George Guetary's singing scenes should have been left on the cutting room floor, but Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron are mesmerizing, and Oscar Levant is amusing as Jerry's piano playing buddy.
An American in Paris (1951)
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work ![]()
Reviews Counted:47
Fresh:46
Rotten:1
Average Rating:7.9/10
Consensus: The plot may be problematic, but such concerns are rendered superfluous by Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron's star power, the Gershwins' classic songs, and Vincente Minnelli's colorful, sympathetic direction.
Runtime: 2 hrs 8 mins
Genre: Musical & Performing Arts
US Box Office: $0
Synopsis: One of the greatest of 1950s screen musicals is a happy collaboration between the grace and athleticism of Gene Kelly and the colorful palette of director Vincente Minnelli. An American G.I.... One of the greatest of 1950s screen musicals is a happy collaboration between the grace and athleticism of Gene Kelly and the colorful palette of director Vincente Minnelli. An American G.I. lingers in Paris after the war to study painting and soon falls in love with Leslie Caron, an engaged demoiselle, much to the chagrin of his romance-minded benefactress. This classic musical boasts a 17-minute avant-garde ballet choreographed by Kelly to George Gershwin's unbeatable music. AN AMERICAN IN PARIS garnered eight Academy Award nominations and six wins, including Best Picture and Best Story and Screenplay. Kelly won a special Oscar for his inimitable achievements. [More]
Starring: Gene Kelly, Leslie Caron, Oscar Levant, Georges Guetary
Starring: Gene Kelly, Leslie Caron, Oscar Levant, Georges Guetary, Nina Foch
Director: Vincente Minnelli
Director: Vincente Minnelli
Producer: Arthur Freed
Composer: Johnny Green, Saul Chaplin
Reviews for An American in Paris
A triumph for tireless dance advocate Kelly, the Freed Unit, and the American musical itself. [Blu-ray]
A grand show -- a brilliant combination of Hollywood's opulence and technical wizardry with the kind of taste and creativeness that most high-budgeted musicals notoriously lack.
t's a simple love story, but also a celebration of dance, music and art, embodied in the somewhat synthetic notion of Paris as the spiritual home of the arts, and the painterly aesthetic of the film as a whole.
One of the most imaginative musical confections turned out by Hollywood in years.
While not nearly the musical it's cracked up to be, this 1951 film is absolutely required viewing for anyone who wants to see the studio system (MGM style) at its gaudiest, most Byzantine height.
Beautifully designed, An American in Paris features plenty of unnecessarily lengthy dance numbers and a mildly interesting plot.
The dazzling French fried musical is Hollywood's homage to Paris's joie de vivre.
A francophile and frustrated painter, Minnelli identifies completely with Kelly's American painter Jerry. Arguably no Hollywood director was as knowledgeable of French art as Minnelli, whose work evokes the light and color of his cherished painters.
A musical both ludicrously overpraised (especially in Hollywood) and underrated.
Never the triumph that it really should have been, largely because of a thin script and the flyaway Caron, this is still good, colorful fun.
It is both comfortable entertainment and eye-popping cinema, with its dream ballet acting as a showcase for what the movie musical can really do.
More Movies
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 70% 70% | Where the Wild Things Are | 03/12 |
| 83% 83% | Paranormal Activity | 03/12 |
| 89% 89% | Zombieland | 03/12 |
| 77% 77% | The Informant! | 03/12 |
| | The Strength of Water | 03/12 |
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
Sponsored Links
Around The Network
- An American in Paris at Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh Links
Featured

Tim Burton's costume designer talks to Movieline about her long collaboration with the filmmaker and Johnny Depp.

The director talks about puppetry perfection and his film, Fantastic Mr. Fox

We've got 20 copies of the hit TV series' Pilot Episode to giveaway.

Double passes up for grabs to the new comedy starring Paul Giamatti.

Get all the latest movie updates, reviews, interviews and features here.
Competitions

Enough Prequel, Original Trilogy and Family Guy DVDs to fill a space cruiser

Everything from Dr. No to Quantum of Solace could be yours.

We're giving away the 10th Anniversary Blu-ray, plus Braveheart and the Rocky collection



Top Critic

