''Judex'' is the title of a 1916 silent

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

film serial concerning the adventures of Judex, who is a pulp hero, similar to

The Shadow The Shadow is a fictional character created by magazine publishers Street & Smith and writer Walter B. Gibson. Originally created to be a mysterious radio show narrator, and developed into a distinct literary character in 1931 by writer Walter ...

, created by

Louis Feuillade Louis Feuillade (; 19 February 1873 – 25 February 1925) was a French filmmaker of the silent era. Between 1906 and 1924, he directed over 630 films. He is primarily known for the crime serials '' Fantômas'', '' Les Vampires'' and '' Judex ...

and Arthur Bernède.

Plot

The story is complex and is told in 12 chapters. The basic plot involves a corrupt banker named Favraux, who is the target of Judex's revenge. It is eventually revealed that Judex's real identity is Jacques de Trémeuse, a man trying to avenge his family ruined by Favraux. Complicating matters is Favraux's beautiful and innocent daughter Jacqueline, with whom the avenger has fallen in love. A final element comes in the form of Diana Monti and her criminal gang who are working at cross purposes with Judex.

Cast

* René Cresté - Jacques de Tremeuse a.k.a. Judex * Musidora - Diana Monti aka Marie Verdier * René Poyen - Le môme Réglisse *

Édouard Mathé Édouard Mathé (1886–1934) was a French silent film actor. He starred in some 51 films between 1914 and 1924. Mathe appeared ''Barabbas'' in 1920. He regularly appeared in films directed by Louis Feuillade, such as the 1915 ''Les Vampires'' ...

- Roger de Tremeuse *

Gaston Michel Gaston Michel (1856 – November 1921) was a French silent film actor. He starred in some 40 films between 1913 and his death in 1921. He died in November 1921, in Lisbon, Portugal. Selected filmography * ''Les Vampires'' (1915) * ''Judex'' ...

- Pierre Kerjean * Yvonne Dario - Comtesse de Tremeuse *

Yvette Andréyor Yvette Andréyor (born Yvette Louise Pauline Royé, 6 August 1891 – 30 October 1962) was a French actress most popular in the era of silent film. She appeared in more than 100 films between 1910 and 1962. Biography Yvette Louise Pauline R ...

- Jacqueline Aubry * Juliette Clarens - Gisèle * Jean Devalde - Robert Moralés * Georges Flateau - Vicomte de la Rochefontaine * Louis Leubas - Le banquier Favraux *

Marcel Lévesque Marcel Lévesque (6 December 1877 – 16 February 1962) was a French film actor. Born Joseph Marcel Lévesque in Paris, he died in Couilly-Pont-aux-Dames. Selected filmography * ''Les Vampires'' (1915) * ''Judex'' (1916) * '' La dama de Chez M ...

- Cocantin *

Olinda Mano Olinda () is a historic city in Pernambuco, Brazil, in the Northeast Region. It is located on the country's northeastern Atlantic Ocean coast, in the Metropolitan Region of Recife, the state capital. It has a population of 393,115 people, covers ...

- Le petit Jean

Production

Development

Feuillade had made two earlier serials, '' Fantômas'' and '' Les Vampires'', about cunning criminals. Though popular with audiences, the serials both drew criticism for glorifying outlaws. Feuillade answered these concerns by creating the hero Judex, who had the sinister trappings of the flamboyant villains so popular at the time. Judex anticipated later pulp heroes and

superhero A superhero or superheroine is a stock character that typically possesses ''superpowers'', abilities beyond those of ordinary people, and fits the role of the hero, typically using his or her powers to help the world become a better place, ...

es in many respects; he was a masterful fighter, an expert at disguise, and boasted a secret headquarters in the subterranean passages beneath a ruined

castle A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified r ...

- which was lavishly outfitted with high-tech

gadget A gadget is a mechanical device or any ingenious article. Gadgets are sometimes referred to as ''gizmos''. History The etymology of the word is disputed. The word first appears as reference to an 18th-century tool in glassmaking that was develop ...

s. His secret identity - Judex (Latin for ''judge'') - was the ''nom-de-guerre'' he adopted in his quest for revenge. While ''Judex'' was derivative of '' Fantômas'' and '' Les Vampires'', its story, with the hero's quest for revenge, bore many similarities with ''

The Count of Monte Cristo ''The Count of Monte Cristo'' (french: Le Comte de Monte-Cristo) is an adventure novel written by French author Alexandre Dumas (''père'') completed in 1844. It is one of the author's more popular works, along with ''The Three Musketeers''. L ...

''.

Casting

Judex was played by French matinee idol René Cresté and Diana was played by Musidora, who had previously played the villainess Irma Vep in ''Les Vampires''.

Episodes

These are the episode titles in French (with English translation) * 00 - Prologue * 01 - L'ombre mystérieuse (The Mysterious Shadow) * 02 - L'expiation (Atonement) * 03 - La meute fantastique (The Fantastic Hounds) * 04 - Le secret de la tombe (The Secret of the Tomb) * 05 - Le moulin tragique (The Tragic Mill) * 06 - Le môme réglisse (The Licorice Kid) * 07 - La femme en noir (The Woman in Black) * 08 - Les souterrains du Château-Rouge (The Dungeons of the Chateau Rouge) * 09 - Lorsque l'enfant parut (When the Child Appears) * 10 - Le coeur de Jacqueline (The Heart of Jacqueline) * 11 - L'Ondine (The Water Sprite) * 12 - Le pardon d'amour (The Forgiveness of Love) * xx - Epilogue - 5 min. 24 sec. The twelve numbered episodes average 25 minutes in length each.

Release

Though ''Judex'' was made in 1914, the outbreak of

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

delayed its release. It was finally premiered in December 1916, and subsequently in wider release in 1916-1918. A sequel serial was released in 1918 titled ''Judex's New Mission'' (''La Nouvelle Mission de Judex'').

References

External links

* *
Judex at Cool French Comics
{{Authority control Film serials 1916 films French black-and-white films Films directed by Louis Feuillade French silent films 1916 adventure films French adventure films Silent adventure films