Alan Jay Lerner began writing the screenplay for “An American in Paris” (1951) in December, 1949, and finished it in a 12-hour stretch in March, 1950 on the night before his wedding.
The film’s most famous sequence, the climactic ballet, was not conceived until midway through production and was largely brought about due to Nina Foch’s unavailability (the actress was out of the film for three days due to contracting chicken pox).
Lerner came up with the idea for the ballet, and wrote it, in those three days.
Foch went back to work as soon as she was able, but as a result, a whole team of makeup artists had to work to cover her pockmarks.
Arthur Freed got the idea of making the film when he attended a Hollywood Bowl production of George Gershwin classics and was particularly inspired by the “An American in Paris” number.
After Freed and Gershwin reached an agreement during their weekly pool game, film rights to George Gershwin’s “An American in Paris – A Tone Poem for Orchestra” were purchased for $158,750, and Ira received $56,250 as a consultant to write any necessary new lyrics for songs used.
This film’s director Vincente Minnelli, Lerner, and actress Leslie Caron would collaborate again seven years later on another MGM musical that also won a Best Picture Oscar, “Gigi” (1958), which additionally won Academy Awards for Minnelli as Best Director and Lerner for Best Screenplay. (IMDb)
Happy Birthday, Alan Jay Lerner!