Can-Can

Set in Paris in 1896, Can-Can centers on Simone Pistache, the owner and star of a Montmartre cabaret where the can-can is performed despite being considered obscene and outlawed. A young, ambitious judge, Philipe Forrestier, takes it upon himself to prove the dance is being staged, and goes undercover at the club to gather evidence, only to become infatuated with Simone. This complicates matters for her lover, the lawyer François Durnais, and for Paul Barriere, a judge and friend of François. The conflict plays out as a romantic comedy built around the clash between moral condemnation and the cabaret's defiant performances.

Walter Lang directed the film, the eighth title in the directing career listed for him, following Desk Set in 1957. The screenplay is by Dorothy Kingsley and Charles Lederer, and Jack Cummings produced. Frank Sinatra plays François Durnais and Shirley MacLaine plays Simone Pistache, with Maurice Chevalier as Paul Barriere, Louis Jourdan as Philipe Forrestier, Juliet Prowse as Claudine and Marcel Dalio as André among the 32 credited cast members. The production cost 6 million USD and took in 8 million USD worldwide. On IMDb it holds 6.3/10 from around 2,700 votes, while on TMDB it sits at 6.7/10 from 36 votes.