gene kelly come up with some really grand idea for musical while with mgm . here he at the top of his creative power work with the arthur free musical unit . hard to believe when you watch an american in paris that the player never leave the back lot at mgm . the magic of an american in paris be due to the creative editing under the direction of vincent minnelli and the set that mgm design blend with some background establish shot . the idea of the film originate with kelly who want simply to do a film with a lengthy ballet sequence involve george gershwin tone poem an american in paris . it sound good to arthur freed who approach ira gershwin who say fine with him as long a they use other gershwin material . gershwin get the kind of deal for gershwin music that irving berlin normally get . not one note of non gershwin music be hear in an american in paris . listen to some of the background music and you will hear thing like embraceable you and but not for me which be not real musical number . another guy who be a fair hand at write lyric and alan jay lerner and write the story which admittedly be a thin one . all about an ex gi play by gene kelly who after world war ii never leave france and just settle into an apartment on the left bank and proceed to become a starving artist . he live with eccentric composer oscar levant and do that ever sound like a redundancy . two woman be interested in him . another expatriate american play by nina foch who want to sponsor him a a painter if he will reciprocate in other matter . but kelly fall for a shop girl play by leslie caron in her film debut . caron also have musical comedy star george guetary interested in here . of course the plot be just an excuse to sing and dance to the music of george gershwin . an american in paris happens to be the first film i ever saw a an in flight movie on the first airplane trip i ever take . i still remember fly back from phoenix arizona to kennedy airport see gene kelly do i have get rhythm . my favorite number in the film however be tra la la which kelly sings and dance all over the apartment with oscar levant play the piano . at one point kelly dance on top of the baby grand piano . in a book about arthur free and i read a quote where he say in the american in paris ballet sequence be to be do with the background of the french impressionist which he felt the public would take to rather than a realistic setting on the street or back lot . so it happen that way . kelly have do lengthy ballet sequence in word and music and the pirate and and on the town . but this one top them all . still do in my opinion and that include some of gene kelly later film . in a surprise upset at the oscar and an american in paris be choose best picture for 1951 and beat out the heavily favor a streetcar name desire . i guess fantasy trump realism that year . big budget also have an upper hand in these thing as well . still an american in paris be one of the best movie musical ever do and since the studio no longer have all that creative talent under one roof and something less likely to be repeat .