MAKSQUIBS CINEMATHEQUE: MOULIN ROUGE (1928)

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Monday, October 2, 2023

MOULIN ROUGE (1928)

Best known for late-silent backstagers VARIETY/’25 and PICCADILLY/’29, E.A. Dupont came up short in the Talkies, eventually sinking to Hollywood ‘Bs.’ But this other backstager, set in the world of Paris Music Hall, equals his best; it may even be more important, preserving a precious glimpse of late-‘20s Paris revue before the Depression. Filmed in real theaters and using lots of stage routines & artistes of the day (no doubt ‘tamed’ of full nudity to allow international release), the opening reel & a half is almost nothing but stage material. And quite a show it is! (Prologue also eye-popping as an out-of-towner chooses between the faded hooker on his right and a more glamorous transvestite on his left. Not spotting the gender, he goes with the better looking one only to be robbed just down the block. It was all a setup. Yikes! But then the main story kicks in with Olga Tschechowa as Parysia, top Moulin Rouge attraction whose daughter is back from three-years at school to see the show and introduce Mom to her wealthy old-school fiancé. But when his conservative Dad won’t consent, Parysia pleads her daughter’s case unaware that the scion has fallen hard for his putative mother-in-law. Whoops. (Classic inter-title when Mom learns of this forbidden love: ‘My car is at the curb. Save my daughter . . . then kill yourself!) Dupont tends to overplay his hand even in his best films, and does so here, but there’s plenty of action to watch, beautifully caught by lenser Werner Brandes (the print is in great shape) and well acted except for the daughter, only three years younger than Mom and looking older. It’s out with a fine score that’s a mix of the 1929 synch track and a 1990 full restoration. A real treat.

ATTENTION MUST BE PAID: BlackFace Alert! A chorus line in BlackFace singing & dancing up a storm behind Parysia in one number and during a curtain call. At least , Parysia doesn’t Black up.

DOUBLE-BILL/LINK: Dupont’s next backstager, PICCADILLY/’29, pairs perfectly. https://maksquibs.blogspot.com/2022/06/piccadilly-1929.html

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Monday, October 2, 2023

MOULIN ROUGE (1928)

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