1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:02,000 Speaker 1: The Stay in History Class is a production of I 2 00:00:02,080 --> 00:00:12,480 Speaker 1: Heart Radio, Hello and Welcome to This Day in History Class, 3 00:00:12,840 --> 00:00:16,159 Speaker 1: a show that raises the curtain on everyday history and 4 00:00:16,280 --> 00:00:19,840 Speaker 1: lets it take a bow on Gabe Lousier. And in 5 00:00:19,920 --> 00:00:23,560 Speaker 1: this episode, we're revisiting the Golden Age of Paris to 6 00:00:23,680 --> 00:00:27,000 Speaker 1: explore the history of one of the city's most glamorous 7 00:00:27,040 --> 00:00:40,080 Speaker 1: and racist institutions, Lermoulin Rouge. The day was October sixth, 8 00:00:40,479 --> 00:00:46,280 Speaker 1: eighteen eighty nine, the world famous Mulan Rouge cabaret held 9 00:00:46,320 --> 00:00:50,479 Speaker 1: its first performance in Paris. The club opened its doors 10 00:00:50,520 --> 00:00:54,160 Speaker 1: just a few months after the Afel Tower, and in time, 11 00:00:54,560 --> 00:00:58,120 Speaker 1: both landmarks would become synonymous with the city of Light. 12 00:00:59,080 --> 00:01:03,080 Speaker 1: It's no coin students that two such iconic structures debuted 13 00:01:03,120 --> 00:01:06,280 Speaker 1: around the same time. It was a period known as 14 00:01:06,440 --> 00:01:11,360 Speaker 1: LaBelle Epoch or the Beautiful Age and exciting, care free 15 00:01:11,400 --> 00:01:15,319 Speaker 1: time in France, when industry and the arts thrived. This 16 00:01:15,480 --> 00:01:19,200 Speaker 1: cultural renaissance began just after the defeat of Napoleon the 17 00:01:19,280 --> 00:01:22,760 Speaker 1: Third and the Franco Prussian War of eighteen seventy and 18 00:01:22,840 --> 00:01:26,559 Speaker 1: lasted until the start of World War One in nineteen fourteen. 19 00:01:27,240 --> 00:01:29,920 Speaker 1: During that time, the country was eager to put the 20 00:01:29,959 --> 00:01:32,320 Speaker 1: past behind it and face the dawn of a new 21 00:01:32,360 --> 00:01:35,840 Speaker 1: century with a renewed sense of hope. The fruits of 22 00:01:35,880 --> 00:01:40,160 Speaker 1: that labor were everywhere you looked, and technological innovations like 23 00:01:40,200 --> 00:01:43,399 Speaker 1: electric light, photography, and film, as well as in the 24 00:01:43,520 --> 00:01:47,000 Speaker 1: art world, where post Impressionism offered a vivid, new way 25 00:01:47,040 --> 00:01:51,480 Speaker 1: to see the world. This feeling of liberation and optimism 26 00:01:51,680 --> 00:01:54,840 Speaker 1: was evident throughout the country, but especially so in the 27 00:01:54,920 --> 00:01:59,240 Speaker 1: capital city of Paris. During the interwar years, middle class 28 00:01:59,280 --> 00:02:04,120 Speaker 1: Parisians threw themselves head first into diversion and frivolity. They 29 00:02:04,160 --> 00:02:08,840 Speaker 1: frequented cafes, cabarets, museums and music halls, and in eighteen 30 00:02:08,880 --> 00:02:14,079 Speaker 1: eighty nine the city hosted the Exposition Universale, a world's 31 00:02:14,120 --> 00:02:18,280 Speaker 1: fair that showcased all the recent scientific and cultural triumphs 32 00:02:18,280 --> 00:02:22,120 Speaker 1: of France. That same year, the fl Tower was open 33 00:02:22,200 --> 00:02:25,760 Speaker 1: to the public, and not far away, another brand new 34 00:02:25,800 --> 00:02:30,440 Speaker 1: attraction was prepping for its own debut. Le Moulin Rouge, 35 00:02:30,880 --> 00:02:34,320 Speaker 1: or the Red Mill, was located in the trendy Boulevard 36 00:02:34,400 --> 00:02:38,679 Speaker 1: de Cliche in the city's mo march Art district. It's 37 00:02:38,720 --> 00:02:44,920 Speaker 1: co founders, businessman Joseph Ole and Charles Ziedler envisioned the 38 00:02:44,960 --> 00:02:47,880 Speaker 1: new Cabaret as a place where people of all walks 39 00:02:47,919 --> 00:02:51,680 Speaker 1: of life could take in a lively and somewhat risque show. 40 00:02:52,440 --> 00:02:55,760 Speaker 1: In that way, their club wouldn't just be the biggest 41 00:02:55,800 --> 00:02:59,360 Speaker 1: and most beautiful of cabarets. It would be the embodiment 42 00:02:59,440 --> 00:03:02,880 Speaker 1: of France, a golden age, a celebration of the country's 43 00:03:02,919 --> 00:03:07,520 Speaker 1: new found prosperity that was open to everyone. Author Francesco 44 00:03:07,720 --> 00:03:11,000 Speaker 1: Rappazzini captured the spirit of the venue in his book 45 00:03:11,040 --> 00:03:14,680 Speaker 1: about the history of Mulan Rouge. As he put it, quote, 46 00:03:15,080 --> 00:03:18,720 Speaker 1: here was the party. Here were the girls, Here was 47 00:03:18,760 --> 00:03:22,560 Speaker 1: the music, Here was the freedom. And here all the 48 00:03:22,639 --> 00:03:27,240 Speaker 1: classes were mixed together. There were the bourgeois, there were 49 00:03:27,240 --> 00:03:33,360 Speaker 1: the aristocrats. There were the laundry girls, there was everybody. 50 00:03:33,840 --> 00:03:38,480 Speaker 1: On the evening of October six, eighty nine, everybody in 51 00:03:38,520 --> 00:03:41,320 Speaker 1: the city wanted to be there for the grand opening 52 00:03:41,360 --> 00:03:45,320 Speaker 1: of the Mulan Rouge. The Boulevard de Clichy was jam 53 00:03:45,400 --> 00:03:49,040 Speaker 1: packed with horse drawn carriages, and even people who hadn't 54 00:03:49,080 --> 00:03:52,120 Speaker 1: heard about the new cabaret were drawn to it thanks 55 00:03:52,160 --> 00:03:55,360 Speaker 1: to the eye catching design choices made by its founders. 56 00:03:56,040 --> 00:03:58,520 Speaker 1: They had wanted the building to be visible from clear 57 00:03:58,560 --> 00:04:01,800 Speaker 1: across the city, so they painted the whole thing bright red. 58 00:04:02,480 --> 00:04:06,120 Speaker 1: They also topped the exterior with a towering red windmill, 59 00:04:06,520 --> 00:04:09,840 Speaker 1: the one from which the club takes its name. However, 60 00:04:10,200 --> 00:04:14,720 Speaker 1: the red mill wasn't just about branding. The Momartza district 61 00:04:14,880 --> 00:04:18,400 Speaker 1: had once been known for its many colorful wind mills, 62 00:04:18,400 --> 00:04:21,560 Speaker 1: and old A and Zidler wanted to pay tribute to 63 00:04:21,640 --> 00:04:26,400 Speaker 1: that past. The veins or arms of the windmill actually 64 00:04:26,440 --> 00:04:30,160 Speaker 1: spun around, but they were powered by electricity, not wind. 65 00:04:30,680 --> 00:04:34,320 Speaker 1: In fact, Lumulan Rouge was the first building in all 66 00:04:34,320 --> 00:04:37,400 Speaker 1: of Paris to use electricity. So if the big red 67 00:04:37,440 --> 00:04:41,000 Speaker 1: building didn't catch your attention, the spinning windmill and wall 68 00:04:41,080 --> 00:04:45,800 Speaker 1: of blazing lightbulbs certainly would. Opening night customers got their 69 00:04:45,839 --> 00:04:49,800 Speaker 1: first glimpse inside the Mulan Rouge at eight pm. They 70 00:04:49,800 --> 00:04:52,800 Speaker 1: were amazed to find that the interior was every bit 71 00:04:52,920 --> 00:04:57,960 Speaker 1: as ornate, bold and glamorous as the windmill outside. Large 72 00:04:58,000 --> 00:05:01,440 Speaker 1: mirrors adorned the walls were fly acting light from extravagant 73 00:05:01,520 --> 00:05:05,440 Speaker 1: chandeliers hung from the ceiling. There was a massive dance floor, 74 00:05:05,600 --> 00:05:08,720 Speaker 1: and behind the building was a pleasure garden complete with 75 00:05:08,800 --> 00:05:12,200 Speaker 1: donkey rides and a huge plaster elephant left over from 76 00:05:12,200 --> 00:05:15,760 Speaker 1: the World's Fair. Inside the elephant's foot, there was a 77 00:05:15,839 --> 00:05:19,080 Speaker 1: small room where a belly dancer would perform a private 78 00:05:19,120 --> 00:05:23,120 Speaker 1: show for diners. The main show began at ten pm, 79 00:05:23,279 --> 00:05:26,080 Speaker 1: when about twenty young dancers took to the stage and 80 00:05:26,200 --> 00:05:30,159 Speaker 1: started doing the can can. That energetic new dance style 81 00:05:30,279 --> 00:05:33,160 Speaker 1: had only recently been invented, and the women who had 82 00:05:33,200 --> 00:05:37,120 Speaker 1: already mastered it were known as can canooses. If you've 83 00:05:37,160 --> 00:05:40,120 Speaker 1: never seen the dance before, it involves a lot of 84 00:05:40,200 --> 00:05:44,400 Speaker 1: high kicking, which generally results in a lot of exposed petticoats. 85 00:05:45,320 --> 00:05:48,520 Speaker 1: The can can eventually became the defining dance of the 86 00:05:48,600 --> 00:05:52,960 Speaker 1: Mulan Rouge, and many celebrated dancers of the era performed 87 00:05:52,960 --> 00:05:58,720 Speaker 1: at their live including Jean Avril and Louise Weibert. Lu 88 00:05:58,800 --> 00:06:02,839 Speaker 1: Mulan Rouge was an immediate success and quickly became a 89 00:06:02,880 --> 00:06:06,320 Speaker 1: popular hangout spot for local artists. One of its most 90 00:06:06,400 --> 00:06:10,440 Speaker 1: frequent patrons was impressionist painter on rid Day to Lose 91 00:06:10,600 --> 00:06:14,560 Speaker 1: Lu Trek. He reportedly spent most evenings at the cabaret 92 00:06:14,760 --> 00:06:17,560 Speaker 1: and went on to produce a series of colorful paintings 93 00:06:17,560 --> 00:06:22,000 Speaker 1: depicting the performers and customers he saw there. These commissioned 94 00:06:22,040 --> 00:06:26,320 Speaker 1: pieces became the club's now famous posters, the originals of 95 00:06:26,320 --> 00:06:31,599 Speaker 1: which still hang at the cabaret today. Despite its initial popularity, 96 00:06:31,760 --> 00:06:36,039 Speaker 1: business wasn't always booming at the Mulan Rouge. By nineteen 97 00:06:36,080 --> 00:06:38,800 Speaker 1: o two, the French public had tired of the can 98 00:06:38,839 --> 00:06:43,080 Speaker 1: Can and others similarly over the top performances. As a result, 99 00:06:43,160 --> 00:06:47,159 Speaker 1: the club was converted into a concert theater devoted to operetta, 100 00:06:47,640 --> 00:06:51,080 Speaker 1: a shorter form of opera that tells lighthearted stories through 101 00:06:51,080 --> 00:06:55,600 Speaker 1: a mix of spoken dialogue, dances, and songs. This toned 102 00:06:55,600 --> 00:06:58,919 Speaker 1: down approach to entertainment lasted until the outbreak of the 103 00:06:59,000 --> 00:07:02,240 Speaker 1: First World War, at which point the original building was 104 00:07:02,320 --> 00:07:06,840 Speaker 1: destroyed in a fire. The Mulan Rouge was rebuilt and 105 00:07:06,920 --> 00:07:10,920 Speaker 1: reopened in nineteen twenty one and resumed cabaret shows. Not 106 00:07:11,040 --> 00:07:14,920 Speaker 1: long after. The German occupation of Paris thrust the Mulan 107 00:07:15,080 --> 00:07:18,640 Speaker 1: Rouge into dark times once again, as its regular guests 108 00:07:18,680 --> 00:07:22,280 Speaker 1: were crowded out by German troops. There was still some 109 00:07:22,400 --> 00:07:24,720 Speaker 1: joy to be had, though, as it was during the 110 00:07:24,800 --> 00:07:29,960 Speaker 1: occupation that French singer Edit piev Rose to prominence. She 111 00:07:30,080 --> 00:07:33,640 Speaker 1: became a breakout star in Paris and actually performed at 112 00:07:33,640 --> 00:07:36,520 Speaker 1: the Mulan Rouge just a few days before the city 113 00:07:36,560 --> 00:07:40,960 Speaker 1: was liberated in nineteen forty four. Once the Second World 114 00:07:40,960 --> 00:07:45,080 Speaker 1: War had ended, the Mulan Rouge began its gradual transition 115 00:07:45,200 --> 00:07:49,040 Speaker 1: into the Mussi tourist attraction that it is today. The 116 00:07:49,120 --> 00:07:52,840 Speaker 1: current venue was inaugurated in nineteen fifty one and for 117 00:07:52,880 --> 00:07:56,040 Speaker 1: the most part, it hasn't changed much since. So if 118 00:07:56,040 --> 00:07:58,520 Speaker 1: you find yourself in Paris and you're a fan of 119 00:07:58,560 --> 00:08:04,440 Speaker 1: glamorous show girls, reflowing champagne, elaborate costumes, or high kicking dances, 120 00:08:04,880 --> 00:08:07,440 Speaker 1: look for the Red Mill and you'll be well on 121 00:08:07,480 --> 00:08:12,640 Speaker 1: your way to all of the above. I'm Gabe Lousier 122 00:08:12,960 --> 00:08:15,920 Speaker 1: and hopefully you now know a little more about history 123 00:08:16,000 --> 00:08:19,680 Speaker 1: today than you did yesterday. If you have a second 124 00:08:19,720 --> 00:08:23,160 Speaker 1: and you're so inclined, you can follow us on Twitter, Facebook, 125 00:08:23,160 --> 00:08:27,480 Speaker 1: and Instagram at t d I HC Show. You can 126 00:08:27,520 --> 00:08:30,480 Speaker 1: also rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts, or 127 00:08:30,520 --> 00:08:32,920 Speaker 1: you can get in touch with me directly by writing 128 00:08:32,920 --> 00:08:36,800 Speaker 1: to this Day at I heart media dot com. Thanks 129 00:08:36,840 --> 00:08:39,880 Speaker 1: as always the Chandler Mays for producing the show, and 130 00:08:39,960 --> 00:08:42,439 Speaker 1: thanks to you for listening. I'll see you back here 131 00:08:42,480 --> 00:08:45,960 Speaker 1: again tomorrow for another day in history class.