The film treads a fine line between comedy and seriousness. It benefits from a good script, production values and capable performances but wastes many opportunities to become something greater than it is.
“It does indeed contain, briefly, two of the most sickening sights one casual swatter-wielder ever beheld on the screen.”
"The most ludicrous, and certainly one of the most revolting science-horror films ever perpetrated!"
“One of the better, more restrained entries of the "shock" school.”
“A quiet, uncluttered and even unpretentious picture, building up almost unbearable tension by simple suggestion.”
“It holds an interesting philosophy about man's tampering with the unknown."
“Stands in many ways above the level of B-movie science fiction common in the 1950s."
Directed by Kurt Neumann
Produced by Kurt Neumann, Robert L. Lippert (uncredited) Screenplay by James Clavell
Based on short story The Fly by George Langelaan
Music by Paul Sawtell
Cinematography Karl Struss
Edited by Merrill G. White
Production company: 20th Century Fox
Distributed by 20th Century Fox
Running time: 93 minutes
Budget: $325,0000 - $495,000 approx.
Box office: $3 million
Cast
David Hedison as André Delambre
Patricia Owens as Hélène Delambre
Vincent Price as François Delambre
Herbert Marshall as Inspector Charas
Kathleen Freeman as Emma
Betty Lou Gerson as Nurse Anderson
Charles Herbert as Philippe Delambre
Eugene Borden as Dr. Éjoute
Torben Meyer as Gaston
Trailer
Scientist Andre Delambre is crushed to death in a mechanical press.
WHO OR WHAT WAS
RESPONSIBLE?
It has fallen to his wife Hélène to recount the events that led up to her husband’s death to both Andre’s brother, Francois Delambre and police Inspector Charas.
WHAT HAPPENED?