THIS STORY AND ITS CHARACTERS ARE IMAGINARY.
THEY SHOULD NOT BE SEEN TO REPRESENT REAL PEOPLE OR EVENTS.
DANGLARD'S THE CHINESE SCREEN PRESENTS LA BELLE ABBESSE
Come see me in the Casbah!
Not too nervous?
Looks like a rough crowd, Monsieur Danglard.
I'd sooner enter a cage of tigers.
You have to tame them, or they'll eat you alive.
Hide your fear and they'll eat out of your hand.
That's easy to say.
I was born at Sidi Bel Abbes in the land of beautiful women
My mother was a princess,
and my father said, "Caramba!"
Don't tell me you'd rather go back to house painting.
I'm sure you're a great whistler.
When I heard you on your ladder, I knew I could use you.
- Really? - I'm telling you.
- Will you be in the audience? - Don't worry. I'll be watching you.
You're doing very nicely.
Evening.
Go ahead, sweetheart.
There he is!
Is this where the fillies weigh in?
How about taking me on as a jockey?
You're too heavy. They're over there.
Captain, is the country prepared?
All I need say is, lances have been restored to the cavalry.
How about Russian railway shares?
Hopeless. Muzhiks walk everywhere.
- What do you say, Coudrier? - Once I leave my office, "Curtains!"
Incidentally, have you heard that Konakri has voted a subsidy?
We'll discuss it tomorrow.
Slaves!
Yes, Monsieur Coudrier.
Bring me hookah, hashish and the navel of La Belle Abbesse.
The paradise of Mahomet, my dear chap.
Jealous, my friend? - Like a tiger.
Good evening, my dear prince.
Come to share our worries?
I would greatly like to have worries.
Do I dare ask him to pay my rent?
I'm off to the White Queen. Who loves me, follows me.
- Montmartre? That's dangerous. - Exactly.
Where's Montmartre?
Where you were born.
Come. - Strange idea.
We're going to see the little ladies!
Inspector, the big fish don't come here now.
They don't trust me.
Neither do we. We're watching you.
What a life! If only I could sell and retire.
Excuse me, Inspector.
Monsieur Danglard, what an honor!
- Scram! - Hands off the merchandise!
You'll be comfortable here.
What will you have?
- Only champagne for me. - The lady will have red wine.
It's on the house.
Cherries in brandy for everyone. - Yes, boss.
What do those stuffed shirts want here?
They're slumming, for thrills.
- She's nice, that little one. - Which one?
They're wild!
Didn't our grandmothers call this the cancan?
No, the chahut.
Land values are rising here.
You're enterprising. You'd do well here.
With a clientele like this? What do you think, Walter?
- I'm just your backer. - And profit taker.
On occasion. Ideas are his department.
Alas, I can't afford to back them myself.
Know what I mean? - Let's dance.
My little pet!
Don't be put off by appearances. The White Queen is good business.
Ladies?
- Shall we? - Let's relive our youth!
But ladies!
You like the cancan?
Better than working in the laundry.
You seem upset, pretty lady.
Not at all. I'm enjoying myself enormously.
Do you waltz?
Waltzing with another man?
Our friend Danglard is straying again,
which means our distraught beauty will seek consolation in Papa Walter's arms.
Come.
You don't care about me.
- He dances so well. - Do I dance so badly?
That's different. I love you.
You've got a gold mine there.
To dance like that, he must be a duke.
Or an artist.
- Did you make a date? - That's enough!
Think what you will, Bidon,
but what little money I have, I earn honestly.
We'll go somewhere else on Saturday, Nini.
You don't look too happy.
Coming, my dear?
I'm going home. Are you coming, Zizi?
You'll exhaust my patience in the end. Come home with me.
I take orders from no one.
But we are ever at your command.
Come. We'll find a carriage further along.
Very well.
- You're not angry? - Of course not.
What do you see in that girl?
Everything and nothing. She dances like a goddess, that's all.
You said that when you met me.
But I'll never tell her. I don't even know her name.
- Really? - I swear.
Don't think I'm jealous.
On the contrary.
At least admit that I'm not jealous, either.
What's that supposed to mean?
Nothing.
Baron Walter and the others.
Zizi, darling, that's completely different.
Yes?
It's the bailiff, boss.
A visitor, darling?
Yes, a little social call.
Here.
Can you pay?
Just a moment.
A drop in the ocean.
There ought to be 500 Louis in the till of the Chinese Screen.
Perhaps there's a little something tucked away here.
Here you go.
That's hardly enough.
I regret that I must give you this summons
and commence an inventory of your possessions.
They're arresting you? Why?
- Worse than arrest. - What is it?
Our friend Baron Walter is out for my skin.
And you're going to let him have it?
He brought up my mortgages. I can't fight this paper.
Is that all the trouble?
I must place it directly in the hands of the person concerned.
Vixen!
Now it's in the hands of "the person concerned."
I shall leave my clerk to make the inventory.
General Boulanger calls on me often.
I'll remember you when he's in power.
You're tilting against windmills.
They've no end of such bits of paper.
- Are you unhappy? - Not with you at my side.
If you wish, I'll give up everything for you.
Can you see yourself living in a cottage on bread and love?
I don't need much.
In the big fireplace we could roast the wild boar you'd kill in the hunt.
We'd have a very ancient cook
and a terribly young servant girl to do the cleaning.
Sounds like a perfectly balanced bill.
Now get dressed, darling.
I will.
But Walter will pay for this!
Is this really the horn used in Emilienne de Passy's famous number?
She sounded like the English queen herself.
I found her on the rue Mouffetard.
You know, I'm a bit of an artiste myself in my spare time.
I sing, I dance.
My friends all call me Serpentine Casimir.
Couldn't you give me a chance at the Chinese Screen?
I'd drop everything else in a flash. Watch what I can do.
I see.
But is the Chinese Screen still mine?
Zizi, help me.
You've got a good job, Casimir. Keep it.
The theater isn't a living.
Art, audiences, applause - that's all very nice,
but you're always at the mercy of the man with the money.
He twists your arm whenever he pleases.
Tighter!
Slaves - that's what we are.
If I had a son, I'd make him a civil servant.
Anything with a pension.
Maybe, but the stage is in my blood. From now on, I'm your man.
Well, poor Casimir, you've got a lovely future ahead of you.
I've seen some changes in the neighborhood, sir, I can tell you.
All our customers used to be locals,
but last night we even had a grand duke.
A grand duke?
Careful! You'll drown your absinthe.
He wanted champagne, but he got absinthe like everyone else.
He even tipped me a Louis.
Only the White Queen doesn't change.
- Waiter. - Sir?
Who's the guy you were with last night?
He won't set me up in a palace.
He bought me a beer, then I went home.
- Good day, Henriette. - Hello, girls.
- Have you been shopping? - What have you got there?
Veal. My boyfriend has a delicate stomach.
He only eats white meat.
Six months ago she carried baskets, too.
Some have all the luck.
But she didn't rush into it. She found out all about him first.
- What about you and Paulo last night? - What about it?
- You treat him horribly. - I like him, but he's too young.
Can you see him with a family? - But he's nice.
He'll be nicer when he's the boss.
Young or old, I'll take the first who comes along,
provided he gets me out of that laundry... by respectable means.
Hey, there's your dancer from last night. - Oh, heavens!
- He's following us. - You think so?
You have all the luck. He's loaded!
He's a wonderful dancer.
Come on.
I've got a pebble in my shoe.
You do not. Look, you got your way.
I did it for you.
Would you like to become a dancer, miss?
- Everyone knows what that means. - She's my daughter.
I'm very interested in her, Madame.
My daughter is an honest girl.
I don't doubt it. What does she earn working for you?
She's not for sale.
I want to give her a career.
She already has one. What kind of career?
The finest of all, dear lady. The theater.
But there's nothing I can do.
We'll teach you.
And don't suck your thumb.
What would you pay her?
Three francs in training, 100 sous when she appears on stage.
A hundred sous! What luck.
A hundred sous? When does she start?
- At once, if you like. - She must finish the day.
Then I'll call for her tonight.
All very well,
but how do I know you're serious?
Here's an advance.
Hold it right there. I've got a say in this.
What's your name and where will you have me dance?
My name's Danglard.
At the moment I'm running the Chinese Screen.
And by tomorrow I might - well, that's another story.
So, shall I come for you later?
Good-bye.
The pleats in this blouse are a disgrace.
How's the pleat in your backside?
It's expected among theater people.
You have to do it or you get nowhere.
- That's what bothers me. - If I were in your shoes -
I always dreamed that Paulo would be the first.
I'm afraid of looking foolish with Danglard.
You've still got time to take a lesson before tonight.
Listen to you!
- Where's your uncle? - Asleep upstairs.
My little Nini, now you're my wife.
It's nothing to cry about.
I'm not crying. I'm just happy.
Come on. No need to be frightened.
Say olé with more passion.
Where are we?
At Guibole's, your teacher.
Then this is really about dancing?
What did you think?
Well, I thought I'd have to -
It's not like that anymore. You're behind the times.
A pupil?
Better. An idea.
Let's see your idea. Come into the light, child.
- I'm not a freak animal. - I do the talking here.
What do you want to make of her?
You'll be astonished.
Remember your cancan triumphs?
Is that your idea?
Yes, and not just for her. For all your girls, and others besides.
You've lost your marbles.
No, I haven't.
Imagine a line of pretty girls in fancy dress with faces like this one.
The cancan is dead. What could she do with it now?
Why not a minuet?
We'll find a new name for it.
They only go for English names now.
Macadam, Macfarlan, Pickpocket, Lavatory.
Poor old cancan.
French Cancan.
Not bad.
The only thing is, these kids will never be able to do this.
My gosh!
Only you can revive the cancan, Guibole.
- Oh, stop. - I'm serious. Play, Oscar.
Quiet down! I can't sleep with all that racket!
Shut your trap, philistine!
Help me up.
Off with you.
Isn't this better than washing clothes?
- Yes, but I'll never manage it. - Sit down.
Sit still.
It's not funny!
- She's flexible. - So you'll start tomorrow?
- Be here at 8:00 a.m. - Yes, Madame.
Good night.
Hello, Danglard.
Look at the pretty ribbon I found.
Vanity will be your downfall.
And you'll always be a prince.
Do you know her?
That's Prunelle, Queen of the Cancan.
The toast of Paris before you were born.
- Good night, Monsieur Danglard. - Night, sweetheart.
I was down in the dumps.
But seeing her skip along the street was a revelation.
Do you know what I'll give them?
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.
But where?
- I just bought the White Queen. - With what?
Well, with drafts, promises, a lot of hot air.
There's no lack of money.
It's just getting it out of backers' pockets.
May I make a suggestion?
Just a little song.
Ancient heroes were lauded by a chorus.
Aren't our heroes today worthy of the luxury?
I'll be your chorus. Nice idea, right?
Money is as shy as a turtledove
Money can be wooed like a maiden's love
Money hides shyly beneath widows' beds Money mounts up in misers' heads
Millionaire, banker, courtesan bigot, aristocrat, holdup man
There's all that money to be shaken from trees
What's money for Danglard but shooting the breeze
Forward! Charge the windmills
Soldiers, hold your positions
Forward! Capture the pretty frills
Shake the temple's columns
Soldiers! Remember that from the top of the Moulin de la Galette
Forty centuries look down upon you
- Casimir, I'm pleased with you. - Long live the emperor!
Zizi, I bring a sinner eager to repent.
Forgive me, but I can only offer you the edge of my bed.
I'm punished by my own sins.
Lola has told me about your idea of a Chinese Screen for the masses.
High life for modest purses.
The illusion of high life.
Society needs its illusionists, so I've decided to help you.
First, I'll return your furniture.
No, I'd rather live in a hotel.
In my profession,
a home means family and such, a luxury I can't afford.
As you wish.
I'd like to clear up certain delicate points in our relationship.
Casimir, would you leave us?
You're not going to fight?
Don't be silly.
As you well know, my dear friend,
it wasn't jealousy that provoked me.
I'm not jealous.
Adrien, don't you love me anymore?
Lola, I adore you.
The precarious modern world
judges by appearance only.
Respect them, and I'll remain your supporter.
Appearances. What do I care?
I do as I please.
Yes, you can afford to indulge yourself.
In the future, when you provoke the resentment of our Belle Abbesse,
see that it doesn't happen in public.
Sounds like a plan.
- The Prussians! - Fear not, dear lady. I am here!
Magnificent explosion, Baron.
- The Cossacks have arrived! - There's no peace anymore.
- They're demolishing the White Queen. - It's Danglard's doing.
A harmless meeting place for maids, destroyed for Danglard's den of vice.
I won't set a foot inside. - It's progress, Commandant.
- That's enough. - Once more, just for me.
There's no favoritism in dance. She'll never get it.
What do you say? - Nothing.
Then I'll go. Good-bye, Monsieur Danglard.
Madame Guibole. - Good-bye, sweetheart.
After all, the laundry isn't so bad.
My friend's in a hurry. It's their busy day at the delicatessen.
Who shall I let in, the two gentlemen or the girl?
All three.
I'm afraid Walter has an administrative meeting.
- What about Lola? - The same meeting.
Administrative?
He asked me to give you this check.
I hear you sold the Chinese Screen. Why?
For a down payment on the White Queen.
- Wasn't that for your old age? - Walter is my partner.
If this flops, he'll employ me as a messenger in one of his banks.
Any dancing experience?
No, but I was first in my gymnastics class.
Let's give her a chance.
Report back here tomorrow. Wear pantaloons.
Next.
I pose for painters.
"The Temptation of Saint Anthony,"
well, that's me.
Let's see what you can do.
- You haven't got it. - What do you do with the rejects?
Do you need more mine workers?
Excellent idea. She could do some overtime.
Not likely.
Bring us some punch.
Punch?
Do you need warming up, my great big Coco?
- I think it's broken. - Relax. It doesn't break.
She did the splits.
Positions, girls.
Quickly!
Behave, Adrien.
Let's go to the Comédie Française.
Madame's dress and coat. And get the carriage ready.
Come help us.
Ladies, take your positions.
Are you pleased?
You're still rather stiff. Relax.
Now that you're warmed up, let's take the diagonal.
My dear.
Don't speak, don't move.
I've an awful headache.
I just wanted to say I've arranged to visit the new building.
My dress, quick!
- What about your headache? - What headache?
What if we call it the Palace of La Belle Abbesse?
- Admirable idea. - Very original.
- What do you think? - Nothing.
You hypocrites!
I suggest the Cancan Palace.
Enough!
This isn't the circus. We're working.
Ladies and gentlemen, the establishment will be called the Moulin Rouge.
At the Moulin Rouge the upper crust will drink red wine till they burst
No, they'll drink champagne!
I love you, Nini.
I love you too, darling.
I've made great progress.
If it depended on me, Monsieur Danglard could open the show now.
- You're not staying? - I can't.
A government official is coming to see how the Moulin Rouge is coming along.
We're all going to be there.
An official is coming.
An official at the Moulin Rouge?
Nothing surprises me in the Republic.
What pickings!
A government official!
Monsieur Danglard is sorry he couldn't receive you personally.
He's up to his ears in work.
Hi, Nini.
What a squadron!
They're taking the bread from our mouths.
Watch your step, sir.
- Honored. - How are you, Gustave?
Are you a patron of the arts, Walter?
May I present Lola de Castro de la Puente y de Extremadura?
Honored, Madame. I greatly admire your choreography.
Thank you. I adore compliments.
I've seen you somewhere before.
It was here, Madame, when it was the White Queen.
Why are you here?
I dance the French Cancan.
- Did Danglard hire you? - Yes, Madame.
Not in front of the minister.
Thank you for coming, Gustave.
Good-bye, sir.
- She's gone crazy. - What did you do to her?
Get a hold of yourself!
So you wouldn't see her again. You didn't know her name! Hypocrite!
Lola!
You want to dance the cancan? Let's see!
Leave me alone!
I love your impulsiveness, but is this the place?
You should have punished that girl.
- That's not my role. - I don't understand.
Quiet! Get me my salts.
- I'll go get a doctor. - Hurry.
She's not dead?
The boss is lifting your girl's skirts.
Does that hurt?
You're a brave little soldier.
Hey, that's my wife!
Your wife? Where did you marry her? On a street corner?
I'll slap you silly!
Take care of him.
- She'll pay for this! - Your leg!
Let me go!
Nini, that will do.
No scandal, I warned you.
If our lovely lady has crippled Nini, I'll break your jaw.
Next number, gentlemen. "Butterflies and Violets."
What about us?
- Excuse me, sir. - Don't mention it.
I love hand-to-hand combat.
This is really absurd.
Let's put an end to this.
Nini, that's enough.
You too, Lola.
That's enough!
This was supposed to be a friendly meeting.
A family gathering.
We all belong to the Moulin Rouge family.
Not again!
Are you satisfied?
What's going on here?
The girl's lover pushed Danglard in the pit.
That's a lie!
- Come with me. - Let me through.
- Hold on there. - We haven't done anything.
- Take them in. - Is this justice?
- He didn't do anything. - Calm down or we'll arrest you too.
- What's this? - A souvenir from my mother.
- And this one? - From my grandmother.
Quick, doctor, over here!
- I'm so happy you're all right. - Leave me alone!
- Forgive me. - I never want to see you again!
Are you family? Congratulations.
A nice fracture. Forty days out of action.
The neighborhood's quieted down.
Like the days of the White Queen.
Danglard's not beaten yet.
He'll never find another backer.
His star's on the wane.
What are you doing here?
It's good to see you're better.
I want a word with you, in fact. - I'm listening.
Don't get upset, but the last payment for the White Queen was outstanding.
- I was in the hospital. - Still, business is business.
I've got enormous commitments.
- To fish! - No, to my family.
My son's going to the polytechnic and my daughter to the conservatory.
I've been forced to accept a most tempting offer.
From whom?
I've been asked not to reveal that.
Well, neither of us has any more business here.
Congratulations.
There's Madame Prunelle.
So, you're gathering up the leftovers.
You'll come out all right. You're a prince.
Lend me a Louis, will you?
May I see that?
I know that perfume. May I have it?
My pleasure.
What are your conditions?
No more cancan and everything as it used to be.
Much too high a price. My means no longer permit such folly.
You lout!
Monsieur Danglard, may I have a word?
- Certainly. - In private.
Will you excuse me?
We're very upset.
I've never been in such an embarrassing situation.
Such an old customer and friend -
You have to take my room.
The gentleman looked most upset.
He's got money troubles.
He looked like he was at a wake.
- Well, good-bye. - I've plenty of time.
When might I take the luggage, Monsieur Danglard?
You might take it whenever you wish.
Cheer up, my friends.
I'm sure it must be a wake.
What's all this about luggage? Are you leaving?
When you're a big star,
you'll discover that hotel managers suffer from a painful lack of cultivation.
You didn't pay for your room?
I can't hide anything from you.
Off you go now.
They're throwing us out, boss. Where will we go?
Well, there are plenty of bridges over the Seine.
- Wait for us at Guibole's. - Really?
What a tragedy. Matter triumphs over mind.
If I were a poet, I'd write a poem entitled
"Soliloquy of the Homeless."
You've got it all wrong.
Once upon a time
There sat a big, fat Persian pussycat
Then the concierge gave the cat
a really pretty little rat
Little rats are tasty fare
In hotel rooms to be crunched up rare
Haven't you gone yet?
You'd better go. I have packing to do.
What is it?
Waiter, some champagne.
- What's gotten into you? - I wasn't speaking to you, sir.
Your best.
- Silly girl. - I forbid you to laugh.
I'd never have thought I'd make love and drink champagne in a chic hotel.
If someone told me I'd fall so in love with a little laundress
that I'd feel like a king when I ought to feel most desperate,
I'd be pretty surprised too.
A little champagne?
Before being Danglard, what were you?
A waiter in a café.
Please. A sommelier.
Lola, I've waited two years for this moment.
Two years ago - even a few days ago -
I wanted for nothing. You didn't even exist.
So this has all been out of spite?
And despair.
- Good day, Titi. - Hello, Thérese.
- Enjoy your meal. - You too.
- Discard. - I'll take that.
Lunch!
Sorry, but it's all I could get.
Good thing you kept your job at the cafeteria.
Monsieur Danglard. Madame Guibole.
- Delicious. - Inedible!
- "When the pelican -" - Can it!
Hello, Paulo. Sun feel good outside?
What feels good is finding you.
Act 3, Scene 4: Enter the avenger.
You're breaking my heart
Don't mock me.
I'm not mocking you. Your timing's perfect.
I had no idea how to make my exit.
The window? I hate heights.
A revolver? Too noisy.
The gas? Disconnected.
I do apologize.
So that's where it stands?
He catches on quickly.
- Keep out of it, the rest of you! - Go on. You're doing me a favor.
You're too cowardly to do it yourself.
That's right.
Don't count on me.
Then I'll finish my lunch.
Where's Nini?
Eating at her mother's.
I'll go there.
As you like.
No, I won't go. I know Nini.
You've got a strong hand now because you're down and out.
But when you get back on your feet, I'll be waiting.
You ladies tell Nini that whenever and wherever she likes,
I'll be waiting for her.
- What a brute! - He's berserk.
What do you expect after two months in jail?
- Think he has a knife? - Nini had better watch out.
He'll leave her alone. He got the picture.
Let me listen.
Isn't that a pretty voice?
The steps up the hill
Are steep for the lovelorn
But the windmills' sails shield lovers from the storm
Princess of the street your welcome is sweet
In my wounded heart
Sure you're not afraid to go out alone?
Are you kidding?
- You know Paolo's not very happy. - Neither am I.
Don't take the Camembert again.
Good-bye, Mother.
Thérese.
Have you got the Camembert?
Where did it go?
- I don't even like Camembert. - Neither do I.
I'll slap all of you!
- I've come for my blouse. - It's not ready.
- I was frightened. - Of me?
Of someone else?
What are you doing here?
Waiting for you.
I've decided to wait for you my whole life.
- Here? - Anywhere.
What lovely roses!
It's so trite, bringing roses to a young lady
but what I have to say is so important,
I was afraid I couldn't say it right off,
so I brought roses to -
To break the ice.
But now that I see you, I want to plunge right in
and speak to you seriously.
I have to get to dance class or Guibole will scold me.
I'll talk to her. She seems like a nice lady.
Shall we sit on the grass up there?
- You know it? - Yes.
Allow me to dream that I'm the boy next door
taking the girl next door out for the first time.
It's so beautiful here. May I sit down?
How polite you are.
Too polite for a boy next door?
So there's a big gap between us?
Miles. Prince, listen to me.
Let me say something important first.
I've never been in love, and I'll never love again.
You are the love of my life.
One more thing.
Ask whatever you want of me.
I can give you so much.
Want to be my country's princess?
It is not very rich, but it is nice.
No steel or coal. Just sheep, tobacco and roses.
We'll get married in the capital. Archbishop Alexis will bless our union.
The archbishop?
If you prefer to stay here, I'll make you queen of Paris.
I'll cover you in jewels and build you a palace.
You're sweet, you're handsome and you're rich.
All a girl could want.
I wish I could love you,
and for that I wouldn't need an archbishop or a palace.
But I can't love you.
The baker boy?
Is it him?
Yes, it's him.
You can't be dancer and bakery girl,
but princess and dancer you can be.
I won't be a dancer.
What about the lesson you were rushing off to?
There's no more dance class, and no more Moulin Rouge.
La Belle Abbesse has bought the site.
Things might be arranged.
The land is expensive.
If it's only money, it's yours.
I couldn't. I'd hate myself.
Nini, don't make me suffer.
My life is at stake.
Your life? Now you're joking with me.
Do I look like I am?
Not really. That's what upsets me.
Life is not as simple as it seems.
They've started work again. We're done for.
Seems a prince bought the site
and is giving Danglard whatever he needs for his Moulin Rouge.
All for the love of a dancer.
Ah, love.
A real song of the streets.
- I need the piano. - Take it.
Use a little less vibrato,
and flash those pretty eyes of yours around.
- We have to rehearse. - Take it. You come with me.
You don't realize, Madame.
The slightest interruption or noise and my inspiration vanishes.
- Dance class. - Right away.
No one understands artistes.
What are you waiting for?
My foot hurts.
- Is she here? - Every day, just like me.
And you have no suspicions?
All lovers have suspicions. I try to hide mine.
Has she told you she loves Paulo?
She has.
You haven't noticed anything between her and Danglard?
Just the usual intimacy among artists.
You're blind, my friend. Let's see if you're deaf too.
Nini, come here. - I'll come if I please.
Don't interrupt work, Lola.
I intend to interrupt more than work.
Hurry, boss!
What do you want?
First, to congratulate you.
You're doing well for a beginner.
You came to say that?
No, and you know it.
Maybe it's better this way.
I've been meaning to tell you, Alexandre.
I just didn't know how.
I'm a bad girl.
And you're so kind, I can't bear to hurt you.
Then it's true?
Yes, it's true.
I'm his mistress, and I'm proud of it.
- Come now, little one. - Leave me alone, Oscar!
All right, all right.
I'm so sorry, but the operation was necessary.
Dear Madame, may I ask yet another favor of you?
Beat it!
Your French is improving.
A few more such adventures and you'll be a true Parisian!
You have something to say to me?
Just that you're the queen of the shrews and you'll always have a spot in my show.
My poor darling. Your show!
Class is over.
Get dressed, girls.
Prince Alex, when you're free, remember me.
What did she do to you?
Special edition! Prince Alexandre hovering between life and death!
- Another foreigner. - Can't do without 'em.
Poor Alexandre.
- It's really most upsetting. - Indeed.
Let me finish my story.
After he stitched her up, the surgeon realized he'd lost his monocle.
And you know where? Stitched up inside my poor mother.
Be quiet.
This isn't the time for jokes. We're not at the White Queen.
I make jokes when and where I wish. Once I leave the office -
I know: "Curtains." But you are a symbol of our class.
Appearances are all that can save us.
That's called hypocrisy.
- I admit it. - You're a gloomy sort.
Of course. Poor Alexandre.
Ah, yes. A remarkable chap.
- A considerable fortune. - A future king.
- A real gentleman. - Descended from Mahomet Ali.
Have you wailing women finished your act?
To think this is my fault! I'm disgusted with myself!
- My dear! - What a sensitive heart!
Our little spat is pure vanity. Nothing but hot air.
After what I've done, you might not believe this,
but I'll say it anyway.
If things work out, I'll join you again.
I owe it to Alexandre.
Nini, I'd be happy to have you as my friend.
I hope you'll be happy with Danglard.
I can never be happy again.
Don't be angry with me.
When I'm in a rage, I don't know what I'm doing.
I'm not angry with you.
Who could resist such a scene of burgeoning friendship?
Danglard, let's forget our quarrels. If you need a backer, I'm your man.
Have you turned into a statue?
So we move ahead with the Moulin Rouge?
Miracles never cease. Barjelin has understood.
I have faith in miracles, but not in surgeons.
Suppose Alexandre dies.
His father, the king, inherits the Moulin Rouge.
He presents it to the archbishop, who turns it into a convent,
and it's curtains for our cancan.
If I were Danglard, I'd recover the deeds to the site.
And I know who I'd send on that mission.
Think of your pals, Nini.
Don't count on me.
An unremarkable case.
The top surgeons aren't interested. He's saved!
The patient is asking for Mademoiselle Nini.
- Does it hurt? - Not even that.
I've always been clumsy.
I've not only been clumsy, I've been -
What?
Nothing.
Allow me to be less modest than you.
What do you think of my little demonstration? Not bad, eh?
Alex, you're so much better than the rest of us.
No better, no worse. Just different.
Animals in the jungle keep to their own species.
They don't mingle, under pain of death.
I stuck my nose where I shouldn't have, but I survived. I was lucky.
How well you talk.
Will you give me a present?
A present? Me?
Before I leave, give me a make-believe memory of Paris.
Let me pretend for one evening that I'm the boy next door
taking you out for the first time,
and that you allow him to love you
in silence.
When I'm old,
I'll dazzle the younger generations with my wonderful Parisian romance.
- Where shall we go? - Everywhere.
Madame Arthur set tongues wagging for so long
She'd no need of newspapers or advertisements
To entertain an army of lovers
Madame Arthur set tongues wagging for so long
You should have seen her dance
With all her charm
And yet I love you
But you drove me crazy
And set me wandering the globe
- Lovely, isn't it? - Yes.
So much grief embedded
In my poor wandering soul
You who pass through this arbor
Come in and drink
Drink, young soldiers
Drink the wine of victory
You ruby-red rascal Unequaled nectar
You fill our hearts with courage
O wine of hope
Drink, my friends this victory wine
Be kind, unknown lady
For whom I've so often sung
Any small offering is welcome
Please give what you can
Be kind, unknown lady
For whom I've so often sung
I welcome you always
O unknown lady
Good-bye, Alex. You'll soon forget me.
- This is just a story for youngsters. - Yes, Grandmother.
Don't rub it in.
I feel like I've aged ten years since I left the laundry.
We're both veterans of that famous campaign called the Moulin Rouge.
Let's kiss before we part
as veterans do.
Good-bye, Alex.
One more thing.
I'm going home to a difficult profession.
Here I am, incapable of managing my own little affairs
and one day I must lead millions.
Tobacco, sheep and roses.
No more roses - they were reserved for you.
I ask you to accept the only heart I can still offer.
It's too beautiful. I'll never dare wear it.
Mere pebbles.
One soon gets used to them.
I almost forgot. I think you'll find these useful.
The deeds to the Moulin Rouge.
I've put them in Danglard's name - it's simplest.
Evening, Paolo.
Let me by!
You can't say I've bothered you since I got out of jail.
Prunelle is dead drunk.
Me too. We've both drowned our sorrows.
Poor old woman.
Have you really forgotten all about me and the bakery?
My uncle's retiring. I'll be the boss.
We could go out on Sundays and take vacations in the country.
Of course.
We could have children.
We could have been happy together,
but I'm not the same Nini anymore, my poor Paulo.
You'll do fine as you are.
But after your debut, it'll be another story.
I don't want a wife who gives herself to thousands every night.
Sorry. I've made my choice.
You'll end up like Prunelle when Danglard doesn't need you anymore.
- He'll never leave me. - Think about it.
The moment you appear in public, you've lost me.
Amédé!
Hurry. I want to see Nini dance.
- Why not the pope? - He doesn't dance.
We must be mad to pay to see Nini's thighs.
- Is she the one who shot the prince? - Idiot!
A person who commits suicide shoots himself!
- His father's a king. - They're called czars.
She had a jailbird boyfriend, too.
We could well see bloodshed tonight.
Then let's leave. I don't like dramas.
Stars don't have dramas, only scandals.
No luck. I give up.
- Shall we see Nini? - Mustn't be left out.
They messed up my dress. It has to be redone.
It doesn't matter. Put it on!
The solo violin kills my act. It's the violin or me. Make your choice.
Get out of here!
Copper's crashed in New York! We're ruined.
That carpet should have been down an hour ago.
- You told us to buy. - It's your fault.
Am I your keeper?
Lend me a hand with that carpet.
- This better be a success. - Have we got much money in this?
Rest assured, the Moulin Rouge will profit us more than it will Danglard.
Thank you, but hold your applause until you've seen the show.
I see several uniforms of the Russian navy.
Doubtless men from the Prince Orlof, now anchored at Brest.
It's my pleasure to tell these fine sailors
that Catherine, Empress of all the Russias,
in celebration of the Franco-Russian alliance...
has come to review the troops of the Moulin Rouge.
So we've rallied our troupe to honor her.
Catherine's been dead a century, you'll say.
But we here at the Moulin Rouge attach no importance to such details.
Catherine the Great had a hearty appetite
Her mouth began to water when a real man came in sight
To the strains of balalaikas there was a scuffling midst begonias
But if passion ran colder, it was "Throw him in the Volga!"
Our stalwart grenadiers are on the march
Now the ladies applaud their bayonet charge
But as Queen Hortensia remarked as a palace ball progressed
"In their uniforms so vast
One has to guess the rest"
Long live the empress!
But as Queen Hortensia remarked
"One has to guess the rest"
Casimir, go introduce Esther.
Right, boss.
Remember, every man in the audience must believe you sing for him alone.
Understand? Now go on.
Go and work the door.
Did you like that?
Now we invite you to breathe in
the scent of a little flower from the streets of Montmartre.
Our newest star: Esther Georges.
Above the rue Saint Vincent
A poet and an unknown girl
Loved for a brief moment
And never met again
Hoping the waif would hear it for her he wrote this song
As she wandered the streets
One morning in spring
The waning moon shimmering down
Crowns your gold hair
The gilded moon with glory festoons
Your petticoat bare
The pallid moon
Starkly outlines your tired opal eyes
Princess of the street your welcome is sweet
In my wounded heart
The steps up the hill
Are steep for the lovelorn
But the windmills' sails shield lovers from the storm
Little waif
I feel your small hand searching for mine
I feel your heart beat your waist so neat
My sorrows decline
Yet your lips betray, feverishly
The hunger of years
At your touch I feel a rush
That brings me to tears
The steps up the hill
Are steep for the lovelorn
But the windmills’ sails
Shield lovers from the storm
But now the rain drips
The moon in eclipse
My princess has gone
A sky without moon I sing forlorn
In search of my dream
- Go and announce Roberto. - Again?
I work in a mortuary. I should be used to tears!
And now, the Great Roberto, the famous whistler.
The soul of a poet, the whistle of a blackbird!
I owe it all to you. I'll never leave you.
Go now, little sparrow.
Don't mind me!
Open the door, Nini.
I order you to open this door.
- Do the cancan without me. - You've got some timing!
- Where's Nini? - She doesn't want to dance.
Is she crazy? She'll ruin everything.
- I'm so sorry. - Go find Casimir.
- What's going on? - Nini's letting us down.
Did you cheat on her with Esther?
You should be ashamed. A nice girl like Nini?
I could slap you! - Don't start again!
All ready for the cancan?
No, keep them happy with the band.
We'll have to cut down the number of dancers.
Never! You'll take Nini's place.
Are you crazy? With this mug?
What about it?
I knew it in the old days.
You knew the chahut, not the French cancan.
There's a big difference. Still, you could fill a gap.
We beg for your patience while waiting for the French Cancan.
To clear the floor, those who must move can come and sit on the stage.
Maestro Oscar will entertain us with a medley of current hits.
I'll see what's going on.
- She won't dance. She finally understood. - What a shame!
I'm Nini's mother!
Nini, you're terrible!
- What's going on? - Your daughter, Madame.
She's being stubborn again.
Open up, Nini.
It's your mother!
I'd rather have you smack my face.
Stop being mean.
You hear that?
I'll stay on one condition.
I want Danglard all to myself.
You want to put me in a cage like a canary?
I warn you, it won't last long.
You couldn't stand me after a couple of weeks.
You want the Danglard of the theater
or Danglard who wears slippers? I've never worn them and never will!
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!
Line up for the quadrille, girls.
Lola, get ready.
Wait, I'm coming.
Take your places for the cancan.
Your dress!
They wouldn't care about Nini if I'd shot myself over her.
You don't think so?
- What's going on? - Everything's fine.
- What about your introduction? - You do it.
Me? But Nini isn't ready.
She will be. Get going!
Ladies and gentlemen, the French Cancan!
Would you sit down?
Hurry.
Never seen a behind before?
I have an idea. Tomorrow I'll marry you.
- Time to put an end to everything? - Perhaps a beginning.
The stock exchange will have confidence in an empress's husband.
Mind stepping aside?
You're in the way.
- Still quitting? - Are you mad?
Would you like to go on the stage?
Oh, yes!