Americans in Paris [1950]
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Ruth Page choreographed one of the first ballet versions of "An American in Paris," an orchestral piece by George Gershwin (1928). Page's ballet was first staged in 1936 at the Cincinnati Zoological Gardens; at this premiere the leading roles were danced by Page herself and tap dancer Paul Draper.; In 1950, the piece was performed as "Americans in Paris," part of a larger repertoire by Ruth Page & Bentley Stone's ballet company of the time, Les Ballets Americains, while touring Europe for the year. In her article “Paris Dance Audiences” (1950, housed at the New York Public Library's Jerome Robbins Dance Division) Page describes the scandal that greeted this Paris performance in particular. Members of José Limón's company (including Limón himself) accompanied them to Paris, though it is unclear whether this footage is from that Paris performance or elsewhere in Europe.; The film canister label claims that Talley Beatty is among the dancers; for some reason it also mentions Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos.
Credits
George Gershwin (composer); Ruth Page (choreographer); Talley Beatty (performer)
Complete catalog record
Cfa collection: Ruth Page Collection
Notes: The film opens with an apparently Parisian scene--a backdrop of a crowded square containing a statue and some trees, in front of which enter a man apparently costumed as a French soldier, and a woman costumed as a young French maiden. The two dance with slightly different styles (the man's more reminiscent of tap; the woman's more balletic). Soon, they are joined by three other young women, all dressed more lavishly and apparently meant to connote Parisian fashion with their large hats. After they dance briefly, three American-costumed men enter: an Abraham Lincoln-type, a Native American modeled after a plains Indian Chief, and a baseball star. They dance with the three Parisian women. Next, all are joined by three men of color dressed as American naval officers; they perform a lengthy dance that includes many movements from American vernacular dance, including steps which emphasize hip mobility. The others watch them. Upon the officers' exit, the four other men replace them at center stage and dance in unison, interrupted by brief solos on the part of the baseball star and the Frenchman. Next, the women join in from the sidelines and all perform simultaneous pas de deux. Finally, all exit as the three officers return for a final jaunt around stage before they, too exit and the film ends.
Subjects: Dance; Performances
Places: Europe
Language: English
Shot log: 00:12 - Film opens with a slightly out of focus view of a stage, whose backdrop seems to depict a crowded Parisian square with a statue in the center; 00:15-00:23 - A woman and then a man enter, apparently costumed to be Parisian: she as a young maiden, he as a soldier; 00:25-01:30 - They dance, with the woman as the main focus. She is en pointe; while not in tap shoes, he dances rhythmically; 01:30-1:53 - Three more young Parisian women enter and dance; they are costumed to appear stylish, with large hats; 01:53 - Three American men enter: an Abraham Lincoln-type, a Native American modeled after a plains Indian Chief, and a baseball star. They proceed to dance with the Parisian women.; 02:13-3:00- Film comes into full focus; 03:22 - This group exits and the initial couple reenters and dances together; 03:38 - Most of the group also reenters, additionally joined by three men in naval uniforms, presumably American soldiers; 03:45-09:00 - The trio of soldiers remains center stage and performs distinctly "American" vernacular-dance-inspired movements, often emphasizing movement in their hips. All three are notably men of color.; 9:00-11:05 - The other 3 American men and the Frenchman then come to center stage and dance together in unison, including brief solos by the baseball star and the frenchman; 11:09-12:05 - The women who had been watching on the sidelines run to center to join the men in a tight cluster at center stage, which then opens out into four couples dancing in unison; 12:07 - The three naval officers reenter from stage left, walk to the downstage right corner of the stage, and then walk back off; 12:33 - Film ends
Cfa elements: Print, 300 feet
Cfa records: https://collections.chicagofilmarchives.org/Detail/objects/7384
Notes: The film opens with an apparently Parisian scene--a backdrop of a crowded square containing a statue and some trees, in front of which enter a man apparently costumed as a French soldier, and a woman costumed as a young French maiden. The two dance with slightly different styles (the man's more reminiscent of tap; the woman's more balletic). Soon, they are joined by three other young women, all dressed more lavishly and apparently meant to connote Parisian fashion with their large hats. After they dance briefly, three American-costumed men enter: an Abraham Lincoln-type, a Native American modeled after a plains Indian Chief, and a baseball star. They dance with the three Parisian women. Next, all are joined by three men of color dressed as American naval officers; they perform a lengthy dance that includes many movements from American vernacular dance, including steps which emphasize hip mobility. The others watch them. Upon the officers' exit, the four other men replace them at center stage and dance in unison, interrupted by brief solos on the part of the baseball star and the Frenchman. Next, the women join in from the sidelines and all perform simultaneous pas de deux. Finally, all exit as the three officers return for a final jaunt around stage before they, too exit and the film ends.
Subjects: Dance; Performances
Places: Europe
Language: English
Shot log: 00:12 - Film opens with a slightly out of focus view of a stage, whose backdrop seems to depict a crowded Parisian square with a statue in the center; 00:15-00:23 - A woman and then a man enter, apparently costumed to be Parisian: she as a young maiden, he as a soldier; 00:25-01:30 - They dance, with the woman as the main focus. She is en pointe; while not in tap shoes, he dances rhythmically; 01:30-1:53 - Three more young Parisian women enter and dance; they are costumed to appear stylish, with large hats; 01:53 - Three American men enter: an Abraham Lincoln-type, a Native American modeled after a plains Indian Chief, and a baseball star. They proceed to dance with the Parisian women.; 02:13-3:00- Film comes into full focus; 03:22 - This group exits and the initial couple reenters and dances together; 03:38 - Most of the group also reenters, additionally joined by three men in naval uniforms, presumably American soldiers; 03:45-09:00 - The trio of soldiers remains center stage and performs distinctly "American" vernacular-dance-inspired movements, often emphasizing movement in their hips. All three are notably men of color.; 9:00-11:05 - The other 3 American men and the Frenchman then come to center stage and dance together in unison, including brief solos by the baseball star and the frenchman; 11:09-12:05 - The women who had been watching on the sidelines run to center to join the men in a tight cluster at center stage, which then opens out into four couples dancing in unison; 12:07 - The three naval officers reenter from stage left, walk to the downstage right corner of the stage, and then walk back off; 12:33 - Film ends
Cfa elements: Print, 300 feet
Cfa records: https://collections.chicagofilmarchives.org/Detail/objects/7384
Sources
- Chicago Film Archives · record ↗ — title, year, length, format, color, sound, genre, description, credits, catalog record, video
Record added 2026-11-08 21:25:11