Firstly it must be reminded to our dear readers that the Hunebelle franchise is not the adaptation of Allain's installments; as the credits put it, the script is inspired by the original Allain novels. Moreover, the Hunebelle movies update it, and give it a funny twist. (FANTOMAS was indeed twice adapted—once as a silent serial, then as a TV series.) I find Hunebelle's movie about Fantômas interesting—basically, first because I like Marais; then, because I like some of Funès' performances; thirdly, because I'm interested in Hunebelle's movies; then, because I enjoy the '60s screwy gadget fictions. (I am a Fantômas aficionado, true, but this is no reason to enjoy Hunebelle's interpolations and addenda.) Hunebelle's FANTOMAS has the air of a blockbuster, as it was intended; the trio of characters is handled by two actors, Marais taking over both Fantomas and Fandor while Funès does both Juve and Fantomas disguised. This first installment features the jewels adventure (--Fantomas' first robbery disguised as poor Fandor-but I guess that Juve and Fandor aren't called like that in this updated version …--save for Juve who I think is called once 'Juve' by Fantomas, when preparing to impersonate him for the theater attack); then the Juve impersonation—used in front of the theater and at the casino.

There's Marais –firstly, before switching to the mastermind, in a less physical role than he deserved (Fandor is the brand of witness—roles, a la Watson or Hastings, not advantageous for a lead), but then he becomes the villain and his agility is needed; a fair blonde, Mylène Demongeot, whose nice tits are quite visible by the '60s see—through; and Funès, whose routine is acceptable and sometimes delightful.

The once famous Hunebelle adapted not a few of the French popular novels or at least he took his cues from them; he mostly had Marais for the leading part in these many adaptations—and here we find out what was the chief note achieved by …--he exploited Marais' strikingly creepy look, he used the fact that Marais could look eerily. This way he adapted FANTOMAS (i.e., he filmed a script inspired by the original books …), Sue, Zévaco, Dumas, Féval.

Hunebelle adapts Sue by giving him a suited eerie look; bizarrely, he softens a surrealist masterpiece like FANTOMAS and makes it less creepy than it ought to. On the other hand, the '60s were, in the Anglo—American culture, the age of a surrealist eeriness, updated as spy flicks, etc..

Hunebelle was quite sloppy, and for a comedy this first FANTOMAS obviously lacks the required briskness, charm and lightness; at Hunebelle you see the intention of a comedy, but not its very elements—look at the police inspector's role, the 'once Jouve'—Funès manages to pull in an element or two of comedy, but they are beyond the script, and beside the script.

The music is glorious; Mylène Demongeot, extremely hot, the action, decent, Marais—in his best shape, the cast—likable. FANTOMAS as filmed by Hunebelle is nice action fare. It is a try to do American action fare, by a director who was not one of the fittest for the job.

If you like, you may read my comments about other Marais movies (JOSEPH BALSAMO, TRAIN D'ENFER and TYPHON SUR Nagasaki), or about the straight adaptation of FANTOMAS.

One must travel back to the 19-Sixties to appreciate 'Fantomas' to the full.

In those days English James Bond was taking off with his second or third film, creating a hype that is exceptional in film-history right up to this day. According to the customs back then, the French came up with 'Fantomas', providing a counter-weight that made considerable impact. However, in the long run James Bond has lived on while Fantomas is by now clear history.

Watching this film for the first time since 1965 or so, one must conclude that 'Fantomas' makes a comedy, as well as a clever persiflage of the contemporary James Bond (performed by Sean Connery). Shot with the techniques available back then, catching well-acted roles by prominent French actors and actresses of those years.

For those who were not around in 1965, I fear that 'Fantomas' has not much to offer. Knowledge about the mid-Sixties is necessary to understand this film to the full.