 In 1945 Sandrich was in pre-production on a follow-up to "Holiday Inn" called "Blue Skies", starring Bing Crosby and featuring Irving Berlin's music.At the same time, Sandrich was serving as president of the Directors Guild.Insisting that he could complete all of his assignments, and feeling pressure to be an involved and loving family man, Sandrich died suddenly of a heart attack at the age of 44.