My Shining Hour In 30-ies films Fred Astaire, as a rule, did not differ in variety, but, it did not matter, because they always had something that attracted the audience - the dance duo Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.
But by the end of the decade, this formula stopped working and the duo broke up. After several not-so-successful attempts to team up with Elianore Powell and Paulette Goddard, Astaire found new success in two films with Rita Hayworth, but still in the 40s it became clear that the techniques of the last decade did not work.
Therefore, the dancer decided to take part in a project that promised to be the most unusual of his career (at that time) and give (hopedly) the most unusual and serious role in cinema of his career. We were talking about the musical comedy "To the sky" (1943), which today is often translated as "Heaven is the border" (literal translation, although this name sounds ridiculous).
The plot of the film is as follows: Flying Tiger Squadron pilot Fred Atwill accomplished a feat for which he received an award and is now celebrated everywhere. He faces a ten-day vacation, during which he will tour the United States, where he will raise the prestige of his squadron.
But he decides to exchange the tour for a carefree vacation in a small city where no one knows him. He comes to this city, where he meets and falls in love with a photographer, Joan Mannion, who is tired of reflecting local events and photographing secular celebrities: she wants to shoot war heroes, so she initially tries to get rid of Fred.
So, as I said earlier, Astaire agreed to participate in this project because he was promised that the tape and the role of the dancer in it could be the most unusual and serious of his career. Sadly, promises remain promises.
You can ask a whole bunch of questions about the script of the film, but considering that we are talking about a musical , and not a military drama , with a claim to which this creation was filmed, it is better not to do this.
Except that you can note some unnecessary propaganda moves of the plot: for example, the heroine of Joan Leslie directly rushes to the front (like a photographer), not imagining how you can live a normal quiet life or do nothing at such a terrible time! It was too much even for those years.
By the way, one of the heroes of the novel Jacqueline Susanne " Valley of Dolls" pronounces similar words. His character at the beginning of the novel just in the plot returns from the war, but does not know how to return to the life he lived in the pre-war period. When you are there in the heat of war, you think that there is nothing in life but it. It is impossible to believe that somewhere people sleep in soft and clean beds or sit in restaurants. . .
It's different in Europe. Everywhere you go, there are bombed buildings... living with a constant reminder of death. But once I came back here, the blood and death that surrounded me began to seem infinitely distant. And here I am in New York. The Paramount Building is still standing in its place, and the clock continues as before. On the sidewalks all the same cracks, on the Plaza all the same pigeons or their offspring. “Copa” has the same queues eager to see all the same stars.
Subsequently, this character will spend a long time "seeking himself", along the way ruining the life of his girlfriend and turning into a real scoundrel. But that's another story. By the way, I wouldn’t be surprised if Jacqueline Susanne came up with her character by looking at Leslie’s character in Up to Heaven!
Turning to the actors, it is worth noting that they here decided to remember their past partners, in the films with which they experienced great success for the first time or restored their career - and in the film there are both examples.
Fred Astaire in the film mentions Ginger Rogers, with whom he first came to success in the movie and Rita Hayworth, in films with which his career revived. Despite the fact that he plays the pilot here - the viewer does not doubt and does not wonder where the pilot can dance so well (unlike the heroine Joan Leslie in the film) - it is clear that the role is played by Astaire. To say that in his 17th film he does something special, it is impossible - Fred just shows the viewer what he always knew how to do, however, it looks like something archaic.
Joan Leslie in the film remembers about James Cagney, with whom she played in Yankee Doodle Dandy" in 1942 (this film made 17-year-old Joan a star, however, in this status she will not be long). But Joan in "To the sky!" looks older than his 17 and creates an image of a more mature girl.
But the script made her character in the film stubborn idealist, who dreams of doing a real job, and, despite the fact that sometimes Joan utters funny phrases in the film like: "Strange, I thought you were a decent person - I probably slipped on my own thought", her character does not cause special sympathy. The actress dances, I must say, very well, and sings not so bad (the song "My Shining Hour" sings for it Sally Sweetland, but the second number - Joan sings in a duet with Fred herself). In general, the role of the actress was successful, despite the script.
Dance numbers in the film put himself Fred Astaire, as hired specifically for the film choreographer Bernard Pierce left for the front shortly before the start of filming. Evaluating his work, we can say that everything was done professionally, but without much innovation.
From the soundtrack, I liked the songs "A Lot in Common with You" and "One for My Baby (and One More for the Road)". 'One for My Baby' Astaire hurt his legs, as in the dance he broke many glass glasses.
Summing up, we can say that the film turned out very average. The plot is indistinct, all proven and tried clichés and techniques are used. The music is small and not very memorable (except for the songs). The choreography is not diverse.
The acting of Astaire and Leslie cannot help bring the sluggish script and direction of Edward H. Griffith to the proper level. The conferencing episodes, which read out a number of terms that I am familiar with in economics lectures, make the film even duller.
So, watch this creation can be recommended only to desperate fans of Fred Astaire and Joan Leslie. Connoisseurs of the genre, most likely, will be disappointed, although for a one-time viewing the film is still suitable - it looks good, but no more. Thank you very much.
6 out of 10