After the tremendous popular success of theFantômas novels, both of the major Frenchfilm studios — Pathé and Gaumont —vied for the rights to produce films basedon the series. Gaumont won, and fromApril 1913 to May 1914 Louis Feuilladedirected five Fantômas films which criticDavid Thomson has described as "the firstgreat movie experience."After the tremendous popular success of theFantômas novels, both of the major Frenchfilm studios — Pathé and Gaumont —vied for the rights to produce films basedon the series. Gaumont won, and fromApril 1913 to May 1914 Louis Feuilladedirected five Fantômas films which criticDavid Thomson has described as "the firstgreat movie experience."
