''Rigolboche'' is a 1936 French

historical History is the systematic study of the past, focusing primarily on the human past. As an academic discipline, it analyses and interprets evidence to construct narratives about what happened and explain why it happened. Some theorists categ ...

musical film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the Character (arts), characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, but in some cases, they serv ...

directed by

Christian-Jaque Christian-Jaque (byname of Christian Maudet; 4 September 1904 – 8 July 1994) was a French filmmaker. From 1954 to 1959, he was married to actress Martine Carol, who starred in several of his films, including ''Lucrèce Borgia'' (1953), ''M ...

and starring

Mistinguett Jeanne Florentine Bourgeois (5 April 1873 – 5 January 1956), known professionally as Mistinguett (), was a French actress and singer. She was at one time the highest-paid female entertainer in the world. Early life The daughter of Antoine Bo ...

André Lefaur André Lefaur (25 July 1879 – 5 December 1952) was a French film and theatre actor, notably working several times with director Sacha Guitry. Partial filmography * ''La Vénus d'Arles'' (1911) * ''L'homme qui assassina'' (1913) * ''Ainsi va l ...

and

Jules Berry Jules Berry (; born Marie Louis Jules Paufichet; 9 February 1883 – 23 April 1951) was a French actor. Biography Early life Berry and his two brothers were born to parents who sold hardware and settled in Poitou. The family moved to Paris in 1 ...

. It portrays a fictionalized version of the life of Rigolboche, the dancer who made the

Can-can The can-can (also spelled cancan as in the original French /kɑ̃kɑ̃/) is a high-energy, physically demanding dance that became a popular music-hall dance in the 1840s, continuing in popularity in French cabaret to this day. Originally dance ...

famous. It was shot at the

Billancourt Studios Billancourt Studios was a film studio in Paris which operated between 1922 and 1992. Located in Boulogne-Billancourt, it was one of the leading French studios.Szczepanik & Vonderau p.141 It was founded in the silent era by Henri Diamant-Berger. Dur ...

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

. The film's sets were designed by the

art director Art director is a title for a variety of similar job functions in theater, advertising, marketing, publishing, fashion, live-action and animated film and television, the Internet, and video games. It is the charge of a sole art director to supe ...

and

Georges Wakhévitch Georges Wakhévitch (; Georgy Leonidovich Vakhevich; August 18, 1907 in Odessa, Russian Empire – February 11, 1984 in Paris) was a Russian-born French art director. The son of a naval engineer, he immigrated to France in 1921. He grew up in Par ...

Cast

as Lina Bourget *

as Xavier-Martin, Count of Saint-Servan *

as Bobby *

Mady Berry Mady Berry (14 October 1887 – 18 January 1965) was a French stage and film actress.Waldman p.146 Selected filmography * '' Gloria'' (1931) * '' All That's Not Worth Love'' (1931) * '' Moon Over Morocco'' (1931) * '' The Girl and the Boy'' (193 ...

as Madame Corbin *

André Berley André Berley (13 January 1890 – 26 November 1936) was a French actor. Berley was born André Edmond Obrecht in the 6th arrondissement of Paris. Selected filmography * ''The Passion of Joan of Arc'' (1928) * '' Olimpia'' (1930) * '' The ...

as Tabourot *

Charles Lemontier Charles Lemontier (1894–1965) was a French film actor.Aping p.76 Selected filmography * ''Street Without a Name'' (1934) * ''Judex'' (1934) * ''Crime and Punishment'' (1935) * '' Rigolboche'' (1936) * '' School for Journalists'' (1936) * '' Wh ...

as Saturnin - director *

Robert Pizani Robert Pizani (26 April 1896 – 17 June 1965) was a French stage and film actor whose 45-year career encompassed leading roles in numerous plays, revues and operettas as well as dozens of films. In operetta Pizani's roles in operetta and musical ...

as Lecor - the dealer *

Joe Alex Joe or JOE may refer to: Arts Film and television * ''Joe'' (1970 film), starring Peter Boyle * ''Joe'' (2013 film), starring Nicolas Cage, based on the novel ''Joe'' (1991) by Larry Brown * Joe (2023 film), an Indian film * ''Joe'' (TV ser ...

as a dark man * as director of Criminal investigation department *Lino Carenzio as Fredo *Amy Collin as typer * * as dancer *Le Petit Patachou as Cricri *

Georges Paulais Georges Paulais (16 September 1884 – 12 December 1967) was a French film actor. He appeared in more than 140 films between 1910 and 1956. He was born in Guimps, Charente, France and died in Chabanais, Charente, France. Selected filmogra ...

as investigating judge * as the dresser *

Georges Tourreil Georges Louis Cottu (known as Georges Tourreil; September 7, 1894 – June 16, 1960) was a French actor. He was buried in the Saint-Maur-des-Fossés cemetery. Filmography Cinema * 1927: ''In Old Stamboul'' by Roger Goupillières – Alcide ...

as Lucien Mirvaux * Yves Deniaud as Gloria's cashier * Erika *Georges-François Frontec *

Pedro Elviro Pedro Elviro Rodríguez (died 24 August 1971), also known as Pitouto, was a Spanish actor. Between 1924 and 1972, he shot more than 170 films, a good part of them in France and Mexico. Selected filmography * '' The Darling of Paris'' (1931) as Au ...

References

Bibliography

*Dyer, Richard & Vincendeau, Ginette. ''Popular European Cinema''.

Routledge Routledge ( ) is a British multinational corporation, multinational publisher. It was founded in 1836 by George Routledge, and specialises in providing academic books, academic journals, journals and online resources in the fields of the humanit ...

, 2013.

External links

* 1936 films French historical musical films 1930s historical musical films Films directed by Christian-Jaque Films set in Paris Films set in the 19th century French black-and-white films Films scored by Casimir Oberfeld 1930s French films Films shot at Billancourt Studios 1930s French-language films French-language historical musical films {{Historic-musical-film-stub