The Fly (1958)

Director:

Kurt Neumann

Writers:

George Langelaan (story)
James Clavell (writer)

Release Date:

1958 (Norway)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Mystery | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

If she looked upon the horror her husband had become... she would scream for the rest of her life!

Plot:

A scientist has a horrific accident when he tries to use his newly invented teleportation device.

Plot Keywords:

Ballet | French Canadian | Based On Short Story | Tragedy | Crushed Head

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

David Hedison	...	Andre Delambre (as Al Hedison)
Patricia Owens	...	Helene Delambre
Vincent Price	...	François Delambre
Herbert Marshall	...	Insp. Charas
Kathleen Freeman	...	Emma (Delambre maid)
Betty Lou Gerson	...	Nurse Andersone
Charles Herbert	...	Philippe Delambre
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Eugene Borden	...	Dr. Ejoute (uncredited)
Harry Carter	...	Orderly (uncredited)
Arthur Dulac	...	French waiter (uncredited)
Bess Flowers	...	Lady at the ballet (uncredited)
Torben Meyer	...	Gaston (uncredited)
Franz Roehn	...	Police doctor (uncredited)
Charles Tannen	...	Doctor (uncredited)

Directed by
Kurt Neumann

Writing credits
George Langelaan		(story)
James Clavell		(writer)

Produced by
Kurt Neumann	....	producer
Robert L. Lippert	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Paul Sawtell

Cinematography by
Karl Struss

Film Editing by
Merrill G. White

Art Direction by
Theobold Holsopple
Lyle R. Wheeler

Set Decoration by
Eli Benneche
Walter M. Scott

Costume Design by
Adele Balkan

Makeup Department
Ben Nye	....	makeup artist
Helen Turpin	....	hair stylist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jack Gertsman	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Eugene Grossman	....	sound
Harry M. Leonard	....	sound

Special Effects by
L.B. Abbott	....	special photographic effects
James B. Gordon	....	special effects (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Charles Le Maire	....	executive wardrobe designer (as Charles LeMaire)

Editorial Department
Leonard Doss	....	color consultant
Orven Schanzer	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Other crew
Wayne Fitzgerald	....	title designer (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Distributors

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (1958) (USA) (theatrical)
• Centfox (1958) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Starfix Video Productions (1982) (Belgium) (VHS) (pan/scan)
• Fox Video (199?) (USA) (VHS) (pan/scan)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (1996) (USA) (VHS) (pan/scan)
• Fox Video (199?) (Germany) (VHS) (pan/scan)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (1996) (USA) (laserdisc)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2000) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Percepto Records  score album released by (limited edition)

Runtime:

94 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

West Germany:12 (f) (re-rated) | Iceland:16 | USA:TV-PG (tv rating) | West Germany:16 (nf) (original rating) | UK:15 (video rating) | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 | Sweden:15 | UK:X (original rating) | UK:PG (video re-rating) (2001) | USA:Unrated

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

In the scene where the fly with Andre Delambre's head and arm is caught in the spider's web, a small animatronic figure with a moving head and arm was used in the spiderweb as a reference for actors Vincent Price and Herbert Marshall. Vincent Price later remembered that filming the scene required multiple takes, because each time he and Herbert Marshall looked at the animatronic figure, with its human head and insect body, they would burst out laughing.

Quotes:

Andre Delambre: Help me! Help meeee!

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in The Simpsons: Night of the Living Tree House of Horror (2001) (VG)

I'm still scared of The Fly

1958 and 'The Fly'. Who could ever forget it. At the age of 9 or so, I was a horror movie veteran, or so I thought. I would attend the Saturday matinees of a local theater, armed with my THIRTY FIVE CENTS, which was good for an admission, a huge coke and a Butterfinger as long as my forearm.

The theater was, as usual, very dark and of the 3,000 seats, 2996 we unoccupied, the norm on a Saturday afternoon. The sunset times had been carefully memorized as to not be foolishly caught in the dark walking home from a horror flick.

In spite of the subtle warnings from a couple of neighborhood kids who had already seen 'The Fly', I remained confident, having survived several movies, including 'Them' and 'The Invisible Man'. The movie was terrifying enough, but nothing in my 9-year old brain prepared me for the absolutely numbing terror that assaulted my senses at the end of the movie. My 16 oz. cup, containing now only ice left my grasp and clattered noisily on the cold floor and the last vestige of the sticky Butterfinger froze in my open mouth as I was transfixed on the terrifying ending. I knew that I was in trouble.

I walked the 3/4 mile home, BACKWARDS and in the middle of the street as to not encounter any bush or shrub, ALL of which I was sure contained the nightmarish image that was forever burned into my brain. Now I understood why none of the kids who had seen the movie boasted or talked about it, they were still too terrified.

10/10 for terror.