Moulin Rouge is a 1952 British historical romantic drama film directed by John Huston from a screenplay he co-wrote with Anthony Veiller, based on the 1950 novel of the same name by Pierre La Mure, and produced by John and James Woolf. The film follows artist Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec as he navigates the bohemian subculture of 19th-century Paris, centered around the Moulin Rouge, a burlesque venue. It was screened at the 14th Venice International Film Festival, where it won the Silver Lion.

Plot

In 1890 Paris, crowds gather at the Moulin Rouge as artist Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec finishes a bottle of cognac while sketching the dancers. Regular patrons arrive: singer Jane Avril teases Henri, dancers La Goulue and Aicha argue, and owner Maurice Joyant offers Henri free drinks for a promotional poster. After closing, Henri reveals his 4-foot-6-inch (137cm) stature. A flashback shows that, as a child, he injured his legs in a fall, which never healed due to a genetic disorder from his parents being first cousins.