French Cancan (1954)

Director:

Jean Renoir

Writers:

Jean Renoir (adaptation)
André-Paul Antoine (idea)

Release Date:

16 April 1956 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Musical | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

Eclair Lab digital restoration 2010

Plot:

This comedy drama from Jean Renoir chronicles the revival of Paris' most notorious dance as it tells the story of a theater producer who turns a humble washerwoman into a star at the Moulin Rouge.

Plot Keywords:

Moulin Rouge | 1890s | Fin De Siècle | 19th Century | 1880s

Cast

Jean Gabin	...	Henri Danglard
Françoise Arnoul	...	Nini
María Félix	...	Lola de Castro de la Fuente de Espramadura 'La Belle Abbesse'
Anna Amendola	...	Esther Georges
Jean-Roger Caussimon	...	Baron Walter
Dora Doll	...	La Génisse
Giani Esposito	...	Prince Alexandre
Gaston Gabaroche	...	Oscar, le pianiste
Jacques Jouanneau	...	Bidon
Jean Parédès	...	Coudrier
Franco Pastorino	...	Paulo, le boulanger
Michèle Philippe	...	Eleonore
Michel Piccoli	...	Le Capitaine Valorgueil
Albert Rémy	...	Barjolin
France Roche	...	Beatrix
Jean-Marc Tennberg	...	Savate
Valentine Tessier	...	Mme Olympe, mère de Nini
Philippe Clay	...	Casimir le Serpentin
Édith Piaf	...	Eugénie Buffet
Patachou	...	Yvette Guilbert
Cora Vaucaire	...	Esther Georges (singing voice)
André Claveau	...	Paul Delmet
Mario Juillard	...	Bruno Balpe (voice)
Jean Raymond	...	Paulus
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Lia Amanda
Geneviève Bujold	...	(unconfirmed)
Martine Alexis	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Claude Arnay	...	Deuxième gommeux (uncredited)
Robert Auboyneau	...	Le liftier (uncredited)
Bruno Balp	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Maurice Barnay	...	Extra (uncredited)
Laurence Bataille	...	La Pygmée (uncredited)
Claude Berri	...	Un jeune homme à l'inauguration (uncredited)
Dorothée Blanck	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Léo Campion	...	Le commandant (uncredited)
Jaque Catelain	...	Le ministre (uncredited)
René-Jean Chauffard	...	L'inspecteur de police (uncredited)
Jacques Ciron	...	Premier gommeux (uncredited)
Max Dalban	...	Patron de 'La Reine Blanche' (uncredited)
Sylvine Delannoy	...	Titine (uncredited)
Hubert Deschamps	...	Isidore, le garçon de café (uncredited)
Valentino Garavani	...	Extra (uncredited)
Henri-Roland Hercé	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Jacques Hilling	...	Le chirurgien (uncredited)
Corinne Jansen	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Jedlinska	...	La Gigolette (uncredited)
Lydia Johnson	...	Mme. Guibolle (uncredited)
François Joux	...	Le secrétaire (uncredited)
Maïa Jusanova	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Ursula Kubler	...	Une danseuse de 'La Reine Blanche' (uncredited)
Palmyre Levasseur	...	Une blanchisseuse (uncredited)
Jacques Marin	...	Un spectateur (uncredited)
Paul Mercey	...	Un homme à l'inauguration (uncredited)
Anne-Marie Mersen	...	Paquita (uncredited)
Gaston Modot	...	Le valet de Danglard (uncredited)
Pierre Moncorbier	...	L'huissier (uncredited)
Annik Morice	...	Thérèse, blanchisseuse (uncredited)
Jean Mortier	...	Le gérant de l'hôtel (uncredited)
Michèle Nadal	...	Bigoudi (uncredited)
André Numès Fils	...	Le voisin (uncredited)
Pierre Olaf	...	Roberto, pierrot siffleur (uncredited)
René Pascal	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
André Philip	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Pâquerette	...	Mimi Prunelle (uncredited)
Jean Sylvère	...	Le groom (uncredited)
Rosy Varte	...	Habituée du café (uncredited)

Directed by
Jean Renoir

Writing credits
Jean Renoir		(adaptation & dialogue)
André-Paul Antoine		(idea)

Produced by
Louis Wipf	....	producer

Original Music by
Georges Van Parys

Cinematography by
Michel Kelber

Film Editing by
Borys Lewin

Production Design by
Max Douy

Set Decoration by
Jean André
Jacques Douy

Costume Design by
Rosine Delamare

Makeup Department
Yvonne Fortuna	....	makeup artist
Huguette LaLaurette	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Lucien Lippens	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Pierre Kast	....	assistant director
Serge Vallin	....	assistant director

Art Department
Clément Hurel	....	poster artist (uncredited)

Sound Department
Antoine Petitjean	....	sound

Music Department
Georges Van Parys	....	composer: songs "Catherine la Russie", "Complainte de la butte", "L'argent" and "Petits souris"

Other crew
Ginette Doynel	....	script girl
Claude Grandjean	....	choreographer

Production Companies

• Franco London Films (in participation with)
• Jolly Film

Distributors

• Gaumont Distribution (1955) (France) (theatrical)
• Gaumont Blu-ray Disc (2010) (France) (DVD) (blu-ray)
• United Motion Pictures Organization (UMPO) (1956) (USA) (theatrical) (dubbed) (edited)
• Criterion Collection, The (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Criterion Collection, The (USA) (laserdisc)
• Versus Entertainment (2011) (Spain) (DVD)

Also Known As:

"Only the French Can" - USA (cut version)

Runtime:

102 min | USA:93 min (1956 version) | West Germany:87 min

Country:

France | Italy

Language:

French

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | Hong Kong:I | West Germany:12 | Australia:PG | USA:Not Rated | Singapore:NC-16

Company:

Franco London Films

Trivia:

Italian censorship visa #17930 delivered on 17 December 1954.

Soundtrack:

Madame Arthur

Fun and pretty! Françoise Arnoul - Ou la la!

Although it doesn't seem very promising for a long stretch, Renoir's French Cancan ends up being an effortlessly charming film. The story is cliché: a laundry girl, Nini (Françoise Arnoul), is discovered by a night club owner, Danglard (Jean Gabin). Danglard steals her from her baker boyfriend and drops his current girlfriend, both of whom come back for their former lovers. Nini has to choose whether to go back to her humble life with the baker, go on with the show with her employer, oh, or become a princess, as a prince falls in love with her at one point, too. I'm glad the film didn't go for the most obvious choice, as a lesser film certainly would have. The film ends with the opening of Danglard's new night club, the Moulin Rouge, and a couple of gorgeous song and dance numbers. The first of them, "Complainte de la Butte," which also provides the base of most of the film's musical score, is simply one of the most gorgeous songs ever written, and Renoir himself wrote it. If you're a fan of Baz Luhrmann's 2001 film Moulin Rouge!, you'll recognize the tune, as it comes up near the beginning of that film, sung by Rufus Wainwright. Although it isn't very prominent in that film, everyone I know who owns the soundtrack loves it. In addition to having one of the most lovely songs ever written, French Cancan also boasts one of the cutest leading ladies ever to grace the screen. It's hard not to fall head-over-heels in love with that girl. 8/10.