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From the simplest of plots, Gene Kelly and MGM director Vincente Minnelli (Meet Me in St. Louis) spun a delirious fantasy scored to the wonderful music of George and Ira Gershwin that stands at the pinnacle of movie musicals. Kelly, as a struggling American artist living in Paris, enjoys the support of a wealthy and amorous female patron -- until he falls head-over-heels in love with a French gamine (Leslie Caron in her star-making debut). The plot's central complication: Kelly's a bit more beholden to his wealthy patroness (Nina Foch) than he can admit; and Caron remains betrothed to a nightclub singer (Georges Guetary) who plans to take her away with him on his debut U.S. tour. Kelly choreographed the exhilarating dance numbers as harmonious showcases for his athletic exuberance and ballerina Caron's lissome elegance. The final sequence, a 17-minute modern ballet incorporating spectacular sets designed to look like famous 20th-century French paintings, married dance and cinema in a way that was entirely new, and it still feels that way. An American in Paris took home numerous Oscars, including the special one Kelly received for the multiple roles he played in creating this innovative masterpiece. Kryssa Schemmerling

All Movie Guide

Gene Kelly does his patented Pal Joey bit as Jerry Mulligan, an opportunistic American painter living in Paris' "starving artists" colony. He is discovered by wealthy Milo Roberts (Nina Foch), who becomes Jerry's patroness in more ways than one. Meanwhile, Jerry plays hookey on this setup by romancing waif-like Lise Bouvier (Leslie Caron)--who, unbeknownst to him, is the object of the affections of his close friend Henri (Georges Guetary), a popular nightclub performer (the film was supposed to make Guetary into "the New Chevalier." It didn't). The thinnish plot is held together by the superlative production numbers and by the recycling of several vintage George Gershwin tunes, including "I Got Rhythm," "S'wonderful," and "Our Love is Here to Stay." Highlights include Guetary's rendition of "Stairway to Paradise"; Oscar Levant's fantasy of conducting and performing Gershwin's "Concerto in F" (Levant also appears as every member of the orchestra); and the closing 17-minute "American in Paris" ballet, in which Kelly and Caron dance before lavish backgrounds based on the works of famed French artists. Hal Erickson

Product Details

• UPC: 883929056958
• Source: WARNER HOME VIDEO
• Sales Rank: 17,567

This DVD is also available as part of a box set:

• Gene Kelly Gift Set
• Best Picture Winners - TCM Greatest Classic Films Collection