Starring Gene Kelly, Leslie Caron, Oscar Levant, Nina Foch

(8-Exceptional Film)

Lovely. Romantic. Fantastic.

Jerry Mulligan (Kelly) is an American painter trying to find his inspiration in romantic Paris. He has one friend, fellow American and misanthrope, Adam Cook (Levant), a shabby apartment, and a damp space on a street corner for hustling his work. Things start looking up when a wealthy heiress from Baltimore decides to take him under her wing (we sense it has more to do with his smile than with his art), but then he sees and instantly falls in love with a perfume salesgirl, Lise Bouvier (Caron). Minnelli and Kelly are expert craftsmen. Innovative, spectacular, colorful, exuberant song and dance numbers. Indelible songs (“Our Love is Here to Stay” “I’ve Got Rhythm”) by Gershwin. There’s a lot to recommend and enjoy. Falls short in my eyes of the kind of greatness I usually associate with a Minnelli or a Gene Kelly picture mainly because of the lack of plot and the degree of unpleasantness involved in the scenes with Kelly’s jilted lover, Milo. It’s worthy entertainment to be sure, but not nearly as much fun as Singin’ in the Rain or The Band Wagon.

-Walter Tyrone Howard-

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