An American in Paris: Two-Disc Special Edition

The plot, such as it is, of Vincente Minnelli's Oscar-winning (including Best Picture) 1951 classic revolves around painter Jerry Mulligan's (Gene Kelly) efforts to win the heart of evasive shop girl Lise Bouvier (Leslie Caron in her screen debut). The dialogue is still snappy, but what really carries this song and dance spectacular set in Paris is the singing and dancing, courtesy of Kelly's outstanding choreography for a solid array of musical pieces by George and Ira Gershwin (many played by renegade pianist Oscar Levant, cast here as Jerry's friend Adam). Highlights include Kelly's fantastic “I Got Rhythm” tap dance in front of a group of kids, the audience favorite “‘S Wonderful,” and the jaw-dropping closing ballet sequence in which Kelly and Caron dance through a series of Technicolor-filmed lavish sets inspired by French Impressionists (Van Gogh, Toulouse-Lautrec, Renoir, etc.) to Gershwin's 17-minute plus title piece. Also winning Academy Awards for Best Screenplay and Best Music, An American in Paris looks wonderful here, thanks to a sharp new transfer. DVD extras on this two-disc set include an engaging audio commentary (featuring new and archival interviews with Minnelli, Kelly, Caron, and others), a fine new retrospective documentary featuring Caron and Kelly's widow), the top-notch PBS-aired 2002 American Masters documentary profile Gene Kelly: Anatomy of a Dancer, an outtake sequence of the dropped song “Love Walked In,” the hilarious Tex Avery classic cartoon “Symphony in Slang,” a vintage short shot in Paris, an outtake songs gallery, and radio promos. An excellent presentation of a classic film, this is highly recommended. (R. Pitman)[Blu-ray Review—Apr. 28, 2009—Warner, 114 min., not rated, $28.99—Making its first appearance on Blu-ray, 1951's An American in Paris boasts a great transfer and a Dolby Digital soundtrack. Blu-ray extras are identical to the latest DVD release, including an engaging audio commentary (featuring new and archival interviews with director Vincente Minnelli, costars Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron, and others), a fine new 42-minute retrospective documentary (featuring Caron and Kelly's widow), the top-notch PBS-aired 2002 American Masters documentary profile Gene Kelly: Anatomy of a Dancer (85 min.), an outtake sequence of the dropped song “Love Walked In,” the hilarious Tex Avery classic cartoon “Symphony in Slang,” a vintage short shot in Paris, an outtake songs gallery, and radio promos. Bottom line: an excellent Blu-ray debut for a classic musical.]