André Hugon was the first French director to make a talkie "les trois masques" (1929) but his work ,which includes an estimable remake of Pabst "die freundlose Gasse" ("la rue sans joie" )has sunk without a trace ."Moulin Rouge " is the title of countless movies but ,most amazing scene ,after an audition with the grumpy manager Pierre Larquey ("when women are beautiful,they 've got no talent ;when they've got talent,they are ugly "),it takes almost one hour before the action returns to the famous music hall.It's the story of two semi-bums , a singer (René Dary, Feuillade's child star , whose looks is perhaps too stupefied to be really efficient is this kind of meneur de revue:Maurice Chevalier or Albert Préjean would have been better choices )That said,Dary was a nice actor although here it's co-star Lucien Baroux who steals the show, although he's supposed to be a foil to him .This is a cock and bull story ,but including funny moments :the undertakers tripping over each other to get the funeral of a wealthy owner about to kick the bucket ; the pals making a clean sweep of the wine the luxury town house ; the audition nobody passes.A musical,including such forgotten songs as "la vie estcourte" (life is brief)and of course course French can can .