The Art Directors Guild (ADG) Film Society and American Cinematheque will present a screening of the Academy Award®-winning classic musical AN AMERICAN IN PARIS (1951), starring Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron and showcasing Oscar®-winning Concept Artist/Costume Designer Irene Sharaff, Art Director E. Preston Ames and MGM’s Supervising Art Director Cedric Gibbons, on Sunday, May 31 at 5:30 PM at the Egyptian Theatre (6712 Hollywood Blvd. Hollywood). This will be the ADG Film Society’s second program of the 2015 “Confessions of a Production Designer” Series, sponsored by The Hollywood Reporter.
Director Vincente Minnelli’s most popular musical, AN AMERICAN IN PARIS is regarded by MGM veterans as one of the studio’s finest examples of excellence in choreography, art direction, costume design and scenic painting. Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron sing and dance to the music of George Gershwin, with lyrics by Ira Gershwin, in this winner of six Academy Awards®, including Best Picture. When ex-GI Jerry Mulligan (Kelly) remains in Paris to pursue life as an artist, he is discovered by a wealthy patroness interested in more than his art. But Mulligan falls in love with a French shop girl (Caron) who is engaged to his best friend.
“The Art Directors Film Society is honored to host an exceptional panel of artists who will share their appreciation for the crafts behind the creation of the film’s extraordinary 18-minute ballet sequence, which was truly groundbreaking for the American musical of that day,” said moderator and Production Designer Thomas A. Walsh. Joining him for the post-show discussion and Q&A will be Scenic Artist John Moffitt, cinematographer and film historian Michael Lonzo, costume designer Mikael Sharafyan (nephew of Irene Sharaff) and Patricia Ward Kelly, widow of Gene Kelly and creative director of “Gene Kelly: The Legacy.”
This screening will also kickoff the 2016 release of The Art of the Hollywood Backdrop, the ADG’s newest partnership in publication that explores the art and history behind the creation of Hollywood’s most iconic backdrops. The Art of the Hollywood Backdrop is sponsored by the Guild’s Scenic,Title and Graphic Artists in collaboration with writers Karen L. Maness, Richard Isackes and Judith Regan, Regan Arts/Phaidon Publishing.
In addition to AN AMERICAN IN PARIS, the Art Directors Guild Film Society 2015 Series includes two more events for the season:
Sunday, June 28 – THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD (1938) at the AeroTheatre, spotlighting Production Designer Carl Jules Weyl
Sunday, July 26 – CONFESSIONS OF A DANGEROUS MIND (2002) at the Egyptian Theatre, followed by a conversation with Production Designer Jim Bissell
Representing the ADG are Film Society Co-Chairs John Muto, Thomas A. Walsh, John Iacavelli and Debbie Patton, ADG Manager, Awards and Events. Working with them are the American Cinematheque's Gwen Deglise, Margot Gerber, and Grant Moninger. General admission: $11. American Cinematheque members: $7. Students/Seniors with valid ID: $9. All screenings start at 5:30 PM 24-hour information is available at 323-466-FILM (3456).
For information about the 2015 ADG Film Series click here.
For ticket information, go to American Cinematheque's website.
About THE ART DIRECTORS GUILD:
The Art Directors Guild (IATSE Local 800) represents 2,300 members who work throughout the United States, Canada and the rest of the world in film, television and theater as Production Designers; Art Directors; Assistant Art Directors; Scenic, Title and Graphic Artists; Illustrators and Matte Artists; Set Designers and Model Makers. Established in 1937, the ADG's ongoing activities include a Film Society, an annual Awards Banquet (#ADGawards), a creative/technology community (5D: The Future of Immersive Design), a bimonthly craft magazine (Perspective); and extensive technology-training programs, creative workshops and craft and art exhibitions. The Guild's Online Directory/Website Resource is at www.adg.org.
About AMERICAN CINEMATHEQUE
Established in 1981, the American Cinematheque is a 501 C 3 non-profit viewer-supported film exhibition and cultural organization dedicated to the celebration of the Moving Picture in all of its forms. At the Egyptian Theatre, the Cinematheque presents daily film and video programming which ranges from the classics of American and international cinema to new independent films and digital work. Exhibition of rare works, special and rare prints, etc., combined with fascinating post-screening discussions with the filmmakers who created the work, are a Cinematheque tradition that keep audiences coming back for once-in-a-lifetime cinema experiences. The American Cinematheque renovated and reopened (on Dec. 4, 1998) the historic 1922 Hollywood Egyptian Theatre. This includes a state-of-the-art 616-seat theatre housed within Sid Grauman's first grand movie palace on Hollywood Boulevard. The exotic courtyard is fully restored to its 1922 grandeur. The Egyptian was the home of the very first Hollywood movie premiere in 1922. In January 2005 the American Cinematheque expanded its programming to the 1940 Aero Theatre on Montana Avenue in Santa Monica. For more information about American Cinematheque, visit the website at http://www.americancinematheque.com.
