Fantômas was a character created in 1911 by authors Marcel Allain (1885-1969) and Pierre Souvestre (1874-1914). His stories appear in more than 30 publications co-authored by both, and in 11 further publications written solely by Allain after Souvestre's death. Fantômas has been translated into more than twenty languages.

The series was based on stories from the first five books published.

René Navarre plays the iconic Fantômas, a demonic and relentless "criminal genius" who acts with his face partially covered. His lover and accomplice, Lady Beltham, is played by Renée Carl. The main characters of the plot also include Inspector Juve (Edmund Bréon) and journalist Jérôme Fandor (Georges Melchior).

The success was such that René Navarre received hundreds of letters every day and caused actual riots when he appeared on the Parisian boulevards. According to some research sources, the series only came to an end due to the interruption caused by World War I.

Although the stories changed from episode to episode, there was always a common thread, including secondary characters who appeared across different chapters.

The series popularized Fantômas in cinema, attracting weekly crowds with its fast-paced and unpredictable plot, and established Louis Feuillade as a master of the genre. Modern critics and researchers give him significant credit for knowing perfectly how to use outdoor locations effectively. The director would also find success in two other series: Les Vampires and Judex. Some historians and critics consider these three works a crime trilogy, due to stylistic similarities between them.

Virtually the entire main cast of Fantômas consists of big names in French cinema, notably René Navarre (1877-1968), Edmund Breon (1882-1953), Georges Melchior (1889-1944), and André Luguet (1892-1979).

Other adaptations of the Fantômas myth were produced later in films and series:

• Fantômas (1920, Edward Sedgwick), with 20 episodes of approximately 20 minutes;
• Fantômas (1947, Jean Sacha);
• Fantômas contre Fantômas (1949, Robert Vernay);
• Fantômas (André Hunebelle, 1964);
• Fantômas se Déchaine (1965, André Hunebelle);
• Fantômas contre Scotland Yard (1967, André Hunebelle);
• Fantômas (1980, Claude Chabrol)

TECHNICAL SHEET
In Brazil: Fantomas
Genre: Suspense/Thriller
No. of Episodes: 5
Production Company: Gaumont
First Exhibition: April 1913 (France); June 5, 1913 (Brazil)
Color and Sound: Black and white; Silent (French intertitles)
Cast: René Navarre, Georges Melchior, Edmund Bréon, Renée Carl, Jane Faber, Naudier, André Volbert, André Luguet...
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