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AN AMERICAN IN PARIS – George Gershwin, Johnny Green, and Saul Chaplin
GREATEST SCORES OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY
Original Review by Craig Lysy
Producer Arthur Freed took in a Hollywood Bowl performance of George Gershwin’s music from the Jazz Age and was inspired by the show’s “An American in Paris” number. For the next three years he sought support in bringing his film version to fruition. He found a partner in Gene Kelly who sold MGM executives on the concept of a dance film by screening the film “The Red Shoes” (1948). Arthur Freed was assigned production with a $2.7 million budget, Alan Jay Lerner was hired to write the screenplay, Gene Kelly would manage the choreography, and Vincente tasked with directing, with assistance from Gene Kelly. Kelly had seen Leslie Caron performing a ballet in Paris and he personally recruited her for the role of Lise Bouvier. Joining her would be Gene Kelly as Jerry Mulligan, Oscar Levant as Adam Cook, George Guétary as Hank Baurel, Nina Foch as Milo Roberts and Eugene Borden as Georges Mattieu. Read more…
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