The Fly

The Fly
1958 - 20th Century Fox
Directed By Kurt Neumann



SYNOPSIS

A scientist (David Hedison) testing his matter transference device experiments on himself. A fly enters the machine and their DNA are mixed, splitting them nearly halfway into two separate beings... now his wife (Patricia Owens) stands accused of his murder! His brother (Vincent Price) and the police try to find out what happened.



MY THOUGHTS

The Fly has all the ingredients of a perfect film to be spoofed by Mystery Science Theater 3000... except it is far better than any film that ever appeared on the show.
'Mad' scientists, murder, old science, an over-the-top heroine and more would propel this film to be ridiculed; yet it is surprisingly effective.

20th Century Fox threw a decent sized budget behind this. The Fly got the CinemaScope (wide screen) process and was shot in color, which was rare for a sci-fi/horror film of the era. Very, very few genre films like 'Forbidden Planet' and 'This Island Earth' even got the Technicolor treatment.
The makeup of the fly head and arm were much more realistic than any other sci-fi/horror film of the 50's. You practically feel the horror along with the scientist's wife upon seeing him for the first time post-experiment.

The acting was well done, except by Patricia Owens, the heroine. She delivers the typical sci-fi/horror cliche performance here. She's quick to scream at anything that's out of the ordinary. Her 'lunacy' is not effective at all, and is nearly silly.
The other performances are fine. David Heddison is even better after his transformation into the fly and you truly feel pity for the character as he struggles to keep his humanity in check.

The plot kept you guessing the whole way... from the phone call at the beginning announcing the murder to the final search for the white-haired fly. The use of flashback to tell the bulk of the story was well done. It was slow at first but picked up steam as the story moved along. The reveal of the fly head and the "Help Me! Help Meeeeee!" ending are disturbing today, let alone 50 years ago.

The film is not as good as it's 80's remake by David Cronenberg, but it does remain as a very effective film of its time and remains entertaining and unique... with some genuinely creepy moments.