Product Description
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Birth of the Blues As a child, Jeff Lambert (Bing Crosby) hangs
out in New Orleans' Basin Street, playing hot swing on his
clarinet instead of the classics his her prefers. He's
inspired by an African-American group there and, some years
later, at the turn of the century, sets out to form a jazz band
of his own. With cornetist Memphis (Brian Donlevy), singer Betty
Lou Cobb (Mary Martin) and trombonist Jack Teagarden (of the
Original Dixieland Jazz Group, after which the story is
patterned), he's on his way. A veritable history of jazz follows.
From jump and jive to sweet romanticism, half a century of
popular hits is given spectacular . "By the Light of the
Silvery Moon" is sung in a theatre with lantern slides on the
screen. Singer Ruby Elzy's "St. Louis Blues" is backed by a
chorus of eighty. And "Wait Till the Sun Shines, Nellie" brings
Crosby and Martin together in a knockout duet. This bright,
bouncy musical is as spirited as they come, and it features "Bing
and Mary at their best." (Louella O. Parsons, Los Angeles
Examiner) Blue Skies For what Fred Astaire had announced would be
his last film, no expense was spared. This musical extravaganza
boasts 30 Irving Berlin songs, 47 sets, sumptuous costumes, and a
budget of $3,000,000. The result is sensational. (And
fortunately, Astaire did not retire from films!) Dancing star Jed
Potter (Astaire) and singer/nightclub owner Johnny Adams (Bing
Crosby) are both in love with songstress Mary O'Hara (Joan
Caulfield). She marries Johnny, but his passion for buying and
selling nightclubs drives them apart. So Jed steps in, hoping to
win Mary's heart - until e steps in and changes the lives of
all three. The most outstanding number is Astaire's famous
"Puttin' on the Ritz," a split-screen gem with a chorus of
miniature Astaires tap-dancing behind him. Designed by Astaire,
it took five weeks of "back-breaking physical work" to achieve.
Other highlights find Astaire and Crosby as "A Couple of Song and
Dance Men," and Crosby crooning a wealth of Berlin tunes,
including the O-nominated "You Keep Coming Back Like a Song."
With its superb stars and sparkling numbers, Blue Skies is one of
the all-time great musicals!
Bonus Content:
Disc 1 - Birth of the Blues:
* Trailer
* Recommendations
*
Disc 1 - Blue Skies:
* Recommendations
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It's a flimsy excuse to romp through more than two dozen Irving
Berlin songs, but Blue Skies is good fun nonetheless (and one of
the top-grossing films of 1946). Bing Crosby is a restless
nightclub entrepreneur, Fred Astaire his Broadway buddy, Joan
Caulfield the woman they both want. Ignore the plot and enjoy the
numbers, especially Astaire's marvelous "Puttin' on the Ritz,"
which is breathtaking even before multiple images of Fred are
introduced dancing in a row (who needs CGI, anyway?). Bing and
Fred flash great showbiz chutzpah in "A Couple of Song and Dance
Men," which wonderfully captures the appeal of both stars: Fred's
heavenly precision, and Bing's
"can-you-believe-they're-payin'-me-for-this?" sense of play.
Bing Crosby founds the first white Dixieland band in Birth of
the Blues, a tuneful turn-of-the-century tale--if highly suspect
as musical history. Borrowing hot licks from black musicians
(Eddie "Rochester" Anderson comments, "Our music sure has gone
highbrow"), Bing and his players struggle to invade the
straight-laced clubs, succeeding only after songbird Mary Martin
joins the band. Martin, in one of her infrequent movie
appearances, has fun with Der Bingle jazzing up "Wait Till the
Sun Shines, Nellie," a highlight of this breezily enjoyable
nonsense. --Robert Horton