Weary of the conventions of Parisian society, a rich playboy and a youthful courtesan-in-training enjoy a platonic friendship which may not stay platonic for long.Weary of the conventions of Parisian society, a rich playboy and a youthful courtesan-in-training enjoy a platonic friendship which may not stay platonic for long.Weary of the conventions of Parisian society, a rich playboy and a youthful courtesan-in-training enjoy a platonic friendship which may not stay platonic for long.
- Won 9 Oscars
- 21 wins & 9 nominations total
- Girl at Maxim's
- (uncredited)
- Waiter at "Palais de Glace"
- (uncredited)
- A boy at Jardins des Tuileries
- (uncredited)
- Harlequin
- (uncredited)
- Gentleman in Park
- (uncredited)
- Maitre d'Hotel Maxim's
- (uncredited)
- Showgirl
- (uncredited)
- Restaurant Patron
- (uncredited)
- Gaston's Private Secretary
- (uncredited)
- Girl on Horseback at Pré Catelan
- (uncredited)
- Directors
- Vincente Minnelli
- Charles Walters(uncredited)
- Writers
- Alan Jay Lerner
- Colette
- Niven Busch(uncredited)
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Best Picture Winners by Year
Best Picture Winners by Year
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe day after the movie won nine Oscars, MGM telephone operators were instructed to answer all phone calls with "Hello, M-Gigi-M."
- GoofsDuring Gaston's song by the pond thinking of Gigi, there is a fence in the pond forcing the swans to stay in close background. The swans, obviously confused yet undeterred, keep swimming into the fence attempting to get to the swan in deep background on the other side of the pond.
- Quotes
Aunt Alicia: Love, my dear Gigi, is a thing of beauty like a work of art, and like a work of art it is created by artists. The greater the artist the greater the art. And what makes an artist?
Gigi: Cigars and jewelry?
Aunt Alicia: Gigi, you're from another planet.
- Alternate versionsIn some prints shown on television, we see still photos of Leslie Caron part of the time during the song "Gigi", instead of seeing Louis Jourdan singing. (This occurs after the verse and first chorus, when the orchestra plays the song while Jourdan only exclaims "Gigi!") As shown currently, we see Jourdan singing throughout the whole song, as in the theatrical release.
- ConnectionsEdited into Histoire(s) du cinéma: Une histoire seule (1989)
- SoundtracksThank Heaven for Little Girls
(uncredited)
Lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner
Music by Frederick Loewe
Performed by Maurice Chevalier
Production-wise, it's almost too lavish for its own good. Vincente Minnelli wrings every bit of artistic decor in the trappings, giving the viewer an almost claustrophobic feeling for the interior scenes. The outdoor shots are just as lavish--Louis Jourdan singing the title song among the fountains and architecture of French landmarks.
The cast is perfect. Leslie Caron makes an enchanting Gigi, Louis Jourdan is impossibly handsome as Gaston, and all of the other players were cast with a discerning eye.
But there is no denying that no matter how distasteful some will find the story of training a girl to become a courtesan to be (or how politically incorrect by today's standards), the score is as sparkling as the champagne they sing about. While, in my opinion, the score does not surpass "My Fair Lady" in range and cleverness, it certainly did well enough in winning nine Oscars, including the one for Best Picture of 1958. By all means, it has to be considered one of the last great musicals from the MGM period.
Only drawback: it's a bit overlong and could have used some editing for the slow moments.
- Doylenf
- May 29, 2001
Details
Box office
- Budget
- $3,319,355 (estimated)
- Runtime1 hour 55 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 2.35 : 1
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