An American in Paris

Virtues abound -- an all-Gershwin score, a likely tale, adept Gene Kelly, a delightful newcomer named Leslie Caron, a windup of dancing before imaginative settings and over all a spirit of crisp originality and sophistication.

Too fancy and overblown, but the two dancing lovers have infectious grins and the Gershwin music keeps everything good-spirited.

Gene Kelly -- star and choreographer -- never lets the jig-time slacken. The picture runs up the stairs and dances down the street. It never rests.

A fluid, beautifully picturesque affair, this elaborate development of the boy-meets-girl theme is as lavish and handsome an offering as any entertainment seeker ever found for the price.

An American in Paris offers wit, beauty, charm, smart dancing, happy music, melodious singing, and originality. There's nostalgia, as well, for those who have known and loved Paris.

Against the pretty-as-a-picture background of this fabulous dream city, then, the cast scampers through the motions of a plot that requires only slight concentration on acting, but plenty in the way of personal appeal.

The climactic “An American in Paris Ballet” sequence is the film’s most famous, although I’ve always had a soft spot for Kelly singing “I Got Rhythm” with the assistance of a group of children.

Vincente Minnelli’s dreamlike musical, An American in Paris, paired the catchy tunes of George and Ira Gershwin with the electric charisma of Gene Kelly. The result is a mesmerizing and romantic anecdote... radical at the time and iconic to this day.

Free yourself from being disappointed by this overrated white elephant.

Some of the greatest singing and dancing ever in film