Fantômas (1913 serial)
1913 film series of five films by Louis Feuillade

Fantômas (pronounced [fɑ̃toˈmas]) is a French silent crime film serial directed by Louis Feuillade, based on the novel of the same name. The five episodes, initially released throughout 1913–14, were restored under the direction of Jacques Champreaux and re-released in 2006. It was inspired by Italian-French director and actor Romeo Bosetti, a colleague with Feuillade, who served as producer.
Series
The series consists of five episodes, each an hour to an hour and a half in length, which end in cliffhangers. Episodes one and three end with Fantômas making a last-minute escape, and the end of the second entry has Fantômas blowing up Lady Beltham's manor house with Juve and Fandor, the two heroes, still inside. The subsequent episodes begin with a recap of the story that has gone before. Each film is further divided into three or more chapters that do not end in cliffhangers.
Fantômas I: À l'ombre de la guillotine ("Fantômas: In the Shadow of the Guillotine") (1913)
"Le Vol du Royal Palace Hotel" ("The Theft at the Royal Palace Hotel")
"La Disparition de Lord Beltham" ("The Disappearance of Lord Beltham")
"Autour de l'échafaud" ("By the Guillotine")
Fantômas II: Juve contre Fantômas ("Juve vs. Fantômas") (1913)
"La Catastrophe du Simplon-Express" ("Disaster on the Simplon Express")
"Au "Crocodile" ("At the Crocodile")
"La Villa hantée" ("The Haunted Villa")
"L'Homme noir" ("The Man in Black")
Fantômas III: Le Mort Qui Tue ("Fantômas: The Dead Man Who Killed") (1913)
"Le Drame de la rue Norvins" ("The Tragedy in Rue Norvins")
"L'Enquête de Fandor" ("Fandor's Investigation")
"Le Collier de la princesse" ("The Princess's Necklace")
"Le Banquier Nanteuil" ("The Banker Nanteuil")
"Elizabeth Dollon"
"Les Gants de peau humaine" ("The Human Skin Gloves")
Fantômas IV: Fantômas contre Fantômas ("Fantômas vs. Fantômas") (1914)
"Fantômas et l'opinion publique" ("Fantômas and Public Opinion")
"Le Mur qui saigne" ("The Wall that Bleeds")
"Fantômas contre Fantômas" ("Fantômas vs.
“Fantômas (1913 serial)” enters the record as 1913 film series of five films by Louis Feuillade. Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what Fantômas, serial and film can confirm, complicate or overturn.
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Object files, edition statements, performance records and contemporary criticism preserve different stages of the work’s history. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 11, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q2026801. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1913, 2006 and 1914.
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