Moulin Rouge (1952)

Fictional account of French artist Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec.

Director:

John Huston

Writers:

Pierre La Mure (novel), Anthony Veiller (screenplay),

Stars:

José Ferrer, Colette Marchand, Zsa Zsa Gabor

Won 2 Oscars. Another 4 wins & 10 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
José Ferrer	...	Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec / The Comte de Toulouse-Lautrec
Colette Marchand	...	Marie Charlet
Zsa Zsa Gabor	...	Jane Avril
Suzanne Flon	...	Myriamme Hayam
Claude Nollier	...	Countess de Toulouse-Lautrec
Katherine Kath	...	La Goulue
Muriel Smith	...	Aicha
Mary Clare	...	Madame Louet
Walter Crisham	...	Valentin Dessosse
Harold Kasket	...	Zidler
Georges Lannes	...	Police Sgt. Patou
Lee Montague	...	Maurice Joyant
Maureen Swanson	...	Denise de Frontiac
Tutte Lemkow	...	Aicha's Partner
Jill Bennett	...	Sarah

Storyline

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec frequently visits the Moulin Rouge, where he drinks cognac and draws sketches of the dancers and singers. Though the son of a French count, Henri's legs were badly deformed by a childhood fall, and his personal life is often unhappy as a result. While he is going home one night, a spirited young woman of the streets, Marie, asks him for help. He falls in love with her, and the two become involved in a tumultuous relationship. It becomes increasingly difficult for Toulouse-Lautrec to balance his personal feelings, his artistic abilities, and his family name and position.

---

Plot Keywords:

toulouse lautrec | love | dancer | singer | artist | 

---

Taglines:

Wild, wicked, wonderful Paris...all her loves, ladies and lusty legends!

---

Genres:

Biography | Drama | Music | Romance

---

Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

23 December 1952 (USA)

Also Known As:

Ein Lied aus Paris

Filming Locations:

London, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$1,500,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Romulus Films, Moulin Productions Inc.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

119 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The first film of Maureen Swanson.

---

Goofs

When Henri Lautrec arrives at the gallery for the showing of his pictures, as he 'walks' in, his shadow on the ground clearly shows Ferrar's legs tucked behind him as he walks, (in on his knees).

---

Quotes

Henri: [while walking past kissing couples] On the Bateaux Mouche, the only polite direction in which to look is up... at the moon.

---

Connections

Referenced in Dirty Work (1998)

---

Soundtracks

"It's April Again"
(uncredited)
from the song "Le long de la Seine"
Music by Georges Auric
Lyrics by Jacques Larue
English lyrics adapted by Paul Dehn
Performed by Zsa Zsa Gabor (dubbed by Muriel Smith)

User Reviews

A genuine masterpiece

It's colorful, it's inspiring, it's striking....it's an artwork come to life. "Moulin Rouge" is an extremely well-made movie about the life of the famous French painter Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. The first time I saw this movie it automatically became one of my all-time favorites. John Huston, the director of this movie, did an excellent job in depicting the life of Toulouse-Lautrec, a painter who lived a life of hardships yet became one of the most respected painters in the world. The twenty minute opening sequence is outstanding, showing a night at the Moulin Rouge, with its diverse performers. The sets throughout the whole movie are wonderful; you get to see everything from the brightly-lighted Moulin Rouge to the dark alleys of late 19th century Paris. The cinematography is just as wonderful; the shots perfectly capture the dance sequences. The performances are amazing. Jose Ferrer is great in the lead role. In fact, he plays two roles: as the painter Toulouse-Lautrec, and the painter's father--two great performances in one. Also, the actress named Collette Marchand gives a fantastic performance, playing the prostitute named Marie in the movie. Furthermore, it was interesting to see a then-young Zsa Zsa Gabor in this movie. She was actually pretty when she was young. I think that the most notable thing about this movie is how the director focused on Toulouse-Lautrec's sadness. In his moments of deep sadness, the painter was able to produce some of his greatest works of art....in spite of his alcoholism and his overall gloomy life, he made some very colorful paintings. 1952 was a very interesting and noteworthy year for movies. This movie was one of the motion picture highlights from that year. **** out of ****.