''Fantômas'' is a 1932

French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...

crime In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a State (polity), state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition,Farmer, Lindsay: "Crime, definiti ...

horror film Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit physical or psychological fear in its viewers. Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with Transgressive art, transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements of the genre include Mo ...

directed by

Pál Fejös Pál Fejős (24 January 1897 – 23 April 1963), known professionally as Paul Fejos, was a Hungarian-American film director, director of feature films and documentaries who worked in a number of countries including the United States. He also st ...

and starring

Jean Galland Jean Galland (28 May 1887 – 18 July 1967) was a French film actor. Selected filmography * ''Paris by Night'' (1930) * ''Fantômas'' (1932) * '' The Oil Sharks'' (1933) * ''The Barber of Seville'' (1933) * '' The Scandal'' (1934) * '' Cease Firi ...

Tania Fédor Tania Fédor (3 November 1905 – 1 December 1985) was a French actress who played a number of leading roles during the 1930s and early 1940s in films such as ''Fantômas'' (1932).Hardy p.125 She later settled in Canada where she worked on Fren ...

and

Thomy Bourdelle Thomy Charles Bourdelle (20 April 1891 – 27 June 1972) was a French actor. Bourdelle was born in Paris and died in Toulon, Var, France. Selected filmography *'' Roger la Honte'' (1922) * '' The Red Inn'' (1923) * '' Surcouf'' (1925) * '' ...

. It features the popular pulp character

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 ...

, a supercriminal, and his nemesis Inspector Juve. It was loosely based on the original ''

'' novel by

Marcel Allain Marcel Allain (; 15 September 1885 – 25 August 1969) was a French writer mostly remembered today for his co-creation with Pierre Souvestre of the fictional arch-villain and master criminal Fantômas. Career The son of a bourgeois family, ...

and

Pierre Souvestre Pierre Souvestre (; 1 June 1874 – 26 February 1914) was a French lawyer, journalist, writer and organizer of motor races. He is mostly remembered today for his co-creation with Marcel Allain of the fictional arch-villain and master criminal F ...

. The film was one of a number of Fantômas adaptations made during the 20th century.Hardy p.125

Cast

/ Étienne Rambert *

as Lady Beltham *

as Inspector Juve *

Jean Worms Jean Worms (1884–1943) was a French film actor who appeared in a mixture of leading and supporting roles. Worms played Tsar Nicholas II of Russia in the 1938 film ''Rasputin''.Kennedy-Karpat p.204 Partial filmography * ''L'auberge rouge'' (191 ...

as Lord Beltham * Georges Rigaud as Charles Rambert *

Anielka Elter Anielka Elter (1901-1958 in Kent, England) was a Czechoslovak motion picture actress who made films in Berlin, Germany and Hollywood. Career Elter was a film star in Berlin before arriving in America from Poland. She had her first success in Ame ...

as la princesse Sonia Davidoff * Marie-Laure as la marquise de Langrune *

Gaston Modot Gaston Modot (31 December 1887 – 20 February 1970) was a French actor. For more than 50 years he performed for the cinema working with a number of great French directors. Biography Modot lived in Montmartre at the beginning of the 20th cen ...

as Firmin, le valet de la marquise *

Roger Karl Roger Karl (29 April 1882 – 4 May 1984) was a French actor. Karl was born Roger Trouvé in Bourges. Biography A friend of Paul Léautaud he long hesitated between literary career, painting and theater. He first published his Journal under th ...

as Bonnet, le président de tribunal *

Maurice Schutz Maurice Schutz (4 August 1866 – 22 March 1955) was a French film actor. He starred in some 91 films between 1918 and 1952. Selected filmography * '' Quatre-vingt-treize'' (1920) * ''Au-delà des lois humaines'' (1920) * '' The Three Masks'' ...

as l'abbé Sicot *

Philippe Richard Philippe Richard (24 June 1891 – 24 December 1973) was a French film and theater actor. Richard was born in Saint-Étienne and began his film career in the early 1920s in silent film. In 1948 he starred in the film '' The Lame Devil'' under Sa ...

as Michel, l'adjoint de Juve * Georges Mauloy as le professeur Gabriel *

Paul Azaïs Paul François Robert Azaïs (6 May 1902 – 17 November 1974) was a French film actor. He appeared in more than 110 films between 1929 and 1966. Selected filmography * '' The Three Masks'' (1929) - Le fils Vescotelli * ''Le défenseur'' ( ...

as le mécano

References

Bibliography

* Hardy, Phil (ed.) ''The BFI Companion to Crime''. University of California Press, 1997.

External links

* 1932 films 1932 crime films 1932 horror films French crime films French horror films 1930s French-language films Films directed by Paul Fejos Fantômas films Remakes of French films Sound film remakes of silent films French black-and-white films 1930s French films {{1930s-France-film-stub