Musicals Blog

An American in Paris - Gershwin Brothers

by Claire J Rottenberg


"An American in Paris," the Academy Award winner for Best Picture in 1951, has a score by George and Ira Gershwin. All of the songs, however, were from earlier Gershwin plays and movies. Included in the score are Embraceable You, I Got Rhythm and Stairway to Paradise.

"An American in Paris" was directed by Vincent Minnelli with choreography by Gene Kelly. The film starred Kelly and Leslie Caron with a dancing role by Cyd Charisse.

The story is about a struggling American artist, living in Paris, who becomes involved with two women - a beautiful young woman with whom he falls in love and an older woman who wants to sponsor him. The beautiful young woman is involved with another man but, still, she falls in love with the artist. In the end, love prevails and there is a happy ending for the artist and his young woman.

Read more about An American in Paris.