French Cancan

Set in Belle Époque Paris, French Cancan follows Henri Danglard, a veteran showman who runs a modest music hall in Montmartre. He becomes taken with Nini, a laundress whose spirit gives him the idea of reviving the cancan, a dance long out of fashion, and building a grand new venue called the Moulin Rouge around her. His plan draws in a Russian prince as backer, but it also stirs jealousy in Lola, the dancer known as La Belle Abbesse, who is both his lover and the star of his current show. Tensions with his patron and with local underworld figures complicate the venture further.

Jean Renoir directed and wrote the film, his first made in France after roughly fifteen years working abroad, arriving after The Golden Coach in his filmography. Jean Gabin plays Danglard, with Françoise Arnoul as Nini and María Félix as Lola; sixty-six performers are credited. It was produced by Louis Wipf for Jolly Film and Franco London Films.

Made in color and released in 1955, the film runs 102 minutes and blends comedy, drama, music and romance. On IMDb it holds 7.3/10 from about 4,800 votes, while on TMDB it stands at 7.2/10 from 110 votes. A critics' rating of 7.8/10 from 21 reviews places professional assessments slightly above the audience scores.