Louis Feuillade (1873-1925), chief director for Gaumont Studios from
1907 to 1925, he is highly praised among film critics for the “fantastic realism” of his crime serials, such as Fantômas. After his family’s wine business failed, he worked in Paris as a journalist. Asked to write scripts for the Gaumont studio in 1905, by 1907 he was the chief studio director. He was soon one of France’s leading directors during the early silent film era and was producing nearly 80 films a year prior to World War I.The five part series Fantômas [1913-14] is considered by many to be the first great movie experience. With his photographic naturalism, Feuillade predicts a 20th century world to come. In The Murderous Corpse (the third movie in the series), Juve (a detective) and Fandor (a journalist) continue to pursue Fantômas, the arch-criminal. Shortly after a body vanishes from prison, several horrible crimes occur. All appear to be the work of the dead man. Due to life threatening injuries sustained by detective Juve, the reporter Fandor must initially pursue Fantömas alone. Just as Juve and Fandor believe they have successfully captured him, he vanishes.