BELPHÉGOR: THE MYSTERY OF THE LOUVRE (1927) [English subtitles]. Tinted

BELPHÉGOR: THE MYSTERY OF THE LOUVRE is a 1927 French serial film based upon the novel of the same year written by Arthur Bernède. It was directed by Henri Desfontaines.

PLOT:
A ghost haunts the famous Louvre museum. One night, he knocks out an attendant near the statue of Belphégor. A journalist, Bellegarde, investigates. When his investigation runs into difficulties, he is helped by Detective Chantecoq, who succeeds in unmasking Belphégor, and is stunned to discover who it is
"Belphegor" was first a silent movie, then sensational miniseries in the sixties ,and was remade in a "modern way" a few years back.

"Belphegor" seemed to come too late in 1927. The serial boom long over (Feuillade's works such as "Les Vampires" "Judex" or "Fantomas" were made in the previous decade),it was already an anomaly at a time when the silent age was about to come to an end .Today,it is often overlooked when they speak of French silent era (obviously,the 1965 miniseries buried it).

"Belphegor" has moments of brilliance:the scenes in the Louvres ,where the phantom appears in the middle of the night ,in search of something in the dark corridors;the flashbacks which take us to the reign of Henri the Third and his notorious mom,Catherine de Medicis -after all, the Louvres was their home.

CAST:
René Navarre René Navarre ... Chantecoq
Elmire Vautier Elmire Vautier ... Simone Desroches / Mme Mauroy (as Élmire Vautier)
Lucien Dalsace Lucien Dalsace ... Jacques Bellegarde
Michèle Verly Michèle Verly ... Colette Barjac (as Michelle Verly)
Genica Missirio Genica Missirio ... Maurice de Thouars
Jeanne Brindeau Jeanne Brindeau ... Elsa Bergen
Alice Tissot Alice Tissot ... Baronne Papillon
Albert Mayer Albert Mayer ... Un bossu
Anna Lefeuvrier Anna Lefeuvrier ... Marie-Jeanne, la femme de Gautrais
Georges Paulais Georges Paulais ... Inspecteur Ménardier
Camille Bert Camille Bert
Cesar-Tullio Terrore Cesar-Tullio Terrore ... L'homme à la salopette (as César-Tullio Terrore)
Simone Montalet Simone Montalet ... la femme de chambre de S. Desroches
André Volbert André Volbert ... Ferval, directeur de la Police Judiciaire
Émilien Richard Émilien Richard ... Baron Papillon
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jeanne Bérangère Jeanne Bérangère ... Une voisine (as Bérangère)
Léon Courtois Léon Courtois ... Jean Sabarat, gardien-chef du musée
Sylviane de Castillo Sylviane de Castillo ... Catherine de Médicis
Marcel Delaître Marcel Delaître ... Ruggieri
Geo Leroy Geo Leroy
Nicolas Redelsperger Nicolas Redelsperger ... Pierre Gautrais (as Redelsperger)