Les Misérables is a 1909 American silent historical drama proto-feature film (four short films that can be seen separately as a series, but when combined resemble a full-length feature film). The proto-feature movie is based on the 1862 French novel of the same name by Victor Hugo, and stars Maurice Costello and William V. Ranous. It was directed by J. Stuart Blackton. Distributed by the Vitagraph Company of America, the film consists of four reels. The reels were released over the course of three months, from September 4 to November 27, 1909. Plot The film relates the lives of the French people during 20 years in the 19th century. The story focuses on Jean Valjean (Costello), an honest man who is running from an obsessive police inspector chasing him for an insignificant offense. Valjean escapes being incarcerated. Cast William V. Ranous as Javert Maurice Costello as Jean Valjean Hazel Neason Marc McDermott See also Adaptations of Les Misérables References External links 1909 films 1900s historical drama films American historical drama films American silent feature films American black-and-white films Films based on Les Misérables Films directed by J. Stuart Blackton Vitagraph Studios films 1900s American films Silent American drama films