]

KINO to the rescue......thanx KINO!!

They care about their Customers!

 

[JFKarr]

So we have to wait for the reissue. Kino usually does such a great job for us that it's a shame to see this happen. Someone must be entrusted with the job of comparing a finished Blu ray project with the best original source .. even to see how it compares to the very last DVD issue! It's obviously not worth purchasing in this state.

There's another reason for hesitating to purchase. I can't believe Matt didn't mention this in his review. It drives me nuts. The Kino reissue doesn't have an Index, there isn't a Chapter menu, and, indeed, the 20 chapters, with individual chapters for each number, found on the Universal DVD have been dumped. Kino provides 11 chapters, mostly for dialogue scenes. If you wanna find "Puttin' on the Ritz,' you have to go fishing. Yes, the image and sound have been improved, but the disc's accessibility is zilch. A real outrage. That's what a Kino recall should correct.

 

[Matt Hough]

There's another reason for hesitating to purchase. I can't believe Matt didn't mention this in his review. It drives me nuts. The Kino reissue doesn't have an Index, there isn't a Chapter menu, and, indeed, the 20 chapters, with individual chapters for each number, found on the Universal DVD have been dumped. Kino provides 11 chapters, mostly for dialogue scenes. If you wanna find "Puttin' on the Ritz,' you have to go fishing. Yes, the image and sound have been improved, but the disc's accessibility is zilch. A real outrage. That's what a Kino recall should correct.

You must not collect many Kino discs because they haven't been putting scene selection menus on their discs for quite a while. Yes, Warner Archive offers instant access to musical numbers in musicals, but even they don't do scene menus any more. The review I posted of A Star Is Born yesterday had fifty chapters, but if I wanted to jump to the scene where Gaynor imitates Garbo, there's no instant access to it via a menu. Criterion still does it, of course.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

Everyone is cutting back out of necessity and chapter stops and menu pages for them take time, effort, cost more for authoring, and don’t increase sales potentials. As someone who’s job it once was to actually create chapter stops, I’m sorry they’ve been mostly lost, but I get it.

 

[Mike Frezon]

Heck, I remember the days ya not only got chapter stops but you got a paper insert with the disc describing them to you! Punks these days!

j/k

 

[dukiejosh54]

Watched mine today and it's definitely worth getting for the picture quality alone. Glad Kino is going to fix the tap issue. I can kind of hear the taps but they sound as If like they are a far away echo.

 

[AnthonyClarke]

I hate not getting musical number chapters in musicals. These are musicals!
I often pull out my favourite musicals ... and want to hear just two or three favourite songs. This lack of musical chapter authoring is a really cheapskate step, totally inappropriate given the source.
This practice isn't an economy; it's a travesty.

 

[dukiejosh54]

Kino just posted a link for the replacement program on facebook
https://www.kinolorber.com/page/blue-skies-replacement-program

 

[marcco00]

thank you!! this is great news!!

 

[alistairKerr]

Unfortunately, when I try to fill in the form, as soon as I fill in my country (United Kingdom) - the "submit" button at the foot of the form disappears, making it impossible to send. Can this be amended as I desperately want to receive the replacement blu ray.

Edit: It didn't work on my iMac but when I tried on my iPad it did!