An American in Paris (1951)

Director:

Vincente Minnelli

Writer:

Alan Jay Lerner (story)

Release Date:

4 February 1952 (Denmark)

Genre:

Musical | Romance

Tagline:

Adventures Of An Ex-Gi In The City Of Romance. Arts Students' Biggest Ball, Most Daring Ever Filmed. Screen's Most Spectacular 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:

Engagement | City Name In Title | Rose | Gershwin | Cancan

Awards:

Won 6 Oscars. Another 3 wins & 7 nominations

Cast

Gene Kelly	...	Jerry Mulligan
Leslie Caron	...	Lise Bouvier
Oscar Levant	...	Adam Cook
Georges Guétary	...	Henri 'Hank' Baurel (as Georges Guetary)
Nina Foch	...	Milo Roberts
The American In Paris Ballet	...	Ensemble

Runtime:

113 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

West Germany:12 | Portugal:M/6 | Argentina:Atp | Australia:G | Australia:PG (alternate rating) | Chile:TE | Finland:S | Peru:PT | Sweden:Btl | USA:Approved | UK:U

Filming Locations:

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

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

Cyd Charisse discovered that she was pregnant during pre-production and was replaced by Leslie Caron.

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:

I'll Build a Stairway to Paradise

Without Serious Competition, The Greatest Musical Ever

In 1952, Gene Kelly starred in, co-directed, and choreographed Singin' In The Rain, which has been called by many critics the best musical ever. One year earlier, Gene Kelly starred in and choreographed another film, An American in Paris. An American In Paris is far better than Singin' In The Rain. Although its plot is not original, it's fabulous dancing has remained unmatched for over 45 years. Gene Kelly is wonderful as Jerry Mulligan, the title character. His friend, played by the always delightful Oscar Levant is also American. He is romanced by Nina Foch, a rich American woman, but he is not in love with Nina, he loves lovely Leslie Caron. Although Leslie had not yet developed her fine acting skills, she is one of the rare actresses who could keep up with Gene Kelly while dancing. Judy Garland could not, Debbie Reynolds could not, even Ann Miller could not. A wonderful score only makes this five time academy award winner better. The score by George and Ira Gershwin includes S'Wonderful, Stairway To Paradise, By Strauss, and I've Got Rhythm and simply must be heard. This is director Vincente Minnelli's best film, and should be seen by everyone with a serious passion for movies. (10 out of 10)