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:

Pianist | City Name In Title | Misdirection | Cancan | Engagement

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
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 (perfume customer) (uncredited)
Nan Boardman	...	Maid (uncredited)
Dino Bolognese	...	Bartender (uncredited)
Eugene Borden	...	Georges Matthieu (uncredited)
Peter Camlin	...	Artist (uncredited)
Sue Casey	...	Specialty Dancer (uncredited)
Monique Chantal	...	Audience Member (uncredited)
Andre Charisse	...	Patron at Flodair Cafe / Dancing partner (uncredited)
Bill Chatham	...	Dancing G.I. (uncredited)
Jack Chefe	...	Audience Member (uncredited)
Ann Codee	...	Therese (cleaning lady) (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 - Milo's chauffeur (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)
Ernie Flatt	...	Dancing G.I. (uncredited)
Eric Freeman	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Captain Garcia	...	Man at shutters (uncredited)
John Gardner	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Shirley Glickman	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Claude Guy	...	Bit Role (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)
Dickie Humphreys	...	Dancing G.I. (uncredited)
Harvey Karels	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
David Kasday	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Stephen Kirchner	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Tommy Ladd	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Jeanne Lafayette	...	Nun / Artist / French Girl (uncredited)
Isabel La Mal	...	Audience Member (uncredited)
Richard Landry	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Michele Lange	...	Audience Member (uncredited)
Numa Lapeyre	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Louise Laureau	...	Nun / Woman at Table (uncredited)
Louis Laurent	...	Bearded Painter (uncredited)
Janet Lavis	...	Fury (uncredited)
Meredith Leeds	...	Specialty 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	...	Painter (uncredited)
Bob Mascagno	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Charles Mauu	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Paul Maxey	...	John McDowd (theatre agent) (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)
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)
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	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Alex Romero	...	Dancing G.I. (uncredited)
Hayden Rorke	...	Tommy Baldwin (Milo's friend) (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)
Dee Turnell	...	Fury (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 (in alphabetical order)
Alan Jay Lerner		story and screenplay

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

Original Music by
Saul Chaplin		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
John Alton		(ballet photography)
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)

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

Editorial Department
James Gooch	....	color consultant: Technicolor
Henri Jaffa	....	color consultant: Technicolor

Music Department
Saul Chaplin	....	musical director
Johnny Green	....	musical director
Conrad Salinger	....	orchestrator

Other crew
Peter Ballbusch	....	montage sequences by
Gene Kelly	....	choreographer
Carol Haney	....	assistant choreographer (uncredited)
Gene Kelly	....	director: Lise introduction dance sequence (uncredited)
Alex Romero	....	assistant choreographer (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (controlled by Loew's Incorporated)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1951) (USA) (theatrical)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1971) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (USA) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (USA) (laserdisc)
• Vídeo Arte (Brazil) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (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 | 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:

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.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Kelly meets Nina Foch in the street art market, the shadow cast by the wall jumps across the pavement from shot to shot until it is four feet wide, in the space of a moment or two in the story.

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 "Sex and the City: An American Girl in Paris: Part Une (#6.19)" (2004)

Soundtrack:

Tra-la-la (this time is really love)

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 !