Fantomas: In The Shadow Of The Guillotine (1913)

This is the first film based on Fantomas, a master criminal. The character was created by French authors Marcel Allain and Pierre Souvestre, and has appeared in over 30 books since 1911.

In this initial adventure, Fantomas is introduced to us as we witness him stealing from a rich woman at the Royal Palace Hotel. We then are informed of the death of Lord Beltham through Inspector Juve. It seems a man called Gurn (Fantomas in disguise) is suspected of killing the husband of his lover. Gurn is eventually caught and sentenced to death via the guillotine. However, our clever convict is not so easily vanquished and concocts a plan of escape. 

Available: Netflix, Amazon