Best Crime Movies of 1913

A young, buxom farm maid overhears two cow-hands talking in the barn, and she’s convinced they’re about to rob her. She barricades herself in a room and calls the police. Her call wakes the chief, who rallies the constabulary and they sets off toward the farm, in steam-car and on foot. Meanwhile, the maid’s parents and their neighbors rush to save her armed with shotgun, pitchfork, and shovel. Everything points toward a showdown in the barn, where no one, including the police force, will be cowed.

Paulin Broquet, the great Parisian detective, has brought the notorious bandit, Zigomar, to justice. Determined not to let the law punish him, he had taken poison in the Hall of Justice. Then he was brought to a hospital where he lay motionless and was visited by hundreds of persons. Among the visitors was a slender woman, dressed in black, who secreted herself in the hospital, and, when all the others had gone, went to the bedside of Zigomar and administered an antidote for poisoning.

A spoof of Sherlock Holmes who was quite popular at the time. Directed by Alice Guy-Blache for Solax Film Company.

Fernand Pradier (Gabriel Signoret) is an honest merchant and a simple person at heart who tries to make her daughter Germaine (Gabrielle Robinne) happy. She is engaged to a rich banker St-Bris (René Alexandre). However, the fiance once belonged to a criminal organization and, despite his efforts of rehabilitation, one of his ancient accomplices makes their engagement impossible. Eventually imprisoned, she escapes with the help of a beautiful typist (Stacia Napierkowska)...

The next dastardly trick of Zigomar was to secure the safe which carried $50,000 belonging to the owner of the Grand African Circus, which he had won as a prize. He and La Rosario, disguised as servants, joined the circus and by the aid of a powerful elephant managed to get the safe to a manhole into which is was lowered to Zigomar and La Rosario.

After a time of suspended activities, Zigomar attempted to rob the biggest bank in Paris; but in this he was frustrated by the detective. Swearing vengeance he tried to wreck the train upon which the detective was traveling, but one of the detective's spies got wind of it and warned him.