How the film "Fantômas" was filmed: footage from the filming and 14 interesting facts about this trilogy (19 photos)

"Fantômas", filmed by the French, has already become a classic of world cinema and there are few who have not seen it. Most have watched the film more than once. The amazing acting and plotting are what made this film so popular.





1. After the success of the British film Dr. No (1962), which became the first film in the 007 James Bond series, many countries wanted to make a film about their national agent.

So in 1963, French director Andre Hunebel released the film “OSS 177 Raged,” which was about a French secret agent. But the film did not gain wide popularity among viewers.



Then, in order to somehow rehabilitate himself, Yunebel turned to his friend Jean Marais for ideas. And he, not knowing what to answer, advised him to make a film about Fantômas. Books (1911) and films (1913) about this masked villain were famous in France, so Andre Hunebel thought this was a pretty good idea.

The only thing is that Yunebel decided that the film should be more of a comedy than a serious film.





2. Andre Hunebel commissioned his son Jean Alain and his friend Pierre Foucault to write the script for the future film about Fantômas. By the way, they had been working together for a long time, so the director had no doubt that Jean Alain and Pierre Foucault would write something worthy.



The guys started writing the script. As the director asked, they tried to make the film comedic, so there was no trace left of the original book Fantômas.

Even the serious Commissioner Juve became a comedic character, which is why Yunebel invited the famous comedian Louis de Funès to play this role.



3. Initially, it was planned to take Raymond Pellegrin for the role of Fantômas, whom he loved very much as an actor, and who, together with Jean Marais, had already worked with the director in the film “Parisian Secrets”.

But in the end, Pellegrem was not suitable due to his rather thin physique. Therefore, the role of Fantômas was also taken on by Jean Marais, who had already signed on to play the role of the journalist Fandor.



However, Pellegrin did not stand aside. It is his voice that Fantômas speaks in the film. And in fact, his voice sounds much more interesting for this hero than Marais’ voice.

4. The director planned to film much more than three parts, but in the end the fourth part was never filmed. But in the USSR there was a persistent myth about the supposed fourth part of the film. Even my father told me as a child that there is a fourth part of the film called “Fantômas Laughs.” This story appeared due to an error in the Soviet Screen magazine, where it was written in black and white that the French had made four films about Fantômas.



But actress Mylène Demongeau, who played Hélène, said that the fourth part was supposed to be filmed in Moscow. But due to the loss of interest in films about Fantômas and Jean Marais’ refusal to continue filming, it was decided to cancel.



By the way, Mylene Demongeau herself was half from Kharkov. Her mother was a native of Kharkov, Klavdiya Georgievna Trubnikova, who emigrated to France during the Civil War.

5. The relationship between Jean Marais and Louis de Funes on the set was not the best. Jean Marais was infuriated by Louis de Funès's manner of constantly improvising, while he believed that it was necessary to strictly follow the script. And of course he was offended that Commissar Juve eventually became more popular than Fandor.



Also, Jean Marais was very offended by the filmmakers and Louis de Funès because of the advertising of the film, where it was stated that Louis de Funès himself performed all the stunts. In fact, it was Jean Marais who performed most of the stunts, while Louis de Funes personally participated in only a few of them.



6. To applyTo create the Fantômas mask and make-up for Jean Marais required at least 2 hours a day. This was a revelation for me.

But that wasn't the worst thing. It was incredibly hot and cramped wearing this mask. And then one day, during long filming, Marais could no longer endure it.



As Mylène Demongeau, who played Hélène, said, Jean Marais literally lost his temper and began shouting at everyone like crazy. True, the actor later apologized to everyone, as he was very ashamed of the hysterics he had thrown. But of course it can be understood.



6. Jean Marais played not only Fandor and Fantômas. For all three parts of the film, he managed to play a total of 8 characters, namely Fandor, Fantômas, Lord Shelton (1st film), prison guard (1st film), Professor LeFevre (2nd film), Marquis de Rastelli (2nd film), gangster Giuseppe (3rd film) and Walter Brown (3rd film).



7. Despite the fact that the film turned out to be mega-successful, receiving high praise and love from the audience, some critics and directors called the Fantômas trilogy a disgrace of French cinema. Very similar to envy.

8. In the second part of the film, Helen’s brother was played by Olivier de Funes, the son of Louis de Funes. Subsequently, he acted several times with his father, but after 1971 he abandoned further filming, considering that an acting career was not for him.



As a result, he connected his life with the sky, becoming a pilot of passenger aircraft for Air France.



9. The shooting with the parachute at the end of the film "Fantômas Raged" was actually carried out in free fall, which was new at that time.

10. Despite the fact that the action of the film "Fantômas against Scotland Yard" takes place in Scotland, the filming took place in France. Only the very first scene was actually filmed in Scotland.



11. Despite the fact that Louis de Funes performed fewer stunts than Jean Marais, he also took part in some of them. True, one of these tricks ended in a sprain for him. To find the right angle for filming the scene with the suspended Commissioner Juve, the actor had to hang on the lift for a long time, which is why he eventually sprained his shoulder ligaments.

12. In the original, Fantômas did not make his signature devilish laugh.

13. The film “Fantômas” was first shown in the USSR in 1966 during French Cinema Week. Everyone liked this film so much that in 1967 it was decided to purchase the entire trilogy at once. But the French offered another option, namely a barter exchange for the film "Anna Karenina". And the deal took place.



True, Soviet viewers did not understand the director’s message. Andre Hunebel filmed his Fantômas as a kind of parody of James Bond and the original Fantômas of the 1910s. Soviet viewers perceived the film not as a comedy, but as a spy action movie with comedy elements.

By the way, in many ways the film “Fantômas” appeared in the USSR thanks to Jean Marais. In the early 60s, the actor visited the Soviet Union. And he liked it there so much that when he arrived home in France, he only talked about how amazing the country was.



True, it was not without associated problems. Many teenagers (and not only them) were so inspired by the main villain of the film that they began to rob stalls and commit other crimes, putting on nylon stockings and leaving business cards with the inscription “Fatomas” after everything they did.

14. Louis de Funes was simply delighted with the way Vladimir Kinigson voiced his character for the Soviet version.