<p>Afterthetremendouspopularsuccessofthe
Fant?masnovels,bothofthemajorFrench
filmstudios—PathéandGaumont—
viedfortherightstoproducefilmsba<x>sed
ontheseries.Gaumontwon,andfrom
April1913toMay1914LouisFeuillade
directedfiveFant?masfilmswhichcritic
DavidThomsonhasdescribedas"thefirst
greatmovieexperience."</p>