Blue Skies

Blue Skies was to be Fred's "swan song" as he had announced he would retire from dancing. He had been on the stage since being a child, and at age 46 thought he was danced out. The very last dance number filmed (as in all Astaire musicals) were his solos. The last number, he thought, ever to be filmed in his life was Puttin' On The Ritz. After the last take, he pulled off his mini-rug and stomped on it saying he was glad he didn't have to wear that thing ever again.

His retirement didn't last too long (he spent time with his race horses)as Gene Kelly called saying he had broken his foot playing football, and Fred came back to film work in Easter Parade.

There was to be a third paring of Crosby and Astaire in White Christmas, but Fred had other commitments, that's when Danny Kaye was brought in. Both Astaire and Crosby made their last recording together in the early 1970's called, "A Couple of Song and Dance Men". When they started to record the album, one of them remarked this was the first time they had worked together since Blue Skies. It was their last recording date as Crosby died shortly after, and Astaire never made other recordings.