An American in Paris (1951)

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Director: Vincent Minnelli
Starring: Gene Kelly, Leslie Caron

Honors:
Academy Award for Best Picture
Academy Award for Original Screenplay
Academy Award for Best Art Direction (Color)
Academy Award for Best Cinematography (Color)
Academy Award for Best Costume Design (Color)
Academy Award for Best Score (Musical)
Honorary Academy Award (Gene Kelly)
Golden Globe – Best Motion Picture (Musical or Comedy)
#69 on AFI Top 100 (1998)
#39 AFI 100 Passions
#32 AFI 100 Songs (“I Got Rhythm”)
#9 AFI Top Musicals
National Film Registry

A shimmering musical spectacle of extravagance from mid-century Hollywood, this film is considered one of the most beloved films of its genre. However, it also holds the unofficial title of being one of the most overrated films in Academy Awards history as it was the surprise darling of the awards season celebrating the year of 1951. A collaboration of three men, producer Arthur Freed, director Vincent Minnelli, and star/choreographer Gene Kelly, An American in Paris delivers one of the brightest examples of Hollywood’s showmanship of its time. Inspired by and featuring a music of George Gershwin, the picture splashes the movie screen with Titletown style with a touch of Parisian influence in a film that carries audiences away on a journey of song and dance set within the confined of a simple love triangle story.

 

An American in Paris is a musical comedy following a struggling artist discovering romance only to face unforeseen conflicts that threatens it from blossoming. An ex- American GI settled in Paris, Jerry Mulligan (Gene Kelly) is a struggling artist who meets a beautiful sponsor in Milo Roberts (Nina Foch) tthat hopes to invest in more than just his artwork. Yet, Jerry’s eye is caught by Lise Bouvier (Leslie Caron), a young but graceful French lady that he desperate to be with. Their romance grows, but Lise remains curiously distant from Jerry due to her engagement to French singer Henri Baurel (Georges Guetary), who happens to be a friend his. Jerry is devastated when Lise delivers the news of her impending marriage and departure with Henri to America, delivering heartbreaking goodbyes. Followed is the highlight of the picture, an artistic ballet fantasy within the mind of Jerry, envisioning an impressionistic romance with the girl he watched slip away. Snapped back to reality Jerry is surprised by the return and happy reunion to the arms of the one he loves, Lise.

 

This musical is a beautiful piece of cinema filled with fresh artistry set to the background of classic George Gershwin music. Although the plot of the movie is rather weak, serving mostly as connecting points that get the audience from one musical number to the next, the direction of Vincent Minnelli as well as the performance and choreography of star Gene Kelly shine through with exuberance. Introducing the world to bright eyed newcomer Leslie Caron, the feature abounds in the nostalgic sounds accompanied with bright energy exceeding its brilliant Technicolor The film is a extravaganza of song and dance only softly nudged by a general plot, sadly lacking in showcasing the titular city on its celluloid, delivering most of it punch in a finale that sent more than its share of viewers home abuzz.

 

While attending a concert of Gershwin music at the Hollywood Bowl, producer Arthur Freed was inspired by one such composition’s title, “An American in Paris,” believing it a wonderful moniker for an MGM motion picture. Working out a deal with Ira Gershwin, the brother, estate manager, and lyricist for his late brother George, Freed set out to produce a musical picture featuring the songs of Gershwin as its core. Vincent Minnelli who had not worked on a musical since 1948’s The Pirate returns to genre alongside Gene Kelly as choreographer and star in a feature Freed believed a sure fire hit.

 

Aside from the exuberance of Gene Kelly, the film features a unique mix of players. Oscar Levant, more known for his work on the piano than his acting, portrays Jerry’s friend and fellow struggling musical artist as Adam Cook. Levant’s actual connections to George Gershwin makes his appearance a tribute to his late friend and composer. His supporting performance is actually rather good, highlighted by his daydream sequence that mimics Buster Keaton’s memorable short The Play House (1929), with Cook playing all the roles of an orchestra. French singer and actor Georges Guétary fills in the role original intended for Maurice Chevalier as the secret romantic rival of Kelly. A touch of grey color added to Guétary’s hair would attempt to add age to the performer who was far more junior than the age of the role he was depicting, his one and only work in American film.

 

Nina Foch is featured as wealth heiress Milo Roberts, delivering a dignified performance a woman of class, elegance, and jealousy as sponsor of Jerry’s art, but unable to gain his romantic interest. Her time filming was marred with a bout of chicken pox, bringing production to a standstill, a brief frustration that would allow time for Kelly and Minnelli to conceive of the final ballet sequence.

 

The big feature of the picture is teenage dancer Leslie Caron as love interest and co-star to Gene Kelly. Discovered by Kelly on a visit to the ballet while in France, Leslie was recruited to Hollywood for just this picture as Kelly wished a real French woman for the role. Arriving in California, Leslie knew no English and had to be taught and coached through the film. Caron was a gifted ballerina with a big, bright smile, but as a survivor of the German occupation of France, she was very nervous in a new land, and had suffered malnourishment during the prior decade. Her health issue resulted in her not being able to keep up with the vigorous work and perfectionist style of Gene Kelly, resulting on-a-day/off-a-day schedule to recuperate herself during shooting, to Kelly’s chagrin. In the end she becomes the shining light of picture with a dramatic mood change whenever she appears on screen with her liveliness.

 

Evident with its Technicolor treatment, An American in Paris was given a massive budget to deliver its product to the screen. Despite not being grated the approval to film on location in Paris, MGM would build 44 sets for the picture, making great use of soundstages and backlot setting to recreate a Parisian setting.  All this was extravagant, but the lack of location shooting, outside of a handful of generic opening establishing shots, the film lacks the authentic feel of Paris, losing out on much of the romance that comes with actually fining in the City of Lights.

 

Principle photography of the picture came to a pause in fall of 1950 where Vincent Minnelli was able to break away from production to direct Father’s Little Dividend (1951) for MGM, the sequel to the successful 1950’s feature Father of the Bride. During this period Kelly worked on choreographing the large final ballet sequence while Arthur Freed struggled to keep MGM heads in New York’s corporate offices at bay as they attempted to cut the ballet out entirely. The money men deemed the sequence too expensive and unnecessary for the already costly picture. With help from Louis B. Mayer using what power he had at the studio, when Minnelli returned in December 1950 the ballet went forward to be shot. This decisive move proved to be one of Mayer’s last big moves at MGM, as a short time later he was forced out of the movie studio her helped create. The ballet to that point was the most expensive scene ever filmed at nearly $500,000 for what accounted for 17 minutes of the final picture.

 

The ballet sequence proved to be so elaborate that it would feature its own credit in the film’s opening. The scene did nothing to further the plot of the picture, as the story is fully shared outside of its beautifully constructed number, but to Gene Kelly and Arthur Freed the ballet was the reason for the film. What we experience is an achievement of mixed art of cinema, music, and dance expressing a story within a story, something Kelly would carry with him into future projects. It is the picture’s crescendo, extravagance, and spectacle, providing the reason for most of the film’s accolades. Despite not necessarily effecting the overall plot of the picture, it is clear the film would not be the same with it, as it is the jewel of the film. For it is the ballet that would send countless viewers home happy from an evening at the theaters.

 

Easily one of the most visually electrifying movies of 1951 An American in Paris was a huge success for MGM. That year’s Academy Awards saw the feature nearly sweep through all the categories featuring color pictures, thanks to the spectacle of the film. Its big surprise for followers of the Oscars was its win for Best Picture. Perhaps voters were riding high on the excitement of the movie’s closing moments when they filled out their ballots as it upset heavy favorites A Day in the Sun and A Streetcar Named Desire when its name was called for the statue. Following the ceremony staunch critics wrote in outrage how this Hollywood fluff picture took home the year’s biggest prize when compared to the far more captivating competitors. However, that night belonged to An American in Paris, even when Gene Kelly was bestowed an honorary award for his contribution to the movie musical.

 

The uproar surrounding the film’s Oscar hoopla, would not take away from the its legacy. It also took home the Golden Globe for Best Picture – Musical or Comedy. In the years since its release, it remains considered one of the great musicals of all time, even with Kelly surpassing it soon thereafter. You can find the film named on many all-time lists, but it does appear the feature does fall short of being a complete movie with a relatively weak plot, and massive musical numbers. This is most evident with its inclusion to the AFI list of top 100 films in American history in 1998, but being left complexly off when the list was reprised in 2007, being the ranked movie to fall of the list.

 

Nonetheless, An American in Paris remains a spectacular Hollywood musical, and a shining example of mid-century movie making. It earned it accolades despite being considered one of the most overrated Oscar winners in history. The film is fun and exuberant, continuing to invite viewers to get lost in to the music and energy it delivers to the viewers to this day.