Starring Fred Astaire, Joan Leslie, Robert Benchley, and Reginald Fenton
Directed by Edward H. Griffith
Music by Harold Arlen, Lyrics by Johnny Mercer
We honor the troops this Memorial Day Weekend with a very different wartime musical. As I've mentioned many times, the musicals of the World War II years were largely intended to be the ultimate in escapist fare, often set in faraway places or times. Sky's the Limit takes a different road, with it's slightly darker depiction of a war hero who pretends to be an ordinary guy to woo an ambitious photographer. How does this small-scale romance look today? Let's begin as three heroic ace Flying Tigers return to the US for a ticker-tape parade in New York and a whirlwind publicity tour and find out...
The Story: Triple ace Lieutenant Fred Atwill (Astaire) is on leave and just wants to have some fun and meet a few pretty girls. Sneaking off the train, he heads to New York City, where he meets photographer Joan Manion (Leslie). Joan's tired of taking pictures of celebrities. She's dying to head overseas and photograph a war zone, but her boss Phil Harriman (Benchley) would rather keep her near him, so he can try to convince her to marry him.
Fred falls head over heels in love with Joan and does everything he can to woo her, even moving in next to her. She wishes he'd get a real job, but he doesn't seem to have any interest in working. He tries setting up Phil with her...but it ends up working in his favor anyway. His buddies, however, have found him out...and then tell him that his leave's been cut short, and he only has two days left to show Joan how much he really cares about her.
The Song and Dance: Astaire usually doesn't work in uniform, but he's a tad bit more realistic as an independent-minded flyer who has a hard time taking orders than he is a sailor or army officer. Leslie simply glows as the strong-willed and intelligent young woman who is enchanting enough for two older men to adore her. You'd never believe she turned 18 during filming; she seems far more mature. Benchley's also on more accustomed territory here as the caustic newspaperman who wants to keep his crush out of harm's way. The wartime setting and small cast gives the story a feel of intimacy and sophistication.
Favorite Number: The Oscar-nominated ballad of longing "My Shining Hour" turns up twice, as Leslie's solo with a neon-framed orchestra early in the film, and later as an instrumental backdrop for Leslie and Astaire's romantic ballroom duet. They have a great time with the comic "A Lot In Common With You" as they jokingly sing about the same things they do (and don't) like, leading into a very funny dance routine.
The big one here is the standard "One for My Baby." Astaire performs this at the bar after he criticizes an airplane manufacturer's planes and Joan walks out on him. After he drunkenly asks for more, he taps furiously across the bar, eventually ending with him breaking all the glassware on the bar and throwing a stool into the mirror in the back. What's even more impressive is that Astaire did all the choreography in this one himself, without the help of his usual partners.
What I Don't Like: This isn't for those looking for a bigger, bolder, more epic plot, or a more typical romantic comedy. It's funny, but it's a small story that's mostly about a man trying to be ordinary for a lady who wants to be something special. No huge chorus numbers, no goofy side characters besides Benchley and Astaire's buddies. Speaking of his buddies, their nasty behavior when they find out what Fred's up to may rub some people the wrong way, especially when they force him to do a snake dance that's as awkward as it is silly.
The Big Finale: Underrated and charming, this low-key wartime romance is highly recommended for fans of Astaire or those who prefer their musicals on a smaller scale.
Home Media: Easy to find on DVD from the Warner Archive and on streaming.
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