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The Fly (1958) Country of Origin: USA
Year of Production: 1958
Running Times: 94 mins
Format: colour 35mm
Ratio: CinemaScope 2.35:1
Sound: mono CREDITS PRODUCTION
Production Company: Twentieth Century Fox
Producer: Kurt Neumann SCRIPT
Script: James Clavell
Short Story: George Langelaan DIRECTION
Director: Kurt Neumann
Assistant Director: Jack Gertsman PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: Karl Struss
Colour Consultant: Leonard Doss
Cinemascope Lenses: Bausch and Lomb
Colour: DeLuxe EDITING AND POST PRODUCTION
Editor: Merrill G. White MUSIC
Music: Paul Sawtell SOUND
Sound: Eugene Grossman, Harry M. Leonard MAKE UP AND COSTUMES
Make Up: Ben Nye
Hair: Helen Turpin
Executive Wardrobe Designer: Charles LeMaire
Costume Designer: Adele Balkan SPECIAL EFFECTS
Special Photographic Effects: L.B. Abbott
Special Effects: James B. Gordon (uncredited) DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Art Directors: Lyle R. Wheeler, Theobold Holsopple
Set Decorator: Eli Benneche, Walter M. Scott CAST
Al Hedison (real name: David Hedison) (Andre Delambre)
Patricia Owens (Helene Delambre)
Vincent Price (François Delambre)
Herbert Marshall (Inspector Charas)
Kathleen Freeman (Emma)
Betty Lou Gerson (Nurse Andersone)
Charles Herbert (Philippe Delambre)
Eugene Borden (Dr Ejoute - uncredited)
Harry Carter (orderly - uncredited)
Arthur Dulac (French waiter - uncredited)
Torben Meyer (Gaston - uncredited)
Franz Roehn (police doctor - uncredited)
Charles Tannen (doctor - uncredited) SUMMARY A scientist invents a revolutionary matter transmitter and decides to test it out himself. But a fly gets caught in the transmitter with him and when the scientist emerges at the other end, his genetic make up has been scrambled with that of the fly, resulting in a hybrid creature. CAPSULE REVIEW One of the most fondly remembered of 1950s SF films, this wasn't quite the B movie that one might imagine it to be. Far from it - Fox pumped a lot of cash into its production, even hiring respected novelist Clavell (Shogun etc) to help Neumann bring a more realistic tone to the dialogue. As a result, The Fly - despite the patent absurdity of its premise - remains one of the most durable and interesting genre films of its era. The final shot is unforgettable. AVAILABILITY USA
Theatrical Distributor: Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation
Laserdisc Distributor: 20th Century Home (0119085)
DVD Distributor: Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2000454 - double bill with Return of the Fly) CENSORSHIP HISTORY Finland
Rating: K-16 Sweden
Rating: 15 UK
Rating: 15 USA
Rating: unrated AWARDS 1959
Hugo Awards
Best Dramatic Presentation - nominated TIMELINE 1958
October
3: West Germany - theatrical release
6: Sweden - theatrical release 1959
January
30: Finland - theatrical release 1996
September
Day Unknown: USA - laserdisc releaSE (20th Century Home (0119085)) 2000
September
5: DVD release (Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2000454 - double bill with Return of the Fly)) POSTER TAGS Once it was human - even as you and I! The fly with the head of a man...! And the man with the head of a fly! LINKS SEQUELS
Return of the Fly (1959)
Curse of the Fly (1965) REMAKE
The
Fly (1986)
SEE ALSO
The Emperor's New Groove (2000) FOOTAGE INCLUDED IN
Future Fantastic (1996)
It Came from Hollywood (1982)
Little Monsters (1989)
The Projected Man ( )
Terror
in the Aisles (1984)
Vincent Price (1988) REFERENCES MAGAZINES Chiller Theatre no.14 (2001) pp.7-15
interview with David Hedison (Lord of the Flys by Tom Weaver) The Dark Side 55 p.21
review Starlog no.227 (June 1996)
interview with Patricia Owens (Bride of the Fly by Tom Weaver) BOOKS Hoffman's Guide to SF, Horror and Fantasy Movies 1991 - 1992 p.139
credits, review Reference Guide to Fantastic Films p.143
credits KEYWORDS
scientists; human experiments; insects; laboratories; mutations;
genetics; matter transmitters; flies
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