''Belphégor'' (English title ''The Mystery of the Louvre'') is a 1927

crime novel Crime fiction, detective story, murder mystery, crime novel, mystery novel, and police novel are terms used to describe narratives or fiction that centre on criminal acts and especially on the investigation, either by an amateur or a profession ...

by French writer Arthur Bernède, about a "phantom" which haunts the

Louvre Museum The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is a national art museum in Paris, France, and one of the most famous museums in the world. It is located on the Rive Droite, Right Bank of the Seine in the city's 1st arrondissement of Paris, 1st arron ...

, in reality a masked villain trying to steal a hidden treasure. It was simultaneously adapted for the silent screen by Bernède as a 220-minute

movie serial A serial film, film serial (or just serial), movie serial, or chapter play, is a motion picture form popular during the first half of the 20th century, consisting of a series of short subjects exhibited in consecutive order at one theater, ge ...

, directed by

Henri Desfontaines Henri Desfontaines (12 November 1876, Paris – 7 January 1931, Paris) was a French film director, actor, and scriptwriter. Filmography As director * 1908 : ''Hamlet'' * 1909 : '' Le Puits et le pendule'' * 1910 : '' Un invité gênant' ...

and starring

René Navarre René Navarre (8 July 1877 – 8 February 1968) was a French actor of the silent era. He appeared in 109 films between 1910 and 1946, and was often credited simply as Navarre. His most famous role was probably the master criminal Fantômas. ...

as Chantecoq, Bernède's fictional detective who captures the phantom with the aid of his daughter Collette, and Elmire Vautier as the villainous Belphégor. The film also featured Lucien Dalsace,

Michèle Verly Michèle Verly (real name Michèle Armande Houillon; 19 July 1909 – 3 March 1952) was a French stage and film actress. She was managing director of the Théâtre Gramont from August 1945 until her untimely death. She died in the 1952 Air Fran ...

(as Colette) and Genica Messirio. Critic Troy Howarth writes that the plot of both the novel and the film was inspired by earlier French serials such as ''Fantomas'' (1913), ''Les Vampires'' (1915) and Fritz Lang's ''Dr. Mabuse, the Gambler'' (1922).

Adaptations

''Belphégor'' inspired several other adaptations, including an eponymous 1965 French television series starring

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 ...

in the title role (but without Chantecoq) and a 1965 daily comic strip sequel to the TV series drawn by Julio Ribéra which appeared in

France-Soir ''France Soir'' () was a French newspaper that prospered in physical format during the 1950s and 1960s, reaching a circulation of 1.5 million in the 1950s. It declined rapidly under various owners and was relaunched as a populist tabloid in 2006 ...

, Additionally, it was also adapted into a 2001

film A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...

starring

Sophie Marceau Sophie Marceau (; born Sophie Danièle Sylvie Maupu, 17 November 1966) is a French actress. As a teenager, she achieved popularity with her debut films ''La Boum'' (1980) and ''La Boum 2'' (1982), receiving a César Award for Most Promising Act ...

which was the first adaptation to actually be filmed inside the Louvre, and a 2001 French-Canadian animated television series which consisted of 26 episodes. The 1967 film '' La Malédiction de Belphégor'' has nothing to do with Bernède's version and was only made to cash in on the 1965 French television series' popularity.

Editions

*1927, J. Tallandier *1929, World Wide Publishing Co., Inc. (English) *2001, Fayard, *2001, Hachette, *2012, Black Coat Press, (adapted into English by

Jean-Marc Lofficier Jean-Marc Lofficier (; born June 22, 1954) is a French author of books about films and television programs, as well as numerous comics and translations of a number of animation screenplays. He usually collaborates with his wife, Randy Lofficier ( ...

Randy Lofficier Jean-Marc Lofficier (; born June 22, 1954) is a French author of books about films and television programs, as well as numerous comics and translations of a number of animation screenplays. He usually collaborates with his wife, Randy Lofficier ( ...

)

References

External links

The French Wold Newton Universe - ''Belphegor''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Belphegor (Novel) 1927 French novels French crime novels Novels set in Paris French novels adapted into films French novels adapted into television shows Novels adapted into comics Novels about museums Novels set in museums