6 /10 1 Votes
Originally published 1927 Genre Horror | 3/5 Goodreads | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Adaptations Belphegor, Phantom of the Louvre (2001) Similar Dictionnaire Infernal, The Return of Judex, Belphegor - the Phantom | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Belphégor (English title The Mystery of the Louvre) is a 1927 crime novel by French writer Arthur Bernède, about a "phantom" which haunts the Louvre Museum, in reality a masked villain trying to steal a hidden treasure. It was simultaneously adapted as a movie serial starring René Navarre as Chantecoq, Bernède's fictional detective, and Elmire Vautier as the villainous Belphégor.
Belphégor inspired several other adaptations, including an eponymous 1965 French television series starring Juliette Greco in the title role (but without Chantecoq), a 1965 daily comic strip sequel to the TV series, a 2001 film starring Sophie Marceau, and a 2001 French-Canadian animated television series.
The 1966 film La Malédiction de Belphégor has nothing to do with Bernède's version and was made to cash in on the 1965 television series' popularity.