AN AMERICAN IN PARIS 🤩

My daughter, Ilisa Rae, inherited my disability to be able to dance. I don’t mean like dancing to pop music. We both used to hold our own on the dance floor. No, I am talking about ballet and tap. I had the unfortunate experience of being in ballet and tap classes at a very young age. Embarrassing, horrible experiences that I have never forgotten, no matter how many decades have passed. Let’s face the truth. I do not possess a dancer’s physique, stature, feet, or legs. I must have been standing in some other line when they were heavenly handed out before birth. Ilisa must have found that same line. It just wasn’t going to happen, no matter how much she or I wanted it. 

I never held Ilisa back from discovering her passions. As a very young child and throughout her short life, she had a best friend. Tiffany was her first soulmate. They were inseparable, and I believe attached at the hip. Tiffany either lived at my house or at my ex’s, or Ilisa was at her bestie’s home. They did everything together. It was no surprise that when Tif wanted to take tap dancing classes, Ilisa Rae did too. The difference was that Tif could dance and keep a beat. Ilisa was always one step behind or ahead, but that didn’t stop the two of them. 

Tiffany spent every waking hour helping her friend catch up, slow down, and improve.  I found a piece of plywood, and all day long, Aaron and I heard the tap, tap, tapping sounds coming from Ilisa’s bedroom, the garage, or patio.  Those two girls took that plywood everywhere. After all, a huge recital was coming up for their dance academy, and everyone was required to participate. 

Tif was placed in the front row, center, for their routine. Ilisa was put in the back row at all times, but it didn’t seem to matter to either one. In their minds, they were dancing together. I remember watching them from the audience. I was so proud, not because Ilisa had finally learned the steps or kept going even when mistakes were made, but rather because of what happened at the end. Both girls ran to each other and met in the middle of the stage, laughing and giggling while hugging each other. They held hands during the curtain call and ran offstage still totally connected to each other. It made me smile from ear to ear watching their exuberant joy. This moment is etched and cherished in my memory box forever. 

Dancing should make people feel that much happiness every time. It doesn’t matter if you are the participant or the watcher. Dance should lift one’s soul and make all our hearts soar. There have been many films that capture this spirit, but only ten have been awarded an Oscar for Best Picture. Only one also received a special, honorary Oscar for Choreography. AN AMERICAN IN PARIS is a spectacular, over-the-top, unforgettable film starring the incomparable Gene Kelly, who was a one-of-a-kind, genius dancer. 

AN AMERICAN IN PARIS premiered in 1951. It is a movie with more dancing and singing than monologues or dialogues. It was actually created to showcase George and Ira Gershwin’s amazing musical repertoire.  It includes such fabulous tunes as S’ WONDERFUL, I’VE GOT RHYTHM, I’LL BUILD A STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN, and the 18-minute masterpiece, AMERICAN IN PARIS (which included the entire company and took six months to rehearse). Alan Jay Lerner (MY FAIR LADY, CAMELOT)  wrote the screenplay, and Vincent Minnelli (ZIEGFIELD FOLLIES, GIGI) directed. The film won Oscars for Best Screenplay, Best Music, Best Costume Design, Best Cinematography, and Best Art Direction.  It was also awarded the BAFTA and the Golden Globe for Best Picture. Not a bad collection of brilliant creators who garnered so many awards, even to mention.

Gene Kelly (SINGING IN THE RAIN) was at the center of this film. He choreographed every dance sequence. He was a taskmaster and was said to be very difficult to work with because of his sarcastic, caustic comments.  He expected nothing less than perfection every time. His schedules were grueling, especially working on the studio’s hard, concrete floor.  

Kelly didn’t show any of that when the cameras were rolling. His dancing was divine, entertaining, funny, and imaginative. He had an ease about himself when tapping across the stage. Every beat and syncopated rhythm was intentional. Still, we, as the audience, never knew what went on behind the scenes or how much time, effort, and hard work it took to achieve and maintain that level of proficiency. Kelly’s movements are iconic, especially when imitating Charlie Chaplin. His standard look was always white socks and black, loafer-style tap shoes, with the hem length just a little too short so it would highlight every fabulous step. (It should be noted that Michael Jackson’s dancing was often compared to Kelly’s, and Michael only wore white socks and black shoes.) 

Leslie Caron was just nineteen when she was cast as Lise, the lovely love interest of two different men. This was her first film ever. She was a ballet dancer with a famous French ballet company. Kelly happened to catch her performing while the ballet troupe was touring. Cyd Charisse was supposed to play Lise, but had to bow out. Kelly remembered seeing Caron months earlier, and the rest was history. 

Caron did not speak English when she was offered the role. She learned while on set. Thank goodness, her character danced much more than talked, and Caron was a superb dancer. She could only dance every other day since the long twelve-hour rehearsal and filming schedule was too much for her body at the time. She was still recuperating from the effects of WWII. She was unable to obtain the necessary food and nourishment in France during the war.  Again, Kelly was difficult and demanding. What audiences see on film is stunning, though. The chemistry and sensual movements were breathtaking.  Caron has mighty powerful, long legs that paint a picture of who Lise was and what she meant to Jerry (Kelly). Together, Caron and Kelly were truly outstanding. 

The supporting cast was phenomenal. Nina Foch, as the older woman, hit a sexy bullseye in capturing her yearning to find love, no matter what it cost her financially. BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY’S took this type of character even further when it premiered a decade later. 

Oscar Levant was Jerry’s best friend and an extraordinary pianist. Watching those fingers fly across the keyboard was not of this world. The musical production, I’LL BUILD A STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN, was outrageous with Levant taking on all eleven parts in the number. It was an homage to the silent movie film stars.  Every second of this piece was magnificently put together. It was heavenly to watch. Georges Cuetary, as Henri, completed the love triangle with Lise and Jerry. He sang his way into the audience’s hearts with gusto and enthusiasm. He personified the ultimate French lover. 

The costumes were awesome, using a palette of colors and shades most of us can’t even decipher. It was all a visual feast for the eyes, yet it was clever to use the yin-yang, black-and-white effect as often as possible in critical scenarios. The studio created the beauty of Paris over hundreds of acres. It felt authentic, especially for 1951 and ages before CGI.

AN AMERICAN IN PARIS took a huge risk when they included the American in Paris dance scene. It was the longest ever filmed and used hundreds of dancers to recreate a bit of Parisian culture. It pushed the story forward without a single word spoken. It is a legendary piece of celluloid that has sustained the test of time. 

AN AMERICAN IN PARIS is a special, sophisticated, sensational musical classic. It showcases a time when this genre could influence the movie industry. It is a film with talent oozing and exploding out of every frame on screen. It’s ability to push the public, the fans, into appreciating and applauding artistry at its finest. It is unforgettable, and every time I rewatch it, I am reminded that the Kellys and Carons of the world are born to dance and achieve greatness. Ilisa Rae and I witnessed this together, and it was more than enough. 

AN AMERICAN IN PARIS is available on TCM