Gigi (1958 film)
| Gigi | |
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Original poster
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| Directed by | Vincente Minnelli |
| Produced by | Arthur Freed |
| Screenplay by |
Alan Jay Lerner Niven Busch (uncredited) |
| Based on |
Gigi (1944 novella) by Colette |
| Starring |
Leslie Caron Louis Jourdan Maurice Chevalier Hermione Gingold |
| Music by | Frederick Loewe |
| Cinematography | Joseph Ruttenberg |
| Edited by | Adrienne Fazan |
| Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
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Release date
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Running time
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115 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $3,319,355 |
| Box office | $13,208,725 |
Gigi is a 1958 American musical-romance film directed by Vincente Minnelli processed using MGM's Metrocolor. The screenplay by Alan Jay Lerner is based on the 1944 novella of the same name by Colette. The film features songs with lyrics by Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe, arranged and conducted by André Previn.
In 1991, Gigi was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". The American Film Institute ranked it #35 in AFI's 100 Years...100 Passions. The film is considered the last great Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer musical and the final great achievement of the Freed Unit, headed by producer Arthur Freed, although he would go on to produce several more films, including the musical Bells Are Ringing in 1960.
Set in turn-of-the-20th century Paris, the film opens with Honoré Lachaille (Maurice Chevalier) who is surrounded by members of high society in the Bois de Boulogne. Being a charming old roué, he remarks that in Paris, marriage is not the only option for wealthy young bon vivants like his nephew Gaston (Louis Jourdan), who is bored with life. The one thing Gaston truly enjoys is spending time with Madame Alvarez (Hermione Gingold), whom he calls Mamita, and especially her granddaughter, the precocious, carefree Gilberte, aka Gigi (Leslie Caron).
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