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Fantmas (1946 film)

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Wikipedia article




'Fantmas' is a 1946 French crime film directed by Jean Sacha and starring Marcel Herrand, Simone Signoret and Alexandre Rignault.Hardy p.125-126

The context



The film features the fictional master criminal Fantmas, created in 1911 by Marcel Allain and Pierre Souvestre. The tremendous popular success of the Fantmas novels led to the production of many films based on the series.

A first series of 5 silent films was directed by Louis Feuillade from April 1913 to May 1914. An American version of the brilliant serial was produced in the early 1920s. Shortly after the advent of sound, Paul Fejos directed a feature-length 'Fantmas' film which combined elements from the novels and several of Feuillade's films, together with "modernized" plot twists. Two remakes/updates of the Fantmas films were produced in France shortly after the end of World War II ('Fantmas', 1946, directed by Jean Sacha, and 'Fantomas Against Fantomas', 1949, directed by Robert Vernay). In the mid-1960s three films were made in rapid succession starring Jean Marais (of Cocteau's 'La Belle et la Bte') in the double role of Fantmas and Fandor.

The Plot



Fantmas, once thought dead, has just prevented the marriage of his daughter

Hlne 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 Hlne and Fandor with Arthur, a former villain in whom he has confidence. Meanwhile, Lady Bentham, anxious to prevent Fantmas 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 Grimsays, where Fantmas has settled. Both men, however, manage to escape while Hlne in turn falls into the clutches of the criminal.

Fantmas destroys his secret laboratory before disappearing, then continues to assassinate passersby at random with his death ray. Following Burette, one of Fantmas accomplices, Juve and Fandor locate the new criminal lair in

the catacombs. But after killing Lady Beltham, Fantmas flees once more, taking Hlne hostage. Fandor manages to free the girl while the truck which Fantmas had boarded explodes on a mined bridge.

Fandor and Hlne finally get married but Juve, their witness, doubts the death of

the Prince of Terror.

Cast



* Marcel Herrand : Fantmas

* Simone Signoret : Hlne

* Alexandre Rignault : le commissaire Juve

* Andr Le Gall : Fandor

* Yves Deniaud : Arthur

* Franoise Christophe : la princesse Daniloff

* Georges Gosset : Burette

* Renaud Mary : Germain

* Lucienne Le Marchand : Lady Beltham

* Paul Faivre : le chauffeur

* Pierre Labry : M. Paul

* Robert Moor : Professeur Cauchard

* Denise Kerny : l'adjointe

* Marcel Lestan : Tho

* Paul Amiot : le directeur de la Sret

* Jacques Dynam : le prparateur

* Raymonde La Fontan : la standardiste

* Frdric 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.


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