Les Vampires

Gaumont

Company type	Film production and distribution company
Industry	Film
Founder	Louis Feuillade (implied, as it was his company)
Headquarters	Paris , France
Products	Films, including Les Vampires

Les Vampires () is a French silent crime serial film from 1915 to 1916, both written and directed by Louis Feuillade. Set against the backdrop of Paris, the cast includes Édouard Mathé, Musidora, and Marcel Lévesque. The narrative centers on a journalist and his companion as they strive to uncover and thwart a secretive criminal organization known as the Vampires (distinct from supernatural vampires). Comprising ten installments with a total duration of about seven hours, it ranks among the lengthiest films ever made. The production and distribution were managed by Feuillade's own company, Gaumont. Together with Feuillade’s other crime serials Fantômas and Judex, Les Vampires is frequently regarded as part of an informal trilogy sharing thematic elements.

In response to the success of Fantômas and competition from the rival studio Pathé, Feuillade developed this film rapidly and with limited resources, employing minimal scripting. Although it initially faced criticism for its moral ambiguity and restrained cinematic style, it enjoyed considerable commercial popularity during wartime France, propelling Musidora to fame. Over subsequent years, Les Vampires has been reevaluated as Feuillade’s masterpiece and a foundational work in thriller cinema, influencing filmmakers such as Alfred Hitchcock and Fritz Lang. It also left its mark on avant-garde directors including Luis Buñuel, Henri Langlois, Alain Resnais, and André Breton. The serial is featured in the compilation book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die.

Episode table

	English title	French title	Released	Runtime

Episode 1 – "The Severed Head"

Philippe Guérande, a prominent journalist working for the newspaper Mondial, delves into the investigation of the criminal syndicate called the Vampires. He learns that Inspector Durtal, who leads the inquiry into the Vampires, was discovered decapitated near Saint-Clement-Sur-Cher. After being dismissed by the local magistrate, Philippe spends the night at a castle owned by Dr. Nox, a friend of his father, accompanied by Mrs. Simpson, an American billionaire interested in acquiring the estate.

During the night, Philippe uncovers a menacing message from the Vampires and finds a concealed passage hidden behind a painting in his room. Meanwhile, Mrs. Simpson’s valuables are stolen by a masked intruder, with suspicion initially directed at Philippe. The magistrate later supports Philippe’s innocence, and together they devise a plan to trap Dr. Nox and Mrs. Simpson.

At the castle, they discover Inspector Durtal’s severed head concealed within the secret passage. Returning to the anteroom, they find Mrs. Simpson dead and Dr. Nox missing; in her pocket lies a note from the Grand Vampire claiming responsibility for killing the true Dr. Nox and assuming his identity.

Episode 2 – "The Ring That Kills"

Posing as Count de Noirmoutier, the Grand Vampire presents ballerina Marfa Koutiloff—a vital associate of Philippe—with a poisoned ring that causes her death during a performance to prevent her from revealing information about the Vampires. Recognizing the Grand Vampire, Philippe tails him to an abandoned fort where he is captured. Set for execution at dawn, Philippe discovers his guard is his colleague Oscar-Cloud Mazamette. Together, they orchestrate the capture of the Grand Inquisitor at midnight, substituting him in place of Philippe at the execution site. When the Vampires arrive, police raid their hideout; although the gang escapes, they mistakenly execute their own Grand Inquisitor—who is actually the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.

Episode 3 – "The Red Codebook"

Feigning illness to avoid work duties, Philippe deciphers a red booklet stolen from the Grand Inquisitor that exposes the Vampires’ criminal activities. Aware that his residence is under surveillance, he goes undercover at "The Howling Cat" nightclub where Irma Vep performs—her name being an anagram of vampire. The Grand Vampire orders Irma to retrieve the booklet. Disguised as a maid, Irma infiltrates Philippe’s home but fails to poison him. Meanwhile, Philippe’s mother is lured into a trap and captured by the Vampires. While Philippe sleeps, Irma admits another Vampire into his home; Philippe fires but only blanks are loaded, allowing them to escape. Held captive in a slum shack by Father Silence, Philippe’s mother uses Mazamette's poison pen to kill him and secure her freedom.

Episode 4 – "The Spectre"

Under the alias real estate agent "Treps," the Grand Vampire leases an apartment to businessman Juan-José Moréno that contains a rigged safe connected to Irma Vep’s neighboring unit. Moréno places black garments belonging to the Vampires inside instead of valuables. Disguised as bank secretary "Juliette Bertaux," Irma learns that M. Metadier must deliver ₣300,000; if he fails, she will be responsible for delivering it herself. The Vampires murder Metadier and dump his body from a train. When Irma attempts to retrieve the money, Metadier's ghost appears and vanishes through a manhole. Mme. Metadier reports her husband missing and states that the money was not delivered. Philippe investigates disguised as a customer; recognizing Irma, he infiltrates her residence using Mazamette as a diversion. Irma and the Grand Vampire open Moréno’s safe but discover Metadier’s body along with the money inside. Philippe attempts to apprehend them but is overpowered. Moréno arrives on scene, finds his safe accessed from behind, and is detained by Philippe. Moréno reveals he assumed Metadier's identity after discovering his body and letter of authority; he secured both Metadier’s body and cash in his safe—now under Vampire control. Police arrest Moréno immediately.

Episode 5 – "Dead Man's Escape"

The investigating magistrate from Saint-Clement-Sur-Cher is transferred to Paris to work on the Vampire investigation alongside the Moréno case. Moréno appears to commit suicide by swallowing a hidden cyanide capsule but revives, kills a night-watchman, and breaks out of prison. Mazamette, who suffers from insomnia, spots Moréno but he manages to avoid capture. Philippe is kidnapped by the Vampires inside a costume crate connected to costume designer Pugenc, who reveals the crate was originally intended for Baron de Mortesalgues—an alias used by the Grand Vampire. Moréno confronts Philippe at a café but re-captures him after policemen turn out to be gang members in disguise. Mazamette then infiltrates Moréno’s hideout and rescues Philippe, who is spared once he discloses Mortesalgues' true identity. That evening, the Grand Vampire, masquerading as Mortesalgues, hosts an aristocratic gathering where guests are incapacitated with sleeping gas and robbed. Moréno intercepts the stolen goods from the Vampires, signaling a temporary alliance with Philippe. Frustrated by the slow progress of the case, Mazamette contemplates quitting but regains determination after Philippe references La Fontaine's Fables.

Episode 6 – "Hypnotic Eyes"

Two weeks later, Moréno investigates the Vampires following the murder of a Fontainebleau notary. He wields hypnotic abilities and exerts control over his maid Laura. Philippe and Mazamette spot Irma Vep and the Grand Vampire in a newsreel and head to Fontainebleau. They follow American tourist Horatio Werner into the woods and discover a concealed box. The Grand Vampire, using the alias Count Kerlor at the Royal Hunt Hotel with Irma disguised as Viscount Guy, learns about a $200,000 theft committed by Raphael Norton, an American fugitive connected to the Werners. Philippe and Mazamette locate the Vampires’ headquarters at the hotel and find Baldwin’s stolen funds inside the box. Disguised, Moréno infiltrates the hotel; he captures Irma after she uncovers a treasure map and manipulates hypnotized Laura to mislead their enemies. Moréno’s gang ambushes Mlle. Édith, but Philippe reaches the treasure first. Moréno demands ransom for Irma but becomes enamored with her and hypnotizes her into confessing her role in several murders linked to the Vampires. When Moréno meets with the Grand Vampire, Irma is compelled under hypnosis to assassinate him. The episode concludes with Mazamette proudly announcing their triumph and reward to reporters.

Episode 7 – "Satanas"

Irma Vep becomes Moréno’s companion. A mysterious figure arrives, revealing knowledge that the Grand Vampire’s corpse is concealed within a trunk. Moréno is immobilized by a pin hidden in this man’s glove, who then unveils himself as Satanas—the true Grand Vampire—exposing Moréno as merely his subordinate. At the "Happy Shack" cabaret, Moréno and Irma receive a message from Satanas promising a demonstration of his power at two o’clock; he then fires a powerful cannon that nearly demolishes the venue. Meanwhile, Philippe visits Mazamette but finds him absent, "chasing after women." The following morning, Irma and Moréno surrender to Satanas, who offers them an opportunity to cooperate and reveals that American millionaire George Baldwin is staying at the Park Hotel and that he requires Baldwin’s signature.

Lily Flower, one of Moréno’s associates, poses as an interviewer to trick Baldwin into signing a blank document. Irma Vep deceives Baldwin into recording his voice endorsing Parisian women. Using Baldwin’s forged signature, Moréno authorizes Lily Flower to collect $100,000. Moréno’s crew seizes control of the hotel telephone operator; Irma replaces her using a forged note. When the bank cashier calls Baldwin to verify a large draft made out to an attractive Parisian woman, Irma intercepts the call and plays Baldwin’s recording, convincing the cashier of its legitimacy. As Lily Flower retrieves the funds, Mazamette tails her and observes her handing over the money to Moréno. Although Moréno gives Satanas the cash, it is returned as a gift. Eventually, Philippe and Mazamette capture Lily Flower and coerce her into luring Moréno and Irma into a police trap where they are arrested.

Episode 8 – "The Thunder Master"

Irma Vep, condemned to life imprisonment, is dispatched to Saint-Lazare Prison with plans for subsequent transfer to a penal settlement in Algeria. On the day of her departure, she receives news of Moréno’s execution. Disguised as a priest, Satanas trails her journey, offering spiritual solace that conceals a covert warning about the vessel’s impending destruction along with instructions for survival. Utilizing his cannon, Satanas obliterates the ship. Philippe interprets that the explosive projectile originated from Montmartre; consequently, Mazamette and his son Eustache investigate and uncover men loading crates filled with shells.

Following reports confirming no survivors from the ship’s explosion, Satanas confronts Philippe seeking vengeance. He immobilizes Philippe using a poisoned pin and plants a bomb inside a top hat. Mazamette intervenes just in time by discarding the hat, saving Philippe’s life. At Satanas’s residence, Eustache conceals Mazamette inside a box but is soon discovered. Under threat from Satanas, Eustache shoots him; police arrive promptly to arrest Satanas. Mazamette sustains a broken nose from the gunshot.

Miraculously surviving the blast, Irma returns to Paris as a stowaway hidden beneath a train carriage, aided by station personnel and law enforcement who disguise her escape as "an eternal love story." She reaches the Vampire den known as the "Howling Cat" nightclub where she performs and receives a warm reception. After Satanas’s capture, Venomous proclaims himself leader and sends Satanas a poisoned letter by mail; Satanas subsequently takes his own life by ingesting the poison.

Episode 9 – "The Poisoner"

Now allied with Venomous, Irma Vep sets her sights on Philippe and Mazamette. Upon learning of Philippe’s engagement to Jane Bremontier, Irma and Lily Flower rent an apartment directly above Jane’s residence. When Venomous cancels the renowned Béchamel House catering service, the Vampires take their place at the engagement celebration. Unwittingly, Jane’s mother gifts the concierges champagne laced with poison from the Vampires; the male concierge dies after consumption while his wife prevents others from drinking it. The Vampires manage to flee. Later, Mazamette and Philippe’s mother escort Jane and her mother to a secure location. Irma attempts to gas the getaway vehicle but is caught by Mazamette, whom she incapacitates before hiding inside the car. Mazamette is abandoned on the street, arrested for public intoxication, and upon awakening warns Philippe. Irma escapes before Philippe can intercept her. At the Pyramid Hotel, Philippe captures Irma during an attempt to ambush Venomous. Irma alerts Venomous with a car horn; he rescues her and escapes in Mazamette’s vehicle. Philippe and Mazamette pursue but Venomous evades capture after boarding a moving train. Mazamette is detained following an altercation with an officer but released due to his charitable reputation. Despite these obstacles, the Vampires remain at large.

Episode 10 – "The Terrible Wedding"

Several months later, Philippe and Jane are wed. Augustine Charlet, widow of the poisoned concierge, becomes chambermaid for the Guérandes household. Tormented by her husband’s death, she consults Madame d’Alba, a Vampire psychic who hypnotizes Augustine into unlocking Philippe’s apartment at 2 a.m. That night, Mazamette observes Augustine acting suspiciously. The Vampires infiltrate the apartment, restrain Augustine, and release toxic gas into the Guérandes’ room. Mazamette opens fire on them forcing their withdrawal; Augustine reveals her motives afterward. While contacting authorities, Venomous attempts to break in but Jane fires at him before being captured via lasso. Police raid Avenue Junot at dawn; Irma and Venomous escape through the roof leaving behind an explosive device. Augustine is recaptured during their flight. Mazamette disables their escape vehicle by shooting it; Philippe follows their trail to their hideout where he finds Augustine and Jane, arming Jane before departing. That evening during Irma Vep’s wedding celebration to Venomous, Philippe executes an escape plan. Police raid the event amid ongoing festivities; a gunfight ensues resulting in most Vampires falling to their deaths from a rigged balcony trap. Irma attempts to kill Jane and Augustine but is fatally shot by Jane. The narrative concludes with two couples united: Philippe with Jane and Mazamette with Augustine.

Cast

• Newspaper:
  • Édouard Mathé portrays Philippe Guérande, a journalist investigating the Vampires
  • Stacia Napierkowska plays Marfa Koutiloff, a dancer and Philippe’s early romantic interest
  • appears as Madame Guérande, Philippe’s mother
  • Louise Lagrange takes the role of Jane Bremontier, Philippe’s fiancée and eventual spouse
  • Jeanne Marie-Laurent acts as Madame Brémontier, Jane’s mother
  • Marcel Lévesque embodies Oscar-Cloud Mazamette, Guérande’s colleague and friend, initially undercover within the Vampires
  • Gaston Michel is Benjamin, servant to Mazamette
  • plays Eustache, Mazamette’s son
  • Germaine Rouer features as Augustine Charlet, widow of a Vampire victim and later engaged to Mazamette

• Vampires:
  • enacts the First Grand Vampire, a master of disguise
  • Musidora performs as Irma Vep, an associate of multiple Vampire leaders
  • portrays Hortense, servant to Irma Vep
  • appears as Father Silence, a deaf-mute affiliated with the Vampires; also known as Satanas, the Second Grand Vampire
  • Edmond Bréon plays the servant of Satanas
  • aka Moriss embodies Venomous, the Third Grand Vampire and a chemistry expert
  • acts as Countess de Kerlor, a member of the Vampires
  • features as the Vampire Dancer

• Rivals:
  • Fernand Herrmann portrays Juan-José Moréno (also Brichonnet), leader of a criminal syndicate opposing the Vampires
  • Suzanne Delvé plays Lily Flower (Fleur-de-Lys), accomplice to Moréno

• Others:
  • appears as Mrs. Simpson, an American multimillionaire woman
  • acts as George Baldwin, an American millionaire
  • Renée Carl plays an Andalusian character
  • features as De Villemant
  • portrays Laure
  • Laurent Morléas takes the role of a Grand Army Officer
  • appears as the Magistrate
  • Jacques Feyder and Françoise Rosay appear as guests at a party
  • Fridolin
  • Jean-François Martial

Development and writing

During this period, crime serials enjoyed widespread popularity, with Feuillade previously achieving acclaim for Fantômas. Production likely commenced after Gaumont became aware that competitor Pathé had secured rights to The Mysteries of New York (known in the United States as The Exploits of Elaine), prompting a competitive initiative.

The depiction of a criminal organization may have drawn inspiration from the Bonnot Gang, an anarchist faction active in Paris between 1911 and 1912. Feuillade’s scripting approach was straightforward; he often sketched out basic scenarios and relied on actors to elaborate on details. Later episodes featured more comprehensive scripts. The storytelling style echoes that of pulp magazines and progresses through complex narrative threads rather than linear cause-and-effect sequences. Notably, it avoids using cliffhangers popularized by productions such as The Perils of Pauline.

Filming and editing

Principal photography took place predominantly on location in Paris under challenging circumstances, including cast departures prompted by wartime obligations. The production was cost-effective, utilizing painted flats for doorways, repurposed furniture, and archival footage for elaborate sequences such as a ferry explosion depicted in "The Thunder Master." Episodes were produced swiftly, typically within three to four months from shooting to release. Director Feuillade preferred extended takes with fixed cameras and occasional close-ups to foster authenticity. Due to limited scripting, many scenes were improvised. Musidora, formerly an acrobat, executed her own stunt work. Filming overlapped with Feuillade’s subsequent serial Judex.

Tinting was employed to convey lighting conditions: amber signified interiors during daylight hours; green indicated outdoor scenes; blue represented nighttime; and lavender denoted dimly lit environments like nightclubs. With an approximate runtime of 400 minutes, it ranked as the second longest film at its debut, surpassed only by the 1914 Christian production The Photo-Drama of Creation.

Release

Les Vampires was distributed in France as a series of ten installments between November 1915 and June 1916. Its debut in Mexico and the United States occurred around May 1917, with a subsequent US reissue showcased at the New York Film Festival in 1965.

Although World War I restricted audience sizes, the serial achieved significant popularity in France, surpassing rivals such as Pathé's The Mysteries of New York. A large part of its success was attributed to Musidora’s depiction of the villainous Irma Vep, who epitomized the "vamp" and femme fatale tropes, drawing frequent comparisons to Theda Bara. Nonetheless, law enforcement authorities condemned the series for its perceived glorification of criminality and moral ambiguity; several episodes were temporarily banned but later reinstated following appeals by Musidora.

In 1916, Feuillade and George Meirs authored a seven-volume novelization published by Tallandier, initially released as four paperback editions followed by three magazine-format issues.

Promotion

The initial marketing campaign for Les Vampires embraced an enigmatic approach; in November 1915, Parisian walls were adorned with posters featuring three masked faces alongside a question mark shaped like a noose, accompanied by the phrases "Qui? Quoi? Quand? Où…?" to advertise the first two simultaneously released episodes. Subsequent episodes were promoted with additional posters. Morning newspapers printed a poem accentuating the dark fascination of the Vampires:

English Translation:

Aftermath

Following the film’s success, Musidora’s public stature increased dramatically, solidifying her position as a leading figure in French cinema and allowing her to pursue directing and writing endeavors. Édouard Mathé and Marcel Lévesque also enjoyed continued film careers after their participation. Feuillade cast these actors again alongside others in later serials such as Judex, Tih Minh, Barrabas, and Parisette.

Contemporary

At the time of its release, Les Vampires, similar to Feuillade’s other crime serials, faced harsh criticism from contemporary reviewers. Hebdo-Film dismissed it as part of an "unhealthy genre [the crime film], outdated and rejected by all refined audiences." It was labeled "old-fashioned and lacking artistic merit," falling short compared to influential 1915 productions like The Birth of a Nation. Feuillade himself acknowledged this gap with critics, remarking, "A film is neither a sermon nor a lecture... but a means to entertain both visually and intellectually."

Re-evaluation

Over time, critics such as Richard Abel, Noël Burch, and Richard Roud have offered new interpretations of the serial. Today, it is arguably Feuillade's most renowned and critically acclaimed work. On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds a 96% approval rating from 23 reviews. While lead actors Mathé and Lévesque have sometimes been described as lacking vitality or appearing exaggerated, Musidora’s portrayal receives widespread acclaim for its "sensuous energy." In 1987, critic Jonathan Rosenbaum hailed it as "one of cinema’s supreme pleasures." Slant Magazine awarded four stars, noting its alignment with contemporary moral themes and calling it an exhilarating realist masterpiece that reflects a complacent bourgeois society through Machiavellian lenses. A 2012 Blu-ray critique praised its proto-thriller elements and surreal chaos, highlighting moments where realism seems to "pause mid-flip."

Time Out gave it five stars but warned that watching the entire series can be demanding. Glenn Erickson from DVD Savant lauded its graphic sensuality and violent content, while Jamie S. Rich of DVD Talk described it as "pulp fiction incarnate," though he pointed out its length and period-specific style as potential drawbacks. Josh Hurtado of Twitch Film called it a "six-and-a-half-hour cinematic thrill ride," and Sean Axmaker for Turner Classic Movies described it as "a peculiar yet magnificent masterpiece marked by refined beauty and unexpected cinematic moments." Rianne Hill Soriano from Yahoo! Movies emphasized its importance in film history and industry development, recommending it highly to cinephiles.

In 2002, the serial was ranked tied for 30th place in the Sight and Sound Critics' Top Ten Poll and placed 78th on The Village Voice’’s list of '250 Best Films of the 20th Century.' In 2010, The Guardian named it the 25th greatest horror film ever made. It is also included in key references such as the AFI Desk Reference, National Society of Film Critics' 100 Essential Films, 1000 Essential Films, The Village Voice Film Guide, and 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die.

Legacy

This film played a foundational role in shaping the crime thriller genre, introducing innovative cinematic methods that were later adopted by filmmakers such as Alfred Hitchcock and Fritz Lang. Its incorporation of devices like cannons and explosives notably influenced Lang’s works, including Dr. Mabuse the Gambler and The Spiders. Additionally, it served as a source of inspiration for avant-garde directors like Luis Buñuel as well as key figures of the French New Wave, for example Alain Resnais and Georges Franju. Some critics regard it as an early instance of the gangster film category.

The 1996 movie Irma Vep, directed by Olivier Assayas, centers on a filmmaker remaking Les Vampires and simultaneously honors the original’s groundbreaking qualities while offering commentary on modern French cinema. Assayas revisited this material in 2022 with an American miniseries adaptation titled Irma Vep. The film also inspired theatrical productions such as The Mystery of Irma Vep and the Brazilian show Irma Vep – She's Back!.

References to Les Vampires appear in the 1974 French film Celine and Julie Go Boating, where characters don costumes reminiscent of Irma Vep’s iconic black bodysuit, as well as in Quentin Tarantino’s 2009 war drama Inglourious Basterds, which features promotional posters from the film. The American punk group Black Lips selected an image of Irma Vep for their first album cover, while the French electronic duo Château Flight produced a soundtrack dedicated to the film in 2006.

In Kim Newman’s novel Moriarty: The Hound of the D'Urbervilles, Professor Moriarty engages with members of Les Vampires, even providing them with a skull reputedly belonging to Napoleon Bonaparte, intended for use as a drinking cup.

Home media

On 16 May 2000, a two-disc DVD edition was released in the United States by Image Entertainment, featuring a musical score composed by Robert Israel. This set includes two short films: For the Children, a wartime fundraiser starring members of the Les Vampires cast, and Bout de Zan and the Shirker, a comedy featuring René Poyen. An accompanying essay titled "The Public Is My Master" by Fabrice Zagury is also part of this release. Subsequently, on 22 March 2006, Gaumont issued a restored French edition spread across four discs, which contains a documentary named Louis Feuillade at Work, a featurette about the restoration process, and a 32-page booklet. A UK three-disc version was released on 24 March 2008 by Artificial Eye, including five short films alongside a newly composed score by Éric le Guen. Later, on 14 August 2012, Kino International brought out a Blu-ray edition remastered from the Cinémathèque Française’s 35mm restoration print; this release features music performed by the Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra and includes a trailer for Fantômas.

External links

• • Episode 1 – The Severed Head
  • Episode 2 – The Ring That Kills
  • Episode 3 – The Red Codebook
  • Episode 4 – The Spectre
  • Episode 5 – Dead Man's Escape
  • Episode 6 – Hypnotic Eyes
  • Episode 7 – Satanus
  • Episode 8 – The Thunder Master
  • Episode 9 – The Poisoner
  • Episode 10 – The Terrible Wedding