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.
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.