For our September Cinema Classics screenings, we celebrate Vincent Minnelli’s musical AN AMERICAN IN PARIS on 35mm! The screening on 9/1 is free for Hollywood Theatre Members.
AN AMERICAN IN PARIS (1951): Gene Kelly stars as Jerry Mulligan, an ex-G.I. struggling to make ends meet as a painter in the City of Light. Heiress Milo Roberts (Nina Foch) soon takes an interest in Mulligan’s artistic career - and in Mulligan. However, Mulligan falls head over heels for Lise Bouvier (Leslie Caron), an elusive young Parisian woman who spurns his romantic overtures. Mulligan turns to his two best friends to help him navigate his romantic quandary - though an unexpected coincidence may cause further complications.
Rightly regarded as the pinnacle of the Hollywood studio era, AN AMERICAN IN PARIS challenged both mainstream sensibilities and the artistic status quo. Filmed entirely on 44 elaborate sets on MGM’s backlot, the film created a fancified vision of the world that tapped into an audience craving for the illusory.
Including Gershwin gems such as “I Got Rhythm,” “Love Is Here to Stay,” and “I’ll Build a Stairway to Paradise,” AN AMERICAN IN PARIS is pure cinematic bliss. Who could ask for anything more?