Curse of the Fly
Encyclopedia
Curse of the Fly is the second and final sequel to the 1958 version of The Fly
. It was released in 1965, and unlike the other films in the series was produced in England. Directed by Don Sharp
. Screenplay by Harry Spalding. Starring Brian Donlevy
, George Baker
, Carole Gray, Burt Kwouk
, Yvette Rees
, Michael Graham, Judy Manson, Charles Carson
. 86 minutes.
This film was rarely seen for many years, as it was the only entry in the entire Fly film franchise that did not receive a videotape
or laserdisc
release. It did not receive its home video premiere until 2007, when it was released in a boxed set with the original series of films.
one night when he sees a running young girl in her underwear by the name of Patricia Stanley (Gray). They fall in love and are soon married. However, they both hold secrets: she has recently escaped from a mental asylum; he and his father Henri (Donlevy) are engaged in radical experiments in teleportation
, and they have already had horrific consequences. Martin also suffers recessive fly genes which cause him to age rapidly and he needs a serum to keep him young.
In a rambling mansion in rural Quebec, they have successfully teleported people between there and London. However there had been many failures producing horribly disfigured and mad people who are locked up in the stables. Martin's first wife is one of them. The police and keeper of the asylum trace Stanley to the Delambre place where they find out she has married Martin but it comes out that he had a previous wife whom he did not divorce. Inspector Charas, who had investigated Andre Delambre and is now an old man in the hospital, tells the policeman about the Delambre family and their experiments.
As the police begin to close in, a mixture of callousness and madness afflicts the Delambres and people are killed and more monstrosities are produced. The Asian couple (Burt Kwouk
and Yvette Rees
) who were helping them have had enough and leave. Martin sends Henri to London not knowing the reintegrater has been destroyed and Stanley has had enough and she tries to escape. Martin tries to stop her but starts aging again and he is without his serum so he dies. The police arrive.
The film ends with the words: "Is this the end?"
, the backstory used for Curse of the Fly does not match the continuity of the first two films. It does, however, build its narrative on elements and characters from those films.
Curse of the Fly centers on Henri and Martin Delambre, identified as the son and grandson of the Andre Delambre character depicted in The Fly. Andre's invention of a teleportation device and subsequent accidental integration with a housefly remain within the backstory. However, his resultant assisted suicide is removed; instead, his son — apparently a different character from the boy Phillipe Delambre depicted in The Fly — was able to put both the altered man and the altered fly back into the teleportation chamber and successfully reverse the integration, as was done with an adult Phillipe in Return of the Fly. The dialogue within Curse of the Fly contains no mention of Phillipe, although a picture shown in the film, which is supposed to be of Andre in his altered form from The Fly, is actually a still photo from Phillipe's transformation in Return of the Fly.
The Fly (1958 film)
The Fly is a 1958 American science-fiction horror film, directed by Kurt Neumann. The screenplay was written by James Clavell , from the short story "The Fly" by George Langelaan...
. It was released in 1965, and unlike the other films in the series was produced in England. Directed by Don Sharp
Don Sharp
Donald Sharp is a British film director.His most famous films were made for Hammer Studios in the sixties, and included The Kiss of the Vampire and Rasputin, the Mad Monk . Also in 1965 he directed The Face of Fu Manchu, based on the character created by Sax Rohmer, here played by Christopher Lee...
. Screenplay by Harry Spalding. Starring Brian Donlevy
Brian Donlevy
Brian Donlevy was an Irish-born American film actor, noted for playing tough guys from the 1930s to the 1960s. He usually appeared in supporting roles. Among his best known films are Beau Geste and The Great McGinty...
, George Baker
George Baker (actor)
George Baker, MBE was an English actor and writer. He was best-known for portraying Tiberius in I, Claudius, and Inspector Wexford in The Ruth Rendell Mysteries.-Personal life:...
, Carole Gray, Burt Kwouk
Burt Kwouk
Burt Kwouk OBE , born Herbert Kwouk, is an English actor of Chinese descent, known for many television appearances and for his role as Cato in the Pink Panther films.-Career:...
, Yvette Rees
Yvette Rees
Yvette Rees is a Welsh actress that appeared in many TV series and several noteworthy films in the 1960's. In the mid 1970's she moved to Australia where she continued to work on TV and film until 1979 when she appears to have retired...
, Michael Graham, Judy Manson, Charles Carson
Charles Carson (actor)
-Selected filmography:* The Loves of Ariane * Dreyfus * Many Waters * Marry Me * The Chinese Puzzle * Monsieur Albert * Men of Tomorrow * Leap Year...
. 86 minutes.
This film was rarely seen for many years, as it was the only entry in the entire Fly film franchise that did not receive a videotape
Videotape
A videotape is a recording of images and sounds on to magnetic tape as opposed to film stock or random access digital media. Videotapes are also used for storing scientific or medical data, such as the data produced by an electrocardiogram...
or laserdisc
Laserdisc
LaserDisc was a home video format and the first commercial optical disc storage medium. Initially licensed, sold, and marketed as MCA DiscoVision in North America in 1978, the technology was previously referred to interally as Optical Videodisc System, Reflective Optical Videodisc, Laser Optical...
release. It did not receive its home video premiere until 2007, when it was released in a boxed set with the original series of films.
Plot
Martin Delambre (Baker) is driving to MontrealMontreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
one night when he sees a running young girl in her underwear by the name of Patricia Stanley (Gray). They fall in love and are soon married. However, they both hold secrets: she has recently escaped from a mental asylum; he and his father Henri (Donlevy) are engaged in radical experiments in teleportation
Teleportation
Teleportation is the fictional or imagined process by which matter is instantaneously transferred from one place to another.Teleportation may also refer to:*Quantum teleportation, a method of transmitting quantum data...
, and they have already had horrific consequences. Martin also suffers recessive fly genes which cause him to age rapidly and he needs a serum to keep him young.
In a rambling mansion in rural Quebec, they have successfully teleported people between there and London. However there had been many failures producing horribly disfigured and mad people who are locked up in the stables. Martin's first wife is one of them. The police and keeper of the asylum trace Stanley to the Delambre place where they find out she has married Martin but it comes out that he had a previous wife whom he did not divorce. Inspector Charas, who had investigated Andre Delambre and is now an old man in the hospital, tells the policeman about the Delambre family and their experiments.
As the police begin to close in, a mixture of callousness and madness afflicts the Delambres and people are killed and more monstrosities are produced. The Asian couple (Burt Kwouk
Burt Kwouk
Burt Kwouk OBE , born Herbert Kwouk, is an English actor of Chinese descent, known for many television appearances and for his role as Cato in the Pink Panther films.-Career:...
and Yvette Rees
Yvette Rees
Yvette Rees is a Welsh actress that appeared in many TV series and several noteworthy films in the 1960's. In the mid 1970's she moved to Australia where she continued to work on TV and film until 1979 when she appears to have retired...
) who were helping them have had enough and leave. Martin sends Henri to London not knowing the reintegrater has been destroyed and Stanley has had enough and she tries to escape. Martin tries to stop her but starts aging again and he is without his serum so he dies. The police arrive.
The film ends with the words: "Is this the end?"
Backstory
Although a sequel to the The Fly and Return of the FlyReturn of the Fly
Return of the Fly is the first sequel to the 1958 horror film The Fly. It was released in 1959, and directed by Edward Bernds. Unlike the preceding film, Return of the Fly was shot in black and white. The film was followed by another sequel in 1965, Curse of the Fly.-Plot:Phillipe Delambre is...
, the backstory used for Curse of the Fly does not match the continuity of the first two films. It does, however, build its narrative on elements and characters from those films.
Curse of the Fly centers on Henri and Martin Delambre, identified as the son and grandson of the Andre Delambre character depicted in The Fly. Andre's invention of a teleportation device and subsequent accidental integration with a housefly remain within the backstory. However, his resultant assisted suicide is removed; instead, his son — apparently a different character from the boy Phillipe Delambre depicted in The Fly — was able to put both the altered man and the altered fly back into the teleportation chamber and successfully reverse the integration, as was done with an adult Phillipe in Return of the Fly. The dialogue within Curse of the Fly contains no mention of Phillipe, although a picture shown in the film, which is supposed to be of Andre in his altered form from The Fly, is actually a still photo from Phillipe's transformation in Return of the Fly.