The "help me, help meeeee" scene revolted and scared me so much as a young child that it was years before I could see this movie again. Even now I cringe when I witness that nightmarish scene. As good as Cronenberg's movie is (and it is very good), there is nothing that surpasses the delirious horror of the man-fly in the spider's grasp.

Elsewhere, the movie is rather subdued. In some spots, almost too much so. Although the first revelation of The Fly's appearance is another classic spot...the multiple reflections was a great touch. Like all great monsters, the Fly has a very sympathetic edge to it. We are revolted by the horror of this monster but we feel overwhelming pity for him as well.

Vincent Price does a workman-like job in a rather blasé part. Usually he adds a special touch to a film, but really, any number of actors could have played his part here.

The scientific basis of this movie is pure rubbish, as there is no way that insect and human parts could biologically interact with each other. The result of such a mixture would be instantly dead in real life.

But that doesn't matter here. A nightmare has its own logic. And "The Fly" is a nightmare.

It's been said again and again that this is a good horror film. A Very Good film. But it is more than that.

I can still hear with my mind's ear (is that right?) the sound of the hydraulic press "WHUMP" and the echo. Then again that "WHUMP" ... is there another sound experience that reverberates through a movie like that?

Sure, surround sound, THX, all that tech stuff, but the sound as the manifestation of the crime that encircles this story, the horror as the mind tries to put together the images that (finally) is seen in a flashback as this scene bookends the start and "finish" of the plot.

The inner struggle of the scientist as he fights with his human hand to control the spasms of his "fly" arm is both horrible and heart-wrenching.

The shock as the cloth is torn away from the scientist's head... the fly's POV shot with facets and mirrors of the the screaming face of the scientist's poor wife! The scene at the spider's web as the shrill voice begs "help me... help me"

The horror of murder of a man/thing and a thing/man being shown and even compared in sharp (but obvious) dialogue.

You MUST see this and experience the earlier days of horror -when classics like this, like "The Thing From Another World," like "It, the Terror From Beyond Space" (the original model of Alien) exhibit a freshness and a palpable terror that remakes cannot capture, whatever wonderful special effects are thrown in to add to the creepiness. Sure these later gorefest horror films are good. I buy them all the time. But they are a different genre. The Fly with Vincent Price is NOT the same story as The Fly with Jeff Goldblum. It's not really a remake as a retelling.

See the original. It is rich with emotion and intelligence, not to mention some pretty fine acting for what was really a "B" movie.

The Fly is a movie I have just been dying to see, I have heard a lot about this movie, mainly the infamous "Help me! Help me!" scene. But of course the number one reason being that this is the original to the remake with Jeff Goldblum which is an incredible movie in itself, but I was curious what the original would be about. Honestly I was thinking that it was going to be very cheesy, it's a 1950's horror movie that would probably be over the top, but honestly, from the very beginning you get gore, which was odd, but sickly enough I love it! I am also a huge Vincent Price fan, this is the man of the classic B horror movies and his voice and presence make these movies worth the watch. So I finally got to see this on netflix, I absolutely loved The Fly. Is this better than the remake? Honestly, the remake is more realistic on what would happen if this really did occur, but don't overlook the original, as cheesy as a fly in a giant trench coat can be, it's all good and this story is tons of fun and really scary.

A woman named Helene Delembre phones her brother-in-law, Francois Delambre to tell him that she has just murdered her husband. Francois calls in the police and she admits killing him but refuses to say why. Later, Francois tricks her into telling the story to him and Police Inspector Charas. A scientist, Andre Delambre, has invented a teleportation device. After a few failed attempts, he succeeds with living organisms, deciding to go for the ultimate risk and transport himself. The first time works, but, unknown to him, a fly enters the cabin with him and the two are hopelessly scrambled together. The scientist emerges as a half-man, half-fly, a human with a fly's head, leg and arm/claw. His wife finds out something is wrong as she now sees him with a cloth over his head and a hidden arm. He eventually tells his wife what has happened and she first sees his claw and screams, then later sees his fly head and screams more. His wife, son and maid try to find the "fly with a white head" and fail. The son had caught it just after the accident but had been made to let it go, before any of them knew what it was. Andre attempts to reverse the process to return himself to normal, but fails and when he realizes that his mind is being overtaken by that of the fly he asks his wife to end his suffering by killing him with a heavy machine press.

The Fly is a fantastic and thrilling movie. I know that the ending sequence of "Help me! Help me!" was cheesy and over the top to some, but to me it was just plain creepy, it really scared me. The whole atmosphere of the film just felt uncomfortable and disturbing. Granted, I know these were not top of the line make up effects with the fly, I do have to laugh juts a little bit with seeing a fly in a trench coat. But still it was effective and made for a great sci-fi story. I love these old movies for a specific reason, this was the time when film meant something to the cast and crew making it and The Fly was made to give people the chills. It's just rare now-a-days, if this was made in today's world, it would be all gore and just stupid. So I do recommend that you see this film if you are looking for a good scare. Both this and the remake are terrific films and are a ton of fun to watch.

8/10

After killing her husband Helene Delambre recounts the story of why she done it. Her husband was a scientist who was deeply into his work and through those long days and weeks he makes a big breakthrough in science by inventing a teleportation machine that can transmit matter from one spot to another. After some glitches he fine tunes the device and decides to test it by using himself as a guinea pig. While, in the process of this test, a housefly gets caught inside with him and when he emerges from the other capsule he shares its genetic structure and physical attributes.

"The Fly" is classic Sci-Fi / horror from the 50s and what a nice surprise this was! Unlike many of its kind in the 50s, this one didn't have a childish feel. The context may seem silly here, but its executed with enough skill and handled in a relax manner by director Kurt Neumann to set above the rest. Just don't be expecting a monster on the rampage tale. This one veers more towards a much more broaden and imaginative story with a certain eeriness contained in its psychological material rather than visuals. Even though it doesn't scare you witless, it still does provide a couple of memorable and ingenious shocks that are hard to put out of your mind. The film opens with the horrific outcome of Helene's husband Andre and then it goes into flashback mode where we learn the fate of Dr. Andre Delambre. What does make it surprisingly good is that we're treated with such passionately vivid characters and a interesting set-up that pulls you in by taking a more serious approach with a dabble of irony along the way. The talkative first hour slowly builds up to its taut last half-an-hour, where we get a smart and venomously bleak climax. Although, it could have done without that preachy conclusion. The rational script by James Clavell works by being incredibly dense with it thriving on some quick wit and sincerity. The story is more about a woman trying to save the man she loves as he slowly fights the genetic effects of the fly's DNA. He may seem hideous on the outside, but inside he is still more so human and he's trying his best to keep control of his dieing humanity. This is proved by how much he cares for his family's safety when he's willingly to take his own life for the best of everyone. It's practical story telling at its best.

The look of the film is top shape with it being shot in vibrant Technicolor and the key is that the deformity is kept hidden, but when it's revealed it actually stands up rather well. It's ugly, that's for sure, but still it looks rather competent. They're also an inventive touch when we see the creature for the first time with multiple frames being used to represent the reflection from human fly's eyes. In Cronenberg's version we see the grotesque transformation, but because of the times and effects we don't see it here, but more so the aftermath of the mishap. All of the devices and gadgets in Andre's lab are well presented and the mounted score adds in a forceful touch with nice crisp sound effects. The performances are more than great by the likes of Al Edison, Patricia Owens, and Herbert Marshall and even though Vincent Price had a supporting role, you'll be in awe of his effortlessly suave performance.

An excellent classic of its field that's more concern about telling a moving and fascinating story than just giving us pointless action and cheap thrills to spice up proceedings. The more you stick it out, the more compelling it does become.

in terms of creepiness, this flick takes a back seat to no horror film. the goldblum et al remake is a gory over-the-top, special-effects show-off in comparison. instead this one grabs your psychological neck, shakes it about and forces you to answer serious questions regarding the scientific exploits of man. while doing so it hermetically seals you in a world of misguided, pitiless hubris. if that sounds like a bit too much, just give it your time and try to go to sleep without thinking, "why the hell would anyone proceed so far" and without thinking of ways to save the poor, doomed scientist. it is a tale of inevitability and loss that brings into stark contrast the foolish doings of man against a backdrop of an inhumane and unforgiving nature. view at your own risk... do not view at your own horror- enjoyment's peril!

Never thought that a movie involving people chasing a fly for half of the time could be so fascinating! "The Fly" is a genuine horror / sci-fi classic and fundamental viewing for everyone who was ever interested in either of these (or both, of course) genres. The whole premise of this milestone is silly and incredibly grotesque, yet very disturbing and it's brought to an even higher quality-level by the top-class performances of a devoted cast. Hedinson stars as the brilliant scientist Andre Delambre who discovered a method to transfer matter from one capsule to another and – convinced of his safety – he uses himself as a guinea pig to test if it works with humans, too. Terror begins when an ordinary housefly accidentally makes the transfer with him and the two beings exchange heads and a limb. Slowly going mad, Hedison has to beg his wife Helene to destroy what's left of him and his invention, because it's too dangerous for the world. One of the reasons why this film is so compelling is because of the ingenious structure. The story opens with Hedinson's brother (another great role for Vincent Price) receiving a call from a hysterical Helene who claims to have killed her husband and, for a long time, we're left in the dark whether she committed an act of madness…or a favor to her husband. "The Fly" contains several classic scenes (in one way or another, everybody must know about the "spider-web" finale by now) and the special effects are more than satisfying. Great film! Terrific entertainment!!

"The Fly" is one of the better giant insect movies of the 50s. It starts out with the discovery by a night watchman of the grisly killing of scientist Andre Delambre (Al Hedison aka David Hedison) apparently at the hands of his wife Helene (Patricia Owens). She calls Andre's brother Francois (Vincent Price) to tell him of the tragedy. Francois in turn, calls in Inspector Charas (Herbert Marshall) and together they question Helene to try to find out what happened.

In a flashback, we learn that Andre had been experimenting with transporting matter at light speed from one point to another. When he reached the stage of using a human in the tests, he had used himself. Unfortunately, when he transported himself, unbeknownst to him a common fly had been in the disintegrator with him. When they re-integrated things were not quite as they had been before. Of course no one really believes Helene's story until Francois and the Inspector are shown the unfortunate fly by Andre and Helene's son Philippe (Charles Herbert).

Director Kurt Neumann builds up the suspense by first letting us guess what has happened in the laboratory and then delaying the unmasking of Andre as long as possible. That scene reminded me of the unmasking of the Phantom in Lon Chaney's "The Phantom of the Opera" (1925). The wide screen is used to great effect in that scene when Helene first sees what has happened to her husband, and we then see multiple images of her, much in the way that we believe a fly would see it, screaming in terror.

The fly makeup was, I thought, quite convincing and who can ever forget the final scene when a spider is closing in on the title character (Help me, please...Help me..).

As a child in the theater I screamed and had bad dreams.... Then as a teenager I watched the "Fly" on TV and still Jumped back in fear at the sight of that horrible face! A few years later my friends and I watched it on TV again, but this time I turned down the sound at the scary scenes ( theorizing that the music was the cause of the fear) but even at low volume the haunting cries of "Help me...Help me" gave me the chills. A MUST SEE DF.

A slick, clever, engaging and unique (if a bit slow-paced at first) sci-fi story. Although the special effects leave something to be desired, especially if you've seen the incredible (and incredibly nauseating) images of the 1986 remake, the film's restrained approach to horror can be very pleasurable if you get used to it, and the script is stronger and more character-driven than the one of Cronenberg's version. A surprisingly good film. (***)

No need to recap the plot. As I recall, this sci-fi epic played at our uptown theater, where prestige pictures normally played. Usually, we teenagers had to go to a drive-in to catch these 50's monster movies. But this one was produced by big-budget TCF and in Technicolor, unlike the usual Roger Corman low-budget b&w's. Plus, it got promoted more heavily than the usual under-the-radar sci-fi. I suspect big-budget MGM's success with Forbidden Planet (1956) had something to do with TCF's decision to join the swim.

On the whole, it's a good entry from that period, more carefully thought out than most, with a name cast, well almost. Patricia Owens (the wife) may not be a household name, but she does do a heckuva job in putting the material over. She's the pivotal character, and it's her range of reactions that almost make the premise believable. Plus, it's a very cleverly structured screenplay, hooking us right away and then explaining the mystery through flashback. On the downside is the rather bland Hedison. Seeing him now, after so many years, he doesn't seem the driven-genius type, his casting likely a gesture to commercialism.

A lot of folks find the climax amusing. And while the special effects are not very good, the idea itself is pretty effective as tragic outcome. On the whole, the movie may not reach the sustained intensity of the similar Incredible Shrinking Man (1957). Nonetheless, I still think my teenage fifty-cents was well spent.

(In passing-- I'm still wondering how our scientist gets a fly's head, but not its brain. After all, he does continue to reason. Oh well, no one watches these epics for their logic, then or now.)

The Fly (1958)

You might be convinced to see a movie just because it has Vincent Price and Herbert Marshall in it--they come from different backgrounds, but both are serious actors with nuance and clearly chiseled personalities. And they definitely raise the movie up.

But it's the story that is the star here. A Ray Bradbury kind of science fiction, where a futuristic idea enters middle America, and where something goes terribly, bizarrely wrong. If you think about it it's disturbing, but the movie doesn't pause to let you think. One of its strengths is that it never flags. And the main character, the handsome father and scientist (who creates the invention of the century in his basement), is brilliant. He's suave, alternately relaxed and obsessed, reasonable and believable even when talking about the unbelievable.

The flaws are so obvious they you can skim over them--the fly effects at the end, their stupidity at catching and losing the fly, the notion of insanity, the television kind of family interactions--but it does make the movie more of an entertainment than some fine art classic. But hey, that's what it's supposed to be, and really enjoyable. Even in parts brilliant. Watch it!

The original version of "The Fly" has apparently been forgotten due to two powerful reasons. First, the bad quality of its two sequels turned the horror of the first into campy silliness; and second and more important, the fact that David Cronenberg's 1986 remake is a perfect film in every sense sent the movie to oblivion almost instantly. A shame indeed, as "The Fly" is more than a simple creature feature, it is a powerful mix of Gothic horror and science-fiction with something very important that distinguish it from the rest of the movies of its era: a good dose of class.

On a dark night, François Delambre (Vincent Price), receives the most tragic news he could had received, his dear brother Andre (David Hedison) has been murdered and the killer is no one else than Andre's beloved wife, Helene (Patricia Owens). Everything points out to insanity as the cause of the murder, but as Helene tells the tragic story behind the murder, François and his good friend, the Insp. Charas (Herbert Marshall), discover a grotesque tale of science gone wrong, very wrong.

Kurt Neumann, a veteran director who spent the 40s making the famous Tarzan series of movies with Johnny Weissmuller, brought the class of the old style of the 30s film-making to George Langelaan's tale of love and horror. Neumann finds the perfect equilibrium between Gothic atmospheres and the beautiful color technique, in a very good mix between old style and modern (for its time) technology. The suspense is superbly handled and while the slow pacing of the film may turn off modern viewers, it is vital for the shock and power of the two crucial final scenes.

Like Cronenberg's remake, the movie's main theme is love, but unlike the modern version, here the focus is on Andre's wife Helene, who must face her fears in order to save her husband of the cruel fate his accident unleashed. Neumann carefully builds up the relationships between characters in a way that makes us care for them, making the fatal accident even more dreadful and frightening as the family's life will never be the same after it.

Patricia Owens is terrific as the main character, and it is her character the one that carries the film. She is perfect as the woman who would do anything to save the man she loves, and her performance transmits the emotions of despair and angst in a very believable way. David Hedison is very good as Andre, and while at first he seems quite average, his performance as the mute monster is outstanding. Vincent Price may be only a supporting actor here, and in a very different role than we are used to see him. However, he delivers his lines with his usual charm and his presence fits perfectly the classy elegance Neumann crafted in the film.

Of course, one has to talk about the special effects, as this is where the movie has dated the most. Nowadays, and thanks to the silly make-up used in the following sequels, the Fly's make-up is seen as clumsy instead of grotesque and its impact has been enormously diminished; however, it is safe to say that contrary to its sequels, here they still work, thanks to Neumann's choice of showing them only in the crucial moments. Depsite being clumsy and silly for today's standards, "The Fly"'s special effects still manage to give the scares.

"The Fly" has been definitely overshadowed by its superior remake, however, this film still has a lot of power and despite having two silly films as sequels, this one has a characteristic that makes it stand out among the rest, it has that class and elegance that old Gothic horrors of the 30s had. It is a shame that Neumann didn't live to see the success of "The Fly", but at least he finally got the chance to show his talents in this powerful horror movie. 8/10

In Montreal, the industrial François Delambre (Vincent Price) is called late night by his sister-in-law Helene Delambre (Patricia Owens). She tells him that she has just killed her beloved husband Andre Delambre (Al Hedison), using the press of their plant to press his head and left hand. François calls his acquaintance, Inspector Charas (Herbert Marshall), and later the reluctant Helene is convinced to tell them what happened. She explains that François had invented a matter transportation apparatus, and while experimenting with himself, a fly entered the chamber, exchanging one hand and the head with him after the transference.

"The Fly" is one of my favorite classic movies of the 50's. The story is great, blending romance, sci-fi and horror, and the narrative, through flashback, keeps the mystery alive until the last scene, when the fly with white head is finally found in a spider web screaming for help. I like very much the dialog when Inspector Charas smashes the spider and the fly with a stone, and François tells him that he is as killer as Helene is, since he killed a man-fly and Helene a fly-man. My vote is ten.

Title (Brazil): "A Mosca da Cabeça Branca" ("The Fly of the White Head")

In looking over the long successful screen life of Vincent Price, we notice there are monumental stepping stones which placed him in the uppermost category as the King of Fright. This is one of those special films catapulting his star upwards to become a household word. True, the star of "The Fly" was David Hedison (Also known as Al Hedison) who plays the ambitious scientist Andre Delambre, out to invent the world's first Transporter machine, but due to his being seen briefly and only in retrospect, Price as François Delambre takes all the bows. In Hedison's efforts, he forgot Murphy's Law, 'If anything can go wrong it will'. Hedison builds his machine with a warning from his brother who tells him, there are things on Earth which mankind was meant to stay away from. Nevertheless, the machine is completed, Hedison steps into it with tragic consequences, resulting in both physical and moral dilemmas. His supportive but unsuspecting wife Helene Delambre (Patricia Owens) discovers only too late what the consequences are when science experiments go wrong. For the efforts of the director, the stars Herbert Marshall as Insp. Charas and especially for Prices' fans, this has become a first rate Classic. ****

The Fly tells the story of an eager scientist named Andre Delambre. He is happily married and has a son. He has the perfect suburban life. That all changes when he invents a device that can transport inanimate objects, but it has trouble transporting live matter. When he tries it on himself, a fly gets into the chamber with him, and their particles mix up giving Andre the head and arm of a fly, and giving the fly Andre's head and arm.

The Fly isn't an overly terrifying film, but the plot is really interesting. The film starts off as a murder mystery, and slowly evolves into a mix of sci fi and horror as we see the transformed Andre Delambre's mind slowly seep away while being replaced with the fly's. The make-up is really good for a 1950's movie, and it's almost believable that the scientist's head was replaced with a giant fly head.

The characters in the film are all portrayed by great actors of the time, such as David "Al" Hedison as Andre/The Fly and horror master Vincent Price as Andre's brother Francois. The Fly offers up good acting and a great plot and should be recognized for its artistic effect on movies. If you're looking for a classic to watch, pick this up.

7/10

David "Al" Hedison plays poor Andre Delambre, a scientist that loves his work and his family. Andre has created a "Matter Transfer" machine that has great possibilities in helping the world. Only his wife, Helene knows about his work and that knowledge will give her the scare of her life. As with most scientists in movies, Andre decides to experiment on himself which turns out to be the biggest and last mistake in his life. Unbeknown to Andre, a little housefly has flown into the same chamber when he transports himself. The atoms of his body mix with the fly and Andre no longer is the same man that Helene married. A fly-man has been developed. Andre ends up with a fly head and arm. Vincent Price is Andre's brother Francois that has no idea of what causes his sister-in-law to crush or apparently crush his brother's head and arm. Francois must find out the truth, the incredible truth. Can Francois change Andre back into a whole man again? Will Helene be executed for the murder of her husband? Just why does a little housefly with a white head play such a big role in the movie? The ending is one of the really classic scenes that leaves you wondering why spiders exist? Can a spider save the Delambre family? Watch and enjoy.

This classic horror film from 20th Century Fox presents in Cinemascope, the last world in excitement, the last world in thrills.It's a shocking horror movie, campy and very intelligent. It concerns about Andre Dalambre(Al or David Hedison), an obstinate scientific whose flesh is genetically intermixed, turned in the housefly with the head of a man and the man with the head of the fly, via his experimental transportation device who accidentally gets anatomically confused with a fly. Furthermore, his hapless wife(Patricia Owens) suffering misfortunes her husband,the little boy(Charles Herbert), his brother Francois Dalambre( Vincent Price) and a Police Inspector (Herbert Marshall)investigating the weird events .

This is the terror-topper first introduced in the public in the Playboy Magazine and with a splendid screenplay by James Clavell. Both gruesome and touching script is narrated for various flashbacks. This is the best work of Sci-Fi from the 50s , director Kurt Neumann and cameraman Karl Struss, both shoot: ¨Rocket K-1, She-devil and Kronos¨. The director displays the thoughtful provocation and intellectual sense that characterizes all of Kurt Neumann'work.¨The Fly¨ is a perfect example of his work and highlights the dangers of attempting to control and exploit nature. As says the film publicity, for your own good we won't let you see it alone.. unless you sign a waiver in our lobby absolving the management for the unpredictable effects of ¨The Fly¨on your nervous system ! .

Its's spawned by several inferior sequels and followed by a known remake : ¨Return the fly¨(1959, Edward L Bernds),¨Curse the Fly¨(1965, Don Sharp), ¨The Fly¨(1986,David Cronemberg) and ¨The Fly 2¨(1988, Chris Wallas).

Kurt Neumann's "The Fly" is a good, unusual science fiction film. Despite the recent disgusting remakes, Neumann's film manages to be something that Cronenberg's film wasn't: fun.

Cronenberg went out of his way to make such a nauseating film with an icky gooey fly. At least Neumann (working from a script by James Clavell, yes you read that right, the author of Noble House and Shogun wrote this) had the sense to apply logic here: if a man's DNA crossed a fly's, parts would be mixed up, yes. The man would not transform into a fly creature.

Vincent Price stars, despite the fact that he's only in it for about 29 minutes. Nonetheless, he does his usual good job in a thankless role as the brother of "The Fly".

But what makes "The Fly" such a standout feature is not the effects, although they are well done. It's actually about something: people. Most effects movies of today think that it is the effects that are the whole show. Not true. What good are effects if you don't have anyone you care about. That was the big problem about Godzilla 1998, despite the crappy looking monster. My only gripe about this film is that we don't get to know enough about the main character. A little more would have helped.

It's an astonishingly intelligent and logical film for Neumann, whose previous credit was the completely stupifying "Kronos". Anyone who can tell me what the hell that was all about wins a Kewpie Doll.

***1/2 out of 4 stars

Neat, if hokey, "The Fly" does teach us an important lesson about being careful when performing experiments. The plot of course has Montreal scientist Andre Delambre (Al/David Hedison) discovering how to transport matter at light speed, and then transporting himself with a fly, thereby getting its head and claw. Patricia Owens, as Andre's confused wife Helene, truly gives one the impression of someone sinking into desperation. Vincent Price, as Andre's brother Francois, has the same sinister aura that he has in most of his movies, although here he's a good guy. All in all, this is a pretty neat movie. And who could forget that famous line "Help me...help me!"? The 1986 remake was also pretty good.

A scientist working on a matter transporter decides to try his machine out on himself. Little does he know a fly has flown into the transporter with him. This causes him to turn into a freakish man-fly creature. In order to reverse the change he needs the fly that flew into the transporter. So he turns to his wife for help in finding it.

A compelling, suspenseful sci-fi film directed by Kurt Neumann with a script by James Clavell. Despite what many people go into this thinking, Vincent Price does not play the main character in this. He plays the brother of the man who turns himself into a fly-thing, but he's only a supporting character. Price would reprise his role in a sequel to this film. The man-fly scientist this time is played by David Hedison, billed at the time by his first name of Al. Hedison is no Price but he enjoyed a long and steady career from the '50s through the '00s. The female lead is lovely Patricia Owens. This was the biggest role of her career and she makes the most of it. It's through her character's flashbacks that the story of The Fly is told. Really the whole movie rests on her shoulders as Hedison spends a significant amount of time with his head covered or in the fly mask. Venerable Herbert Marshall and child actor Charles Herbert also appear.

The special effects are fun, although they may be laughed at today by the 'too cool for school' crowd. Yes it requires a suspension of disbelief but, come on, it's a monster movie not a National Geographic documentary. Have some fun with it. There are some amazing scenes in this, from the opening at the factory to the revelation scene to that memorable ending. It's easily director Neumann's best work. A true classic that everyone who loves '50s science fiction should see at least once. Followed by a couple of watchable sequels and a 1986 remake by David Cronenberg that is considered by many to be something of a classic itself.

In a Montreal machine shop, scientist Andre Delambre (Al Hedison) is found crush to death with his wife Helene (Patricia Owens) at the controls. She calls to confess to his brother Francois (Vincent Price). With the head crushed, Francois identifies the body with a long scar on his leg. Helene's confession seems suspicious and Andre's basement lab is trashed. Helene seems obsessed with flies and Francois pretends to have captured a white-headed fly. Helene recounts the story to him and Inspector Charas. Andre had succeeded in making a teleportation device.

This is much better than a simple 50's B-movie. The story is actually quite compelling. The acting is relatively good. Vincent Price is playing it straight. The production looks good. The directions are a little stiff which is the style of the day. It is still the story that is so great and the reveal is absolutely iconic.

This enjoyable horror/science-fiction feature is a very nicely done movie that does full justice to one of the best short stories of its genre. James Clavell's adaptation of the George Langelaan story is very well conceived for the screen, the cast does a good job with the characters, and Kurt Neumann's direction makes fine use of the possibilities in the material.

Although the story is a familiar one, one of the classics of its kind, if you happen never to have read it or seen any of the movie versions, it would probably be most enjoyable to go into it without knowing anything at all. But even for those who are very familiar with the various versions of the story, this one still works quite well. One of the things it does particularly well is that it patiently builds up the suspense, and it hints at various possibilities just long enough so that the key developments will have the maximum effect.

Herbert Marshall and Vincent Price work well as the pair who is trying to figure out a very mysterious state of affairs, and Patricia Owens gives her character the right blend of charm and extreme anxiety. As the scientist André, David (Al) Hedison is pretty bland in his earlier scenes, but once the mishap occurs, his gestures and mannerisms work well in conveying his desperation and the fearful possibilities it has brought.

The special effects are wisely used with restraint, and although the story itself is good enough that it does not have to rely on them to have an effect, the visual tricks do look quite good for their time. The movie overall still looks very good, and it deserves its place as one of the most popular movies of its kind.

To begin with, I'm going to skip the normal plot summary. Most people probably know it anyway - a scientist has a horrific accident and turns himself into half man, half fly. And please don't misunderstand what I'm writing – I like and enjoy The Fly. My rating should be proof of that. But am I alone in thinking that The Fly may be a bit overrated? Actually, the term "overrated" is probably the wrong word as I'm not talking about the movie's rating per se. What I mean, is there anyone who cares that is not familiar with the movie or some of the more iconic images from The Fly whether they've seen the movie or not? Sure the movie is great once the creature makes an appearance, but for 2/3 of the film, it's pure melodrama of the worst kind.

Another question I have regarding The Fly, why is this seemingly one of Vincent Price's most beloved movies? He's neither villain nor hero – he's just there. So why all the acclaim for Vincent Price when it come to The Fly? I don't get it.

But what I do understand about The Fly is that regardless of my problems and questions, it's a fun movie that never fails to entertain. The acting is solid and the movie looks great. The Fly actually features some real atmosphere. And I find the unmasking scene second only to the one in The Phantom of the Opera (1925) as far as iconic scenes of this type go. Finally, I'm a huge fan of the special effects. Whether it's the fly's head on the human body or the human head on the fly's body, the special effects are a blast.

I've heard from numerous people, who had witnessed this film as children, that it terrified them to such an extent that they were simple unable to watch it for years afterward. Though time (and David Cronenberg's bloody and brilliant 1986 remake) has hugely diminished its impact on modern audiences, I can certainly see why, upon its initial release, Kurt Neumann's 'The Fly' scared so many people out of their wits.

There are three moments in the film that really got to me – in the first, a hooded Andre Delambre (David Hedison, credited here as Al Hedison) sits at his desk, trying voicelessly to explain to his wife (Patricia Owens) that his experiment has gone horribly wrong, that a fly inside the chamber of his teleportation device has cross-mutated several of their genes together. When she reveals that she unknowingly released the "white-headed fly" that could reverse his hideous mistake, Andre rises angrily from his desk, and we notice that his left hand has been hideously replaced by a hairy insect claw. Immediately, we understand that something truly horrific has happened to Helene's beloved husband.

Until this second moment, Andre has been very careful to keep his appearance hidden from his wife (and from us). At Helene's urging, he agrees to go through the teleportation device again, on the off-chance that it precipitates a reversal in the original transmutation. The procedure offers the audience a momentary glimmer of hope (despite our already knowing Andre's eventual fate), and when Helene suddenly tears off Andre's hood to prove that everything is normal again, we receive quite a horrific shock. A hideous fly's head, complete with glowing red eyes and a quivering proboscis, has taken the place of Andre's. We glimpse Helene's screams of terror through the fly's mosaic compound vision, and we instantly know that the mind behind this vision is doomed.

The third moment is well-known, and long-remembered by all who see this film. After Helene, following her husband's final wish, kills him in the metal press, Andre's brother François (Vincent Price) must find the elusive "white-headed fly" to prove Helene's story to the detective in charge of investigating Andre's death (Herbert Marshall). Helene's young son, Phillipe (Charles Herbert), is the one who eventually finds it. Entangled in a spider web, the fly – with Andre's screaming head protruding from its abdomen! – is about to be attacked by the resident arachnid. Inspector Charis (Marshall) mercifully kills both the spider and the "insect" with a rock. Andre's unimaginable suffering has finally come to an end...

What an absolute classic film! The Fly works from the offset because of the presence of an intriguing mystery, and from there we move on to a classic tale of suspense and mad science. The film is based on a story by George Langelaan, and follows the terrifying idea of an experiment going horribly wrong for the brilliant scientist behind it. This story has spawned numerous other films based on similar ideas, but this is the original and - aside from the eighties remake by David Cronenberg - still the best. The film opens when François Delambre receives a phone call from his sister-in-law, Helene Delambre. She tells François that she has just killed her husband (his brother) in a hydraulic press. The reasons for this tragedy are unclear at first, and after she is declared insane; Helene Delambre decides to recite the tale to her brother-in-law and the police inspector. She tells them of how Andre Delambre built and later became obsessed with a machine that can be used to teleport matter. The problems started for him when he tried to teleport himself, and a fly got into the chamber with him...

This film was one that helped to establish the great Vincent Price as one of the masters of the horror genre. His role here isn't the central one, although he certainly does stand out among the rest of the cast. David Hedison is given the leading man role as the unfortunate scientist, and while he's not bad - he doesn't really convince that he's got much of a brain if you ask me. Patricia Owens is the leading lady, and screams well when needed, while also impressing during the desperate parts where she and her son are frantically looking for a fly. Special effects are obviously important in a film like this, and although the film was hampered by a low budget and the fact that it was made almost fifty years ago, the special effects do still retain their campy 'fun' feel. The Fly is one of the few films to have been bettered by a remake, and while this film is nowhere near as terrifying as the eighties version, it has a great innocence to it and because of the distinct difference in style, the two cannot be compared on the same merits. Overall, this version of 'The Fly' is a great little film and one that must be seen by all lovers of the great horror genre!