An American in Paris

An American in Paris is a 1951 American musical comedy film inspired by the 1928 orchestral composition An American in Paris by George Gershwin. Starring Gene Kelly, Leslie Caron (her film debut), Oscar Levant, Georges Guétary, and Nina Foch, the film is set in Paris, and was directed by Vincente Minnelli from a script by Alan Jay Lerner. The music is by George Gershwin, with lyrics by his brother Ira, with additional music by Johnny Green, and Saul Chaplin, the music directors.

Why It Rocks

 * 1) This film is a far cry from the typical classical musicals from before the 40s. Even though its characters have a habit of bursting into song at a moment's notice, and the soundtrack features pop hits of the legendary Gershwin brothers, there are no really high stakes or major goals in this film. Rather, the movie's plot hinges on a two romantic triangle threatening to keep the leads apart. One of them consists of Jerry Mulligan, Milo Roberts and and Lise Bourvier. Lise is also being kept in a way, by music hall star Henri Baurel, who hopes to marry her. Jerry would befriend Henri through composer Adam Cook, though neither realize they're after both after Lise.
 * 2) This is the film in which Gene Kelly finally broke through as a true artist, and everything around him from the songs to the set help amplify his brilliance. Gene Kelly served as the film's principal star, singer, athletically-exuberant dancer and energetic choreographer - he even directed the sequence surrounding "Embraceable You."
 * 3) * Kelly's co-star Leslie Caron is also subsequently made into a star with her role in the film.
 * 4) An American in Paris is a decidedly "grown-up" musical, as it features various adult themes that helped make the European art world interesting for the common moviegoer. Its characters can get frustrated, be selfish, and at times they can be downright manipulative. The lovers for instance, tend to find more solace in their work than in their relationships. The movie proves that musicals can be melodramatic, and it only adds to the "not your typical classical musical" pointer.
 * 5) It is an integrated musical, meaning that the songs and dances blend perfectly with the story. As in many musicals, the plot of this film is not its most important element.
 * 6) George Gershwin's music is used magnificently as the feel-good, upbeat soundtrack, while at the same time, the music allows the film to show off its artistry and vibrant colors, especially with its usage of Technicolor. As a result, the film became one of the most optimistic American films of the post-war period - with Paris at its center.
 * 7) * "I Got Rhythm," "'S Wonderful," and "Our Love Is Here to Stay" are various examples of Gershwin's fabulous music being placed on display.
 * 8) * Gershwin's "Concerto in F" for example features a comic, one-man-band, pre-Agent Smith-style dream set to the classical music (Oscar Levant appears as every member of the orchestra and the audience).
 * 9) The final piece of the film features a seventeen-minute tripped-out ballet sequence. The film exposed a whole new audience to ballet, thanks to an athletic, movie-star dancer who integrated ballet with more modern stuff and challenged audience's stereotypes of male dancers. Even detractors of the film's overall plot, tend to see the ballet sequence as a masterpiece. The ballet was a fairly daring idea (though it wasn't unprecedented as On the Town ended with the "Slaughter on Tenth Avenue" ballet), and it would become a crucial part of the Freed formula, showing up in films like Singin' in the Rain and The Band Wagon.
 * 10) *The ballet contains 8 sections loosely tied together by Jerry's pursuit of Lise, but it's more of a dance suite, as few actual ballet steps are used and the plot's almost nonexistent

The Only Bad Qualities

 * 1) For all of the film's strengths, it's still made a couple of questionable choices. Bad Gershwin songs such as "By Strauss" receive even worse staging. Gene Kelly spends more time dancing with men than with Leslie Caron

Trivia

 * This film marked the theatrical debut of Leslie Caron, at the time a 17-year-old ballerina in the company of French ballet impresario Roland Petit.
 * Despite its title, principal photography for the film was completed almost entirely on the MGM lot in Hollywood, with establishing background and establishing photography done in Paris - as well as two additional days of shooting with stars Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron.
 * The final scene of the film - in which Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron run toward each other on the multiple flights of stairs below Sacre-Coeur in the Montmarte district of Paris - was actually shot using a single staircase built on the studio backlot, enhanced by Warren Newcombe and his special effects unit.
 * For "The American in Paris Ballet," various iconic artists' aesthetics were recreated in order to reflect different aspects of the musical suite by George Gershwin - including Raoul Dufy, Pierre Auguste Renoir, Maurice Utrillo, Henri Rousseau, Vincent Van Gogh and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. According to a memo from director Vincente Minnelli, "the entire ballet is a representation of a painter thinking about Paris."
 * The film was nominated for eight Academy Awards and won six - including Best Picture. In addition, at the ceremony where the film was so honored, star Gene Kelly was given a special award "in appreciation of his versatility as an actor, singer, director and dancer, and specifically for his brilliant achievements in the art of choreography on film."