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 TV Schedule:

Sun. July 19

8:00 PM

TCM

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:
Robert Ames	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Joan Anderson	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Marie Antoinette Andrews	...	News vendor (uncredited)
Martha Bamattre	...	Mathilde Mattieu (uncredited)
Charles Bastin	...	Smiling Young Man (uncredited)
Joan Bayley	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Rodney Bieber	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Madge Blake	...	Edna Mae Bestram (uncredited)
Nan Boardman	...	Maid (uncredited)
Dino Bolognese	...	Bartender (uncredited)
Eugene Borden	...	Georges Matthieu (uncredited)
Ann Brendon	...	'Stairway to Paradise' dancer (uncredited)
Peter Camlin	...	Artist (uncredited)
Sue Casey	...	'Stairway to Paradise' dancer (uncredited)
Monique Chantal	...	Audience Member (uncredited)
Andre Charisse	...	Patron at Flodair Cafe (uncredited)
Jack Chefe	...	Audience Member (uncredited)
Ann Codee	...	Therese (uncredited)
Louise Colombet	...	Woman with cats (uncredited)
Allan Cook	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Adèle Coray	...	Honeymooner (uncredited)
Susan Cummings	...	Patron at Flodair Cafe (uncredited)
Viola Daniels	...	Patron at Flodair Cafe (uncredited)
Albert D'Arno	...	Waiter (uncredited)
George Davis	...	François (uncredited)
Paul De Corday	...	Bartender (uncredited)
George Dee	...	Waiter (uncredited)
René de Loffre	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Gloria DeWerd	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Jeannine Ducasse	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Art Dupuis	...	Driver (uncredited)
John Eldredge	...	Jack Jansen (uncredited)
Carli Elinor	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Marietta Elliott	...	'Stairway to Paradise' dancer (uncredited)
Eric Freeman	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Mary Jane French	...	'Stairway to Paradise' dancer (uncredited)
Captain Garcia	...	Man at shutters (uncredited)
John Gardner	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Mary Ellen Gleason	...	'Stairway to Paradise' dancer (uncredited)
Shirley Glickman	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Claude Guy	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Pat Hall	...	'Stairway to Paradise' dancer (uncredited)
Betty Hannon	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Jack Harmon	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Jean Harrison	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Marian Horosko	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Don Hulbert	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Harvey Karels	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
David Kasday	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Stephen Kirchner	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Tommy Ladd	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Isabel La Mal	...	Audience Member (uncredited)
Judy Landon	...	'Stairway to Paradise' dancer (uncredited)
Richard Landry	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Michele Lange	...	Audience Member (uncredited)
Numa Lapeyre	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Louis Laurent	...	Bearded Painter (uncredited)
Meredith Leeds	...	'Stairway to Paradise' dancer (uncredited)
Dick Lerner	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Ruth Lewis	...	Girl at Ball (uncredited)
Shirley Lopez	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Ralph Madlener	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Dudley Field Malone	...	Winston Churchill (uncredited)
Bob Mascagno	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Charles Mauu	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Paul Maxey	...	John McDowd (uncredited)
Anthony Mazzola	...	Boy with bubble gum (uncredited)
Leonard A. Mazzola	...	Young man at mirror (uncredited)
Greg McClure	...	Rugged G.I. (uncredited)
Leo Mostovoy	...	Audience Member (uncredited)
Noel Neill	...	American girl (uncredited)
Anna Q. Nilsson	...	Kay Jansen (uncredited)
Allen O'Locklin	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Alfred Paix	...	Postman (uncredited)
Jetsy Parker	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Albert Pollet	...	Man at table (uncredited)
Don Quinn	...	Honeymooner (uncredited)
Ricky Ricardi	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Marilyn Rogers	...	'Stairway to Paradise' dancer (uncredited)
Jean Romaine	...	'Stairway to Paradise' dancer (uncredited)
Hayden Rorke	...	Tommy Baldwin (uncredited)
Dennis Ross	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Albert Ruiz	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Betty Scott	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Linda Scott	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Rudolph Silva	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Pat Simms	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Melba Snowden	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
John Stanley	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Sam Strangis	...	G.I. (uncredited)
Beverly Thompson	...	'Stairway to Paradise' dancer (uncredited)
Dorothy Tuttle	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Maya Van Horn	...	Audience Member (uncredited)
Pat Volasko	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Dorothy Ward	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Pamela Wells	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Dick Wessel	...	Ben Macrow (uncredited)
Mary Young	...	Flower Lady (uncredited)
Lila Zali	...	Bit Role (uncredited)

Directed by
Vincente Minnelli

Writing credits
Alan Jay Lerner		(story)
Alan Jay Lerner		(screenplay)

Produced by
Arthur Freed	....	producer
Roger Edens	....	associate producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Saul Chaplin		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Alfred Gilks		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Adrienne Fazan

Art Direction by
E. Preston Ames		(as Preston Ames)
Cedric Gibbons

Set Decoration by
Edwin B. Willis

Costume Design by
Orry-Kelly

Makeup Department
Sydney Guilaroff	....	hair styles designer
William Tuttle	....	makeup designer
Robert J. Schiffer	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Alfred Raboch	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
F. Keogh Gleason	....	associate set decorator (as Keogh Gleason)
Gene Grant	....	painter: Gene Kelly's paintings

Sound Department
Douglas Shearer	....	recording supervisor
Van Allen James	....	sound editor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Warren Newcombe	....	special effects
Irving G. Ries	....	special effects

Stunts
Russell Saunders	....	stunt double: Gene Kelly (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
John Alton	....	photographer: ballet

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Walter Plunkett	....	costume designer: Beaux Arts Ball
Irene Sharaff	....	costume designer: ballet

Music Department
Saul Chaplin	....	musical director
George Gershwin	....	composer: songs
Ira Gershwin	....	lyricist
Johnny Green	....	musical director
Conrad Salinger	....	orchestrator
Benny Carter	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Robert Franklyn	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Johnny Green	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Wally Heglin	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Skip Martin	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Albert Sendrey	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Peter Ballbusch	....	montage sequences by
James Gooch	....	technicolor color consultant
Henri Jaffa	....	technicolor color consultant
Gene Kelly	....	choreographer
Carol Haney	....	assistant choreographer (uncredited)
Gene Kelly	....	director: Lise introduction dance sequence (uncredited)
Alex Romero	....	assistant choreographer (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Loew's

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1951) (USA) (theatrical)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1971) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Chapel Distribution (1997) (Australia) (theatrical)
• MGM Home Entertainment (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (USA) (laserdisc)
• Vídeo Arte (Brazil) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2008) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Vídeo (Brazil) (DVD)

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:

Oscar Levant, more of a pianist than an actor, signed onto the film because he was actually a friend of George Gershwin.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the "By Strauss" waltz, Gene Kelly is dancing with two ladies in the café, and his cap falls off while he is kneeling. He briefly attempts to retrieve it, then leaves it where it is.

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 "American Masters: None Without Sin" (2003)

Soundtrack:

Our Love Is Here To Stay

The perfect musical.

I saw "An American in Paris" on its first release when I was still at school and fell in love with it straightaway. I went back to see it again the next day and have lost count of the number of times I have seen it since, both in the cinema and on TV. It makes fantastic use of some of the best music and songs by the greatest popular composer of the twentieth century (George Gershwin) and features the greatest male (Gene Kelly) and female (Leslie Caron) dancers in Hollywood history. The supporting cast of Oscar Levant (as quirky as ever), Georges Guetary (why didn't he make more movies ?) and Nina Foch (brilliant in an unsympathetic role) are at the top of their form. The closing ballet, superbly choreographed to the title music, makes excellent use of the sights and sounds of Paris and of the images of impressionist and post-impressionist artists. All the Gershwin songs are beautifully staged, but the most memorable are "It's Very Clear" (Caron and Kelly on the banks of the Seine) and "I Got Rhythm" (the kids of Paris joining Gene Kelly in "Une Chanson Americaine"). If you love Paris, see this movie. If you've never been to Paris in your life, see it. But see it !