‘An American in Paris’ dazzles
By John Soltes
Thank the talents of Gene Kelly for making An American in Paris such an enjoyable pleasure. Without the toe-tapping comedic highlights of this fine American actor, the movie musical would likely not work as well as it does. Kelly’s domineering attitude on screen as a down-on-his-luck painter, selling his wares on the streets of Paris, is the stuff of cinematic history. He demands our attention and deservedly receives it.
It doesn’t hurt that the leading man has addictive songs amply supplied by Ira and George Gershwin, including such classics as “I Got Rhythm,” “Our Love is Here to Stay” and ” ‘S Wonderful.”
Kelly plays Jerry Mulligan, an American painter and war veteran with hardly a dollar (or franc) to his name. He paints well and enjoys the lazy life of France’s capital city, but his is an existence without too many attachments. He enjoys the company of his friends in the cafe below his small apartment, and he takes pleasure in selling his paintings along the sidewalks.
His world is eventually turned upside down when Milo Roberts (Nina Foch) spots Jerry and his works of art on the street and decides to become his de-facto patron. With the sudden sale of his paintings and the prospects of having a formal art show of his own, the newfound success troubles, rather than validates, the dedicated loafer. Is this the track he wants to take?
At the same time he’s gallivanting around with Milo, Jerry sets his eyes on a French shopgirl named Lise (Leslie Caron). At first she’s hesitant to his flirting, but thanks to Jerry’s charm (and a song-and-dance number or two), she quickly comes around. Naturally, as these things go in movie musicals, Milo is hugely jealous of his new relationship for she was hoping her professional patronage of Jerry would one day spill over into personal territory.
Rounding out the cast are Jerry’s friend, Adam (a funny and talented Oscar Levant), who finds himself in dire straits: He’s a concert pianist struggling to find his big break. There’s also Henri Baurel (Georges Guetary) who coincidentally is engaged to marry Lise. Only Paris would be an appropriate city for such lovingly tangled affairs.
The legendary Vicente Minnelli directs the movie, which went on to win Best Picture at the Oscars back in the 1950s. He keeps the action moving briskly, letting Cupid work his magical wonder. The dance sequences with Kelly are naturally the highlight of the film, especially the unbelievably indulgent (and yet still spectacular) vignette known as the “The American in Paris Ballet,” which concludes the film. The 16-minute dance is a menagerie of sights, sounds and moves that proves as exhilarating as it wondrous. Appropriately, it serves as a nice capstone to a fun, easygoing feature about the trappings of love and the ambition of the heart.
An American in Paris
1951
Directed by Vicente Minnelli
Written by Alan Jay Lerner
Songs by Ira and George Gershwin, with additional music from Saul Chaplin
Starring Gene Kelly, Leslie Caron and Oscar Levant
Running time: 113 minutes
Bubble score: 3 out of 4
Click here to purchase An American in Paris on DVD.
