The Vampires: The Poisoner

"Irma Vep's needle waits in the shadows."

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About this film

Detective Philippe Guérande closes in on the Vampire gang as Irma Vep plots poison against the captured Jane. In the tenth chapter of Louis Feuillade's Les Vampires serial, hypodermics, gas attacks, and a bloody wedding set up the gang's downfall. Musidora's Irma Vep dominates the 1916 episode released as The Poisoner.

More about this film

About the production

Release date1916-01-01
ProductionGaumont

Themes

Crime serialPoisonRevenge

Themes & topics

Historical background

Gaumont released the chapter in 1916 while Paris audiences followed Feuillade's weekly crime serial amid World War I anxieties.

Why this film matters

The Poisoner is a key installment in one of silent cinema's most influential serials, shaping later crime and fantastique tropes.

Making of

Open sources chiefly list credits with Louis Feuillade named as director.

What critics said

French critics and crowds followed Les Vampires avidly in 1916; modern retrospectives rank the poison episode among the serial's tensest.

Did you know?

  • Episode of Louis Feuillade's Les Vampires serial.
  • Musidora stars as Irma Vep.

What audiences thought

Audience documentation for The Vampires: The Poisoner is limited; availability today depends on archive and streaming copies.

Film restoration

Preservation status should be confirmed against archive holdings.

Where to watch

  • Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Les%20Vampires%20-%20L'Homme%20des%20poisons%20(1916).webm