Can-Can (1960)

User Rating:

6.2/10   

Director:

Walter Lang

Writers:

Dorothy Kingsley (screenplay) and
Charles Lederer (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

9 March 1960 (USA)

Genre:

Musical | Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

The Entertainment Event of the Year!

Plot:

1896, Montmartre: the Can-Can, the dance in which the women lift their skirts, is forbidden. Nevertheless...

Plot Keywords:

Montmartre | Swimming | Knife Throwing | Cancan Dance | Jail Cell

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 5 wins & 5 nominations

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

Also Known As:

Cole Porter's Can-Can (USA) (complete title)

Runtime:

131 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

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

Certification:

UK:U (1960) (1988) | Netherlands:AL (2009) (DVD) | Australia:G | Finland:K-12 | Sweden:11

Filming Locations:

Paris, France

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

During filming, Nikita Khrushchev visited the set with his wife. He reportedly was shocked by the open sexuality on display, and remarked: "The face of mankind is prettier than its backside."

Quotes:

François Durnais: You look like a broken umbrella.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mad Men: Nixon vs. Kennedy (#1.12)" (2007)

Soundtrack:

It's All Right With Me

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!