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Cult Review
Senior Film Conservator
Blue Skies is a tricky one. If you’re into digging up those dusty old gems, *really* old films from way back, this might just click for you. For anyone expecting a modern pace or slick production, you’ll probably find yourself checking your watch. It’s for the patient. The curious. The ones who don't mind a film taking its sweet, sweet time. Others? They’ll likely be bored stiff. 😴
The whole thing, really, hinges on this character, Dorothy. And when she *does* finally show up? Oh man, it’s not some grand entrance. It’s almost... understated. You spend a good chunk of the movie just... waiting for her to appear, and then poof, there she is. Not with a bang but a quiet sort of presence. It almost feels like the film itself is surprised she arrived, like, “Oh, there you are!”
There’s this scene pretty early on, before Dorothy even, with Carmencita Johnson. She’s got this intense stare that just holds you. You wonder what’s going on in her head, but the film doesn’t tell you. It just lets you sit with it. A little unnerving, honestly. 🤔
And the "blue skies" of the title? It’s not always what you think. Sometimes it’s just a brief glimpse out a window. A very quick shot of actual sky. Other times, it’s more of a feeling. A hopeful note that creeps into a scene that feels a bit bogged down. It keeps you guessing, like, *what* is it trying to say here?
The pacing is *definitely* from another era. Long stretches of people just... existing. Talking in very specific rhythms. William Orlamond, for instance, has a way of delivering his lines that makes you lean in. Almost like he’s got a secret he’s about to spill. But then the scene just moves on. Poof.
There's a moment, I think it was Evelyn Hall, where her eyes just dart to the side for a split second. So fast, you might miss it entirely. But it tells you everything about what her character is thinking without a single word. *That’s* where this film finds its quiet power, really. Pretty neat. ✨
Virginia Bruce, too, brings a certain... gravity. Her scenes feel heavier, even when nothing much is happening on screen. It’s less about dialogue, you know? And more about the way she carries herself. A real presence.
I kept waiting for some big dramatic turn after Dorothy finally makes her appearance, but it never quite lands that way. Instead, it’s a series of small shifts. Like ripples in a pond. You notice them, sure, but they don't exactly crash onto the shore. It's subtle, maybe *too* subtle for some folks. You really gotta pay attention.
One particular shot, I can’t quite place it right now, just lingers on a tree branch swaying in the wind for a good ten seconds. It feels oddly out of place. Almost like a camera operator forgot to cut. But it adds to this strange, dreamlike quality the film sometimes has. 🌳 You just sort of... accept it.
The story, if you can even call it that, feels less about a traditional plot. More about atmosphere. It’s less "what happens next?" and more "what does this feel like?" A mood piece, maybe?
Dickie Moore, as a young actor, has this innocence that really pops through. It's a nice contrast to some of the more serious, almost weary, adult performances. You get a real sense of the era, too, how children were shown back then.
And the sound design, or often, the *lack* thereof? Sometimes the silence is just deafening, you know? Other times, a single, clear sound, like a distant bird or a creaking floorboard, just cuts right through. It makes those small sounds *huge*. Really makes you notice them. 🔊
This isn't a film you "watch" in the modern sense. It’s more like you *experience* it, or just let it wash over you. You might not remember every plot point. But you’ll probably remember certain faces, certain silences. It’s a very specific kind of slow burn. 🔥
Don't go into this expecting a big resolution or a neat ending. Dorothy enters, yes. And then things... just continue. It's not neat, not tidy. But maybe that’s the whole point, actually. It feels unfinished in a way that's kind of... honest.
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