''The Phantom of the Moulin Rouge'' (French: ''Le fantôme du Moulin-Rouge'') is a 1925 French silent comedy

fantasy film Fantasy films are films that belong to the fantasy genre with fantastic themes, usually magic, supernatural events, mythology, folklore, or exotic fantasy worlds. The genre is considered a form of speculative fiction alongside science fiction f ...

(made in 1924), directed by

René Clair René Clair (11 November 1898 – 15 March 1981), born René-Lucien Chomette, was a French filmmaker and writer. He first established his reputation in the 1920s as a director of silent films in which comedy was often mingled with fantasy. He wen ...

and starring Albert Préjean,

Sandra Milovanoff Sandra Milovanoff (born Alexandrine Aleksejevna Milovanova, 23 June 1892 – 8 May 1957), also known as Sandra Milovanov, was a Russian-French actress known for her roles in French cinema during the silent era.McGerr p. 222 Biography Alexandrin ...

and

Paul Ollivier François Hilarion Paul Olivari, stage name Paul Ollivier (10 February 1876 - 10 June 1948) was a French film actor. Selected filmography * ''The Phantom of the Moulin Rouge'' (1925) * ''The Queen of Moulin Rouge'' (1926) * ''The Imaginary Voyag ...

. It was based on a novel by

Walter Schlee Walter Schlee, born 15 December 1894 in Kępno, Posen province, Germany; died 5 February 1964 in Lugano, Switzerland, was a German screenwriter. The Jewish Schlee left German following the Nazi Party's takeover of 1933. He then worked in the Nethe ...

. The film's sets were designed by

Robert Gys Robert Gys (1901–1977) was a French art director.O'Shaughnessy p.238 Selected filmography * '' Imperial Violets'' (1924) * ''The Phantom of the Moulin Rouge'' (1925) * ''Miss Europe'' (1930) * ''Dance Hall'' (1931) * '' The Dream'' (1931) * '' ...

Plot

Julien Boissel is engaged to marry Yvonne, but her diplomat father is against it. Her father is being blackmailed by a corrupt newspaper publisher named Gauthier, who states he will surrender the incriminating evidence he has if the old man will allow him to marry Yvonne. To save her father from a scandal, Yvonne agrees to marry the blackmailer. A depressed Julien encounters a mesmerist named Dr. Window at the famed Moulin-Rouge nightclub, and he allows the doctor to experiment on him with his mesmeric powers. Julien's spirit is freed from his corporeal body and he goes on a mischievous spree around Paris, causing a string of humorous and frightening occurrences. The police come across Julien's body while he is out of it and believe he is dead, and Dr. Window is charged with the murder. Julien discovers an autopsy is scheduled to be performed on his "corpse", and if this happens, his spirit will never be able to reenter it. Julien manages to get the incriminating evidence away from Gauthier and deliver it to Yvonne, then returns to his body just moments before the time of the proposed autopsy. Dr. Window is exonerated when Julien's corpse returns to life, and Julien gets the girl.

Cast

Georges Vaultier Georges may refer to: Places *Georges River, New South Wales, Australia *Georges Quay (Dublin) *Georges Township, Fayette County, Pennsylvania Other uses * Georges (name) * ''Georges'' (novel), a novel by Alexandre Dumas * "Georges" (song), a 197 ...

as Julien Boissel, the Phantom *

as Yvonne Vincent *

Maurice Schutz Maurice Schutz (4 August 1866 – 22 March 1955) was a French film actor. He starred in some 91 films between 1918 and 1952. Selected filmography * '' Quatre-vingt-treize'' (1920) * '' Au-delà des lois humaines'' (1920) * '' The Three Masks' ...

as Victor Vincent, Yvonne's father *

as Dr. Window *

José Davert José Davert (1874–1934) was a French film actor.Goble p.143 Selected filmography * '' The House of Mystery'' (1923) * '' The Man Without Nerves'' (1924) * '' Adventure on the Night Express'' (1925) * ''The Phantom of the Moulin Rouge ''The ...

as Gauthier, the publisher/ blackmailer *

Madeleine Rodrigue Madeleine may refer to: Common meanings *Madeleine (name), also Madeline, a feminine given name *Madeleine (cake), a traditional sweet cake from France *Mary Magdalene, also called the Madeleine Arts and entertainment * ''Madelein'' (1919 fi ...

as Jacqueline * Albert Préjean as Jean Degland, reporter

References

Bibliography

* Celia McGerr. ''René Clair''. Twayne Publishers, 1980.

External links

* 1925 films Films directed by René Clair French silent feature films French fantasy films 1920s fantasy films Films set in Paris French black-and-white films 1920s French films {{1920s-France-film-stub