''Fantômas'' is a 1946
French crime film
Crime film is a film belonging to the crime fiction genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and fiction. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and combine with many other genres, such as Drama (film and television), dr ...
directed by
Jean Sacha and starring
Marcel Herrand,
Simone Signoret
Simone Signoret (; born Simone Henriette Charlotte Kaminker; 25 March 1921 – 30 September 1985) was a French actress. She received various accolades, including an Academy Award, three BAFTA Awards, a César Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and ...
and
Alexandre Rignault
Alexandre Rignault (14 February 1901 – 2 April 1985) was a French actor. He appeared in more than a hundred films between 1931 and 1985.
Biography
He was born on February 14, 1901 in Paris 5th, at his parents' home, rue Guy-de-La-Brosse. H ...
.
The context
The film features the fictional master criminal
Fantômas
Fantômas () is a fictional character created by French writers Marcel Allain (1885–1969) and Pierre Souvestre (1874–1914).
One of the most popular characters in the history of French crime fiction, Fantômas was created in 1911 and appeared ...
, created in 1911 by
Marcel Allain and
Pierre Souvestre. The tremendous popular success of the ''
Fantômas
Fantômas () is a fictional character created by French writers Marcel Allain (1885–1969) and Pierre Souvestre (1874–1914).
One of the most popular characters in the history of French crime fiction, Fantômas was created in 1911 and appeared ...
'' novels led to the production of many films based on the series.
A first series of 5 silent films was directed by
Louis Feuillade
Louis Feuillade (; 19 February 1873 – 25 February 1925) was a French filmmaker of the silent film, silent era. Between 1906 and 1924, he directed over 630 films. He is primarily known for the crime serial film, serials ''Fantômas (1913 ser ...
from April 1913 to May 1914. An American version of the serial was produced in the early 1920s. Shortly after the advent of sound,
Paul Fejos directed a feature-length ''
Fantômas
Fantômas () is a fictional character created by French writers Marcel Allain (1885–1969) and Pierre Souvestre (1874–1914).
One of the most popular characters in the history of French crime fiction, Fantômas was created in 1911 and appeared ...
'' film which combined elements from the novels and several of Feuillade's films, together with "modernized" plot twists. Two remakes/updates of the ''Fantômas'' films were produced in France shortly after the end of World War II (''Fantômas'', 1946, directed by Jean Sacha, and ''
Fantomas Against Fantomas'', 1949, directed by
Robert Vernay
Robert Vernay (May 30, 1907 in Paris – October 17, 1979 in Paris) was a French director and screenwriter.
Career
In 1937, Vernay worked as assistant director to Julien Duvivier on ''Pépé le Moko''.
In 1944, Vernay directed an adaptation of ...
). In the mid-1960s three films were made in rapid succession starring
Jean Marais
Jean-Alfred Villain-Marais (11 December 1913 – 8 November 1998), known professionally as Jean Marais (), was a French actor, film director, theatre director, painter, sculptor, visual artist, writer and photographer. He performed in over 100 f ...
(of Cocteau's ''La Belle et la Bête'') in the double role of Fantômas and Fandor.
Plot
Fantômas, once thought dead, has just prevented the marriage of his daughter Hélène with the journalist Fandor, killing the mayor who was to unite them. Then he poses an ultimatum to the Minister of the Interior: he demands a billion in gold, else a million Parisians will die. Inspector Juve decides to hide Hélène and Fandor with Arthur, a former villain in whom he has confidence. Meanwhile, Lady Bentham, anxious to prevent Fantômas from committing new crimes, telephones to Juve the whereabouts of the criminal. Fandor, overhearing the conversation, follows Juve to the hideout, but is trapped by the villain. Juve soon finds him while investigating at Lord Grimsay’s, where Fantômas has settled. Both men, however, manage to escape while Hélène in turn falls into the clutches of the criminal.
Fantômas destroys his secret laboratory before disappearing, then continues to assassinate passersby at random with his death ray. Following Burette, one of Fantômas' accomplices, Juve and Fandor locate the new criminal lair in the catacombs, but after killing Lady Beltham, Fantômas flees once more, taking Hélène hostage. Fandor manages to free the girl while the truck which Fantômas had boarded explodes on a mined bridge.
Fandor and Hélène finally get married but Juve, their witness, doubts the death of
the Prince of Terror.
Cast
*
Marcel Herrand: Fantômas
*
Simone Signoret
Simone Signoret (; born Simone Henriette Charlotte Kaminker; 25 March 1921 – 30 September 1985) was a French actress. She received various accolades, including an Academy Award, three BAFTA Awards, a César Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and ...
: Hélène
*
Alexandre Rignault
Alexandre Rignault (14 February 1901 – 2 April 1985) was a French actor. He appeared in more than a hundred films between 1931 and 1985.
Biography
He was born on February 14, 1901 in Paris 5th, at his parents' home, rue Guy-de-La-Brosse. H ...
: le commissaire Juve
*
André Le Gall: Fandor
*
Yves Deniaud: Arthur
*
Françoise Christophe
Françoise Christophe (1923–2012) was a French film and television actress.Goble p.201
Partial filmography
* '' Premier rendez-vous'' (1941) - Une pensionnaire de l'orphelinat (uncredited)
* ''Love Marriage'' (1942) - La secrétaire
* ''Fant� ...
: la princesse Daniloff
* Georges Gosset: Burette
*
Renaud Mary
Renaud Mary (31 July 1918 – 5 May 1977) was a French stage and film actor
An actor (masculine/gender-neutral), or actress (feminine), is a person who portrays a character in a production. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional ...
: Germain
*
Lucienne Le Marchand: Lady Beltham
*
Paul Faivre
Paul Faivre (3 March 1886 – 5 March 1973) was a French actor.
Selected filmography
* '' The House Opposite'' (1937)
* '' The Lady from Vittel'' (1937)
* ''Cinderella'' (1937)
* '' Behind the Facade'' (1939)
* '' Vidocq'' (1939)
* ''Moulin ...
: le chauffeur
*
Pierre Labry: M. Paul
*
Robert Moor: Professeur Cauchard
* Denise Kerny: l'adjointe
* Marcel Lestan: Théo
*
Paul Amiot
Paul Amiot (29 March 1886 – 26 January 1979) was a French film actor. His career spanned some 63 years and he appeared in nearly 100 films between 1910 and 1973.
In 1920 he appeared in Robert Péguy's ''Être aimé pour soi-même''. He was ...
: le directeur de la Sûreté
*
Jacques Dynam
Jacques Dynam (30 December 1923 – 11 November 2004) was a French film actor. He appeared in more than 150 films between 1942 and 2004, among which the ''Fantomas'' saga.
Selected filmography
* ''La symphonie fantastique'' (1942) - (uncre ...
: le préparateur
* Raymonde La Fontan: la standardiste
*
Frédéric Mariotti: un ouvrier
References
Bibliography
* Hardy, Phil (ed.). ''The BFI Companion to Crime''. Continuum, 1997.
* Hayward, Susan. ''Simone Signoret: The Star as Cultural Sign''. Continuum, 2004.
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fantomas (1946 film)
1946 films
French crime films
1940s French-language films
Fantômas films
Remakes of French films
Sound film remakes of silent films
1946 crime films
French black-and-white films
1940s French films
Films scored by Jean Marion