Can-Can (1960)

1896, Montmartre: the Can-Can, the dance in which the women lift their skirts, is forbidden. Nevertheless Simone has it performed every day in her night club. Her employees use their female... See full summary »

Director:

Walter Lang

Writers:

Dorothy Kingsley (screenplay), Charles Lederer (screenplay),

Stars:

Frank Sinatra, Shirley MacLaine, Maurice Chevalier

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 5 wins & 5 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Frank Sinatra	...	François Durnais
Shirley MacLaine	...	Simone Pistache
Maurice Chevalier	...	Paul Barriere
Louis Jourdan	...	Philipe Forrestier
Juliet Prowse	...	Claudine
Marcel Dalio	...	Andre - the head waiter
Leon Belasco	...	Arturo - orchestra leader
Nestor Paiva	...	Bailiff
John A. Neris	...	Jacques - the Photographer
Jean Del Val	...	Judge Merceaux
Ann Codee	...	League president

Storyline

1896, Montmartre: the Can-Can, the dance in which the women lift their skirts, is forbidden. Nevertheless Simone has it performed every day in her night club. Her employees use their female charm to let the representatives of law enforcement look the other way - or even attend the shows. But then the young ambitious judge Philippe Forrestier decides to bring this to an end. Will Simone manage to twist him round her little finger, too? Her boyfriend Francois certainly doesn't like to watch her trying.

---

Plot Keywords:

judge | 1800s | stage show | cancan dance | paris france | 

---

Taglines:

The Entertainment Event of the Year!

---

Genres:

Comedy | Musical

---

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English French

Release Date:

9 March 1960 (USA)

Also Known As:

Cole Porter's Can-Can

Filming Locations:

Paris, France

Box Office

Budget:

$6,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, Suffolk-Cummings Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

131 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (35mm) (optical prints) 70 mm 6-Track (Westrex Recording System) 4-Track Stereo (35 mm) (magnetic prints)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Though it is never explained in the film why the Can-Can was illegal, it is because most of the time the girls who performed the dance did not wear panties.

---

Quotes

François Durnais: You look like a broken umbrella.

---

Connections

Referenced in Murphy Brown: Signed, Sealed, Delivered (1988)

---

Soundtracks

"It's All Right With Me"
Music and Lyrics by Cole Porter
Sung by Frank Sinatra

User Reviews

Chic, sparkling musical!

Strangely enough, the weakest aspect of this musical is the quality of the songs. Most of them are fairly mediocre, and fail to stay in the memory for long. But otherwise, "Can-Can" is a smashing entertainment. Lavishly produced and gorgeously photographed, this is one expensive movie where the money were spent with care and taste (unlike, for example, "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" which, despite its big budget, looked cheap). The story may be a little thin, but it's suspenseful, too: you can never predict with absolute certainty if MacLaine will choose Sinatra (who is wonderful) or Louis Jourdan (who is as sly and charming as he was when he played the villain in "Octopussy"). But above everything else, this movie is a feast for the eyes!