Two souvenir program variants for Can-Can

Los Angeles: Twentieth Century-Fox, 1960. Two original souvenir film program variants for the 1960 film "Can-Can." Loosely based on the 1953 musical by Abe Burrows and composed by Cole Porter.

This listing contains both a larger folio and a smaller quarto variant for the film, both very different programs. The larger program is quite uncommon, in stiff, color illustrated wrappers. The quarto is the more commonly found variant of the program.

The time-honored romance film trope, in which Frank Sinatra plays a gun-shy sap unwilling to marry Can-Can dance club owner Shirley MacLaine until she becomes engaged to someone else, that "someone" played here by the intimidating Maurice Chevalier. This time, though, the age-old story is set on the scintillating backdrop of 1890s Can-Can dancing. Nominated for two Academy Awards.

Though the film substantially changes the plot of the original musical, and adds a number of Porter's best-known songs to the film's soundtrack, "Can-Can" was the second-highest grossing film of 1960, having been beaten out only by "Ben-Hur."

Folio contains 28 pages, in illustrated wrappers including a front flap, saddle stapled, 11.5 x 15 inches. Good plus, with two two-inch long closed tears at the head and tail of the spine, with a few small closed tears and light rubbing at the extremities. Still both an attractive and uncommon item.

Quarto contains 16 pages, saddle stapled, 8.5 x 11.25 inches. Very Good plus.

Hirschhorn, p. 370.

[Book #134961]