In March 1952, the Academy Awards were being presented to honor the films of 1951. Of the five nominees for best picture, two of them had to be the neck-and-neck favorites to claim the top prize. Those two films were A Place in the Sun and A Streetcar Named Desire. Both films had many traits in common: legendary directors-in-the-making (George Stevens & Elia Kazan), sexy leading heartthrobs (Clift & Brando), acclaimed leading ladies (Liz Taylor & Vivien Leigh), and they were adaptations of great American literary work. Yet when the night ended, neither one won. They may have canceled each other out, but who swept in and stole the trophy?
The eventual winner of Best Picture: a jukebox musical film using an original story and songs by the Gershwins, starring a popular actor-dancer, and directed by a man whose marriage to a legendary singing star was near the end.
An American in Paris was inspired by George Gershwin's 1928 composition of the same name, and for the film, producer Arthur Freed used many of George and Ira Gershwin's tunes to tell the story. The narrative takes place in Paris just after World War II, and soldier Jerry Mulligan (Gene Kelly) decides to stay in France to pursue his dream of being an artist. Along the way, he finds himself torn by two women - one who supports his art but wants him only (Nina Foch), and another who falls in love with him despite being involved with someone else (Leslie Caron).
While the script by Alan Jay Lerner (musical partner to composer Frederick Loewe) may have earned an Oscar, it was the Gershwin score that was one of the film's major stand-outs. Think of the score: "Our Love is Here to Stay"..."I Got Rhythm"..."'S Wonderful"...and then there's the soaring title song.
Speaking of the title song, Kelly and director Vincente Minnelli take the composition and use many notable pieces of art as its inspiration. The ballet lasts a significant 16 minutes of the nearly two-hour running time, and it's a brilliant segue to the film's hopeful ending.
An American in Paris is a whimsical musical fantasy, boosted by a well-known body of music and featuring Gene Kelly at his prime. Within one year, he would go on to star and co-direct what many consider to be the greatest Hollywood musical ever, Singin' in the Rain. That film was never totally recognized at the Oscars...possibly because since this film took home Best Picture of 1951, the Academy probably didn't want to reward the same people two years straight.
While An American in Paris winning Best Picture over two dramatic masterpieces may be debatable, it definitely started one of the greatest periods of many careers - and a high period for the movie musical.
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