Can-Can (1960) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Philippe falls in love with Simone during his undercover investigation at the cabaret. Despite his initial duty to enforce the indecency laws, his personal feelings become overwhelming. When François attempts to blackmail him with a photograph, Philippe reveals he had already decided to drop the case and instead proposes marriage to Simone, choosing love over his judicial career.

Foreshadowing: Earlier, Philippe meets Simone undercover and is immediately drawn to her, despite learning she knows his true identity as a judge.

• philippe
• proposal
• love
• judge
• case dropped
• simone

François, Simone's loyal lawyer boyfriend, resorts to blackmail to protect the Bal du Paradis and its dancers. After Simone is arrested during the second raid, François threatens to expose a compromising photograph that could damage Philippe's case and career. His motivation is to save the club and the women he cares about, though the plan ultimately fails when Philippe refuses to be swayed.

Foreshadowing: The earlier police raid and arrests set the stage for François's desperate attempt to intervene through blackmail.

• francois
• blackmail
• photograph
• simone
• protection

Paul Barrière orchestrates the lavish riverboat party specifically to sabotage Philippe's engagement to Simone. Worried that marrying a cabaret owner would ruin Philippe's judicial career, Paul hopes to expose Simone's true nature as a performer of 'lewd' entertainment before the upper-class guests. François also contributes by getting Simone drunk and encouraging her to perform a scandalous routine, which embarrasses her publicly and causes her to break off the engagement.

Foreshadowing: Paul previously warned Philippe that marrying Simone could destroy his career, showing his determination to prevent the union.

• paul
• riverboat
• party
• humiliation
• simone
• engagement

After being humiliated at the riverboat party, Simone orchestrates a calculated revenge. She borrows money from François to finance a grand ball, using the café deed as collateral. On the night of the ball, she triggers a police raid that arrests François, who has become the legal owner of the café through the loan arrangement. This dramatic reversal flips the power dynamics and puts François in the same position as the dancers he once tried to protect.

Foreshadowing: Simone's earlier vow to leave Philippe after the humiliation sets up her decisive action against François.

• simone
• francois
• arrest
• ball
• revenge
• cafe

The can-can is deemed lewd and illegal under public indecency laws because of its high-kicking movements and perceived provocative nature. The moral authorities in 1960s Paris view the dance as offensive to public decency, leading to police raids and courtroom battles over whether the performance constitutes obscene entertainment. The film's central conflict revolves around this legal and moral debate.

Foreshadowing: The opening scene establishes the can-can as 'daring' and 'lewd' in the eyes of conservative society, foreshadowing the legal scrutiny to come.

• can-can
• indecent
• illegal
• law
• raids
• obscene

No, the court does not declare the can-can obscene. When the moral league president demands action against the dance, Paul suggests the court witness the performance firsthand to determine its indecency. The can-can is staged for the courtroom, and the judges witness its artistic and entertaining qualities, leading to a verdict that softens the moral panic and vindicates the dance.

Foreshadowing: The ongoing debate between Paul (lenient) and Philippe (initially strict) throughout the film sets up the court's eventual fair assessment.

• court
• trial
• verdict
• can-can
• obscene
• innocent

After being arrested in the jail wagon alongside Simone, François has a change of heart. Throughout the film, he resisted marriage despite loving Simone, but the reversal of fortunes, being arrested himself after years of trying to protect her, makes him realize what truly matters. His proposal in the jail wagon represents his willingness to commit to a future with Simone, leaving the question of marriage open to possibility.

Foreshadowing: Earlier, François refuses marriage when Simone asks him to stay out of her arrangement with Philippe, setting up his eventual realization.

• francois
• proposal
• jail wagon
• marriage
• finale

Simone cannot bring herself to condemn François because her feelings for him complicate her testimony. Although she orchestrates his arrest as revenge for the riverboat humiliation, she still cares for him deeply. Her reluctance to testify against him weakens the prosecution's case and keeps the charges unresolved, showing how personal affection conflicts with the pursuit of justice.

Foreshadowing: The love triangle between Simone, François, and Philippe creates ongoing emotional conflict throughout the legal proceedings.

• simone
• testify
• francois
• trial
• hesitation
• love

The charges against the dancers appear to lose momentum once the court witnesses the can-can performance firsthand and finds it not obscene. With the dance deemed acceptable and the case focused on the broader question of art versus morality, the original indecency charges against Claudine and the other performers seem to dissolve as the legal battle transforms into a debate about the can-can's artistic merit.

Foreshadowing: The opening raid and arrests establish the legal threat that hangs over the dancers throughout the story.

• dancers
• charges
• trial
• arrests
• acquitted
• claudine

Philippe goes undercover to gather evidence against the Bal du Paradis and its can-can performances. As a younger associate who believes the indecency laws must be enforced, he poses as a patron to observe the performances firsthand and build a case. However, his investigation takes an unexpected turn when he meets Simone and falls in love with her, ultimately abandoning his professional mission.

Foreshadowing: The early conflict between Paul (who wants leniency) and Philippe (who insists on enforcement) establishes Philippe's initial rigid stance on morality.

• philippe
• undercover
• investigation
• evidence
• judge
• simone