AN AMERICAN IN PARIS

[IMAGE]

CREDITS

1951, 113 minutes, Technicolor.
Producer, Arthur Freed; Director, Vincente Minnelli; Screenplay, Alan Jay Lerner; Cinematography, Alfred Gilks and John Alton; Choreography, Gene Kelly; Music Director, Johnny Green and Saul Chaplin.

CAST

Jerry Mulligan, Gene Kelly; Lise Bourvier, Leslie Caron; Adam Cook, Oscar Levant; Henri Baurel, Georges Guetary; Milo Roberts, Nina Foch; Georges Mattieu, Martha Bamattre; Kay Jansen, Anna Q. Nilsson.

SONGS

By George Gershwin:
Concerto in F; An American In Paris.
By George and Ira Gershwin:
I Got Rhythm; Embraceable You; 'S Wonderful; By Strauss; Tra-La-La; Our Love Is Here To Stay; Nice Work If You Can Get It; I Don't Think I'll Fall In Love Today; Liza.
By George Gershwin, E. Ray Goetz and B.G. DeSylva:
I'll Build A Stairway To Paradise

PLOT SYNOPSIS

"In the title role, Gene Kelly plays a GI who decides to remain in Paris to study painting when he and his buddies are discharged after World War II. He meets a young Parisian (Leslie Caron) and quicker than one can say Parlez vous, they've fallen in love. Their romance is complicated, however, by the glamorous and wealthy Nina Foch, who gives the young lovers a classic case of heartburn as she tries to buy Kelly's love by purchasing his paintings."
- Lawrence B. Thomas, The MGM Years

NOTES

"Like the Impressionist and post-Impressionist canvases from which it drew its inspiration, the superb ballet that climaxed An American In Paris was full of light and movement. . .it was 18 minutes of screen magic, unsurpassed in the boldness of its design and the dazzle of its execution."
- Clive Hirschhorn, The Hollywood Musical

"Count a bewitching French lassie by the name of Leslie Caron and a whoop-de-do ballet number, one of the finest ever put upon the screen, as the most commendable enchantments of this big, lavish musical."
- Bosley Crowther, The New York Times

"Too fancy and overblown. . .but the two dancing lovers have infectious grins and the Gershwin music keeps everything good-spirited."
- Pauline Kael, 5001 Nights At The Movies


ACADEMY AWARD NOMINATION:
Best Director

ACADEMY AWARD WINNER:
Best Picture
Writing (Story and Screenplay)
Cinematography (Color)
Art Direction (Set Decoration)
Scoring Of A Musical Picture
Costume Design (Color)

GOLDEN GLOBE AWARD WINNER:
Picture (Comedy/Musical)

NATIONAL BOARD OF REVIEW AWARD WINNER:
Best American Film (#3)

#7 NEW YORK TIMES ANNUAL TEN BEST

This was the film debut of Leslie Caron.

An American In Paris was the 3rd highest-grossing film of the year. See Box Office Hits

[IMAGE]

Return to The Great MGM Musicals Page