The Sky's the Limit

Fred Atwell is a celebrated pilot with the Flying Tigers squadron, and he is tired of being paraded around on a promotional tour. He slips away from the tour and spends a few days on leave in New York City, keeping his identity hidden and passing himself off as an ordinary drifter. There he meets Joan Manion, a photographer who is frustrated with covering local events and wants to document the fighting overseas. She has little patience for the carefree stranger who keeps turning up, and Fred has to find a way to win her over without revealing who he really is.

Edward H. Griffith directed the film, his second listed feature after Café Metropole in 1937. Lynn Root and Frank Fenton wrote the screenplay, and David Hempstead produced for RKO Radio Pictures. Fred Astaire plays Fred Atwell, with Joan Leslie as Joan Manion, Robert Benchley as Philip Harriman, Robert Ryan as Reginald Fenton, Elizabeth Patterson as Mrs. Fisher and Marjorie Gateson as the canteen hostess, among 21 credited cast members.

The film runs 89 minutes and mixes comedy, music and romance. It was released in July 1943, with a worldwide box office of about 2 million dollars. On TMDB it holds a rating of 6.3 out of 10 from 22 votes, suggesting a modest audience response.