The Spider and the Fly

Robert Hamer was the great director of an episode of "Dead of night" and the famous "Kind heart and coronets". The problem is that "the spider and the fly" is real slow, not because of the script enough rich of strange situations and dialogues, but because of a total lack of actors direction, the three main actors are desperatly unexpressive. They are shot from far, and there's a puzzling scene in which two characters are turning back the camera, then the camera shoots too many long time the door when the character has already gone out. Eric Portman and Nadia Gray look really empty, and Guy Rolfe who has a terrific frightening face is too much shot from far, he would have needed close shots. What a pity because Guy Rolfe's character of some kind of Arsène Lupin is really interesting and the end is gripping.

The movie is located in France, mainly Paris, but also Versailles and in the end in Switzerland, I rekon some of the locations are real places in Paris or Versailles but there might be some studio scenes for the Café Michel we often see (serving the inevitable absinthe). Robert Hamer also directed Alec Guiness in 1955 in France in "To Paris with love", in colour on the Champs Elysées. There might be some other good surprises in Robert Hamer's filmography of only 14 movies.

The 'gentleman crook' and his ongoing battle of wits with a police detective has proved to be of immense appeal. Raffles had his Inspector Mackenzie, Lupin his Inspector Ganimard and Simon Templar his Inspector Teal. Here it is the mercurial Ledocq of Guy Rolfe versus the earthy Inspector Maubert of Eric Portman. Although on opposite sides of the law theirs is a very interesting relationship based on mutual admiration and is further complicated by their being rivals for the enigmatic Madeleine of Nadia Gray. However, a cruelly ironic twist of Fate thwarts them both.........

Films set in Europe featuring English actors seldom ring true but this is a glorious exception. Both Portman and Rolfe, whose career alas was hampered by tuberculosis, are first class. Excellent support from Edward Chapman and Maurice Denham. It is of course the lovely Miss Gray who supplies the exotic touch.

Based by writer Robert Westerby on a story related to him by a member of the French police, this film is atmospherically shot by Geoffrey Unsworth and marks an impressive editorial debut by Seth Holt.

Although no doubt considered a 'minor' work of Robert Hamer this is extremely entertaining. It typifies Hamer's flair, distinctive visual style and what one critic astutely called 'his bitter intelligence'.

A committed and cunning detective (Portman) is out to catch his nemesis and a man he respects - sophisticated burglar, Rolfe. During his investigations he falls in love with Rolfe's confederate (Gray), who in turn worships Rolfe. This triangle of love and crime comes to a head when WWI breaks out and Rolfe's skills could now become very useful.

Enjoyable thriller / drama focussing on 3 people who rather like / love each other, but how will it all get resolved. The characters are perhaps a bit cold and underdeveloped but the acting, particularly from Portman is strong and it has a playful, sometimes witty script.

Eric Portman is a French police inspector who is used to committing the professional bank robber Guy Rolfe, he has done that a number of times and knows him well, so when in 1916 in the middle of the war a special burglar job is needed in the German legation in Berne, Switzerland, Eric recommends Rolfe, who gets the job. The complication is that they both love the same woman, a certain Madeleine (Nadia Gray), a fact which involves some unforeseen circumstances.

The story is very thought-provoking, there is a toch of tragedy to it as well, Portman and Rolfe are both at their best, and they team very well together.

Police inspector Eric Portman (Maubert) is permanently on the case of gentleman thief Guy Rolfe (Philippe), who is a character similar to David Niven's gentleman thief in the original "Pink Panther" film. The film is set in France just before World War 1 and we watch Portman and Rolfe play out a cat-and-mouse game as various robberies are carried out. Nadia Gray (Madeleine) plays the love interest for our two male leads. She is part of Rolfe's crooked network and Portman is constantly at her to shatter Rolfe's alibis. An undercover operation finally finds Rolfe caught in the act but the outbreak of war leads to new priorities and Portman asks for his old adversary to be released from prison to assist France in stealing some important documents from Switzerland. The film then turns into a buddy-buddy movie as these two characters work together to complete their mission. Can they succeed?

I really enjoyed this film. The acting is good and Portman (representing detection) and Rolfe (representing crime) are extremely likable in their roles and play off each other with a camaraderie that will have you relishing in them working together in the latter part of the film. The dialogue is good throughout and not one scene is wasted. An amusing occasion occurs when Portman arrests Rolfe and they go into a bar on the way to jail to share a cognac together. Portman pays way in excess of the cost of the drink and when this is pointed out by the barmaid, he replies that it is for the glasses as well at which point both Portman and Rolfe smash their glasses onto the floor. It's amusing and it strengthens the bond between them. I dare you to try it next time you have a drink in a bar.

There are a couple of twists at the end which are quite moving. It's a good film to keep and watch again.