Spanish Fly (1975 film)

Impact-Quadrant Films

Company type	Film production and distribution company
Industry	Film production, film distribution
Key people	Peter James, Kent Walwin
Products	Films, including Spanish Fly (1975)
Parent	EMI Films (partial investor)

Spanish Fly is a 1975 British-Spanish comedy film directed by Bob Kellett, featuring performances by Leslie Phillips, Terry-Thomas, and Sue Lloyd.

Plot

Mike Scott, a British fashion designer struggling with impotence, travels to Spain for a photographic assignment. There, he crosses paths with an old school adversary, Sir Percy de Courcy, who has inadvertently mixed an aphrodisiac into the local wine.

Cast

• Leslie Phillips as Mike Scott
• Terry-Thomas as Sir Percy de Courcy
• Graham Armitage as Perkins
• Nadiuska as Julie
• Sue Lloyd as Janet Scott
• Frank Thornton as Doctor Johnson
• Ramiro Oliveros as Juan
• Andrea Allan as Bruce
• Sally Farmiloe as Francesca
• Jaleh Haddah as Annette
• Nina Francis as Isabel
• Sergio Mendizábal as Pons Prades
• Emiliano Redondo as Clean Domingo
• Fernando Villena as Dirty Domingo
• Marisa Porcel as Maria
• José Lifante as Pedro

Development

Impact-Quadrant Films, under the leadership of Peter James and Kent Walwin, primarily focused on funding and distributing horror movies but aimed to break into the British sex comedy genre to rival the popular Carry On Films. After a modest investment in Can You Keep It Up for a Week? (1974) proved profitable, they planned to produce a full-length feature.

Following a Canadian distributor's request for another Leslie Phillips project due to previous success, and with Phillips preparing for a year-long stay in Australia, James and Walwin hastily created a script centered on an escort agency, which was ultimately rejected. Subsequently, they drafted a 110-page treatment over a weekend that became the basis for the final screenplay.

The film's budget of £250,000 was sourced with 40% from EMI Films, 8% from a Spanish firm, and the balance shared among James, his partner, and four English investors including a legal professional. In July 1975, EMI announced its participation in this project as part of a package of six films alongside titles such as Evil Under the Sun (1982) and The Likely Lads (1976). Other accounts mention an eleven-film lineup including Seven Nights in Japan (1970) and Cross of Iron (1977).

Leslie Phillips agreed to lead while in Australia after receiving a call from director Bob Kellett. Although he had reservations about the title, he was enticed by the chance to collaborate with Terry-Thomas and shoot in Spain.

Shooting

Principal photography commenced in July 1975 on Menorca. Director Bob Kellett recalled that Terry-Thomas had cut short his Australian theatre engagement to join the production but was disappointed to find no script upon arrival. Kellett described the shoot as "an exercise in how not to make a movie," noting that producers depended heavily on improvisation rather than following a formal screenplay.

Phillips admitted that filming was challenging, particularly due to Terry-Thomas's deteriorating health, which was later identified as Parkinson's disease. He remembered that early morning interactions with Thomas were sparse since he appeared confused and unsteady, unlike his usual demeanor.

Release

The movie premiered alongside a comprehensive marketing effort, which included a novel adaptation and a promotional track named "Fly Me." The song's title was altered due to BBC regulations restricting the original name.

Box-office

Distribution rights were acquired by 25 different countries. James attributed this international interest to the film’s exotic locations abroad, setting it apart from the usual British sex comedies. Although James intended to produce a follow-up titled French Kiss, the project never came to fruition.

Critical reception

David McGillivray, writing for Monthly Film Bulletin, found Spanish Fly visually attractive but criticized its comedic elements as weak, relying heavily on overused clichés without generating genuine laughter. He also condemned the chaotic ending as dull, even by children's film standards.

In The Observer, Barry Norman branded it as possibly the least amusing British comedy ever created. Gerald Pratley observed that beyond producers seeking Canadian tax advantages, the movie showed no authentic Canadian influence.

Jeremy Aspinall of Radio Times described the film as a dated relic from the 1970s, yet acknowledged the cast’s engaging performances and professionalism despite the risqué material. Meanwhile, Time Out dismissed it as a "terrible comedy" that essentially served as an advertisement for an underwear brand. The costumes featured in the film were designed by Peter Reger.

External links

• Spanish Fly at BFI
• Spanish Fly at ReelStreets