Warner Announces Gigi, Amercian in Paris for Blu-ray

Posted January 5, 2009 08:33 AM by Josh Dreuth

Warner Home Video has announced that they will bring 'Gigi' and 'An American in Paris' to Blu-ray on March 31st. Originally re-released for DVD last year after an extensive restoration process, Warner promised Blu-ray fans that these classic films would see high definition treatment sometime this year. No technical specs for either film has been announced at this time.

Extras for 'Gigi' include:

New Commentary with Leslie Caron and Film Historian Jeanine Basinger
The Million Dollar Nickel [1952 MGM short]
The Vanishing Duck [1958 MGM cartoon]
Theatrical Trailer
Thank Heaven! The Making of Gigi - The story of how 1958's Best Picture winner (the last of the classic MGM musicals) survived a turbulent production that included censorship battles over its daring sexual content and creative struggles between a studio in turmoil and a demanding, visionary director. Featuring an all-new interview with star Leslie Caron, and a rare interview with Oscar-winning director Minnelli
Original 1949 Nonmusical version of Gigi starring Daniele Delorme in the title role and directed by Jacqueline Audry (in French Mono with English subtitles)

For 'An American in Paris', extras include:

Concerto of a Commentary hosted by Patricia Ward Kelly and featuring rare, often previously unheard interviews with Gene Kelly, Vincente Minnelli, Arthur Freed, Alan Jay Lerner, Johnny Green, Saul Chaplin, Michael Feinstein, Preston Ames and Irene Sharaff and new observations by Leslie Caron and Nina Foch
1938 MGM short: Paris on Parade
1951 MGM cartoon: Symphony in Slang
Theatrical trailer
2002 American Masters Documentary: Gene Kelly: Anatomy of a Dancer
‘S Wonderful: The Making of An American in Paris, an all new documentary, produced especially for this release. A dynamic history of the making of the film, which reveals how George and Ira Gershwin's classic songs, the dazzling art of the French impressionists and the ultimate teamwork of MGM's legendary “Freed Unit” came together to create a musical masterpiece. Featuring ten new interviews, including co-stars Leslie Caron and Nina Foch
Outtakes: Georges Guetary performing Love Walked In and Gene Kelly performing I Got a Crush on You (audio only)
Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron promotional radio interview with Dick Simmons
Love Walked In Outtake
Audio Outtakes
Alternate Main Title
- But Not for Me Guetary
- But Not for Me Levant Piano Solo
- Gershwin Prelude #3
- I've Got a Crush on You
- Nice Work if You Can Get It
- 'S Wonderful
Radio Interviews
- Johnny Green
- Gene Kelly
- Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron

Source: Blu-ray.com | Permalink |

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News comments (22 comments)

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Lucy Diamond

Jan 05, 2009

Leslie Caron is so brutally hot!!!

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Rob71

Jan 05, 2009

Just for a second, I thought this said Gigli.:)

I probably will get An American In Paris.

dmarvin

Jan 05, 2009

An American in Paris is a day one purchase for me. I have never seen the American Masters documentary on Gene Kelly but that series is always excellent. I have never seen Gigi, so it's going to be an eventual blind buy for me. Great news!

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Blu Titan

Jan 05, 2009

Great news for fans of musicals. Nice to see the format getting some classic musical releases.

Sushisake

Jan 05, 2009

MINE!!!! Oh boy - bring on the old MGM Musicals!!!!!!

tru blu

Jan 05, 2009

Been ages since I've seen these. Great way to re watch them.

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bluskies

Jan 05, 2009

Both are day one purchases for me.

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Paulo Elias

Jan 05, 2009

I am a huge MGM fan, spending most of my cinema outings to the local Metro theater, which sadly was demolished a long time ago.

Gigi is, without a doubt, the best amongst MGM musicals, but both BD editions are more than welcome. It is a pity that I could not find the audio specs for these releases, and as far as Gigi is concerned it would be nice to get a well mastered 3.0 version of the soundtrack, as an option to the ubiquitous 5.1 track. In fact, there is no need for 5.1 because no surround was used in this picture and the CinemaScope format is 4 track mag anyway.

As a side note, I was not aware that a restored DVD version was previously released. The first DVD version is plagued with digital artefacts. Of course, now that the Blu-Ray is being released I surely won't miss it.

Top reviewer

Reduman

Jan 05, 2009

Both "An American in Paris" (Ein Amerikaner in Paris) and "Gigi" are already available for purchase in Germany. I have both movies on BD and can confirm that the extras appear to be identical to the forthcoming US release(s). As I have both a US and a German PS3 to play both Region A + B discs, I have been trying to find out whether the discs will play on a Region A player, too. Unfortunately, there appears to be a problem with my Region A PS3, it is not outputting anything to my TV at the moment ... dunno why, so I cannot confirm whether the discs are region locked or not at the moment. Certainly, there is no region coding information on either of the disc sleeves to indicate they are region locked, or whether they are region free discs for that matter. Maybe someone else knows this?

Mr. Elias, the German version of "Gigi" lists 2 English language tracks one is Dolby Digital 5.1 and there is also a Dolby TrueHD English language track, too! The German track is only 1.0. For "An American in Paris" it is Dolby Digital 1.0 for the German, English, Spanish, French and Italian tracks. Obviously the US release may differ in this or any other respect, but it gives you an idea about what you might expect. Hope this helps.

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Russell_L

Jan 05, 2009

Great news!!!

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Paulo Elias

Jan 05, 2009

Reduman,

Thanks for the info. I have just read Gary Tooze's review of the Japanese edition (please see his notes at http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film2/DVDReviews43/gigi_blu-ray.htm) and he confirms that the same audio tracks as you said. Apparently, the American edition will be no different than the Japanese. BTW, Gary Tooze is a savvy reviewer, and he usually posts all the data he can about specific releases. Sorry about your PS3 problem!

kosvines

Jan 05, 2009

Any chance the cartoons are in HD?

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Reduman

Jan 05, 2009

Dear Paulo,

Thanks for the information - I have just read Mr. Tooze's reviews of both films and can agree that GIGI did not look as spectacular on blu-ray visually as I might have hoped. I do not have an SD version to compare it with directly - but it still looked fine. Thank's for directing me to the site, I was not aware of it previously.

Yes, I hope my PS3 is not about to give up the ghost, it is only just over a year old! Plus most of my BDs are US imports and those that are region-locked will obviously not play on my other Region B player. Aaaaargh ... Enjoy the musicals when you purchase them ....

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Reduman

Jan 05, 2009

Dear Kosvines,

On "An American in Paris" the cartoon "Symphony in Slang" appears to be in SD (it certainly looks old and scratchy at least!
The "Gigi" disc has the (Tom & Jerry) cartoon "The Vanishing Duck" in Cinemascope and what could be a HD presentation - it certainly is miles cleaner that the extra on AAiP. Dunno if that helps you? The disc sleeve mentions in both cases that some of the extras content is in SD, but does not always specify which.

SellmeyourDVD

Jan 05, 2009

i saw gigi and thought gigli, i was wondering why that atrocious peice of garbage was coming to blu ray........ thank sweet baby jesus it is not.

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Robert Siegel

Jan 05, 2009

Let's hope the Amewrican version of Gigi has the Dolby True track as well. I will be very upset if it has no lossless.

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nathanp

Jan 05, 2009

I'm all over both of these, the old musicals in HD should be pretty outstanding!

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nathanp

Jan 05, 2009

South Pacific's out that day too, nice!

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bondfooll

Jan 05, 2009

I hope Singin' In the Rain is in the cards, that's my favorite classic musical.

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Dubstar

Jan 05, 2009

phew! almost bought the imports ... hooray!

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Reduman

Jan 05, 2009

Just to add to my earlier comments -- both the German versions GIGI and AN AMERICAN IN PARIS are playable on Region A players. My PS3 has come back from the dead and is playing the wonderful AAiP in glorious techicolour. Phew!

Top reviewer

Paulo Elias

Jan 06, 2009

Reduman,

Hi, again! I know it is a relief that you have one less problem (i.e., the almost deceased PS3) to worry about. Me, I am still waiting to stop worrying about my gear for a long time now, courtesy of the terrific HDMI technology that was imposed to us HT hobbyists.

kosvines,

I share your concerns regarding these MGM shorts. A long time ago, I bought that Spotlight Collection vol. 1 on DVD, just to find out that the alleged picture restoration of most cartoons were not true, let alone the deplorable censorship they did with some of them. In addition, the sound quality produced in the DVD is appalling and, in view of today's studio resources for audio restoration, inexcusable!