Growing up on Long Island I always passed Mr. Geegan's stately ranch house with the fine trimmed shrubbery and a lawn jockey in front. I would also hear a deep eerie sound of a dog barking from their backyard. It would sometimes startle me as I wondered what kind of animal was hidden from view. Mr Geegan never ever took the dog out front. To my knowledge I have never ever seen the dog . One day Mr. Geegan gave my friend Steve a proposition to feed the creature twice a day for two weeks in exchange for a nice chunk of change as Mr. G. headed for a rare vacation. Steve dared me to go into the backyard as the growling and barks got louder. There stood the animal in a makeshift cage enclosed with chicken wire and a small opening to put food into. It looked like a wolf Shepard mix as the animal circled hastily back and forth looking at me as if I was a piece of meat. Steve poured water and dry dog chow into a bowl. The dog came towards the opening showing his sharp fangs and foam around the gums. I was frightened as if the dog was ready to break out of the cage at any moment. I diverted the dog to the opposite side of the cage. Steve slid the food and water ever so slowly into an open space of the cage as the beast lunged forward toward the opening . Steve slammed the makeshift door shut just a that split second. The dog devoured the food in seconds but in truth the beast wanted US as the main course which leads to our review of Curse of the Fly. Shot in cost efficient black and white, the third installment of "The Fly franchise". The movie starts out with a Woman Breaking out of a building in her underwear. Meanwhile conveniently, a handsome Canadian, Martin Delambre (George Baker) driving in a sports car, sees this woman and picks her up. Already this movie has me beguiled. The woman Patricia Stanley doesn't tell our chivalrous driver where she came from as unanswered questions turn to a quick romance between the two parties. They quicky get married. Martin Delambre is part of a scientific experiment along with his Father Henri (Brian Donlevy) and his other brother Albert (Michael Graham) across the pond in England operating the other half of their prize invention the "teleporter." Everyone in this movie has issues or nasty baggage. This movie has everything, romance, violence, deception, trouble with aging rapidly, travel issues and comedy. The Delambre estate which includes creepy house servants and a hall of shame. The hall of shame is a row of enclosed horse stalls with freaks from earlier failed experiments. One of those tragic failures is Martin's wife Judith (Mary Manson) who is let out at night and practices the piano with the use of her good arm under the guidance of Asian servant Wan (Yvettte Rees) as she struggles with a piano piece "Chopsticks". What grabs your attention is the problems with passports, bigamy, police investigations, escaped metal patient and health issues of a different kind. While watching this movie unfold I fantasized. This movie had the makings of a science fiction soap opera and could of dragged on week by week for my personal enjoyment. Ironically, actor Brian Donlevy in parts of this film showed his comedic timing as he explained during a family dinner how he traveled so quickly to an inquiring future Daughter-In-Law. Feeding time at the stalls are my favorite scenes as each freak tries to get out. Reminded me of feeding Mr. Geegan's dog. Just a shocking laugh out loud movie which I found this to be entertaining with so many problems by comparison of the other two previous "Fly" themed films. Back to my story about the neighborhood beast. Steve successfully fed the animal without repercussions for the following two weeks. The last I checked he had both of his arms and half a left pinky.
Review of Curse of the Fly
