Gene Kelly does his patented Pal Joey bit as Jerry Mulligan, an opportunistic American painter living in Paris starving artists colony. He is discovered by wealthy Milo Roberts (Nina Foch), who becomes Jerrys patroness in more ways than one. Meanwhile, Jerry plays hookey on this setup by romancing waif-like Lise Bouvier (Leslie Caron) -- who, unbeknownst to him, is the object of the affections of his close friend Henri (Georges Guetary), a popular nightclub performer. (The film was supposed to make Guetary into the New Chevalier. It didnt.) The thinnish plot is held together by the superlative production numbers and by the recycling of several vintage George Gershwin tunes, including I Got Rhythm, S Wonderful, and Our Love Is Here to Stay. Highlights include Guetarys rendition of Stairway to Paradise; Oscar Levants fantasy of conducting and performing Gershwins Concerto in F (Levant also appears as every member of the orchestra); and the closing 17-minute American in Paris ballet, in which Kelly and Caron dance before lavish backgrounds based on the works of famed French artists. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide