An American in Paris movie storyline. Jerry Mulligan is an ex-serviceman who stayed on in Paris after the war. He’s now a struggling artist trying to sell his paintings on the sidewalk. He’s had little luck until the rich Milo Roberts sees him. She offers to help him with his career but is clearly more interested in Jerry than his work. She rents a studio for him and plans his first exhibition.
For his part, Jerry falls for a lovely young French woman he sees in a nightclub, Lise Bouvier. She however is being pursued by Jerry’s friend, entertainer Henri Baurel. When Baurel gets the opportunity to tour in the US, he wants Lise to marry him so they can go together. She is in love with Jerry but feels she can’t abandon Henri who saved her during the war. She has only a short time to decide.
An American in Paris (1951) is one of the greatest, most elegant, and most celebrated of MGM’s 50’s musicals, with Gershwin lyrics and musical score (lyrics by Ira and music by composer George from some of their compositions of the 20s and 30s), lavish sets and costumes, tremendous Technicolor cinematography, and a romantic love story set to music and dance.
Gene Kelly served as the film’s principal star, singer, athletically-exuberant dancer and energetic choreographer – he even directed the sequence surrounding “Embraceable You.” The entire film glorifies the joie de vivre of Paris, but it was shot on MGM’s sound stages in California, except for a few opening, establishing shots of the scenic city. Nonetheless, it remains one of the most optimistic American films of the post-war period – with Paris at its center.
The film brought eight Academy Award nominations and won six of them – none of which were for acting: Best Picture (Arthur Freed, producer), Best Story and Screenplay (Alan Jay Lerner), Best Color Cinematography, Best Color Art Direction/Set Decoration, Best Musical Score, and Best Color Costume Design. Its nominations for director (Vincente Minnelli) and Film Editing were unrewarded.
Gene Kelly received an Honorary Award from the Academy the same year, presumably for his contributions to this film – it was presented “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.” Nineteen year-old Leslie Caron made her film debut as the young Parisian mademoiselle. The film was also the first to win a Golden Globe award for Best Motion Picture (comedy or musical) – a newly-created category – in the 1952 awards ceremony.
An American in Paris (1951)
Directed by: Vincente Minnelli
Starring: Gene Kelly, Leslie Caron, Oscar Levant, Georges Guétary, Nina Foch, Robert Ames, Joan Anderson, Marie Antoinette Andrews, Larry Arnold, Martha Bamattre, Felice Basso, Charles Bastin
Screenplay by: Alan Jay Lerner
Cinematography by: Alfred Gilks
Film Editing by: Adrienne Fazan
Costume Design by: Orry-Kelly
Set Decoration by: Edwin B. Willis
Art Direction by: E. Preston Ames, Cedric Gibbons
Music by: Conrad Salinger
Distributed by: Loew’s Inc.
Release Date: November 11, 1951
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