Singin' and Dancing Back in Time.: AMERICAN IN PARIS (1951)

Thursday, February 18, 2010

AMERICAN IN PARIS (1951)

An American in Paris (1951). Musical inspired by the 1928 orchestral composition by George Gershwin. Cast: Gene Kelly, Leslie Caron, and Oscar Levant. The film is set in Paris. Director: Vincente Minnelli. The music is by George Gershwin, with lyrics by his brother Ira, with additional music by Saul Chaplin. The story of the film is mixed with show stopping dance numbers choreographed by Gene Kelly. Songs include "I Got Rhythm," "I'll Build A Stairway to Paradise," "'S Wonderful," and "Our Love is Here to Stay". The American in Paris ballet featuring Kelly and Caron set to Gershwin's An American in Paris. The ballet alone cost more than $500,000.

FUN FACTS:

According to Leslie Caron, her introductory dance number, was considered too suggestive by censors.

Leslie Carons first movie.

Gene Kelly discovered Leslie Caron while vacationing in Paris where he saw her perform in a ballet.

Leslie Caron had suffered from malnutrition during WWII and was not used to the rigorous schedule of filming a movie. Because she would tire so easily, she was only able to work every other day.

Soundtracks:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Our Love Is Here to Stay"
(1937) (uncredited)
Music by George Gershwin
Lyrics by Ira Gershwin
Sung by Gene Kelly
Danced by Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron
Played often in the score as the love theme between Jerry and Lise

"By Strauss"
(1936) (uncredited)
Music by George Gershwin
Lyrics by Ira Gershwin
Lyrics Revised for this film by Ira Gershwin (1951)
Sung by Gene Kelly, Georges Guétary, Oscar Levant (dubbed by Mack McLean)

"Tra-la-la (This Time It's Really Love)"
(1922) (uncredited)
Music by George Gershwin
Lyrics by Ira Gershwin
Performed by Gene Kelly (vocal and dance) and Oscar Levant (vocal and piano)

"I Got Rhythm"
(1930) (uncredited)
Music by George Gershwin
Lyrics by Ira Gershwin
Performed by Gene Kelly and children

"I'll Build a Stairway to Paradise"
(1922) (uncredited)
Music by George Gershwin
Lyrics by Ira Gershwin and Buddy G. DeSylva)
Sung and Danced by Georges Guétary in his show

"'S Wonderful"
(1927) (uncredited)
Music by George Gershwin
Lyrics by Ira Gershwin
Played during the opening credits
Sung and Danced by Gene Kelly
Sung, Whistled and Hummed by Georges Guétary

"Nice Work if You Can Get It"
(1937) (uncredited)
Music by George Gershwin
Lyrics by Ira Gershwin
Sung by Georges Guétary

"Embraceable You"
(1930) (uncredited)
Music by George Gershwin
Danced by Leslie Caron

"An American in Paris Ballet"
(uncredited)
Music by George Gershwin
Played during the opening credits and often in the score
Danced by Gene Kelly, Leslie Caron and ensemble
Played by The MGM Symphony Orchestra, in an arrangement by Conrad Salinger based on Gershwin's orchestration
Conducted by Johnny Green

"Strike Up the Band"
(1927) (uncredited)
Music by George Gershwin
Played as background music

"Third Movement from 'Concerto in F for Piano and Orchestra'"
(1925) (uncredited)
Music by George Gershwin
Played by Oscar Levant and The MGM Symphony Orchestra conducted offscreen by Johnny Green,
and onscreen by Oscar Levant

"But Not for Me"
(1930) (uncredited)
Music by George Gershwin
Played as background music

"How Long Has This Been Going On?"
(1928) (uncredited)
Music by George Gershwin
Played as background music

"Someone to Watch Over Me"
(1926) (uncredited)
Music by George Gershwin
Played as dance music at the Flodair Café

"Oh, Lady Be Good"
(1926) (uncredited)
Music by George Gershwin
Played as background music

"I've Got a Crush on You, Sweetie Pie"
(1927) (uncredited)
Music by George Gershwin
Played as background music

No comments:

Bob Fosse

Was a musical theater choreographer and director, screenwriter and film director. He won an eight Tony Awards for choreography, as well as one for direction. He was nominated for an Academy Award four times, winning for his direction of Cabaret. He was identified with his third wife, Gwen Verdon. She was both the dancer/collaborator who he choreographed much of his work and, together with dancer/choreographer Ann Reinking, a guardian of the Fosse legacy after his death. Fosse is considered to be one the most influential coreographers of the 20th Century.

Esther Williams.

JANE POWELL

After rising to fame as a singer in her home state of Oregon, Powell was signed to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer while still in her teens. Once there, the studio utilized her vocal, dancing and acting talents, casting her in such musicals as Royal Wedding, with Fred Astaire, A Date with Judy, with friend Elizabeth Taylor and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, with Howard Keel. In the late 1950s, her film career slowed, only to be replaced with a busy theater and television career.Click picture to enter websight.

Jeanette MacDonald

Singer and actress best remembered for her musical films of the 1930s with Maurice Chevalier (Love Me Tonight, The Merry Widow) and Nelson Eddy (Naughty Marietta, Rose-Marie, and Maytime). During the 1930s and 1940s she starred in 29 feature films, four nominated for Best Picture Oscars (The Love Parade, One Hour With You, Naughty Marietta and San Francisco), and recorded extensively, earning three gold records. She later appeared in grand opera, concerts, radio, and television. MacDonald was one of most influential sopranos of the 20th century. Click picture to view fan website.

Joan Crawford.

Click picture to view website. Joan Crawford, born Lucille Fay LeSueur, was an American actress in film, television and theatre. Starting as a dancer in traveling theatrical companies before debuting on Broadway, Crawford was signed to a motion picture contract by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1925. Initially frustrated by the size and quality of her parts, Crawford began a campaign of self-publicity and became nationally known as a flapper by the end of the 1920s. In the 1930s, Crawford's fame rivaled MGM colleagues Norma Shearer and Greta Garbo. Crawford often played hardworking young women who find romance and financial success. These "rags-to-riches" stories were well-received by Depression-era audiences and were popular with women. Crawford became one of Hollywood's most prominent movie stars and one of the highest paid women in the United States, but her films began losing money and by the end of the 1930s

Rodgers and Hammerstein.

Richard Rodgers (1902 – 1979) and Oscar Hammerstein II (1895 – 1960) the songwriting duo, on our musical page. They created many popular Broadway musicals in the 1940s and 1950s during what is considered the golden age. With Rodgers composing the music and Hammerstein writing the lyrics, five of their shows, Oklahoma!, Carousel, South Pacific, The King and I and The Sound of Music. They won thirty-four Tony Awards, fifteen Academy Awards, the Pulitzer Prize, and two Grammys. Click picture to read movie reviews.

Cab Calloway

Calloway was a master of energetic scat singing and led one of the United States' most popular African American big bands from the start of the 1930s through the late 1940s. Calloway's band featured performers including trumpeters Dizzy Gillespie and Adolphus "Doc" Cheatham, saxophonists Ben Webster and Leon "Chu" Berry, New Orleans guitar ace Danny Barker, and bassist Milt Hinton. Calloway continued to perform until his death in 1994 at the age of 86 .Click picture to view official website.

Thursday, February 18, 2010

AMERICAN IN PARIS (1951)

No comments:

Post a Comment