Fantômas () is a 1964 French comedy film starring Jean Marais as the archvillain Fantômas opposite Louis de Funès as the earnest but outclassed commissaire Paul Juve. In the film Juve teams up with journalist Fandor, also played by Marais, trying to catch Fantômas but never quite succeeding. It was France's answer, in 1964, to the James Bond phenomenon that swept the world at around the same time. It is the first film of a trilogy, and Fantômas became extremely successful in Europe, the Soviet Union, Japan, and the United States. Mylène Demongeot plays "Hélène Gurn", the girlfriend of "Jérôme Fandor", Fantômas' archenemy. The general tone of the films is more light-hearted than the original Fantômas novels. Commissaire Juve, as played by Louis de Funès, becomes a comedic character, much unlike his literary counterpart.
Plot Fantômas is a man of many disguises. He uses maquillage as a weapon. He can impersonate anyone using an array of masks and can create endless confusion by constantly changing his appearance. In the first episode of the series he is unhappy with Fandor, because of a fictitious interview the journalist wrote about him. He takes his revenge by abducting Fandor and threatening to kill him. He then uses his formidable makeup skills to commit a spectacular crime while disguised like Fandor. When commissaire Juve joins the chase, chameleon-like Fantômas promptly commits a crime wearing a mask looking like Juve. In the end Fandor, Juve and Fandor's girlfriend Hélène are all on the master criminal's trail, all to no avail as the man of a thousand masks finally manages to escape.
Cast Actor CharacterJean MaraisFantômas / FandorLouis de FunèsCommissaire JuveMylène DemongeotHélène Gurn Jacques DynamMichel BertrandMarie-Hélène ArnaudLady Beltham
Release Fantômas was released in France on 4 November 1964 and in the United States on 5 April 1966.
Reception Fantômas was the fifth most popular film at the French box office in 1964 and it had admissions of 4,492,419.
The Fantômas trilogy Title Release dateFantômas 4 November 1964Fantômas se déchaîne 8 December 1965Fantômas contre Scotland Yard 16 March 1967
References
External links
eo:Fantômas#Fantomaso