''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 ''

'' 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 ''

'' 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 *

: Hélène *

: 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