Tih Minh (1918)

Jacques d'Athys, a French adventurer, returns to his home in Nice after an expedition to Indochina where he has picked up a Eurasian fiancée and a book that, unbeknownst to him, contains a ... See full summary »

Director:

Louis Feuillade

Writer:

Louis Feuillade

Stars:

Mary Harald, René Cresté, Georges Biscot

Cast

Cast overview:
Mary Harald	...	Tih Minh
René Cresté	...	Jacques d'Athys
Georges Biscot	...	Placido
Édouard Mathé	...	Sir Francis Grey
Louis Leubas	...	Kistna
Gaston Michel	...	Dr. Gilson
Marcel Marquet	...	Dr. Clauzel (as Marquet)
Émile André	...	Dr. Davesnes
Georgette Faraboni	...	La marquise Dolorès
Jeanne Rollette	...	Rosette
Lugane	...	Jane d'Athys
Madame Lacroix	...	Mme d'Athys

Storyline

Jacques d'Athys, a French adventurer, returns to his home in Nice after an expedition to Indochina where he has picked up a Eurasian fiancée and a book that, unbeknownst to him, contains a coded message revealing the whereabouts of both secret treasures and sensitive government intelligence. This makes him the target of foreign spies, including a Marquise of mysterious Latin origin, a Hindu hypnotist and an evil German doctor, who will stop at nothing to obtain the book.

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Plot Keywords:

serial | character name in title

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Details

Country:

France

Language:

French

Release Date:

7 February 1919 (France)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Société des Etablissements L. Gaumont

Technical Specs

Runtime:

418 min 418 min (12 chapters)

Sound Mix:

Silent

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

User Reviews

The most entertaining movie ever made?

Louis Feuillade's ridiculously entertaining 7-hour mystery serial features kidnappings, daring escapes, slapstick fistfights, secret messages coded in an ancient Hindu dialect, "forgetfulness potions," various forms of mind control, a mountaintop cliffhanging climax, and many, many badass disguises. It also uses an international espionage plot to reflect on World War I and allegorize contemporary French fears about the insidious nature of Bolshevism. The hero is a French explorer and his chief rival is an evil German doctor named Marx. The hero's maid turns out to be a villainess who is secretly in Marx's employ and one of the key title cards is another character's incredulous exclamation that "Marx is here!"

The entire espionage genre, including Fritz Lang's Mabuse cycle and the James Bond films, have their origins here but Feuillade's masterpiece remains the best movie of its kind.