The Fly (1958)
84%RT Audience Score: 71%
Awards & Nominations: Won 1 Oscar
7 wins & 10 nominations total
Deliciouly funny to some and eerily presicient to others, The Fly walks a fine line between shlocky fun and unnerving nature parable
If you’re looking for a movie that will make you squirm, The Fly is the one for you. The special effects are impressive, and the story is both creepy and sad. Plus, who doesn’t love a good Vincent Price performance? Just be prepared to never look at a fly the same way again.
Production Company(ies)
Distributor
20th Century Fox, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, Fox
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
John Anderson Charcoal Broiled Hamburgers, 5270 Yonge Street, Willowdale, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
MPAA / Certificate
R
Year of Release
1958
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby Stereo
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Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
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Runtime:1h 34m
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Language(s):English
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Jul 16, 1958 Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 10, 2008
Genre(s)
Horror
Keyword(s)
starring Al Hedison, Patricia Owens, Vincent Price, Herbert Marshall, Kathleen Freeman, Betty Lou Gerson, directed by Kurt Neumann, written by George Langelaan, James Clavell, horror, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Jean Yothers, Noel Murray, Variety Staff, Dave Kehr, Geoff Andrew, Almar Haflidason, Mike Massie, Matt Brunson, Leslie Combemale, Kevin Carr, Paul Chambers, James Plath, MPAA rating, 20th Century Fox, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, Fox, matter transporter, housefly, shlocky fun, unnerving nature parable, science, precision, nightmarish tale, comfortable little family, nagging little buzz, Quebec, French speaking Canada
Worldwide gross: $60,629,159
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $167,984,498
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 789
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 18,318,920
US/Canada gross: $40,456,565
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $112,092,529
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 670
US/Canada opening weekend: $7,007,423
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $19,415,384
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 671
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $15,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $41,560,324
Production budget ranking: 922
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $22,380,234
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $104,043,940
ROI to date (est.): 163%
ROI ranking: 729
Patricia Owens – Helene Delambre
Vincent Price – François Delambre
Herbert Marshall – Insp. Charas
Kathleen Freeman – Emma (Delambre maid)
Betty Lou Gerson – Nurse Andersone
Director(s)
Kurt Neumann
Writer(s)
George Langelaan, James Clavell
Producer(s)
Kurt Neumann, Robert L. Lippert
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
Won 1 Oscar
7 wins & 10 nominations total
Academy Awards
All Critics (41) | Top Critics (7) | Fresh (39) | Rotten (2)
Background music is used effectively and the camera’s shots of the man-fly are startling. For true horror, catch The Fly.
September 25, 2021
Jean Yothers
Orlando Sentinel
TOP CRITIC
The Fly is a study in how the boldness of new discoveries is compromised by science’s need for precision, but it’s also a nightmarish tale of a comfortable little family, and a nagging little buzz.
September 18, 2013 | Rating: 3.5/5
Noel Murray
The Dissolve
TOP CRITIC
One strong factor of the picture is its unusual believability.
March 26, 2009
Variety Staff
Variety
TOP CRITIC
Slightly above average 50s science fiction (1958), enlivened by a nearly literate script by James Clavell.
September 25, 2007
Dave Kehr
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
Clavell’s script successfully treads a fine line between black comedy and po-faced seriousness.
January 26, 2006
Geoff Andrew
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
A sad story of considerable pathos despite the ridiculous plot.
December 9, 2003 | Rating: 3/5
Almar Haflidason
BBC.com
TOP CRITIC
Like the very best monster movies, the creature itself isn’t revealed until very late into the picture.
August 18, 2020 | Rating: 9/10
Mike Massie
Gone With The Twins
The climax (“Help me!”) has given many viewers chills while providing others with chuckles — I’m in the former camp; the primal terror of that situation never fails to move me — and the rest is efficient in its solemnity.
December 15, 2019 | Rating: 3/4
Matt Brunson
Film Frenzy
A must for all monster movie fans.
August 2, 2019
Leslie Combemale
Cinema Siren
It’s the charisma of Vincent Price that really drives this movie and makes it a classic even today.
September 27, 2013 | Rating: 4/5
Kevin Carr
7M Pictures
A bit corny, but mostly a chilling and worthwhile experience. Mother Nature is the bad guy in this tale. The humans are all protagonists. All of them.
September 26, 2013 | Rating: A
Paul Chambers
Movie Chambers
Contemporary horror fans will be struck by how much more dramatic than horrific ‘The Fly’ is.
September 19, 2013 | Rating: 7/10
James Plath
Movie Metropolis…
Plot
An eccentric scientist changes the world with his teleportation technology: when his experiment seems to be going well, Dr. Seth Brundle tests his machine on himself and he gets fused with the worst kind of pest on Planet Earth; The Fly. What is the price of a man playing God? Only Seth knows.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
The film features Vincent Price in a supporting role as Andre Delambre’s brother.
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