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French Cancan (1954, Fr./It.)
(aka Only the French Can)
In director Jean Renoir's Technicolored comedy/melodrama
about the revival of the notorious dance known as the can-can in
the 1880s at the Moulin Rouge:
- the story: the exploits of fictional, womanizing,
veteran impresario Henri 'Zizi' Danglard (Jean Gabin) - the struggling,
in-debted owner of Le Paravent Chinois (Chinese Screen), featuring
courtesan and Egyptian belly dancer 'La Belle Abbesse' (Maria Felix)
- Danglard's own mistress (known as Lola De Castro)
- the night scene of Danglard visiting a dance-hall/nightclub
in Paris' older Montmartre district (where the old-fashioned and
outdated working-class dance known as the can-can was still being
performed), and becoming inspired to close down his Chinese Screen
and open a new dance theatre on the site of the current failing club
known as the White Queen - with a renamed and revived "French
Can-Can" group of high-kicking choristers as headliners performing
in his newly-built renamed club, the Moulin Rouge
- the two love triangles that developed, with resultant
jealousies, between Gabin and Nini (Françoise Arnoul) - a
working girl (bakery shop and laundress) - and her other two lovers:
her baker boyfriend-lover Paolo (Franco Pastorino), and her rich
Middle Eastern suitor Prince Alexandre (Giani Esposito)
- the amazing catfight between Lola and girl-turned-cancan
star Nini
- the sequence of Danglard's entreaties to Nini, his
lead dancer, at her dressing room, of his love and begging her to
appear for opening night as the star of his new show: ("I'll
give you some good advice. If you want a lover, Alexandre's perfect.
If you want a husband, marry Paulo. Choose between jewels and palaces
or a happy retirement by the fireside, with honor and dignity, but
I can't give you either! Do I look like Prince Charming? Only one
thing matters to me - what I create. And what do I create? You! Her!
There have been others before. There'll be others to come. In the
end, you think it matters what you and I want? All that counts is
what they want. We're at the service of the public. You know why
it breaks my heart to see you go? They can smash the place to pieces
for all I care! But the profession's losing a good trouper. I thought
you were one of us. If not, get out!")
Danglard's Speech to Nini: "We're at the
service of the public"
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- the visually-stunning and exciting 20 minute end
scene of dancing choristers in the new Moulin Rouge dance-hall/nightclub
in the final dance segment
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Lola (Maria Felix) as Belly Dancer 'La Belle Abbesse'
Plans for the Moulin Rouge
The Real Moulin Rouge
Danglard with Nini
Rehearsals for the Can-Can Dancers
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