Both Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly were under consideration for the part of Jerry Mulligan, but Kelly's more balletic style of dancing gave him the edge.

The studio originally wanted Maurice Chevalier to play the part of Henri Baurel, but he was not available. However, some insiders believe that MGM decided against him because of rumors that he entertained the Third Reich during the French occupation. Yves Montand was also considered but he was quickly dismissed because of his leftist politics, a scarlet letter in Hollywood during the Communist witch-hunt days. Popular French performer Georges Guetary was cast in what would be his only American film.

After Vera-Ellen and Cyd Charisse were considered, Gene Kelly chose a real Parisian for his romantic counterpart. Kelly had seen Leslie Caron dancing two years earlier in Paris's Ballets des Champs Elysees. He flew back to Paris, summoned Caron to a screen test, and two weeks later, she received a notice to report to Hollywood for the production of An American in Paris.

The $450,000,17-minute, eye-popping ballet was filmed after the rest of the picture was completed. In fact, director Vincente Minnelli filmed Father's Little Dividend (1951) before the sets and choreography were completed for the final ballet. Ironically, it took two days longer to film the ballet than the feature-length comedy.

A final scene between Oscar Levant and Nina Foch that resolved some important plot details was excised in order to make room for the climactic ballet.

Because of a natural anemia, aggravated by long stretches of malnutrition during World War II, Leslie Caron was often physically exhausted after long rehearsals and shooting. Gene Kelly was so concerned about her health that he arranged for her to have numerous breaks and rest periods during filming, often giving her an entire day off.

According to some sources, Leslie Caron's "Embraceable You" sequence - the one where she is depicted via different period settings - created a stir with the censors. The problem derived from Caron's skirt in the American jazz segment that left little to the imagination. Fortunately, a female censor showed up on set and subsequently fell under Gene Kelly's powerful charm. The sequence was approved, with only the slightest trimming of the jazz segment.

by Scott McGee