Having committed murder in Belgium, Fantômas is sentenced to life imprisonment. Juve conceives the idea that if Fantômas is set free, he can follow him back to France and capture him and the remaining members of his gang once and for all.
Having committed murder in Belgium, Fantomas is sentenced to life imprisonment. Two crimes committed in France suggest to inspector Juve that the Fantomas gang is still at work. He conceives the idea that if Fantomas is set free it will be possible to follow him and capture him and the remaining members of the gang. The villain escapes from prison and makes his way to the railroad station and boards a train where he is tracked by private detectives. When the train stops at a country station, Fantomas alights with the intention of making good his escape, but he finds that he is being followed by two detectives, whom he recognizes. He goes back to his carriage, which leads the detectives to think he is quite safe, but he crosses the train and leaves by the opposite door, jumping into the baggage wagon of the train on the opposite rail. Just at that moment the train moves and a magistrate who happens to have nearly missed the train also jumps into the baggage wagon. Fantomas was who hiding, attacks the magistrate, and after a severe struggle in which he is victorious assumes the disguise of the magistrate and takes his clothes and papers. He continues the journey as the magistrate, successfully rescues certain criminals, who are brought before him to be tried, and manages to blackmail several members of society, with whom he is brought in contact. While here he is recognized by Fandor, the young and clever journalist who happens to come into the district and who has suspicions as to the authenticity of the magistrate. He decides to keep watch upon him. His suspicions are well founded and he identifies the magistrate as none other than Fantomas. After much trouble, he is able to get papers committing Fantomas to prison, but Fantomas' suspecting his immediate arrest, issues an order to the head warden, and tells him that it is Detective Juve's intention to be arrested disguised as Fantomas. The warden is not to tell a soul of the detective's intentional disguise, but is to let him remain in prison until 12 o'clock midnight, when the head warden is to personally release him. The police, not suspecting anything of this, feel quite safe when Fantomas is put in the cell and securely barred and locked. His scheme works favorably and once more Fantomas is at large.—Moving Picture World synopsis
Fantômas has been arrested and is jailed in Brussels, but inspector Juve wants him arrested and sentenced for all his crimes in France. Thus Juve settles Fantômas' escape so he can be traced to his gang's, in Saint-Calais - France, where apaches Paulet and Ribonard have just robbed the diamonds of the broke Marquis de Tergall. On his way Fantômas kills justice Pradier and decides to go under this disguise when he finds that Pradier had just been appointed to Saint-Calais' court.—viktor-18 <[email protected]>
Prologue
The Marquis de Tergall convinces his wife, the Marquise, to sell her jewels to pay for some apparent pressing need. Rosa, one of the Marquis and Marquise's maids, overhears this conversation including where the sale is to take place and for how much.
The following Wednesday the Marquis meets with the jeweler, Chambérieux, at the Hôtel Européen in Saint-Calais and completes the deal. Chambérieux pays in cash and the Marquis first must go to the bank to cash the check. While waiting for the Marquis, Chambérieux hides the jewelry box in a locked drawer. However, after the Marquis returns with the cash, the box is nowhere to be found.
On a train traveling away from Saint-Calais, a priestly robe is throwing from the train. The same robe that was worn by two priests staying next door.
Judge Morel begins investigating the missing jewelry box, interrogating both the Marquis and Chambérieux, both blaming the other. The judge moves the dresser and finds a whole cut into the back. The group races to the next room over and find a whole in the wall.
One of the priests returns to the room and is accused of the robbery. However, he provides an alibi showing that he was called away for absolution by a parishioner at the time of the robbery. Two women, who recovered the priestly robes, brings them to the room further showing that the robes were stolen from the priest. He is cleared.
The Marquis returns to his chateau with the 250,000 francs but is ambushed on the way home while riding through a forest.
Back at the Chateau, the Marquise waits for the Marquis' return. A badly wounded Marquis finally returns to the Chateau, revealing both that he has been robbed of the 250,000 and that the jewels were stolen as well.
Rosa is visited by Baby Face and given the 250,000 francs and told to hide it. The two kiss before Baby Face leaves.
Part One: The Prisoner of Louvain
Both Inspector Juve and Jérôme Fandor suspect that Fantômas is behind the jewelry robbery and Fandor writes so in The Capital, the paper he is employed by. Juve receives a police report from Belgium, informing him of Fantômas' incarceration and conviction for murder. He was sentenced to death, but it was lessened to life in prison, and he is being held at the country's prison in Louvain.
Juve, worried that Fantômas will escape and that they will lose his trail, concocts a plan. He will help Fantômas escape, switching places with him at the Louvain. The French police will follow Fantômas from his escape and arrest him as soon as he crosses into France. Fandor will use The Capital to point out that Belgium cannot have Fantômas in captivity if Frances does and France will request Juve be extradited back to France where he will be released from the police.
At the prison in Louvain, Juve signals to Fantômas who is watching from his cell. The next day happens to be a prison inspection day, and it is being oversaw by an Austrian diplomat, Juve in disguise.
The diplomat asks for a few moments to speak with Fantômas alone, which Juve uses to sneak Fantômas a guards uniform he was hiding. Juve leaves the cell but asks to return to retrieve his eyeglasses, this time accompanied by a guard. Juve feigns being unable to find his glasses and asks the guard to turn on the lights, which the guard agrees to and leaves the cell to do.
Juve removes the rest of his disguise giving it to Fantômas, now dressed as a guard. Juve hides under the covers while Fantômas leaves the cell. He is stopped by the assisting guard, but Fantômas tells him the diplomat left and went in the other direction.
Fantômas leaves the cell being tailed by agents Michel and Léon, two officers sent by the Chief of Police.
Part 2: Charles Pradier, Examining Magistrate
While on the train back to France, Fantômas hides in the baggage car and ambushes a traveler who boarded the baggage car after nearly missing the train. Fantômas finds identification on the man, identifying him as Charles Pradier, Investigating Judge. Fantômas steals the identify before tossing his body off the train into a river.
Fantômas, still in disguise as Pradier, leaves the train and is picked up by a chauffeur sent from the Hotel Européen. He is greeted the next day by Judge Morel, who takes him to meet District Attorney Bernandy.
Morel and Bernandy begin presenting the evidence they have for the case, which is mostly just the cassock.
Part Three: The Burglar Judge
Upon hearing of the stolen jewels, Fantômas decides to check out a lair of thieves he knows of. Baby Face and Ribonard, the fake priest from the heist, emerges, but Fantômas easily disarms them.
He arranges a date and a meeting place for the two to hand over the jewels. He also discovers that the 250,000 francs are with Rosa.
The next day the Marquis de Tergall is hosting a hunting party which attracts all the major figures of Paris. The Marquis decides to stay back at the Chateau due to a migraine. Fantômas, as Pradier, also decides to stay back.
Fantômas discovers a letter from the Marquise to a mystery figure professing her love and expressing hope that she'll be free soon. Fantômas sneaks away to the gas meter in the basement of the chateau and begins to fuss with it.
The hunting party returns and the Marquise leaves to check on her husband. She discovers the smell of gas and finds the Marquis dead. She nearly faints but is able to alert the rest of the party.
That night Fantômas, still in disguise, sneaks back into the Chateau and calls for the Marquise, still dazed from the day's events. He reveals the letter to the Marquise who begs him not to tell anyone. Fantômas demands 500,000 francs or he will reveal the letter and frame her for the Marquis' murder.
The next Fantômas meets Ribonard at a church and Ribonard explains that the jewels are in the bell atop the church. Ribonard climbs up into the bell and retrieves the gems, dropping them down to Fantômas, who drops the ladder and flees, stranding Ribonard in the bell.
Fantômas opens the jewelry box to discover it empty.
A few days later, the Marquis de Tergall. funeral takes place in the same church. As the bell begins to ring, pearls and gems begin falling from the sky. The nearly dead body of Ribonard, still in the bell, is shook loose and his pockets empty below.
Fantômas, in his Judge Pradier disguise, collects all the diamonds as evidence.
Part Four: The Extradition from Louvain
Hearing of all the tragic events happening in Saint-Calais, Fandor books a room at the Hotel Européen. While retrieving his coat from a coat rack, Fandor accidentally knocks Pradier's hat off the rack, knocking loose the newspapers he stuffed to make it fit better. Fandor notices "Pradier" retrieve the hat and notice the missing newspapers.
Fandor enquires from the staff who that man was and learns of Pradier's identity and his room number.
Fantômas, disguised as Judge Pradier, receives a letter from the Belgian authorities. They report that Ribonard's final words were "Fantômas! Fantômas!" before dying. The authorities have decided to extradite their prisoner to France. Fantômas is not too worried as this still fits his plan.Baby Face and his protegee, the Student, are brought before Judge Pradier after an arrest for a minor offence. Fantômas reveals his identity to them and orders them to murder Juve as he is brought to the Saint-Calais courthouse.
Fandor sneaks into Judge Pradier's room and discovers that all of the hats have newspaper inserted to make them fit better save one. The one that does not have the newspaper has a label showing it was made in Louvain, the same town whose prison Fantômas, and now Juve, was at. Fandor calls in agents Léon and Michel to Saint-Calais.
Fantômas, as Pradier, meets with the Marquise. She gives him a letter from her banker informing her that he cannot provide the 500,000 francs she requested until the following morning. He scolds the Marquise who then leaves.
Fantômas next meets with Rosa. He orders the guard to search her, but she reveals the 250,000 francs and hands it over to Fantômas. She is taken away by the guard.
Fandor sees Baby Face and the Student, known members of Fantômas' gang, leave the Hotel and decides to follow them. The two ruffians notice him and double back beginning to tail him.
Recognizing this, Fandor writes a fake letter, stating a new time of arrival for the prisoner from Belgium. Baby Face and the Student see this letter and go to the train station at the stated time.
Seeing a man in a hood being led away by the police they attack but it is Fandor, Michel, and Leon who easily overpower Baby Face and the Student.
The two are brought before Fantômas, as Pradier, who scolds them and orders them to be locked up.
Michel, Léon, and Fandor get District Attorney Bernandy to sign an order for them.
The next day the Marquise arrives at Pradier's office and delivers the 500,000 francs. He walks her out of the office but notices Juve arriving with the guards. Fantômas packs up his stuff and prepares to leave but is stopped by Leon and Michel who reveal Bernandy order to seal all doors of the Saint-Calais courthouse.
Juve is brought to the District Attorney who quickly recognizes him as Juve and orders his release. Fandor tells Juve and Bernandy that he believes Fantômas is next door.
Back in the courthouse, Fantômas summons the warden of the prison up to his office and gives him orders under the threat of firing.Fantômas removes his Judge Pradier disguise just as Juve, Fandor, Bernandy, Michel, and Leon barge in and arrest him.
The next day Juve summons Fantômas to District Attorney Bernardy's office. Instead, the prison warden arrives and gives them the order that Pradier wrote the night before. In it, Pradier orders the prison warden to release the prisoner named Fantômas secretly, as it is really Juve in disguise.
