American In Paris, An

Vincent Minnelli's taste for the decorative is well-indulged in this lavishly colourful Arthur Freed produced musical with a George and Ira Gershwin score and a very 50s view of Gay Paree.  It won the Best Picture Oscar, and somewhat surprisingly, Best Story and Screenplay for Alan Jay Lerner, for with its formulaic story of a romance between an American artist (Gene Kelly) and Parisian shop-girl (Leslie Caron) it is its weakest aspect, much more apparent of screen than it would have been on stage. 

There are several well-realized classic Gershwin numbers such as "I Got Rhythm" and "Love Is Here To Stay" and Kelly's talent as a choreographer and his love of dance shine throughout, the 17 minute balletic dance sequence to Gershwin's title number at the end, like it or not, with set designs based on classic French Modernist painting from Renoir to Utrillo, being remarkable.

 

Want something different?