I am not a fan of musicals.  That’s my pessimistic intro and when I found out I would be reviewing An American in Paris, I was apprehensive but moved forward with an open mind.  After all, it does star Hollywood legend Gene Kelly.  Growing up, I remember my mom frequently watching musicals such as The Unsinkable Molly Brown, Oklahoma! and Meet Me in St. Louis.  Meanwhile, my dad was listening to Black Sabbath and Lynard Skynard.  I drifted toward the latter.  Guys in cowboy hats smiling and singing in a circle just didn’t do it for me.  Open mind, here I come.  Let’s review the classic musical, An American in Paris. 

Film 

An American in Paris was released in 1951 and from the attire and vehicles of the film, it’s safe to say it takes place at roughly the same time.  Jerry Mulligan (Gene Kelly) is an aspiring artist/painter who left the confines of familiarity in New Jersey to be in the center of it all, as far as artists go, in Paris.  Mulligan is your typical starving artist…literally.  The guy has no money but his brush strokes to canvas bring the city landscapes to life.  It isn’t until one day that a passerby, a rather wealthy passerby I might add, admires his sidewalk display of artwork and before you know it, Jerry Mulligan goes from painter on the street to commissioned artist, courtesy of the rich and single Milo Roberts (played by Nina Foch).

Over time, it seems like Milo is not trying to find love, but buy it.  Her continuous advances toward Kelly’s character are barely camouflaged by her spending in an attempt to secure his dream and her man.  Supplies?  Your own studio?  No problem!  Milo has it covered.  Unbeknownst to Ms. Roberts, Jerry Mulligan is seeking a catch of his own and more than just your average love triangle begins.

Interspersed with the storyline is the inevitable song and dance.  This is, after all, a musical.  These pieces are appropriately placed in the film and do not seem to interrupt the flow of the story.  As this was my first experience to Gene Kelly, I would be lying if I said anything less than “I was impressed.”  He acts, he sings, but arguably his strongest attribute is his dancing. 

Gene Kelly had a flow to his footwork that is rarely seen in today’s era of entertainers.  This, my friends, is talent personified.  From his expressive form of modern dance to the tap that he performs so effortlessly, Kelly relays an on-screen presence that is admirable at the very least and jaw-dropping at best.  It is no surprise to see how he commanded an audience with his performances. 

This may not be the greatest musical of all time, but after watching it I instantly became a Gene Kelly fan.  From his swooning smile that hypnotized the ladies to the ratta-tat-tat of his Tommy Gun taps, Kelly is an American legend as far as entertainers go.  I can’t imagine anyone else filling his role in An American in Paris while still having the film retain the same pizzazz. 

Video 

Things got off to a rocky start when the picture didn’t fill my television screen.  There is no anamorphic widescreen capability on this disc, sadly enough.  A perfect square is what you’ll be watching the whole time in this 1080p, VC-1 encode presentation.  Keep in mind this film is almost 60 years old.  Unfortunately you will not see a grand amount of detail that Blu-ray is capable of showing…provided the original film quality could capture it.  With that being said, grain is kept to a minimum and the colors are very vibrant and eye-catching.  I don’t want to lend the impression that it looks like some Turner-colorized classic.  It’s just the opposite as An American in Paris was originally filmed in color anyway and the palette presented is a very natural looking one.  All in all, it is a beautiful thing and you will unwittingly adjust to the boxy presentation.

Audio 

My ears did a double-take in drowning disappointment as neither of my rear speakers came to life.  In fact, the film is presented in a mere 1.0 delivery.  It looks as if the original audio presentation was carried over to this Blu-ray disc.  When you are used to surround sound (or should I say spoiled by it), it takes some getting used to when reverting back to the old TV speakers.  Yes your ears will adjust but that all-enveloping experience can be absent.  Nevertheless, you will be able to catch all the tunes sung on screen as well as every bit of dialogue and every Kelly tap, although some are more faint than others.  There was one particular scene in the film when some background fuzz was able to be heard through the front speakers.  Though it lasted for only a short time, it was a little distracting. 

Special Features 

A variety of extras await viewers on this disc though only one of which had some content in high definition (‘S Wonderful: The Making of An American in Paris).  There is plenty of content to go around that is comprised of several items from when the film was released. 

• Behind the Story – Commentary by Patricia Ward Kelly (Gene Kelly’s widow) with Arthur Freed, Gene Kelly, Vincente Minelli, Alan Jay Lerner, Saul Chaplin, Leslie Caron, Nina Foch, Michael Feinstein, Johnny Green, Preston Ames and Irene Sharaff.
• ‘S Wonderful: The Making of An American in Paris (42:26)
• Love Walked In (Outtake) – A musical scene not included in the final cut of the film with singing by supporting cast member Georges Guétary (2:44).
• Audio – A series of audio-only extras that feature songs from the film’s soundtrack, dialogue and narration from Gene Kelly and others (14:33).
  • Alternative Main Title
  • But Not For Me (Guétary Vocals)
  • 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 Wonderfu
• Radio Interviews (4:46)
  • Johnny Green
  • Gene Kelly
  • Gene Kelly & Leslie Caro
• Extras
  • Gene Kelley: Anatomy of a Dancer (2002 PBS Documentary) – A biography of Gene Kelly told from those who worked with him and studied from him.  It is one spectacular look at his life and life’s work (1:24:48).
  • Paris On Parade: 1938 MGM Short – A very short documentary about ‘modern-day’ Paris (8:53).
  • Symphony in Slang: 1951 MGM cartoon – This cartoon features a tongue-in-cheek delivery of some 50′s slang in a visually literal way (6:44)
• Trailers - Theatrical Trailer

Final Thoughts 

If a film of any genre can change the mindset of a viewer about that particular genre, that says a lot for that film.  Not everyone is going to be wowed by An American in Paris.  Even so, this film should be nothing less than a rental.  Again, I do not like musicals but I not only made it through this movie, but thoroughly enjoyed it.  Not only is the finesse of Gene Kelly something to see, but the talents of co-stars Leslie Caron and Oscar Levant are also something you should not miss.