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Kurt Neumann (5 April 1908 – 21 August 1958) was a German-born film director who specialized in science fiction movies in his later career.
Kurt Neumann was a German-born filmmaker who worked in Hollywood from 1931 to 1958. He directed and wrote sci-fi, horror and western movies, such as Rocketship X-M, The Fly and She Devil.
- Director, Writer, Producer
- April 5, 1908
- Kurt Neumann
- August 21, 1958
Kurt Robert Neumann (born October 9, 1961) is an American singer, guitarist, and songwriter. He is a co-founder of the roots-rock band BoDeans.
Kurt Neumann was a German Hollywood film director who specialized in science fiction movies. He directed The Fly, Rocketship X-M, and several Tarzan films, among others.
- Plot
- Production
- Release
- Reception
- Other Media
- See Also
- References
- External Links
In Montreal, Quebec, scientist André Delambre is found dead with his head and arm crushed in a hydraulic press. His wife Hélène confesses to the crime, but refuses to provide a motive, and begins acting strangely. In particular, she is obsessed with flies, including a supposedly white-headed fly. André's brother, François, lies and says he caught t...
Development
Producer-director Kurt Neumann discovered the short story by George Langelaan in Playboy magazine. He showed it to Robert L. Lippert, head of 20th Century Fox's subsidiary B-moviestudio, Regal Pictures. The film was to be made by Lippert's outfit, but was released as an "official" Fox film, not under the less-prestigious Regal banner. Lippert hired James Clavell to adapt Langelaan's story on the strength of a previous sci-fi spec script at RKO, which had never been produced. It became Clavell...
Casting
Lippert tried to cast Michael Rennie and Rick Jason in the role of André Delambre, before settling on then mostly unknown David Hedison (billed as "Al Hedison" on-screen). Hedison's "Fly" costume featured a 20-pound (9.1 kg) fly's head, about which he said: "Trying to act in it was like trying to play the piano with boxing gloves on". Hedison was never happy with the makeup, but makeup artist Ben Nye remained very positive about his work, writing years later that despite doing many subsequent...
Filming
Sources vary as to the budget, with one giving it as $350,000, another as $325,000, and others as high as $495,000. The shoot lasted 18 days in total. Lippert said the budget was $480,000. Photographic effects were handled by L. B. Abbott, with makeup by Ben Nye. It was photographed in 20th Century Fox's trademarked CinemaScope with color by Deluxe. A $28,000 laboratory set was constructed from army surplusequipment.
Theatrical
The Fly was released in July 1958 by 20th Century Fox. Producer-director Kurt Neumann died only a few weeks after its premiere, never realizing he had made the biggest hit of his career. One source claims it was on a double bill with Space Master X-7.
Box office
The film was a commercial success, grossing $3 million at the domestic box office against a budget less than $500,000, and becoming one of the biggest hits of the year for Fox studios. It earned $1.7 million in theatrical rentals.Lippert claimed it earned $4 million. The film's financial success had the side effect of boosting co-star Vincent Price (whose previous filmography featured only scattered forays into genre film) into a major horror star. Price himself was positive about the film, s...
Critical response
Upon its initial release, The Fly received mixed reviews. Critic Ivan Butler called the film "the most ludicrous, and certainly one of the most revolting science-horror films ever perpetrated", and Carlos Clarens offered some praise for the effects, but concluded that the film "collapses under the weight of many... questions". The New York Times critic Howard Thompson was more positive, writing: "It does indeed contain, briefly, two of the most sickening sights one casual swatter-wielder ever...
Year-end lists
American Film InstituteLists 1. AFI's 100 Years...100 Thrills– nominated 2. AFI's 100 Years...100 Movie Quotes: "Help me! Help me!" – nominated
Sequels
The film spawned two sequels, Return of the Fly (1959) and Curse of the Fly(1965).
Remake series
A remake, also titled The Fly, was directed by David Cronenberg and released in 1986. A sequel, The Fly II, was released in 1989 without Cronenberg's involvement.
Further reading
1. Warren, Bill. Keep Watching the Skies, American Science Fiction Movies of the 50s, Vol. II: 1958–1962. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, 1986. ISBN 0-89950-032-3.
The Fly at the American Film Institute CatalogThe Fly at IMDbThe Fly at the TCM Movie DatabaseThe Fly at AllMovieKurt Neumann was born on April 5, 1908 in Nuremberg, Bavaria, Germany. He was a director and writer, known for Rocketship X-M (1950), The Fly (1958) and She Devil (1957). He was married to Irma Ely Neumann.
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Kurt Neumann (5 April 1908, Nuremberg, Germany - 21 August 1958, Los Angeles) was a german Hollywood film director who specialized in science fiction movies in his later career. Neumann came to the US in the early talkie era, hired to direct German language versions of Hollywood films.
