Hidden Genre Gems for Fans of La Glu: Cult Guide

Dir: Henri Fescourt

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of Mandrin perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

After greedy men have Edmound Dantes unjustly imprisoned for 20 years for innocently delivering a letter entrusted to him, he escapes to get his revenge on them

Dir: Henri Fescourt

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of Rouletabille chez les bohémiens perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

Jean Valjean is a good man who is nevertheless convicted and imprisoned for a minor offense. When he escapes, he is pursued for decades by the unrelenting lawman, Javert.

Dir: Henri Fescourt

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of Mathias Sandorf perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

Revolted by the abuses of the tax collectors, Mandrin, a mule driver from the Dauphiné region, raises a band of brigands to make them pay. He then has to fight against a tax collector and a policeman sent after him, and snatches his fiancée from the latter's hands. He takes refuge at Voltaire's house but is arrested and sentenced to death.

Dir: Henri Fescourt

An adventurer, Hubert de Lauriac, steals a priceless book from some gypsies. Now rich, he wants to marry Odette de Lavardens, but she prefers to become engaged to the aristocrat Jean de Santierne. Jean's mistress, the gypsy Callixte, refuses to accept the situation and swears revenge. Rouletabille investigates to help his friend Jean foil Callixte's schemes.

Dir: Henri Fescourt

Sarcany, an adventurer, finds a tried carrier pigeon, gets possession of a code message and joining hands with an unscrupulous banker, Torenthal, secures a position as secretary with Mathias Sandorf. Decoding the message he unearths a plot against the government. Under the law, Torenthal and Sarcany secure half of Sandorf's wealth. Sandorf and his two friends are imprisoned and about to be executed when Sandorf makes his escape by sliding down a cable near the cell window. He hides in a peasant's home. His presence is made known to the police, but by hiding among the rocks all night he finally escapes. Twenty years later he returns, having wandered over the Orient as a healer and been left a fortune, including the Isle of Zorda, by a wealthy man. Sandorf's aim is to seek vengeance on the three who have betrayed him. His daughter, who was kidnapped, has been raised by Torenthal as his own child, and to keep her share of the fortune he seeks to marry her to Sarcany, but she is in love with the son of one of Sandorf's friends, and refuses. Sarcany is kidnapped and taken to Morocco. Sandorf gets the fisherman who betrayed him into his power, and also the banker who has lost his fortune at Monte Carlo. With Sava's sweetheart, who he has restored to health, they rescue Sava and get Sarcany in their power. Sandorf turns them over to the legal authorities, unites his daughter and her sweetheart, and all live happily on the Island of Zorda.