The Spider and the Fly
A New British Thriller of Crime, Detection and Suspense!
1949 | 94m | English
Popularity: 0.5 (history)
| Director: | Robert Hamer |
|---|---|
| Writer: | Robert Westerby |
| Staring: |
| "The Spider and the Fly is set in Paris during the cloud-cuckoo days before WW I. The storyline intertwines the destinies of three people. Guy Rolfe plays Phillipe de Ledocq, a resourceful safecracker who always manages to elude arrest. Eric Portman is cast as police-chief Maubert, who will not rest until Ledocq is behind bars. And Nadia Gray is Madeleine, the woman beloved by both Ledocq and Maubert. Just as Maubert has managed to capture his man, Ledocq is released at the behest of the government, who wants him to steal secrets from the German embassy revealing the whereabouts of the Kaiser's secret agents. And just how does Madeleine figure into all of this? Spider and the Fly is a diverting precursor to the 1960s TV series It Takes a Thief." ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi | |
| Release Date: | Dec 01, 1949 |
|---|---|
| Director: | Robert Hamer |
| Writer: | Robert Westerby |
| Genres: | Crime, Thriller |
| Keywords | |
| Production Companies | J. Arthur Rank Organisation, Mayflower Productions |
| Box Office |
Revenue: $0
Budget: $0 |
| Updates |
Updated: Apr 28, 2024 (Update) Entered: Apr 28, 2024 |
| Name | Character |
|---|---|
| Eric Portman | Fernand Maubert |
| Guy Rolfe | Philippe Lodocq |
| Nadia Gray | Madeleine Saincaize |
| George Cole | Marc, detective |
| Harold Lang | Belfort, the pickpocket |
| Edward Chapman | Minister for War |
| Maurice Denham | Colonel de la Roche |
| John Carol | Jean Louis / Alfred Louis |
| May Hallatt | Monique |
| Arthur Lowe | Town Clerk |
| Sebastian Cabot | Prefect |
| Jeremy Spenser | Jacques |
| Madge Brindley | Jacques' Grandmother |
| Hattie Jacques | Barmaid (uncredited) |
| John Salew | Minister's Secretary |
| James Hayter | Mayor |
| Patrick Young | Captain le Maitre |
| Keith Pyott | Father Pletsier |
| Natasha Sokolova | Nicole Porte |
| Philip Stainton | Café Manager |
| Hal Osmond | Swiss Taxi Driver |
| Alastair Hunter | Watchman at Legation |
| Gerald Andersen | Coding Clerk (uncredited) |
| Andreas Malandrinos | Bank Watchman (uncredited) |
| Charles Paton | Café Schader Waiter (uncredited) |
| Dido Plumb | Blind Beggar (uncredited) |
| Iris Vandeleur | Cleaning Woman (uncredited) |
| Name | Job |
|---|---|
| Robert Westerby | Screenplay, Screenstory |
| Robert Hamer | Director |
| Seth Holt | Editor |
| Georges Auric | Original Music Composer |
| Geoffrey Unsworth | Director of Photography |
| Edward Carrick | Art Direction |
| Ernest Gasser | Makeup Artist |
| Pearl Orton | Hairstylist |
| E.M. Smedley-Aston | Production Manager |
| Don Weeks | Assistant Director |
| Gordon K. McCallum | Sound Mixer |
| Sydney Wiles | Sound Mixer |
| Arthur Ibbetson | Camera Operator |
| Doris Lee | Costume Supervisor |
| Muir Mathieson | Conductor |
| Connie Willis | Continuity |
| Name | Title |
|---|---|
| Aubrey Baring | Producer |
| Organization | Category | Person |
|---|
Popularity History
| Year | Month | Avg | Max | Min |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 1 |
| 2024 | 5 | 3 | 7 | 2 |
| 2024 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| 2024 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 1 |
| 2024 | 8 | 4 | 8 | 1 |
| 2024 | 9 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| 2024 | 10 | 2 | 5 | 1 |
| 2024 | 11 | 2 | 5 | 1 |
| 2024 | 12 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| 2025 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| 2025 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 2025 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2025 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2025 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2025 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2025 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Trending Position
Were it not for the the totally wooden efforts of the very tall Guy Rolfe ("Lodocq") this could have been a really good little crime drama. As it is, though, it's still a good story with two distinct parts - the first sees police chief "Maubert" (Eric Portman) trying to apprehend a successful safe-c ... racker, the second sees him team up with his erstwhile nemesis to work together to thwart the Bosch in France during the early stages of the Great War. Good sharp writing, tensely directed with enjoyable contributions from Nadia Gray ("Madeleine"), Edward Chapman as the no nonsense Interior Minister and a young George Cole as Portman's sergeant sidekick "Marc". It is a little more than just a routine crime caper; it tries to demonstrate that all things being equal even a criminal and a policeman can work together when the fate of their nation is in jeopardy. Robert Hamer manages to keep a sense of fun and jeopardy prevailing for much of this characterful film. A shame Rolfe's talent couldn’t raise to the same heights as his head - but still, a good watch this.