Moulin Rouge (1952)

Director:

John Huston

Writers:

John Huston (screenplay)
Pierre La Mure (novel)

Release Date:

23 December 1952 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama

Tagline:

The most startling and daring love story ever told!

Plot:

Fictional account of French artist Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec.

Plot Keywords:

Ostracism | Cancan Dance | Toulouse Lautrec | Paris France | Artist

Awards:

Won 2 Oscars. Another 3 wins & 10 nominations

Cast

José Ferrer	...	Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec / The Comte de Toulouse-Lautrec
Zsa Zsa Gabor	...	Jane Avril
Suzanne Flon	...	Myriamme Hayam
Claude Nollier	...	Countess de Toulouse-Lautrec
Katherine Kath	...	La Goulue
Muriel Smith	...	Aicha
Mary Clare	...	Madame Louet
Walter Crisham	...	Valentin Dessosse
Lee Montague	...	Maurice Joyant
Jim Gérald	...	Pere Cotelle (as Jim Gerald)
Georges Lannes	...	Police Sgt. Patou
Harold Kasket	...	Zidler
Maureen Swanson	...	Denise de Frontiac
Tutte Lemkow	...	Aicha's partner
Jill Bennett	...	Sarah

Also Known As:

Moulin Rouge (Austria) (West Germany) [de]
Moulin Rouge (Belgium: French title) (France) [fr]
Lied aus Paris, Ein (Switzerland: German title) [de]
Målaren på Moulin Rouge (Sweden) [sv]
Moulin Rouge (Spain) [es]
Moulin Rouge (Spain: Catalan title) [ca]
Moulin Rouge (Denmark) [da]
Punainen mylly (Finland) [fi]

Runtime:

119 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

UK:A (original rating) | West Germany:16 (nf) | USA:Approved (PCA #16156) | UK:PG (video rating) | Hungary:14 | UK:PG | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | France:U (re-release) | Sweden:15 | Canada:PG

Filming Locations:

London, England, UK

Company:

Romulus Films

Trivia:

John Huston only finished the final edit hours before the film's December premiere to qualify it for Academy Award consideration.

Goofs:

Miscellaneous: When Henri Lautrec arrives at the gallery for the showing of his pictures, as he 'walks' in, his shadow on the ground clearly shows Ferrar's legs tucked behind him as he walks, (in on his knees).

Quotes:

La Goulue: One day I'll go right down her throat, pull her heart out, and feed it to my cat!
Henri: If you can get at her. She has long arms, Aicha.
La Goulue: I'll crack them, I'll - ...
[Aicha kicks her]
La Goulue: You kick me!
Aicha: *You* kicked *me*!
Henri: This calls for a drink. Cognac?
La Goulue: Thank you.
[she throws the drink in Aicha's face]
Henri: Aicha?
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Can Hieronymus Merkin Ever Forget Mercy Humppe and Find True Happiness? (1969)

Soundtrack:

It's April Again

The Real Deal

This is one of the most interesting biographies I've ever seen on film.

Until I acquired the DVD, I never fully realized how beautiful this film looked, either. I was stunned to see how spectacular the colors were and how much it helped capture the flavor of the dance hall and the cobblestone streets of France 100 years ago.....and, of course, Tolouse-Lautrec''s great artwork. This movie is a feast for the eyes.

The DVD also offers an opportunity to do something I suggest other fans of this movie try: use the English subtitles. This way, you don't have to strain to understand the French accents, notably Colette Marchand's, and it makes this intriguing story even better.

Story-wise, it's a bit of a soap opera but one I still found fascinating, thanks mainly to Lautrec's dialog. He had some really interesting things to say, mostly in a cynical way. That cynicism, unfortunately, caught up with him in the end. Jose Ferrer captured this tortured soul about as well as any actor could expect to do. I'm sorry he didn't win an Academy Award for this performance.

Younger viewers who only saw the more recent "Moulin Rouge!" missed the real story. That movie was a farce; this is the real thing.