In 1890 Paris, Moulin Rouge is a nightclub where crippled artist Toulouse-Lautrec feels like he fits in. In the following years, he meets two women who provide an opportunity for him to find true love.
Acting
José Ferrer's heartbreaking performance on his knees for two hours.
Cinematography
Oscar-winning color that makes suffering look gorgeous.
Production
Shepperton Studios rebuilt 1890s Montmartre with obsessive detail.
Director
John Huston
José Ferrer
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
Zsa Zsa Gabor
Jane Avril
Suzanne Flon
Myriamme Hayam
Claude Nollier
Countess de Toulouse-Lautrec
Katherine Kath
Louise Weber
Muriel Smith
Aicha
Mary Clare
Madame Loubet
Walter Crisham
Valentin le Desossé
Harold Kasket
Charles Zidler
Jim Gérald
Le Père Cotelle
Georges Lannes
Balthazar Patou
Lee Montague
Maurice Joyant
Maureen Swanson
Denise de Frontiac
Tutte Lemkow
Aicha's Partner
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
José Ferrer performed entirely on his knees with leg braces hidden under costume; he refused a stand-in for any scene.
Huston originally wanted a more experimental structure with Toulouse-Lautrec as unreliable narrator, but studio interference flattened it into conventional biopic.
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