An American in Paris

Plot synopsis:
American World War II veteran Jerry Mulligan (Gene Kelly) is now an exuberant expatriate in Paris trying to make a reputation as a painter. His friend and neighbor, Adam Cook (Oscar Levant), is a struggling concert pianist who is a longtime associate of a French singer, Henri Baurel (Georges Guétary). At the ground-floor bar, Henri tells Adam about his cultured girlfriend. Jerry joins them later, before going out to sell his art.
A lonely society woman and heiress, Milo Roberts (Nina Foch), finds Jerry displaying his art on the street and takes an interest in him and his art. She brings him to her apartment to pay for his works, and invites him to a dinner party she is throwing later that night. After singing with French children on the way home, Jerry shows up to Milo's apartment. He quickly finds out that the "party" is actually a one-on-one date, and tells Milo he has no interest in being a paid escort. When he attempts to leave after giving her money back, she insists that she is only interested in his art.
They go to a crowded bar, and she offers to sponsor an art show for Jerry as a friendly gesture. Some of Milo's friends arrive, and while sitting with them, he sees Lise Bouvier (Leslie Caron), a French girl seated at the next table. Jerry ignores Milo and her acquaintances, and instead pretends to know Lise already and dances with her. She is standoffish and gives Jerry a wrong phone number, but she is innocently corrected by someone at her table. Heading home, Milo tells Jerry he was very rude cavorting with a girl he does not know while in her presence, but he gets out of the car and bids her farewell.
The next day, Jerry calls Lise at her work, but she tells him to never call her again. Jerry and Milo meet at a cafe, and she informs him that a collector is interested in his paintings and she arranged a showing later that day. Before going to the showing, he goes to the parfumerie where Lise works and she consents to dinner with him. She does not want to be seen eating with him in public, but they share a romantic song and dance on the banks of the Seine River in the shadows of Notre Dame.
Later, Adam humorously daydreams that he is performing Gershwin's Concerto in F for Piano and Orchestra for a gala audience in a concert hall. As the scene progresses, Adam is also revealed to be the conductor, other members of the orchestra, and even an enthusiastic audience member applauding himself at the end.
Milo gets Jerry an art studio and tells him she has planned an exhibition of his work in three months. He initially refuses the studio because he does not have the money for it, but eventually accepts it under the condition that he pay Milo back when his art proceeds allow him. Roughly a month later and after much courting, Lise abruptly runs off when she and Jerry arrive by taxi at his apartment. When Jerry complains to Adam, he is shocked to realize that both Henri and Jerry are involved with the same woman. Henri and Jerry discuss the woman they each love, unaware she is the same woman.
That night, Jerry and Lise reunite in the same place on the banks of the Seine close to Notre Dame. She informs him that she is marrying Henri the next day and going to America. Lise feels a sense of duty to Henri, to whom she feels indebted for keeping her safe during World War II. She and Jerry proclaim their love for each other.
Feeling slighted, Jerry invites Milo to the art students' masked ball and kisses her. At the raucous party, with everyone in black-and-white costumes, Milo learns from Adam that Jerry is not interested in her, and Henri overhears Jerry and Lise saying goodbye to each other. When Henri and Lise drive away, Jerry daydreams about being with Lise all over Paris to the tune of the George Gershwin composition An American in Paris. His reverie is broken by a car horn, the sound of Henri bringing Lise back to him. They embrace as the Gershwin composition (and the film) ends.

Tags: romantic

Review:
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.
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.
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.
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..
Gene Kelly was also at the height of his powers in this film, though it could be rightly argued that this movie was just the warm-up for his best work in Singin' in the Rain (1952).
Oscar Levant is hilarious as Kelly's stoic pal, who gets two of the film's best moments: during the end party sequence (which I will not give away for anyone who hasn't seen the film), and one of the film's most memorable musical numbers which couples his incredible piano skills with state-of-the-art (for the time) special effects.Less memorable are Georges Guetary as Kelly's romantic rival, though he does get a few musical highlights, and Nina Foch as Leslie Caron's romantic rival.
But in American IN Paris, we're to somehow believe that Gene and Leslie are a perfect couple from their very first glance, even though it means trampling all over the feelings of the two people genuinely in love with these two (and Lord only knows why).
act.But somehow, 'An American In Paris' manages to come through it all as a polished, first-rate musical--largely on the basis of Gene Kelly's incredible dancing talent and choreography, and the truckloads of charm he seems to be importing into each scene with Caron.
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.
After absolutely falling in love with 'Singin' in the Rain (1952)'  a film that singlehandedly ignited my newfound passion for musicals  I, perhaps unreasonably, expected to enjoy Vincente Minnelli's 'An American in Paris (1951)' just as much.
Gene Kelly, of course, brings an incredible energy to his role as always, and his character exhibits a likable arrogance that gives way to unabashed exuberance once the music starts playing.As is unfortunately the case in many musicals, the filmmakers seem to have dedicated all their efforts towards the extravagant musical sequences and forgotten that there is ultimately a story to be told.
The romance between Jerry Mulligan and Lise Bouvier (Leslie Caron) is one that we've seen many times before, and its mundaneness is amplified by the fact that nineteen-year-old Lise is neither as beautiful nor as charming as the film's characters appear to find her {though, in Caron's defence, this was the French actress' debut performance, and she may be acting in a language with which she was uncomfortable}.
This film's most ambitious sequence is undoubtedly a wordless, seventeen-minute ballet set to Gershwin's "An American in Paris." Costing a staggering $500,000, the extended dance number is audacious, elaborate and extravagant, effectively earning my admiration despite my inclination towards singing over dance {I typically prefer being able to sing along when I'm watching musicals, which is impossible when they are performing a ballet}.
Gene Kelly was so interested in putting groundbreaking dance on screen in this 1951 musical extravaganza that he forgot to include a story or characters while he was at it.
The "Gotta Dance" fantasy ballet sequence in "Singin' in the Rain" is considered by many to be the only thing wrong with that movie; the entire running time of "An American in Paris" feels like that ballet.
This little gamine is as bland as an unsalted pretzel, and I just simply didn't care a whiff about her or Kelly or whether they were going to get it on or not.Some memorable musical numbers distinguish this film, but I think people are wrong to consider it Gene Kelly's choreographic masterpiece.Grade: B-.
Did that guy even have a point in the story other than to annoy?An American In Paris might be worth checking out for two reasons: 1) Kelly's song and dance number with the little Parisian kids, and 2) the final flourishing dance sequence, which nicely encapsulates everything the movie had been trying to say up to that point but in less time.
In some ways "An American in Paris" is Kelly's "Pal Joey", except Frank Sinatra managed to carry off that film by dint of his acting skills.Part of the plot revolves around his being a painter whose "talent" has been discovered by wealthy patroness Milo (the lovely Nina Foch in an unsympathetic role).
But if you want to see Gene Kelly at his best, I recommend watching "Invitation to the Dance" instead, where his considerable dancing skills and charm are unhindered by the very things that cause "An American in Paris" to fail..
For this viewer, I've never been able to sit through the entire movie in one sitting, so assembling the pieces in my head usually sends me running for a bottle of aspirine.MGM made a number of classic musicals, but AAIP isn't one of them, despite the best picture Oscar it garnered.
A fairly obvious Best Picture win in 1951 coupled with suave, acclaimed leading man Gene Kelly in the starring role of a musical and you have a film that was bound to be a feast for your eyes that you could enjoy with your ears, as well.
The film doesn't seem to have any interest in concluding its story with any kind of assured statement or seriousness, and instead goes full Broadway for a slight and outrageously expensive (well over $500,000 apparently) dance number that grows tiresome after a few minutes.An American in Paris gets considerable points for costume and set design, as even a mediocre script can't eclipse the majestic look and feel Paris always seems to ooze.
However, with everything this film had going for it, there's little evidence of anything in the way to make this admittedly safe and harmless musical anything other than standard fare that was fortunate enough to get praised a bit too much by far too many people.Starring: Gene Kelly, Leslie Caron, Nina Foch, Oscar Levant, and Georges Guétary.
Even more amazing to me is that "Ace in the Hole" lost for Best Writing, Screenplay to this film--even though "An American in Paris" had hardly any story to speak of and was mostly driven by dance and song..
It probably won Best Picture by benefiting from a split vote between A Streetcar Named Desire (1951) and A Place in the Sun (1951).It does have a great, if long, dance sequence with Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron.
Director Vincente Minnelli received his first nomination (he later won for Gigi (1958), another questionable Best Picture winner).Kelly is a struggling American artist, working in Paris, until he finds a "sugar daddy" (er, "sugar mommy"?) in Foch.
It was an ordeal just sitting through it, and here's why:Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron had no chemistry whatsoever...he was too old for the part, and she was very unattractive (though in later years she blossomed into a real looker, I admit).Oscar Levant was as humorous as a graveyard, and served no purpose, at all.This was obviously filmed on the back lot of the studios, and doesn't in any way resemble Paris.All in all, it's much-a-do about nothing, and remains (to me) the most overrated film of all time.Before avid fans start screaming that I must hate musicals, I don't.
She had yet to develop as an actress (her later films include "Gigi" and "The L-Shaped Room", much better performances) but her dancing is great and that is enough for now.But there are several good things about "An American in Paris".
Released two years before I was born, this Oscar-winning movie has it all - lavish Technicolor sets and costumes, breathtaking cinematography, superb wall-to-wall Gershwin music, superior choreography, a lighter-than-air screenplay, and great performances by Kelly, Levant, Foch, Guetary, and Caron.
The performers in this movie are a top-notch tap dancer / singer (Gene Kelley), top-notch ballerina (Leslie Caron), awesome pianist (Oscar Levant) and a great singer (Georges Guétary).
The film deals with a young American artist (Gene Kelly) in post-World War II France who falls in love with a very young woman (Leslie Caron) during his stay there.
One year earlier, Gene Kelly starred in and choreographed another film, An American in Paris.
Charming, lovely, "s'wonderful!" While I wouldn't say it's the best ever, An American in Paris is still a great musical!
What's important is that the tone of the song and the way it is presented fit into the structure of the film.An American in Paris was the first of three Freed musicals (the other two being Singin' in the Rain and The Band Wagon) which took existing classic numbers out of their original context and made them work in a completely unrelated story.
So, when Gene Kelly sings I Got Rhythm, he hasn't even got a girl yet, but the way it's done with the French kids joining in is a great bit of characterisation, and the upbeat tune and dance gives the movie the little lift it needs at this point.
An American in Paris also uses the rule-breaking allowed in the genre to add little unconventional flights of fancy to tell the story, such as the series of dances which accompany the description of Leslie Caron's character.And what better director for this project than Minnelli, himself a painter and a pianist?
The colorful settings and costumes and some good musical numbers help make "An American in Paris" an entertaining movie despite some noticeable weaknesses in the plot and the characters.
It is often quite creative as well, especially in the music and dance sequences, with Gene Kelly, Leslie Caron, and Oscar Levant all getting some good chances to use their talents.Kelly makes Jerry, his rather shallow character, work all right just by more or less being himself, and letting his talent take over.
Gene Kelly, who was a magnificent tap-dancer, also shows his balletic skills in "An American in Paris."  One example of this is in the dance at the fountain scene, one of the most famous from the movie.
This is your typical cheerful and colorful MGM musical from the early '50's and it's definitely on of the better ones to watch out there.The movie got directed by the genre expert Vincente Minnelli and stars Gene Kelly in the main lead.
The 97 minutes that precede this finale are not as exciting, not by a long shot, but there are certain charms to be had in viewing the entire 1951 Oscar-winning musical.Director Vincente Minnelli and screenwriter Alan Jay Lerner have fashioned a surprisingly sophisticated if rather slight romantic story focused on Jerry Mulligan, a former G.I. who has remained in Paris after the end of WWII trying to make a living as a painter.
The best part of An American In Paris is the lengthy ballet sequence at the end, where Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron are the living personification of several major painters.
Kelly has earlier been established as a pavement artist in Paris, so the sequence is the logical ending to a musical bursting with life and energy, Gershwin tunes, and cast members like Georges Guetary and Oscar Levant.
I love "An American in Paris."  That is especially true about the Gershwin musical score for the movie.
While I concede Gene Kelly is a great dancer and is so smooth and in control of his body it is like he dances on ice, the film itself is painfully weak in nearly all story telling respects.
She also gave a very convincing performance as a sweet young girl who is supposed to marry out of responsibility rather than love.The movie also demonstrates the luxury of meticulous artistic design, costumes, coloured sets, great dancing scenes, numerous dancers and musicians offered by MGM.
When you watch An American in Paris,you will not be in awe of its' story.It is your basic boy meets girl story and not unlike many films of its day in that regard.What you will be in awe of is Gene Kelly.Few could sing and dance as well as this man.The makers of this film knew this and the result is a grand showcase of Gene Kelly's talent.Again,you will be in awe as you watch Kelly pull off the hardest of dance moves without even breaking one bead of sweat,and to top it off,he sang like a bird.Naturally,you would want songs written by the best of composers to support such a voice.You can't go wrong with George and Ira Gershwin.Don't look for a strong plot here,just a whole lot of great singing and dancing..
But Lise Bouvier is as mysterious and fascinating for him as the "Mona Lisa."And in case anyone is interested, I am with those who prefer "Singing in the Rain." Still, Gene Kelly dancing for the French children, or singing "Our Love is Here to Stay," Leslie Caron's charming smile, Oscar Levant's freaky orchestra scene, and those fabulous light-up stairs in "Stairway to Paradise" are all highlights!.
The absolute best part of the movie is the "American in Paris" 18 minutes dance which Gene Kelly is at his best.
The music is all by George Gershwin (yipee!) and includes 8 musical numbers...including, Embraceable You, By Strauss, I Got Rhythm (couldn't be any cuter!), Love is Here to Stay (you know, Gene and Leslie dancing on the bridge?), Stairway to Paradise, Concerto in F, S'Wonderful (if ya don't know that one, I feel sorry for ya!), and of course, THE BALLET!!!!!
The story and music (George Gershwin!) are wonderful, as are Levant, Guetary, Foch, and, of course, Kelly.
It's a very simple guy-meets-girl story, just with a great setting, padded with heaps of song and dance numbers.Pity is that the more the movie goes on, the more the music takes over from the plot.
Like CITIZEN KANE or THE WIZARD OF OZ, it towers as one of filmdom's grandest experiences---and qualifies easily for inclusion in the top 10 of Hollywood's highest artistic achievements.Trivia: Only two movie musicals won the Academy Award for Best Picture of the Year in the 1950's: An American In Paris and GIGI-- both MGM productions and both orchestrated within the 'Fried Unit.'...Leslie Caron has said she wanted nothing to do with Hollywood when she was contacted to make a screen test at the age of 18.
There's more to it than that, of course, as the plot draws in various strands such as painting, a love triangle, and Parisian nightlife, and it all comes together very well.Whenever I watch a Gene Kelly movie I always compared it to SINGING IN THE RAIN, which isn't just my favourite Kelly film but also my favourite musical, full stop.
If you looking for the perfect romance musical, then the Oscar-winning "An American in Paris" is really the right movie for you.
This is the story of Jerry Mulligan {Gene Kelly}, a former American GI living in Paris making paintings and making friends with pianist Adam Cook {Oscar Levant} and singer Henri Baurel {Georges Guetary}.
with lots of talented unknowns all dancing their Paris-loving hearts out."An American in Paris" is a great film if you like watching Gene Kelly dance.
17 minutes of wonderful music, dancing, symbolism, art, and it all captured Paris and love perfectly.One of my favorite scenes is when Gene's friend, the pianist is imagining his own concert.
Gene Kelly is Jerry, an "American in Paris" in this 1951 film directed by Vincente Minnelli and also starring Leslie Caron, Oscar Levant, Nina Foch and Georges Guetary.
Gene Kelly-Leslie Caron dance up a storm in Paris, France.
The reason to see this film that won the Academy Award for Best Picture, Best Story, Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Scoring, Best Art Direction, and Best Costume Design is for the dancing of Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron, and the colorful sets and costumes.
The dancing is great and serves to put motion to George Gershwin's rhapsody, An American in Paris, that ends the film.
Sure it is a funny movie, Gene Kelly is amazing and some of the sing & dance-numbers are great, but the love-story is, well, not flat, but un-interesting and I simply didn't belive it.
A movie with incredible dancing, the music of Gershwin, the premier of Leslie Caron, and some of the most interesting graphic stuff for its time.
The dream dance sequence at the end of the movie is the greatest in film and is lasting testimony to the genius of Gene Kelly..
"Singin' in the Rain" receives the highest praise for it's unique comedy and perfect union of story with song and "West Side Story" is a landmark in choreography, but it's the Oscar-winning best picture of 1951, "An American in Paris" that towers above all others with it's brilliant choreography put together by the film's star, the incomparable Mr. Gene Kelly--the greatest male dancer of all time--it's stunning costumes and it's beautiful sets.
Oscar Levant's short role in this film gave it just what it needed, someone who doesn't look like Gene Kelly.