An American in Paris (1951)

An American in Paris Movie Review from The Massie Twins

An American In Paris is a simple love story at heart, embellished with lavish sets, baronial dance sequences, comedic interludes and grandiose music. It is one of the finest musicals ever made, featuring the marvelous talent of Gene Kelly and newcomer Leslie Caron, along with the voice of Georges Guetary and the piano skills of Oscar Levant.

Heartrending romance is illustrated through elaborate musical sequences that top nearly everything that came before it, and although considered an upset, An American in Paris won the Best Picture Oscar for 1951. Even more incredulous is that the following year Singin' in the Rain was released, and failed to even receive a Best Picture nomination.
In Paris in 1945, ex-G.I. Jerry Mulligan (Gene Kelly) stays on to live out his dream of being a painter. His apartment consists of entirely collapsible furniture, and although he rarely sells his works, and is therefore constantly broke, he knows everyone on the block and can always find time to rejoice. His good friend Adam Cook (Oscar Levant), a concert pianist, frequently joins him in the nearby café for some hearty song and dance, and Henri Baurel (Georges Guetary), a well-to-do nightclub singer, stops by to partake in the festivities.

While Adam wiles away the days dreaming about monumental concert performances, Henri prepares for a trip to New York with his fiancée, Lise (Leslie Caron, introduced with an impressive collage of risqué ballet routines). Jerry is spotted by a wealthy sponser (Nina Foch), who is interested in more than just promoting his artwork and setting up his first exhibition, but he is infatuated with a young shop girl who he noticed at a restaurant. The catch is that the girl is the very same Lise who is engaged to Henri!

There are no clear-cut villains in this light-hearted musical, but with the introduction of an occasionally hilarious and oftentimes tear-jerking love triangle, someone has to lose out. The problem is that each of the three main characters are clearly protagonists, so ultimately Lise feels like the malefactor, gaily leading Jerry on. To add to the promotion of three positive leads is that the film opens with a narration by each one separately.

The story is used almost entirely to transition from one George Gershwin song to the next and while few are positively unforgettable, the dance sequences are absolutely spectacular. Atmospheric and colorful, the enormous end sequence for the film, which makes use of huge sets built to represent various French impressionist painters, showcases an entire movie's worth of love and romance. Beautifully choreographed by Kelly himself, all of the dancing is ambitious and powerful. Expressing a love story through music and dancing has never looked so agile and bold, and An American in Paris does it all with regal splendor.

- Mike Massie


September 26, 2008

An American in Paris

What a beautiful musical and the dancing was wonderful. I love Gene Kelly! This is a great classic, you must have it! Thank you! August 18, 2008

OVERRATED AND BORING MUSICAL

I am a HUGE musical fan especially the musicals of yesteryear but I have always considered this film to be boring. Gene Kelly always irritated me - a fantastic dancer and singer but he never had any talent for acting and he lacked masculinity. August 13, 2008

An American in Paris

Received the product quickly. Shipping packaging protected the item well and the DVD was sealed as a "new item" as noted on the website. July 7, 2008

Special Edition gets Ultra-Resolution Process

Warner Brothers' proprietary Ultra-Resolution process has brought new life to such classics as "The Wizard of Oz," "Gone With the Wind," Errol Flynn's "Robin Hood," and "Singin' in the Rain." By going back to the original three-strip technicolor negatives and realigning them digitally, the color and detail blows away anything that customers have seen in the past with home video. "An American In Paris" has now undergone the same process and is going to be released in a special 2-disc DVD on Sept. 16, 2008 (as a note of caution: it has already been announced that this film will be released on Bluray in 2009; for those who can wait and don't want to double-dip...). Here is a list of extras that Warners has released:

Disc 1:
1.33:1 Full Screen with Original Mono audio
1938 MGM short: Paris on Parade
1951 MGM cartoon: Symphony in Slang
Theatrical trailer

Disc 2:

2002 American Masters Documentary: Gene Kelly: Anatomy of a Dancer (previously released on DVD)

`S Wonderful: The Making of An American in Paris, an all new documentary, produced especially for this release. A dynamic history of the making of the film, which reveals how George and Ira Gershwin's classic songs, the dazzling art of the French impressionists and the ultimate teamwork of MGM's legendary "Freed Unit" came together to create a musical masterpiece. Featuring ten new interviews, including co-stars Leslie Caron and Nina Foch

Outtakes:
Georges Guetary performing Love Walked In and Gene Kelly performing I Got a Crush on You (audio only)
Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron promotional radio interview with Dick Simmons

Audio Outtakes: Alternate Main Title, But Not for Me (Guetary), But Not for Me (Levant Piano Solo), Gershwin Prelude #3, I've Got a Crush on You, Nice Work if You Can Get It, 'S Wonderful

Radio Interviews: Johnny Green, Gene Kelly, Gene Kelly & Leslie Caron

Not all of the original musical recording stems have survived over the years, preventing a true stereo/5.1 restoration of the soundtrack; instead, it appears that a restored mono version is being made available.

Most are familiar with the movie; storywise, it is a little creaky and hasn't necessarily survived well over the years, however the glowing color, fantastic music by Gershwin (arrangements by the talented Conrad Salinger), and the amazing choreography of Gene Kelly will keep this one a classic for years to come. Just the ending ballet alone is a masterpiece; the art of Toulouse Lautrec comes to life with Gene Kelly & Leslie Caron dancing their hearts out to some of the most imaginative choreography (Kelly's) in years. The Freed Unit at MGM was at their peak when this movie was made, and this is one of the last great ones that it created. July 2, 2008

More reviews at Amazon.com ...