An American in Paris (1951)

User Rating:

7.3/10   

Director:

Vincente Minnelli

Writers:

Alan Jay Lerner (story)
Alan Jay Lerner (screenplay)

Release Date:

4 February 1952 (Denmark)

Genre:

Musical | Romance

Tagline:

What a joy! It's M-G-M's Technicolor musical!

Plot:

Jerry Mulligan, a struggling American painter in Paris, is "discovered" by an influential heiress with an interest in more than Jerry's art...

Plot Keywords:

Art | Painter | Paris | Pianist | Dance

Awards:

Won 6 Oscars. Another 3 wins & 7 nominations

US Showtimes:

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Cast

Gene Kelly	...	Jerry Mulligan
Leslie Caron	...	Lise Bouvier
Oscar Levant	...	Adam Cook
Georges Guétary	...	Henri Baurel (as Georges Guetary)
Nina Foch	...	Milo Roberts
The American In Paris Ballet	...	Ballet Dancers
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Bill Chatham	...	Dancing G.I. (as The American in Paris Ballet)
Ernie Flatt	...	Dancing G.I. (as The American in Paris Ballet)
Dickie Humphreys	...	Dancing G.I. (as The American in Paris Ballet)
Jeanne Lafayette	...	Nun / Artist / French Girl (as The American in Paris Ballet)
Louise Laureau	...	Nun / Woman at Table (as The American in Paris Ballet)
Janet Lavis	...	Fury (as The American in Paris Ballet)
Svetlana McLe	...	Fury (as The American in Paris Ballet)
Mary Menzies	...	Fury (as The American in Paris Ballet)
Sheila Meyers	...	Fury (as The American in Paris Ballet)
Christian Pasques	...	Boy with bubble gum (as The American in Paris Ballet)
Lucien Plauzoles	...	Boy with bubble gum (as The American in Paris Ballet)
Alex Romero	...	Dancing G.I. (as The American in Paris Ballet)
Dee Turnell	...	Fury (as The American in Paris Ballet)

Runtime:

113 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Portugal:M/6 | West Germany:12 | New Zealand:G | Canada:G (video rating) | USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | Argentina:Atp | Australia:G | Australia:PG (alternate rating) | Chile:TE | Finland:S | Peru:PT | Sweden:Btl | USA:Approved (certificate #14898) | UK:U

Filming Locations:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company:

Loew's

Trivia:

Gene Kelly screened The Red Shoes (1948) for the MGM executives to persuade them to back a dance film.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: Shadow tracks across Henri while he is seated singing "'S Wonderful", as the camera begins to pull back.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Jerry Mulligan: This is Paris, and I'm an American who lives here. My name is Jerry Mulligan, and I'm an ex G.I. In 1945 when the army told me to find my own job, I stayed on. And I'll tell you why: I'm a painter, and all my life that's all I've ever wanted to do.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Spin City: An American Deputy Mayor in Paris (#4.23)" (2000)

Soundtrack:

Embraceable You

He's got rhythm...

Okay, so the plot is on shaky ground. Yeah, all right, so there are some randomly inserted song and/or dance sequences (for example: Adam's concert and Henri's stage act). And Leslie Caron can't really, um, you know... act.

But somehow, 'An American In Paris' manages to come through it all as a polished, first-rate musical--largely on the basis of Gene Kelly's incredible dancing talent and choreography, and the truckloads of charm he seems to be importing into each scene with Caron. (He needs to, because she seems to have a... problem with emoting.)

The most accomplished and technically awe-inspiring number in this musical is obviously the 16-minute ballet towards the end of the film. It's stunningly filmed, and Kelly and Caron dance beautifully. But my favourite number would have to be Kelly's character singing 'I Got Rhythm' with a bunch of French school-children, then breaking into an array of American dances. It just goes to prove how you don't need special effects when you've got some real *talent*.

Not on the 'classics' level with 'Singin' In The Rain', but pretty high up there nonetheless. Worth the watch!