Fantmas Returns! – The Masters of Cinema Series

Created by crime writers Marcel Allain and Pierre Souvestre, the criminal mastermind Fantmas is best known outside of France as the antagonist of the silent serial that bears his name, directed by early cinematic pioneer Louis Feuillade. Within France, though, he is most famously associated with Andr Hunebelle’s beloved Fantmas trilogy. Released between 1964 and 1967, Hunebelle’s films revived the character with a comedic twist in the era of four-colour comic books, Bondmania and a boom in French popular cinema. In the first film of the trilogy, Fantmas seeks revenge on Jrme Fandor (both played by Jean Marais in dual roles) after the journalist publishes an unflattering article about him. The master of disguise begins by framing Fandor for a series of crimes before moving on to impersonate Juve (Louis de Funs), bumbling commissaire of the Parisian police. In Fantmas Unleashed, the villain kidnaps scientists to work on a new super weapon, leading