In a time before Fox News, Americans did not despise the French. We didnt go around eating Freedom Fries and pouring Perrier down the toilet. Little statues of the Eiffel Tower were proud tchotskies in a sophisticated suburbanites home. You hadnt seen Europe until you woke up in Paris. All that is forgotten in the wake of Bill OReillys spin. An American in Paris reminds us that the City of Lights is a magical land for creative souls and cute girls with French accents.

The film keeps things simple with the focus on the music. Three artists live in Paris. Georges Guetary is a singer who is finally making a name for himself. Hes finally found love and hes not shy in sharing tales of his new gal. Oscar Levant is his favorite pianist. Hes a wry American. Gene Kelly is an ex-GI turned artist who sells his work on the streets of Paris. Hes a starving artist who needs to move a couple canvases to keep meat on his bones. Gene scores a patron of the arts in the form of Nina Foch. She intends on introducing him to the finest of society folks along with her bed. Gene might be broke, but he doesnt want to be her man-whore. During a visit to a nightclub, he spots Leslie Caron (Gigi). Hes completely smitten by her. Initially he thinks his crush is only irritating Foch, but another friend has a history with the girl. This romantic mess develops into a finale ballet that turns Paris into a fantasy world accompanied by George Gershwins “An American In Paris.”

There is a great sense of whimsy in the film. Kellys singing and dancing moments allow him to take flight. Oscar Levant daydreams that hes conducting an orchestra completely made up of himself behind every instrument. Instead of the multiple Oscars being played for laughs, theres an intensity as he attacks every instrument. At the end we get a comical bit during the applause. Leslie Caron is such a heartbreaker on the screen. American was filmed seven years before she once more became a seductive innocent in Paris as Gigi. Fans of 60s TV will get a chuckle out of the casting of Madge Blake (Batmans Aunt Harriet) and Hayden Rorke (I Dream of Jeannies Dr. Bellows).

An American In Paris is a pleasure trip. Nothing gets too emotional or out of control. Gene Kellys reassuring smile sets the tone for the film. This is sweet and light entertainment accompanied by the music of George and Ira Gershwin. The romantic tangles dont turn completely soap opera. At the end of the film, youll feel proud when ordering French fries.

The video is 1.33:1 pillarboxed to properly fit on a 16:9 screen. The Ultra-Resolution just dazzles the eye. So much detail and color comes out in the 1080p transfer. Whats amazing is how European the film looks even though they shot it in Hollywood. They faked it right and the High-Def doesnt give the location away. The audio is in Dolby Digital mono. Im relieved they didnt try to fake a stereo of 5.1 DTS mix. The levels between the speaking and the singing wont have you reaching for the volume control. There are dub tracks in French, Spanish, German and Italian. The subtitles are in English, Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese, Finnish, Swedish, French, Spanish, German and Italian.

Concerto of a Commentary is edited from vintage talks with Gene Kelly, Vincente Minnelli, Arthur Freed, Arthur Jay Lerner and others. Theres also fresh insights from Leslie Caron and Nina Foch. Its an oral history of the movie.

FitzPatrick Traveltalks: Paris on Parade (8:53) is a travelogue of the city in 1937. We get a tour of the Paris Exhibition. The irony is how this event brought together so many countries in the name of peace. They even built a “Fountain of Peace.” Germany and Italy ruined all that good work shortly there after. Each countrys exposition hall is built on the Seine River.

Symphony in Slang (6:44) is a Tex Avery cartoon. A jazz hipster arrives at the pearly gates of heaven. The angels cant dig his jive talk. Tex gets literal with his characters life story told in slang. Theres no orchestra moment.

Gene Kelly: Anatomy of a Dancer (1:24:48) is the PBS American Masters episode about his life.

‘S Wonderful: The Making of an American in Paris (42:26) reminds us that Hollywood was stunned when it won the Oscar for Best Picture. They have fresh interviews with Ward Kelly, Leslie Caron and Nina Foch along with vintage interviews from the belated stars of the film.

Deleted Scene (2:44) features Georges Guetary serenading Leslie Caron with “Love Walked In.” Oscar Levant accompanies him on piano.

Audio Outtakes (14:33) has seven alternate and deleted songs from the production. The best is Gene Kellys “I’ve Got a Crush on You.”

Vintage radio interviews (13:54) have answers supplied by Gene Kelly, Leslie Caron and Johnny Green.

Theatrical Trailer (3:39) lets us know how much work went into the restoration of the film.

An American In Paris is glorious to absorb in Blu-ray. Gene Kelly nearly dances off the screen in these transfers. The bonus features will give you a complete appreciation of his Best Picture Oscar winner. If youve held off in the past with the earlier VHS and DVD releases, now is the time to make the leap. This is a movie that makes you remember that there nice things about Paris that dont get reported on Fox News.

……………………………………… .

Warner Home Video presents An American In Paris. Directed by: Vincente Minnelli. Starring: Gene Kelly, Leslie Caron, Oscar Levant, Georgees Guetary & Nina Foch. Running Time 113 minutes. Rating: G. Released on Blu-ray: March 31, 2009. Available at Amazon.com