aaaAfterthetremendouspopularsuccessofthe Fant?masnovels,bothofthemajorFrench filmstudios—PathéandGaumont— viedfortherightstoproducefilmsbased ontheseries.Gaumontwon,andfrom April1913toMay1914LouisFeuillade directedfiveFant?masfilmswhichcritic DavidThomsonhasdescribedas"thefirst greatmovieexperience."