Judex

 

JUDEX-1963-A rich banker Favraux (Michel Vitold) receives threatening letters. If he does not hand over half his fortune to charity before midnight he will die. They are signed by the mysterious Judex (The Judge). It turns out Favraux isn't so nice and made his money because of a scandal. He even runs down an old man who went to prison because of Favraux's shenanigans. He hires a PI to investigate and find out who's sending the letters before a party announcing the engagement of his daughter Jacqueline (Edith Scob) who has a child, Alice. 

The PI finds out the daughter isn't really happy with the engagement and Favraux wants to marry his granddaughter's governess (Francine Berge') but she has a lover. At the party at the stroke of midnight Favraux appears to die. Later his lawyer informs Jacqueline of her dad's nefarious deeds which involved blackmail. The next day she renounces her fortune and breaks her engagement (he was a gold digger anyway). 

However things are not as they seem. The mysterious Judex (American magician/actor Channing Pollock) is watching everything. Favraux is not dead, merely drugged and taken back to Judex's lair as is the old man who's life Judex saved. Judex planned on killing Favraux because his threats were not followed but because of his daughter's actions Judex allows the banker to live but be imprisoned forever. Meanwhile the governess and her lover break into the Favraux's house to steal the incriminating papers he possessed (she had been eavesdropping). They don't get the papers but try to kidnap daughter. They are thwarted by a pack of dogs belonging to Judex who gives Jacqueline a bunch of pigeons to release if she is ever in danger. The governess surmises Favraux is still alive and being held captive. 

There's several twists and Judex doesn't always get the upper hand. Though there is sound it's presented like a silent movie with title cards and frequent fade outs. This figures because this French film is based on a silent film and is dedicated to the original director Louis Feuillade. It was director by Georges Franju three years after his classic EYES WITHOUT A FACE (which also starred Scob).

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