May 11, 1970

An American In Paris (1951) ****

Choreography - Gene Kelly, music - George Gershwin, director - Vincente Minnelli. The result - a stylish, Oscar-winning musical about an American painter in Paris. Best sequence - a fabulous ballet, inspired by the paintings of Raoul Dufy, Auguste Renoir, Maurice Utrillo, Henri Rousseau, Vincent Van Gogh and Toulouse-Lautrec - probably the most magical 17 minutes in film history. Musical numbers:

"Nice Work If You Can Get It"
"Embraceable You (dance) **
"By Strauss"
"I Got Rhythm" **
"Tra-La-La" *
"Love Is Here To Stay" *
"I'll Build A Stairway To Paradise" *
"Concerto In F"
"S'Wonderful" ***
"The American In Paris Ballet" ***