French Cancan (1955)

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.

Director:

Jean Renoir

Writers:

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

Stars:

Jean Gabin, Françoise Arnoul, María Félix

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jean Gabin	...	Henri Danglard
Françoise Arnoul	...	Nini
María Félix	...	Lola de Castro de la Fuente de Extremadura '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

Storyline

Henri Danglard, proprietor of the fashionable (but bankrupt) cafe 'Le Paravent Chinois' featuring his mistress, belly dancer Lola, goes slumming in Montmarte (circa 1890) where the then-old-fashioned cancan is still danced. There, he conceives the idea of reviving the cancan as the feature of a new, more popular establishment...and meets Nini, a laundress and natural dancer, whom he hopes to star in his new show. But a tangled maze of jealousies intervenes...

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Plot Keywords:

dance | moulin rouge | opening night | can can dancer | paris france | 

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Taglines:

Eclair Lab digital restoration 2010

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Musical | Romance

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

France Italy

Language:

French

Release Date:

16 April 1956 (USA)

Also Known As:

Only the French Can

Filming Locations:

Studios Joinville, Joinville-le-pont, Val-de-Marne, France

Box Office

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$1,545,749

Company Credits

Production Co:

Franco London Films, Jolly Film

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min 93 min (1956)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The on-screen singer of "La complainte de la Butte" is not Cora Vaucaire (credited in the titles) as she was deemed not good-looking enough to appear on film, so Italian actress Anna Amendola was put in front of the camera and mimed to the song...

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Quotes

Henri Danglard: I was down in the dumps. But seeing her skip along the street was a revelation. Do you know what I'll give them?
Casimir le Serpentin: No.
Henri Danglard: A taste of the low life for millionaires. Adventure in comfort. Garden tables, the best champagne, great numbers by the finest artistes. The bourgeois will be thrilled to mix with our girls without fear of disease or getting knifed.

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Alternate Versions

Originally released in the US in 1956 at 93 minutes; ten minutes of footage removed from the original French version were reinstated for 1985 reissue.

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Connections

Referenced in Les échos du cinéma: Episode #1.35 (1961)

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Soundtracks

La Complainte de la Butte
Music by Georges Van Parys
Lyrics by Jean Renoir
Performed by Anna Amendola

User Reviews

If in Cannes ev'ry tan courtesan can ....

Acknowledgments to Cole Porter from whose lyric CanCan (the title song of his 1953 Broadway show of the same name) I take my one line summary. This is, purely and simply, a Valentine to Paris, the Belle Epoque, the Impressionists, you-name-it. As such it is both stunning and sumptuous.Gabin - who began in the French Music Halls - is superb, but then when isn't he, Arnoul is a revelation. More? Well, the photography is ... the music is ... the ambience is ... aw, what the hell, go see it, do yourself a great big favor. 9/10