After the tremendous popular success of thern　　Fant?mas novels, both of the major Frenchrn　　film studios — Pathé and Gaumont —rn　　vied for the rights to produce films basedrn　　on the series. Gaumont won, and fromrn　　April 1913 to May 1914 Louis Feuilladern　　directed five Fant?mas films which criticrn　　David Thomson has described as "the firstrn　　great movie experience."