The Fly at 50 [Paperback]

Diane Kachmar (Author), David Goudsward (Author), David Hedison (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 31, 2008

"Help me! Help me!" Andre Delambre is a devoted husband, a loving father and a brilliant scientist. When his body is found in his laboratory with his arm and head crushed by a hydraulic press, his wife Helene admits to having killed him. Believing Helene incapable of such a crime, Andre's brother slowly uncovers the truth - that an experiment with Andre's new teleportation device went horribly wrong and Andre persuaded Helene to assist him in suicide. When the American Film Institute distributed a ballot with 400 nominated movie quotes to a jury of over 1500 film industry figures, the abovequote came in 123rd. But this film's influence extends far beyond a simple quote. The movie's concept, ending and the quote have permeated pop culture from 1958 to The Simpsons to a 2008 opera based on a 1986 film remake by David Cronenberg. The original movie The Fly was the surprise hit on 1958. Shot in 18 days at a cost of $450,00 dollars, it brought in $6 million, which at time when Fox Studios was in desperate need of a hit. It was the biggest box office film of director Kurt Neumann but he would never know - he died one month after the premiere (a week before the movie was released nationally). This film made a star of David Hedison and cemented Vincent Price's place among the horror film immortals. It is more than a tale of science gone wrong and hideous mutants. It is a film classic, the rare perfect blending of story, cast and crew, with the fantastic elements in sync with the universality of Andre's struggle with what he had hoped to do with this technology and what actually happened to him. That struggle touches everyone who has ever watched this film and why, after 50 years, it remains a classic. Complete with reminiscences from the film's star, David Hedison, this book covers the history and legacy of this seminal science fiction film.

Product Details

• Paperback: 204 pages
• Publisher: BearManor Media (October 31, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1593933150
• ISBN-13: 978-1593933159
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #676,867 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

David Goudsward is the author of numerous articles on genealogy and New England megalithic sites as well as the books America's Stonehenge: The Mystery Hill Story (2003), Ancient Stone Structures of New England (2006) and the Westford Knight and Henry Sinclair (2010).

Current projects include a history of the Dighton Rock and a study of the evolution a central PA folk figure.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Great Idea -- Poorly Executed, July 14, 2010

By 

Doug Buseck (Torrance, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Fly at 50 (Paperback)

Kachmar and Goudsward's "The Fly at Fifty" is a must-read for all fans of the original 1958 classic film, albeit a frustrating read. Written for Fly aficionados, the book contains some great content regarding the career of David Hedison, along with a nice foreword by the likeable actor. Towards the end of the foreword, however, is the first of what readers will have to suffer through as they make their way through each chapter: errors in the text.

One might say the book was poorly edited, but no editor is referenced, and no evidence of editing is apparent. I have never read a book that contained so many typographical errors. There is a misspelled word, missing word, extra erroneous word or poorly written passage on almost every page. This is not an exaggeration.

While including George Langelaan's original short story is a real bonus and a celebration of a great, original idea, unfortunately, the lack of editorial review results in a flawed presentation of that story. Again, readers will find missing words within the text! A comparison of the text within Kachmar and Goudswards's book to another copy of the short story confirms that the version reproduced within "The Fly at Fifty" is flawed. This is really too bad, as one would hope that the original story would be treated better.

The lack of editorial oversight taints what otherwise would be an enjoyable read. For forgiving fans only.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must have for fans of The Fly, April 2, 2010

By 

Atomic Rayguns (Denver, Co) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Fly at 50 (Paperback)

This book is an amazingly in depth resource for fans of the original Fly trilogy. It gives insight into all aspects of the production of the 1958 The Fly down to the stories of the various crew members and actors. There is even a section on Fly merchandise and how it has influenced culture. It's also filled with many B&W photos.

3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars fly at 50 book review, November 4, 2008

By 

MVR "fly fan" (ny, ny usa) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Fly at 50 (Paperback)

I really enjoyed "the fly at 50" . The behind the scenes talk and the opinion of David Hedison was really nice. Funny how "The Fly" is now a real classic flim and is looked at by other film makers to follow.

The pictures were really nice also. I would recommend this book for anyone who enjoyed the sci-fi films of the 50's.