Since its opening in 1889, the Moulin Rouge has become part of Parisian mythology, and some would say it has become a cliché and a tourist trap. Whether this is true or not, you can read about it on the page Moulin Rouge On my website, but one thing is for sure, the Moulin Rouge had a fascinating history, because larger-than-life people appeared there.
In this article, we will take a walk through the Paris of the Belle Époque and discover the stories of those people who became part of the mythology of theMontmartreSo let the host lead you to the most central table in the hall, sit down on the upholstered chair and allow the waiter to pour you champagne. The curtain is about to rise…
The history of the Moulin Rouge
Anyone who knows theHistory of Montmartre I know that until the second half of the 19th century, Montmartre was a village where vines were grown and flour was ground. The fact that this village was located on a hill exposed to the winds made it an ideal location for windmills, and indeed at the end of the 19th century, even though the character of Montmartre was changing from a village to a bohemian stronghold, there were still quite a few windmills there.
However, as you will see, Montmartre's most famous windmill never ground a single grain of wheat, but in the words of the famous dancer, Jane Avril (1868-1943), "this flour mill was solely engaged in grinding the money of tourists."
This is, of course, the Red Flour Mill or in French, Le Moulin Rouge, which was founded by Charles Zidler (1831-1897) and Joseph Oller (1839-1922) on the roof of the cabaret on Boulevard Clichy, which they bought in 1889.
The year 1889 was not just another year in the history of FranceThis was the year of the Great Exhibition, the one that brought us the Eiffel TowerThe two entrepreneurs knew that the exhibition would bring with it a swarm of tourists, who would only be looking for a place that would “grind their money” and provide them with entertainment, and that is exactly what Messrs. Seidler and Oller intended to provide them.
From Peltzen to Cannes – the stars of the Moulin Rouge
It should be remembered that the two gentlemen did not invent something out of thin air. The Moulin Rouge had stood on the site since 1850. cabaret Another, La Reine Blanche, became a dance club and a popular meeting place for prostitutes and their clients in 1885. One of them was the literary character Georges Duroy, from Maupassant's novel Bel Ami, who went there to seek thrills.
Since guys like Georges Duroy weren't bringing in enough money (at least not for the club's owner), Oller decided to move the dance club to the basement and open a cabaret in its place. At the same time, Joseph Oller opened another small club in the garden behind the Moulin Rouge, which he located inside a statue of an elephant, where a dancer named Madame Zelaska stunned the audience with erotic belly dancing.
However, the real action, of course, took place in the cabaret itself. The two entrepreneurs branded the Moulin Rouge as the “Palace of Women” and allowed only men to enter. What awaited them inside was an erotic/humorous show, with the first star of the Moulin Rouge not being a dancer but a man, and not just any man but a professional clown!
His name was Joseph Pujol (1857-1945) and his nickname was Le Pétomane, which means “the fart man.” The man knew how to suck air into his behind and release it in a virtuoso manner, and thus could “sing” the famous aria “O solo mio” or the La Marseillaise. His success was immediate and brought the fat and the scum of Europe to the Moulin Rouge, including the King of Belgium, who almost died of laughter (literally). Here is a short video of him (unfortunately without sound) filmed at the Moulin Rouge:
If you would like to hear more about the fragrant exploits of Joseph Pojol, you can do so through the article Gone with the windHowever, with all due respect to him, the immortal fame was brought to the Moulin Rouge by the Can Can dancers.
No one knows exactly how the Can-Can dance, which originated in Offenbach's opera "Orpheus in Hell," came to the Moulin Rouge, but the first time it was performed on the stage of the Paris Opera, it looked like this:
According to the founders of the Moulin Rouge, one day the prostitutes, who danced in the basement of the Moulin Rouge in order to “hunt” for customers, heard that the cabaret was attracting particularly wealthy people. They decided to break in mid-show and began dancing the can-can (formerly called the Chahut) while lifting their legs and exposing their underwear. The success of the can-can dance was immediate and made several can-can dancers famous, almost overnight.
Each of these dancers had a rather provocative stage name, thanks to which they came to the public consciousness and some of them were able to enter the pages of history. Here are some of the most famous of them:
- Louis Weber (1866-1929), whose nickname was La Goulue, or in Hebrew, “the Glutton,” and who was immortalized in the famous poster painted by Toulouse-Lautrec.
- Nini "Feet in the Air" (Pattes en l'air), who was known for her ability to kick high in the air and knock down top hats of men who were sitting too close to the stage.
- Another dancer, whose first name I didn't find, but whose nickname was Grille d'Egout, and I'll leave it to you to imagine how she earned this endearing nickname...
In 1915, during World War I, the Moulin Rouge burned down for the first time, and it burned down again in 1921 and 1923. Each time, the newly built hall became larger and the troupe of dancers grew accordingly, until today there are about 100 dancers working there.
During the 20s, the Moulin Rouge changed its character slightly, and alongside the entertainers and dancers, male and female singers began to appear, some of whom owed their success to the Moulin Rouge.
One of the most famous singers who performed there was Jeanne Florentine Bourgeois (1875-1956), known to us by her stage name Mistinguett. It was at the Moulin Rouge that some of her greatest hits were created, including “This is Paris” (Ça, c’est Paris).
After Mistingat, some of France's most famous singers continued to perform at the Moulin Rouge, including Edith Piaf and Yves Montaigne, who performed there as a duo in 1944, Charles Trenet, Charles Aznavour, Lynn Reno (who is still with us, as of the time of writing), and many others.
At the same time, a series of shows were created at the Moulin Rouge, which changed every few years, such as “Women, Women, Women” (Femmes, femmes, femmes), which was presented between 1983-1988, or Féerie, which has been presented for nearly 25 years (starting in 1999), and which I was privileged to see in 2018. Here is a small example of this show:
And of course, it is impossible to end an article about the history of the Moulin Rouge without referring to some of the films that dealt with it. With your permission, I will choose two.
The first is the film French Cancan, created in 1956, by French director Jean Renoir (1894-1979), son of the famous painter Auguste Renoir, who lived in Montmartre (you can read about him in the article on Montmartre Museum).
The film, starring the one and only Jean Gabin (1904-1976), takes place in Paris in the 90s and tells the story of a club manager who meets a Can Can dancer named Nini and falls in love with her. He convinces her to take dance lessons and, together with her and a group of dancers, opens the Moulin Rouge club where they dance the Can Can dance. You are invited to watch his “coming soon” and be impressed:
The next film is of course “Moulin Rouge,” starring Nicole Kidman, from 2001. The film was a huge box office success thanks to both the direction and costumes, as well as its soundtrack, which produced quite a few hits, like this one for example:
Visitor information at the Moulin Rouge
Of course, even today, the Moulin Rouge continues to provide visitors with grandiose shows, with dancers, singers, and entertainers, and if you've never visited it, it's definitely worth considering doing so, despite the price, which may be a little unfriendly (although if you just take a glass of champagne, it's not too bad).
If you decide to visit there, let me recommend: Moulin Rouge page I have a website, which contains all the practical information needed for an enjoyable visit to the place (including information on the different types of tickets).
