THE SKY'S THE LIMIT

US, 1943, 89 minutes, Black and white.
Fred Astaire, Joan Leslie, Robert Benchley, Robert Ryan, Elizabeth Patterson.
Directed by Edward H. Griffith.

The Sky's The Limit is an average wartime propaganda musical. It would not be memorable, or remembered, without the central performance and presence of Fred Astaire. He is pleasant in the, unlikely, central role of a World War Two air ace. He does have the opportunity to sing and dance but not very often. He is partnered by a very lively Joan Leslie, who had made an impact in such films as High Sierra, Sergeant York. Robert Ryan makes an early appearance as his buddy.

The plot line has the usual concealment of identity, courtship of a would-be lady reporter, revelations at the end after disappointments. Robert Benchley adds a comic touch with an impersonation of a fat editor of a peeping magazine. The film was made at R.K.O., the studio where Fred Astaire made his '30s successes with Ginger Rogers. He had moved to other studios in the '40s but returned for this morale boosting musical.