Filibus (1915)
Article 5552 by Dave Sindelar
Date: 6-10-2018
Directed by Mario Roncoroni
Featuring Mario Mariani, Cristina Ruspoli, Giovanni Spano
Country: Italy
What it is: Supervillainess vs. detective

Supercriminal Filibus sets up a trap for the detective who is trying to discover her identity by which he himself will be mistaken for her

Here’s an Italian take on the French supervillain genre pioneered by Louis Feuillade; this is like a long episode of Feuillade’s FANTOMAS serial. In fact, it looks like it was intended to be the first in a series; the ending of this one seems to promise more Filibus adventures, though as far as I can tell, this is the only one made. Filibus has some sci-fi gadgetry to help her; she works out of an airship, uses a sleep spray, and has a technique to use other people’s fingerprints in her crimes. There is also a miniature camera that may be a little advanced for its time. It’s entertaining if a little far-fetched; it’s hard to believe that the villain can sneak up on people by being lowered in a big canister from an airship so high it can’t be seen. It also has the novelty in that the primary villain is a woman rather than a man.