''Belphegor, or the Phantom of the Louvre'' is a 1965 French television miniseries directed by

Claude Barma Claude Barma (3 November 1918, in Nice – 30 August 1992, in Paris), was a French director and screenwriter, and an early creator of French television programmes. Biography After studying electrical engineering, he entered television in 1946 with ...

, based on the 1927 novel by

Arthur Bernède Arthur Bernède (5 January 1871 – 20 March 1937) was a French writer, poet, opera librettist, and playwright. Bernède was born in Redon, Ille-et-Vilaine department, in Brittany. In 1919, Bernède joined forces with actor René Navarre, who ...

. It consists of four 70 minutes episodes.

Plot

A mysterious phantom appears in the

Musée du Louvre The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is the world's most-visited museum, and an historic landmark in Paris, France. It is the home of some of the best-known works of art, including the ''Mona Lisa'' and the ''Venus de Milo''. A central l ...

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

at night. The guards are unable to catch it. A student, André Bellegarde obstinately tries to find out more about the strange creature by himself. He seems to be more effective in doing so than the local police led by commissaire Menardier. Bellegarde does cooperate with the police, too, but he mostly goes his own way investigating Belphégor's activity. A secret society is in the background. Bellegarde, in the meantime, is involved in two romances and cannot decide which woman to dedicate himself as the case gets more and more serious and criminal and threads meet.

Cast

Juliette Gréco Juliette Gréco (; 7 February 1927 – 23 September 2020) was a French singer and actress. Her best known songs are "Paris Canaille" (1962, originally sung by Léo Ferré), "La Javanaise" (1963, written by Serge Gainsbourg for Gréco) and "Désh ...

as Laurence / Stéphanie Hiquet *

Isaac Alvarez Isaac Alvarez (26 July 1930 – 3 November 2020) was a French actor, mime, and choreographer. He founded the École du théâtre du mouvement in Paris in 1956 alongside Jacques Lecoq. In 1981, he founded the Théâtre du Moulinage in Lussas. Bio ...

as Belphégor *

Yves Rénier Yves Rénier (29 September 1942 – 24 April 2021)
w ...

as André Bellegarde * Christine Delaroche as Colette Ménardier *

René Dary René Dary (19 July 1905 – 6 October 1974) was a French film actor.Witt & Temple p.150 Dary began his career as a child actor. Selected filmography * '' The Lie of Nina Petrovna'' (1937) * '' S.O.S. Sahara'' (1938) * '' The Fugitive'' (1947) * ...

as Commissaire Ménardier *

François Chaumette François Chaumette (1923–1996) was a French actor. Filmography External linksFrançois Chaumette
at IMDB. 1923 births 1996 deaths French male voice actors Sociétaires of the Comédie-Française French National Academy of Dramatic ...

as Boris Williams * Sylvie as Lady Hodwin *

Paul Crauchet Paul Crauchet (14 July 1920 – 19 December 2012) was a French actor. Biography As a young man interested in aviation and rugby, Paul Crauchet discovered a passion for the theatre at the age of 23. He settled in Paris in 1945, he studied un ...

as Le gardien Gautrais *

Marguerite Muni Muni (born Marguerite Muni; 23 June 1929 – 22 August 1999) was a French actress who is best known for her appearances in the late French films of the movie director Luis Buñuel. Though she is most often recognized by her last name, gene ...

as Louise Gautrais * René Alone as Doublet * Yves Bureau as Ménard * Jacky Calatayud as L'enfant

Legacy

Danish filmmaker

Lars von Trier Lars von Trier (''né'' Trier; 30 April 1956) is a Danish filmmaker, actor, and lyricist. Having garnered a reputation as a highly ambitious, polarizing filmmaker, he has been the subject of several controversies: Cannes, in addition to nominat ...

has credited ''Belphegor'' and

David Lynch David Keith Lynch (born January 20, 1946) is an American filmmaker, visual artist and actor. A recipient of an Academy Honorary Award in 2019, Lynch has received three Academy Award nominations for Best Director, and the César Award for Be ...

's television series ''

Twin Peaks ''Twin Peaks'' is an American Mystery fiction, mystery serial drama television series created by Mark Frost and David Lynch. It premiered on American Broadcasting Company, ABC on April 8, 1990, and originally ran for two seasons until its cance ...

'' as inspirations for his miniseries '' The Kingdom''.

References

External links

* 1960s French television miniseries 1965 French television series debuts 1965 French television series endings French crime television series Office de Radiodiffusion Télévision Française original programming Films directed by Claude Barma {{France-tv-prog-stub