‘Gigi’ Movie: 8 Unbelievable Things That Happened Behind the Scenes of the 1958 Classic
'Gigi' was a hit with Leslie Caron in the title role, but Audrey Hepburn was up for the part at first
“Gigi, you’re from another planet” — or at least Paris, France in 1958. The Gigi movie, which was released in theaters in 1958, was certainly groundbreaking. It follows a young Parisian courtesan named Gigi (Leslie Caron) as she begins to slowly fall in love with a rich playboy (Maurice Chevalier). The film won 9 Oscars, including Best Picture, and to celebrate this classic movie, we’ve rounded up the eight best behind-the-scenes facts about its making, including which starlet was almost cast as Gigi.
1. Leslie Caron didn’t actually sing in the Gigi movie
Leslie Caron, who, as noted, played the film’s titular character, Gigi, didn’t sing in the film. She was supposed to and even recorded all of the songs, but they were eventually cut and replaced with Betty Wand’s voice. Caron was reportedly very upset when she found out.
2. The Gigi movie was actually filmed in Paris
To make things feel more authentic, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) filmed the majority of the film in Paris, France. The only exception to that was the end of the movie, which was filmed at the MGM lot in Hollywood, California, because the production company was losing a lot of money. It was the first time in over three decades that MGM ever dealt with financial issues.
3. Three of the film’s actors were really French
Just like their on-screen counterparts (Gigi, Gaston and Honore Lachaille), Leslie Caron, Louis Jourdan and Maurice Chevalier were actually French. This would help the film feel more authentic to the audience and provide the proper accents and Parisian mannerisms.
4. Audrey Hepburn was almost cast in the film
E.G.O.T (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony) winner Audrey Hepburn was the studio’s first choice for the role of Gigi. Hepburn, however, was too busy filming Funny Face (1957) at the time and had to decline. MGM then went with Oscar nominee Leslie Caron.
5. The Gigi movie set a record
With only four letters in the title, Gigi set the record for the shortest film title to win the Oscar for Best Picture category. It held that honor until 2012 when Argo won. The longest film title to win is The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003), with 10 words and 35 letters.
It is also one of few films in Oscar history to win in every category that they were nominated in.
6. The Gigi movie is one of 11 musicals to ever win in the Best Picture category
Another Oscar honor that Gigi holds is being one out of 11 musical films to win Best Picture during the award show. The others are The Broadway Melody (1929), The Great Ziegfeld (1936), Going My Way (1944), An American in Paris (1951), West Side Story (1961), My Fair Lady (1964), The Sound of Music (1965), Oliver! (1968), Amadeus (1984) and Chicago (2002).
7. The film was based on a real person
Gigi is actually a real person! That’s right, she was based on Yola Letellier, a teenager who spent her teen years being groomed to be an intellectual and romantic partner for men much older than her. Letellier eventually went on to marry a man 49 years her senior, though she was already known for dating older men with influence, including Louis Mountbatten, the last-ever Viceroy of India.
8. The Gigi movie was ready for filming quite quickly
Gigi was written, cast and ready for filming in just four and a half months, quite quick for any film, which normally requires a year for these things to happen.
For more 1950s movies, keep reading!
9 Shocking Facts About ‘Some Like It Hot’
‘The Prince and the Showgirl’: 7 Secrets from the Marilyn Monroe Film
6 Surprising Facts About the Oscar-Winning 1956 Film ‘The King and I’
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