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An American in Paris (1951)
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Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writer:
Alan Jay Lerner (story)
Release Date:
11 November 1951 (USA)
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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...
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| full synopsis
Awards:
Won 6 Oscars.
Another 3 wins
&
7 nominations
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NewsDesk:
(13 articles)
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User Comments:
Experiencing Paris With Gershwin
more (104 total)
US TV Schedule:
Cast
(in credits order) (verified as complete) | 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 | ... | Ballet Dancer (uncredited) |
| Joan Anderson | ... | Child in Ballet (uncredited) |
| Marie Antoinette Andrews | ... | News Vendor (uncredited) |
| Martha Bamattre | ... | Mathilde Mattieu (uncredited) |
| Charles Bastin | ... | Smiling Young Man (uncredited) |
| Joan Bayley | ... | Ballet Dancer (uncredited) |
| Rodney Bieber | ... | Ballet Dancer (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) |
| David Carlin | ... | Strongman (uncredited) |
| Sue Casey | ... | 'Stairway to Paradise' Dancer (uncredited) |
| Monique Chantal | ... | Audience Member (uncredited) |
| Andre Charisse | ... | Patron at Flodair Café / Dancing Partner (uncredited) |
| Jack Chefe | ... | Audience Member (uncredited) |
| Ann Codee | ... | Therese (uncredited) |
| Louise Colombet | ... | Woman with Cats (uncredited) |
| Allan Cook | ... | Ballet Dancer (uncredited) |
| Adèle Coray | ... | Honeymooner (uncredited) |
| Susan Cummings | ... | Patron at Flodair Café (uncredited) |
| Viola Daniels | ... | Patron at Flodair Café (uncredited) |
| Albert D'Arno | ... | Waiter (uncredited) |
| George Davis | ... | François (uncredited) |
| Paul De Corday | ... | Bartender (uncredited) |
| George Dee | ... | Waiter (uncredited) |
| René de Loffre | ... | Boy (uncredited) |
| Gloria DeWerd | ... | Ballet Dancer (uncredited) |
| Jeannine Ducasse | ... | Girl (uncredited) |
| Art Dupuis | ... | Driver (uncredited) |
| John Eldredge | ... | Jack Jansen (uncredited) |
| Carli Elinor | ... | Ballet Dancer (uncredited) |
| Marietta Elliott | ... | 'Stairway to Paradise' Dancer (uncredited) |
| Ernie Flatt | ... | Dancing G.I. (uncredited) |
| Eric Freeman | ... | Ballet Dancer (uncredited) |
| Mary Jane French | ... | 'Stairway to Paradise' Dancer (uncredited) |
| Captain Garcia | ... | Man at Shutters (uncredited) |
| John Gardner | ... | Child in Ballet (uncredited) |
| Mary Ellen Gleason | ... | 'Stairway to Paradise' Dancer (uncredited) |
| Shirley Glickman | ... | Ballet Dancer (uncredited) |
| Ricardo Gonzáles | ... | Ballet Dancer (uncredited) |
| André Guy | ... | Boy (uncredited) |
| Claude Guy | ... | Boy (uncredited) |
| Pat Hall | ... | 'Stairway to Paradise' Dancer (uncredited) |
| Betty Hannon | ... | Ballet Dancer (uncredited) |
| Jack Harmon | ... | Ballet Dancer (uncredited) |
| Jean Harrison | ... | Ballet Dancer (uncredited) |
| Marian Horosko | ... | Ballet Dancer (uncredited) |
| Don Hulbert | ... | Ballet Dancer (uncredited) |
| Dickie Humphreys | ... | Dancing G.I. (uncredited) |
| Harvey Karels | ... | Ballet Dancer (uncredited) |
| David Kasday | ... | Child in Ballet (uncredited) |
| Stephen Kirchner | ... | Ballet Dancer (uncredited) |
| Tommy Ladd | ... | Ballet Dancer (uncredited) |
| Jeanne Lafayette | ... | Nun / Artist / French Girl (uncredited) |
| Isabel La Mal | ... | Audience Member (uncredited) |
| Judy Landon | ... | 'Stairway to Paradise' Dancer (uncredited) |
| Richard Landry | ... | Ballet Dancer (uncredited) |
| Michele Lange | ... | Audience Member (uncredited) |
| Numa Lapeyre | ... | Girl (uncredited) |
| Louise Laureau | ... | Nun / Woman at Table (uncredited) |
| Louis Laurent | ... | Bearded Painter (uncredited) |
| Janet Lavis | ... | Fury (uncredited) |
| Meredith Leeds | ... | 'Stairway to Paradise' Dancer (uncredited) |
| Dick Lerner | ... | Ballet Dancer (uncredited) |
| Ruth Lewis | ... | Girl at Ball (uncredited) |
| Shirley Lopez | ... | Ballet Dancer (uncredited) |
| Ralph Madlener | ... | Ballet Dancer (uncredited) |
| Dudley Field Malone | ... | Winston Churchill (uncredited) |
| Bob Mascagno | ... | Ballet Dancer (uncredited) |
| Charles Mauu | ... | Ballet Dancer (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) |
| Svetlana McLe | ... | Fury (uncredited) |
| Mary Menzies | ... | Fury (uncredited) |
| Sheila Meyers | ... | Fury (uncredited) |
| Charles Millsfield | ... | Man with Books (uncredited) |
| Leo Mostovoy | ... | Audience Member (uncredited) |
| Noel Neill | ... | American Girl (uncredited) |
| Anna Q. Nilsson | ... | Kay Jansen (uncredited) |
| Allen O'Locklin | ... | Undetermined Role (uncredited) |
| Alfred Paix | ... | Postman (uncredited) |
| Jetsy Parker | ... | Ballet Dancer (uncredited) |
| Christian Pasques | ... | Boy with Bubble Gum (uncredited) |
| Lucien Plauzoles | ... | Boy with Bubble Gum (uncredited) |
| Albert Pollet | ... | Man at Table (uncredited) |
| Don Quinn | ... | Honeymooner (uncredited) |
| Ricky Ricardi | ... | Ballet Dancer (uncredited) |
| Marilyn Rogers | ... | 'Stairway to Paradise' Dancer (uncredited) |
| Jean Romaine | ... | 'Stairway to Paradise' Dancer (uncredited) |
| Alex Romero | ... | Dancing G.I. (uncredited) |
| Hayden Rorke | ... | Tommy Baldwin (uncredited) |
| Dennis Ross | ... | Child in Ballet (uncredited) |
| Albert Ruiz | ... | Ballet Dancer (uncredited) |
| Betty Scott | ... | Ballet Dancer (uncredited) |
| Linda Scott | ... | Ballet Dancer (uncredited) |
| Rudolph Silva | ... | Ballet Dancer (uncredited) |
| Pat Simms | ... | Ballet Dancer (uncredited) |
| Melba Snowden | ... | Ballet Dancer (uncredited) |
| Sam Strangis | ... | G.I. (uncredited) |
| Beverly Thompson | ... | 'Stairway to Paradise' Dancer (uncredited) |
| Dee Turnell | ... | Fury (uncredited) |
| Dorothy Tuttle | ... | Ballet Dancer (uncredited) |
| Maya Van Horn | ... | Audience Member (uncredited) |
| Pat Volasko | ... | Ballet Dancer (uncredited) |
| Dorothy Ward | ... | Ballet Dancer (uncredited) |
| Pamela Wells | ... | Child in Ballet (uncredited) |
| Dick Wessel | ... | Ben Macrow (uncredited) |
| Herbert Winters | ... | G.I. (uncredited) |
| Mary Young | ... | Flower Lady (uncredited) |
| Lila Zali | ... | Ballet Dancer (uncredited) |
Directed by | |||
| Vincente Minnelli | |||
Writing credits | ||
| Alan Jay Lerner | (story & screenplay) | |
Produced by | |||
| Arthur Freed | .... | producer | |
| Roger Edens | .... | associate producer (uncredited) | |
Original Music by | |||
| Conrad Salinger | (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 | .... | make-up designer | |
| Robert J. Schiffer | .... | makeup artist (uncredited) | |
Production Management | |||
| J.J. Cohn | .... | unit manager (uncredited) | |
| Jay Marchant | .... | unit manager (uncredited) | |
| Walter Strohm | .... | production manager (uncredited) | |
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director | |||
| Hugh Boswell | .... | assistant director (uncredited) | |
| Alfred Raboch | .... | assistant director (uncredited) | |
| Edward Woehler | .... | assistant director (uncredited) | |
Art Department | |||
| F. Keogh Gleason | .... | associate set decorator (as Keogh Gleason) | |
| Gene Grant | .... | paintings: Gene Kelly's | |
Sound Department | |||
| Douglas Shearer | .... | recording supervisor | |
| Van Allen James | .... | sound editor (uncredited) | |
| Standish J. Lambert | .... | sound (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 | |
| Richard Borland | .... | grip (uncredited) | |
| Al Lane | .... | camera operator (uncredited) | |
| Sid Moore | .... | electrician (uncredited) | |
| Wes Shanks | .... | gaffer (uncredited) | |
Costume and Wardrobe Department | |||
| Walter Plunkett | .... | costume designer: Beaux Arts Ball costumes | |
| Irene Sharaff | .... | ballet costumes designer | |
Editorial Department | |||
| William LeVanway | .... | editorial supervisor (uncredited) | |
Music Department | |||
| Saul Chaplin | .... | musical direction | |
| Ira Gershwin | .... | lyrics by | |
| Johnny Green | .... | musical direction | |
| Conrad Salinger | .... | orchestrations | |
| Benny Carter | .... | orchestrator (uncredited) | |
| Robert Franklyn | .... | orchestrator (uncredited) | |
| Johnny Green | .... | composer: additional music (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 | |
| Kenton Andrews | .... | researcher (uncredited) | |
| Alain Antik | .... | technical advisor (uncredited) | |
| Jeanne Coyne | .... | dance-in (uncredited) | |
| Howard Dietz | .... | unit publicist (uncredited) | |
| Carol Haney | .... | assistant dance director (uncredited) | |
| Gene Kelly | .... | director: Lise introduction dance sequence (uncredited) | |
| Jane Loring | .... | production assistant (uncredited) | |
| Mack McLean | .... | voice double: Oscar Levant (uncredited) | |
| Rudi Monta | .... | legal department (uncredited) | |
| Alex Romero | .... | assistant choreographer (uncredited) | |
| Howard Strickling | .... | director of publicity (uncredited) | |
| Frank Whitbeck | .... | trailer producer (uncredited) | |
Production Companies
- Loew's (as Loew's Incorporated)
- 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)
- Pacific Title titles (uncredited)
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
113 min
Country:
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
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:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
Alan Jay Lerner began writing the screenplay in December 1949, and finished it in a 12-hour stretch in March(?) 1949 on the night before his wedding.
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Goofs:
Continuity: Near the end of "S' Wonderful," the position of a green car changes between shots.
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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.
more
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.
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in "Spin City: An American Deputy Mayor in Paris (#4.23)" (2000)
more
Soundtrack:
By Strauss
more
FAQ
A Note Regarding SpoilersIs this movie based on a novel?
Any recommendations for other movies with Gene Kelly?
more
more (104 total)
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Gene Kelly came up with some really grand ideas for musicals while with MGM. Here he's at the top of his creative powers working with the Arthur Freed musical unit. Hard to believe when you watch An American In Paris that the players never left the back lot at MGM.
The magic of An American In Paris is due to the creative editing under the direction of Vincent Minnelli and the sets that MGM designed blended with some background establishing shots. The idea of the film originated with Kelly who wanted simply to do a film with a lengthy ballet sequence involving George Gershwin's tone poem An American in Paris. It sounded good to Arthur Freed who approached Ira Gershwin who said fine with him as long as they used other Gershwin material.
Gershwin got the kind of deal for Gershwin music that Irving Berlin normally got. Not one note of non-Gershwin music is heard in An American in Paris. Listen to some of the background music and you will hear things like Embraceable You and But Not For Me which are not real musical numbers.
Another guy who was a fair hand at writing lyrics, Alan Jay Lerner, wrote the story which admittedly is a thin one. All about an ex-GI played by Gene Kelly who after World War II never left France, just settled into an apartment on the Left Bank and proceeded to become a starving artist. He lives with eccentric composer Oscar Levant and does that ever sound like a redundancy.
Two women are interested in him. Another expatriate American played by Nina Foch who wants to sponsor him as a painter if he'll reciprocate in other matters. But Kelly falls for a shop girl played by Leslie Caron in her film debut. Caron also has musical comedy star Georges Guetary interested in here.
Of course the plot is just an excuse to sing and dance to the music of George Gershwin. An American in Paris happens to be the first film I ever saw as an in flight movie on the first airplane trip I ever took. I still remember flying back from Phoenix Arizona to Kennedy Airport seeing Gene Kelly doing I've Got Rhythm. My favorite number in the film however is Tra-La-La which Kelly sings and dances all over the apartment with Oscar Levant playing the piano. At one point Kelly dances on top of the baby grand piano.
In a book about Arthur Freed, I read a quote where he said in the American in Paris ballet sequence was to be done with the background of the French impressionists which he felt the public would take to rather than a realistic setting on the streets or back lot. So it happened that way. Kelly had done lengthy ballet sequences in Words and Music, The Pirate, and On the Town. But this one topped them all. Still does in my opinion and that includes some of Gene Kelly's later films.
In a surprise upset at the Oscars, An American In Paris was chosen best picture for 1951, beating out the heavily favored A Streetcar Named Desire. I guess fantasy trumped realism that year. Big budgets also have an upper hand in these things as well.
Still An American in Paris is one of the best movie musicals ever done and since the studios no longer have all that creative talent under one roof, something less likely to be repeated.