Gigi (1958 film)

Gigi
Theatrical release poster
Directed byVincente Minnelli
Screenplay byAlan Jay Lerner
Based onGigi
1944 novella
by Colette
Produced byArthur Freed
Starring
CinematographyJoseph Ruttenberg
Edited byAdrienne Fazan
Music byFrederick Loewe
Music adapted and conducted by
André Previn
Distributed byMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release date
  • May 15, 1958 (1958-05-15)
Running time
115 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$3.3 million[2][3]
Box office$13.2 million[4]

Gigi (French pronunciation: [ʒiʒi]) is a 1958 American musical romantic comedy film directed by Vincente Minnelli and processed using Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's Eastmancolor film process 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. Costume design was done by Cecil Beaton (hats by Madame Paulette).

At the 31st Academy Awards, the film won all nine of its nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director for Minnelli. It held the record for the highest clean sweep of nominations (later shared with The Last Emperor) until The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King won all eleven of its nominations at the 76th Academy Awards in 2004.

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".[5][6] The American Film Institute ranked it number 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.

  1. ^ "GIGI (A)". British Board of Film Classification. April 16, 1958. Retrieved October 22, 2012.
  2. ^ Hall, Sheldon; Neale, Steve (2010). Epics, Spectacles, and Blockbusters: A Hollywood History. Detroit: Wayne State University Press. p. 162. ISBN 978-0-8143-3008-1.
  3. ^ Fordin 1996, p. 492
  4. ^ Fordin 1996, p. 495
  5. ^ Kehr, Dave (September 26, 1991). "U.S. FILM REGISTRY ADDS 25 'SIGNIFICANT' MOVIES". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved October 8, 2020.
  6. ^ "Complete National Film Registry Listing". Library of Congress. Retrieved October 8, 2020.