Moulin Rouge (1934 film)

Moulin Rouge is an American pre-Code musical film released on January 19, 1934, by United Artists, starring Constance Bennett and Franchot Tone. It contained the songs "Coffee in the Morning and Kisses in the Night", and "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" with music by Harry Warren and lyrics by Al Dubin. Lucille Ball appears in an uncredited role as a show girl in the film.^[1] It has no relation to any other films of/with the same name. The cast also includes Tullio Carminati, Helen Westley, Russ Brown, Hobart Cavanaugh and Georges Renavent.^[1]

Moulin Rouge
Film poster
Directed by	Sidney Lanfield
Written by	Hans Kraly Gregory La Cava Sam Mintz
Screenplay by	Nunnally Johnson Henry Lehrman
Produced by	William Goetz Raymond Griffith Darryl F. Zanuck
Starring	Constance Bennett Franchot Tone
Cinematography	Charles Rosher
Edited by	Lloyd Nibley Lloyd Nosler
Music by	Alfred Newman
Production company	Twentieth Century Pictures
Distributed by	United Artists
Release date	January 19, 1934 (1934-01-19)
Running time	70 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

The film was Twentieth Century Pictures' fourth most popular movie of the year.^[2]

Plot

A singer marries a famous composer, and after a while she gets the itch to go back on the stage. However, her husband will not let her do so. When she hears that a popular French singer named "Raquel" is coming to New York, she decides to go to Raquel with a plan—unbeknownst to her husband, "Raquel" is actually her old stage partner who happens to look EXACTLY like her, and her plan is for them to switch places so she can fulfill her dream of going back on the stage. However, things do not go quite as planned.

Cast

• Constance Bennett as Helen Hall
• Franchot Tone as Douglas Hall
• Tullio Carminati as Le Maire
• Helen Westley as Mrs. Morris
• Russ Columbo as himself
• The Boswell Sisters as Themselves

Soundtrack

• "The Boulevard of Broken Dreams"

Music by Harry Warren

Lyrics by Al Dubin

Performed by Constance Bennett in rehearsal

Reprised by Constance Bennett and chorus in the show finale

• "Coffee in the Morning and Kisses in the Night"

Music by Harry Warren

Lyrics by Al Dubin

Sung by Constance Bennett at audition

Reprised by Constance Bennett with Russ Columbo and also The Boswell Sisters in the show finale

• "Song of Surrender"

Music by Harry Warren

Lyrics by Al Dubin

Sung by Tullio Carminati while playing the piano