The Spider and the Fly

"A New British Thriller of Crime, Detection and Suspense!"

1949 1h 34m EN

👍

6.9

SOLID

★6.9TMDB · 8

CrimeThriller

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

"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

“A New British Thriller of Crime, Detection and Suspense!”

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Cast

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

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Robert Hamer
Writers: Robert Westerby, Robert Westerby
Languages: English
Countries: United Kingdom

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

77 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Robert Hamer, shot by Geoffrey Unsworth. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Georges Auric. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Seth Holt shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Eric Portman and Guy Rolfe and Nadia Gray carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "A New British Thriller of Crime, Detection and Suspense!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0041911 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

Only 8 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Robert Hamer directs. Geoffrey Unsworth behind the camera. Georges Auric scores. Seth Holt cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United Kingdom. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

177 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2Directed by Robert Hamer, shot by Geoffrey Unsworth. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by Georges Auric. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Seth Holt shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Eric Portman and Guy Rolfe and Nadia Gray carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "A New British Thriller of Crime, Detection and Suspense!".
7IMDB entry: tt0041911 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Only 8 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography: Geoffrey Unsworth
Original score: Georges Auric
Editing: Seth Holt
Makeup / hair: Pearl Orton
Runtime: 94 min · 1h 34m
Status: Released
Original language: EN
IMDB: The Spider and the Fly (1949)

Also by

Robert Hamer

Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2022-07-09
★ 7/10
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-cracker, 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.

Production companies