French Cancan

In late 1880s Paris, Henri Danglard runs Le Paravent Chinois, a fashionable but unprofitable nightclub. After witnessing the energetic cancan at La Reine Blanche in Montmartre, he is inspired to stage a bigger, more glamorous production. He persuades his mistress Lola's star Nini to take dancing lessons for the ambitious new show.

To finance the new venture, Danglard sells his existing club and, with extra funds from Baron Walter, buys and tears down La Reine Blanche. The plan is to replace it with the Moulin Rouge, a dazzling venue where a glamorous cancan troupe will perform. The groundwork begins as anticipation builds for the spectacular new show.

Tryouts, rehearsals, and the demolition progress fairly smoothly until an on-site fight with Paulo, Nini's jealous boyfriend, leaves Danglard injured. He slows down on payments while recovering, creating tension with suppliers and Lola. The setback threatens the ambitious Moulin Rouge project.

While Danglard is sidelined, Lola schemes to buy the property out from under him by offering backing only if he drops Nini and the cancan. Danglard refuses, insisting the show must go on with Nini and the troupe. Lola's maneuvering intensifies the conflict around the future of the Moulin Rouge.

A timid but wealthy prince named Alexandre falls in love with Nini and, despite her ambivalence, purchases Lola's stake and restores control of the project to Danglard. This act stabilizes the Moulin Rouge plan and keeps Nini at the center of the production. The unusual alliance redirects the course of the building and its stars.

With the property secured, Danglard shifts his attention from Nini to Esther Georges, a maid he is turning into a singer for a rival centerpiece of the show. The Moulin Rouge begins to take shape beyond a single cancan, promising a broader lineup. The atmosphere becomes more competitive as the opening approaches.

Lola informs Alexandre that Nini's relationship with Danglard runs deeper than professional collaboration. Shocked and tormented, Alexandre shoots himself, but he later recovers from the incident. The love triangle further destabilizes the personal lives surrounding the project.

Alexandre survives, and Nini agrees to go out on the town with him for one night before he returns to his home country alone. Their brief outing underscores the bittersweet, unfulfilled romance surrounding the Moulin Rouge venture. The offstage relationships intensify the onstage stakes.

With the premiere approaching, the house is filling and anticipation is high. Nini initially refuses to perform the climactic cancan unless she can have Danglard all to herself, while Danglard asserts that his happiness lies in the shows and the performers, not in personal entanglements. The others prepare to improvise if needed as tensions peak.

On opening night, the house is packed and the audience is rapturous. Nini declares she will not perform the climactic cancan unless she can have Danglard all to herself, but Danglard's view of happiness remains tied to the show rather than personal life. Amid mounting pressure, the moment lingers as the performers scramble for a path forward.

Having set the boundary, the cancan eventually erupts on stage with energy and acclaim. Danglard, watching from backstage, notices Esther kissing a fellow singer and follows her into her dressing room, while the show around Nini continues to take shape. The moment reinforces the show's new balance between its evolving stars.

As the celebrations continue, Danglard joins the euphoric audience and a woman in the crowd begins singing along to the finale. He asks if she wants to go on stage, and she answers yes, hinting at a fresh muse for the Moulin Rouge’s future. The night closes with the promise of new possibilities on the horizon.