
                                                          Exhibit 5.1


                      [Letterhead of Lathrop & Gage L.C.]




                                           July 31, 1997



AMC Entertainment Inc.
106 West 14th Street
Kansas City, Missouri 64105

         Re:  AMC Entertainment Inc. 9 1/2% Exchange
              Senior Subordinated Notes due March 15, 2009

Ladies and Gentlemen:

         We have acted as counsel to AMC Entertainment Inc., a corporation
organized under the laws of the State of Delaware (the "Company"), in connection
with the registration of $200,000,000 principal amount of 9 1/2% Exchange Senior
Subordinated Notes due 2009 of the Company (the "Exchange Notes"), pursuant to
the Registration Statement on Form S-4 (Registration No. 333-29155, as amended
to date, the "Registration Statement") filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission by the Company under the Securities Act of 1933 (the "Act").

         As such counsel, we have examined the Registration Statement, the
Indenture dated as of March 19, 1997, as amended by a First Supplemental
Indenture, dated as of June 9, 1997 (as so amended, the "Indenture"), between
The Bank of New York, as Trustee, and the Company, and have made such other
factual and legal 


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July 31, 1997
Page 2


investigations as we considered necessary or appropriate for purposes of this
opinion. We are familiar with the proceedings undertaken by the Company in
connection with the authorization and issuance of the Exchange Notes.

    As to matters of fact, we have relied, to the extent we deem proper, upon
the representations and certificates of officers of the Company and upon certain
certificates of and telephone conversations with public officials. As to matters
of law, our opinion is limited to matters relating to the laws of the State of
Missouri and the United States and to the General Corporation Law of the State
of Delaware.

         We have assumed due authorization, execution and delivery of the
Indenture by The Bank of New York and the enforceability of the Indenture
against The Bank of New York. We have also assumed, to the extent we deem
proper, the correctness of all 


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July 31, 1997
Page 3


statements of fact contained in all agreements, certificates and other documents
examined by us; the correctness of all statements of fact made in response to
our inquiries by officers and other representatives of the Company and by public
officials; the legal capacity of all natural persons; the genuineness of all
signatures on all agreements and other documents examined by us; the
authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals and the conformity to
original documents of all documents submitted to us as copies.

         Based upon such examinations and investigations, it is our opinion
that:

         (i) the Company is a corporation duly organized and validly existing in
     good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware; and 




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July 31, 1997
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       (ii)   the Exchange Notes have been duly authorized for issuance by the
     Company and, when the Registration Statement has become effective under the
     Act and the Exchange Notes have been duly executed and authenticated in
     accordance with the Indenture and issued as contemplated in the
     Registration Statement, will constitute valid and binding obligations of
     the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms,
     subject to bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent transfer, reorganization,
     moratorium and similar laws of general applicability relating to or
     affecting creditors' rights and remedies and to general principles of
     equity, whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding at law or
     in equity, and by the discretion of the courts before which any proceeding
     therefor may be brought.

         The foregoing is subject to the following comments and qualifictions:

         We note that the Indenture and the Exchange Notes provide that they are
governed by the laws of the State of New York. In giving our opinion in numbered
paragraph (ii) above, we have relied as to all matters of New York law solely on
the opinion, dated July 31, 1997, of Sullivan & Cromwell, and we believe such
reliance to be reasonable.
 
         We express no opinions other than as herein expressly set forth, and no
expansion of our opinions may be made by implication or otherwise. This letter
is solely for your 

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July 31, 1997
Page 5


use in the transaction indicated above and may not be furnished to any other
person or entity without the express written consent of this firm.

         We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the
Registration Statement and to all references made to this firm in such
Registration Statement. In giving such consent, we do not thereby admit that we
are in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the
Act.

                                             Very truly yours,



                                             /s/ Lathrop & Gage L.C.
