Moulin Rouge

Despite the title, this film has nothing to do with either the biography of Toulouse-Lautrec nor the famous musical. Instead, it's a silly and forgettable comedy starring Constance Bennett and Franchot Tone. While I love old films, I had a real difficult time enjoying this one.

When the film begins, you learn that Helen (Bennett) loves her husband, Douglas (Tone), but longs to go back on stage. Some time ago, she was the other half of an act...but he insists (like most men of his day) that she stay home and be his dutiful wife. But she decides to play a trick on him when she learns her old partner Raquel (also Bennett) is coming to America. As the two are identical strangers and equally talented, she asks Raquel to let her pretend to be her to see how Douglas reacts. Naturally, she is a perfect duplicate for Raquel in every way and she's a success...but it also appears as if Douglas is ready to now dump his wife for Raquel!

The film's success all depends on the audience's ability to accept a very bad (in my opinion) cliché--the identical stranger. Shows like "I Dream of Jeanie", "Bewitched" and "The Patty Duke Show" all devoted much of their content to this sort of plot device...and in many ways the film comes off more like a bad 60s sitcom than a movie someone would actually pay to see. Additionally, way too much uninteresting music made this one a chore to finish. Not among the actors' best work, that's for sure.

"Moulin Rouge" is a comedy romance and musical revue film. Typical of the musicals of the day, its plot revolves around the stage and a Broadway production. Those types of musicals generally had very little plot - just enough to pull together various song and dance numbers. However, this "Moulin Rouge" differs. The plot is front and center here, with the song and dance numbers almost as fill.

The story is a love triangle of sorts. As Molly Morris says, it's a "two-sided triangle." Constance Bennett plays a double role. She is Helen Hall and also Raquel, who was a vaudeville partner in a sister act years before. She says they weren't real sisters but look-alikes.

Franchot Tone and Constance Bennett work well together in this comedy, and Tullio Carminati is a good third person for the humor. Tone is Douglas Hall, a playwright who has been married to Helen Hall for four years. However, Helen wants to return to the stage. When she swaps places with her former look-alike stage partner, Raquel, she complicates her marriage to Hall further.

The scrip is written so that this never becomes too serious a problem, and instead it provides for more of the comedy. It's not a great comedy by any means, but an enjoyable little film for the humor and romance. Although Bennett also sang, and there are a couple of good songs and some dance numbers, the musical part of this film is mostly forgettable. The fun is in the on-again, off-again romance between the two leads whose characters are madly in love.

Franchot Tone was a very talented actor who played in a variety of films, from comedy and romance to drama and mystery. His best work was in the 1930s and 1940s. His later years were spent mostly in TV series and films in supporting roles. Constance Bennett was one of the early leading ladies of sound films. She too was very talented in a variety of films. The sister of Joan Bennett, she slowed down at mid-career in the 1940s after marrying her fourth husband, an Air Force colonel. She traveled with her career husband and was active in entertaining WW II occupational troops after the war and during the Berlin Airlift. Her husband, John Coulter, reached the rank of Brig. General, and survived Bennet after 21 years of marriage. She was buried in Arlington National Cemetery, and may be one of the only performers buried there, and most likely the only actress.

Here are some favorite lines from this film.

Molly Morris (Helen Westley), after Helen impersonating Raquel points her out as her maid, Fifi, says, "Fifi! Sound like a lap dog."

Douglas Hall, "I wouldn't have your mind for anything on earth. It is shallow. It's loathsome." Victor Le Maire, "I know, Doug. Forgive me."

Helen Hall, "Molly, I'm a fool." Molly Morris, "Afraid he will, or afraid he won't?" Helen, "Oh, I don't know."

Molly Morris, "Well, I've seen some queer things in my time, but this is my first view of a two-sided triangle."

Douglas Hall, "Vickie, Helen's one of the finest girls in the world. Do you understand that?" Victor Le Maire, "Of course, Doug, but..." Douglas Hall, "But there's two sides to every question. I love her. I love her very much. But, but... do I love her enough? That's the question, Vickie. Do I love her enough?" Victor Le Maire, "Really, Doug. I oughta just go." Douglas Hall, "It's a big step. A mighty big step. Bermuda! Who wants to see Bermuda? Why, I can see Bermuda anytime I want. I don't have to... you see what I mean, Vickie?" Victor Le Marie, "I guess so, Doug. What are you talking about?" Douglas Hall, "I guess you're right after all. Thanks, Vickie. Thanks a thousand times" Victor slinks away and takes off.

Constance Bennett wants to go back on stage after leaving it to marry, but husband Franchot Tone won't let her, so she switched place with the other half of her vaudeville sister act, who was a success in Paris as Mlle. Raquel, but would rather make whoopee in Atlantic City than rehearse in New York.

Competently done, though Constance Bennett's singing sounded better with her 'French' accent (perhaps the sound in the first reel got distorted). There is a grand finale of about 15 minutes that has most of the singing and dancing, which is typical for movies for the time. Some of the gags are good and some of the women's costumes are great.

Unrelated to other moves of the same name.

A sumptuous retread of the old chestnut about a spouse impersonating a fictitious love rival which provides a sadly brief chance to admire Constance Bennett as a brunette and the pre-Code costumes of the chorus girls.

Ms Bennett actually supported Garbo a few years later in 'Two-Faced Woman' (1941), yet another version of this particular tale...

Constance Bennett stars with Franchot Tone, Russ Columbo, Tullio Carminati, and Helen Westley in "Moulin Rouge" from 1934.

The story concerns an ex-performer, Helen (Bennett) who desires to go back on the stage. However, her husband, involved in the production of a new musical, objects.

When Helen learns that the famous French singer Raquel has been cast, she has a fit. Due to their resemblance to one another, she and Raquel had done a "sister act" in the past.

When the two meet, Raquel says that she needs a break - she knows all the songs anyway, so she will return on opening night. Meanwhile, Helen can handle the rehearsals. All she has to do is dye her hair blonde, which she does.

The situation becomes complicated when it appears that both the producer (Carminati) and Tone are both after her. This upsets Helen, and she decides she has to know whether or not her husband will leave her for Raquel.

This gives Bennett a great opportunity to imitate a French chanteuse and sing a couple of great songs, wriitten by Harry Warren and Al Dubin, Coffee in the Morning and Kisses at Night, and Boulevard of Broken Dreams, which some old-timers may remember as a Tony Bennett song. Constance Bennett actually at one point did a nightclub act; her voice as pleasant, but what put her over was her interpretation of the material.

She costars here with Russ Columbo who died at 26 under bizarre circumstances - a bullet from an antique pistol ricocheted off of a table and killed him. He had a good voice and was nice-looking, although in order to have a film career, he would have had to loosen up.

The major part of the film is the big show, a Busby Berkeley ripoff. Lucille Ball is one of the dancers. They all wore quite revealing costumes.

Pleasant musical with good performances. I love Constance Bennett, and it was great to hear her sing.