The first showings of this film, in 1928, were silent with a live music score by Joseph Littau, In 1929 it was re-issued in a shortened version with a score by John Reynders recorded on an optical track. This contained music and a few (rather primitive) sound effects (as was normal at the time, before dialogue became normal). For the complete restoration at full length the 1929 soundtrack was edited and sections duplicated to fill up the length while matching the music to the action, a process requiring 120 music edits.
Feature film debut of Ray Milland.
When the movie was premiered in Finland it was advertised the day before, September 30 1928, simply as Moulin Rouge in all the Finnish and Swedish language major newspapers in Finland that ran the ads. By the next weekend, October 7 1928, its advertisement in Hufvudstadsbladet, the largest Swedish language newspaper in Finland, had in brackets after the Moulin Rouge the movies Swedish title (Leve livet!) but also the Finnish language newspaper ads had in brackets after the main title an approximate Finnish translation of the Swedish title (Eläköön elämä!). By the next weekend October 14 1928 all the advertisements had dropped the translations again.
Ellen Pollock's debut.