A beloved, enduring, and iconic monster movie
What do you get when you blend a bevy of primal fear, groundbreaking underwater cinematography, a large dose of humanity, and one of cinema’s most iconic monsters? There's only one answer, “Creature from the Black Lagoon”. This beautifully shot science fiction horror film showcases human nature in both man and beast with continuous suspense as it touches, frightens, and thrills. A pop culture phenomenon, it revitalized the horror genre and inspired (and continues to inspire) legions of sci-fi and horror films, TV shows, directors, and more. Rolling Stone magazine named it the 89th Best Horror Movie of All-Time, and it’s just one of a half dozen or so films my father insisted I watch as a kid. I loved it then and still love it now. This fun classic is one you won’t want to miss.
By all means this film shouldn’t work – it’s a low-budget B movie (see my post on “The Fly” for more on B movies) that repeats many familiar elements from the early 1930's Golden Age of Horror, including a beauty and the beast theme, a scientist, and a monster. But “Creature from the Black Lagoon” transforms the familiar into a fresh and unique experience. Not only does it have a bit more depth than your average sci-fi horror flick, but it also boasts a fantastic soundtrack, exotic locales above and below the water, eye candy for everyone (in the form of a beautiful leading lady who’s a total knockout in a bathing suit and two hunks running around shirtless most of the time), and of course, a mythic monster. What more could anyone want from movie entertainment?!
The story's set far in the upper reaches of the Amazon where geologist “Dr. Carl Maia” is digging in a limestone deposit dating back to the Devonian Age (Age of Fishes), and comes upon a strange and enormous fossilized hand with claws and webbed fingers. Uncertain what it is, he takes it to his friend, ichthyologist “Dr. David Reed”. Having never seen anything like it before, “David” and his colleagues are so intrigued they decide to help “Carl” excavate the rest of the skeleton. The expedition consists of “Carl”, “David”, and "David’s” coworkers “Kay Lawrence” (who's also his girlfriend), “Dr. Edwin Thompson”, and their boss, “Dr. Mark Williams”.
The group trudges along the Amazon in a rickety boat captained by "Lucas" and his bare-bone crew to a place locals call the Black Lagoon, which they say is paradise, only "nobody has ever come back to prove it". Before they know it, they’re face to face with a hand identical to the fossil, only it's attached to a giant living, breathing, scaly creature that’s part-man and part-fish. “David” wants to photograph and study this life form, “Mark” wants to profit from it, and the creature wants to be left alone and will kill anyone that threatens it. And all three happen to be smitten with “Kay”.
What ensues is an ultra-fun, super thrilling, and highly entertaining sci-fi horror movie that provides thought-provoking fodder on themes of loneliness, survival, and fear of the unknown. It also touches on the clash between man and nature, in particular, the ethics of monetary gain at nature's expense, as seen in the conflict between “David”, who wants to make sure the creature isn’t harmed so science can learn from it, and “Mark”, whose only goal is to profit from it regardless if it lives or dies.
The genesis for the film came at a dinner party. Actor William Alland was part of Orson Welles’ Mercury Theater troupe, and at a dinner gathering at Welles’ house, he heard cinematographer Gabriel Figueroa recount a South American legend about a half-man half-fish that would come out of the Amazon River once a year to steal a maiden. That story stuck with Alland.
Cut to 1951 and Alland has given up acting and turned to film producing at Universal Pictures. Having teamed with film director Jack Arnold on the 1953 hit sci-fi horror "It Came from Outer Space” (Universal’s first 3D film), the studio requested the team make another 3D sci-fi horror flick, and that’s when Alland remembered Figueroa's tale. He combined it with inspiration from the 1933 film “King Kong”, called it “The Sea Monster”, and hired Maurice Zimm to write a treatment based on the idea. In the end, Harry Essex and Arthur Ross adapted it into the final screenplay which became "Creature from the Black Lagoon”.
The very smart script mixed familiar horror elements with current 1950's science fiction themes of outer space and aliens. Notice how the film opens with the big bang and formation of the earth, and slyly makes the creature and lagoon surrogates for aliens and outer space. As “David” tells “Mark”: “We’ve just begun to learn about the water and its secrets, just as we’ve only touched on outer space. We don’t entirely rule out the possibility that there might be some form of life on other planets, then why not some extremely different form of life in a world we already know is inhabited by millions of living creatures?”. It’s such a skillful way to plausibly endow a horror film with the endless possibilities found in science fiction.
What truly makes “Creature from the Black Lagoon” stand as a certified classic is the creature itself. Though it's the embodiment of our primal fears of the unknown, at its core, the creature is quite human and one can’t help but sympathize with it. Marylin Monroe said it best in the 1955 movie “The Seven Year Itch” as her character leaves a screening of "Creature from the Black Lagoon” and says: "Didn't you just love the picture? I did. But I just felt so sorry for the creature... I think he just craved a little affection, you know, a sense of being loved and needed and wanted”. How often is that said about a monster? I’ll talk about the look of the creature and a few more of the film’s technical aspects in the TO READ AFTER VIEWING section so I don’t spoil any magic for first time viewers.
The most famous scene in “Creature from the Black Lagoon” exemplifies the creature’s humanity. It’s when it first spots “Kay” swimming in the water. Instantly fascinated by this shapely woman, the creature secretly swims underneath her to get a good look, mirroring her moves in what reads as a tender pas de deux. Intrigued, the creature longs to touch her, reaching to caress her feet. It’s an eerily poetic, unsettlingly beautiful, and surprisingly tender sequence that highlights the creature’s very human longing. It also illustrates the aura of mystery, sense of foreboding, and passionate yearning that make this film one of a kind.
“Creature from the Black Lagoon’s” unusual sensitivity and lyrical qualities came from director Jack Arnold. He had a gift for generating emotion and suspense through visual compositions (like the evocatively surprising shot of tiger sharks swimming as “Kay” appears behind them), and was genius at making outlandish stories grippingly believable, and this film cemented his status as one of the greatest science fiction film directors of the 1950s. Like “Creature from the Black Lagoon”, Arnold made stimulating, almost poetic, story-driven films with unexpected depth in which all horror and special effects organically arise from the narrative. One example is the water ballet mentioned above. You’ll also see that all terror in the film (such as the creature’s hand coming through a tent or porthole) is horror-film scary but also logical. As Arnold said about the creature (as quoted by film historian Tom Weaver): “Inherent in the character is the statement that all of us have violence within, and if provoked, are capable of any bizarre retaliation. If left alone and understood, that’s when we overcome the primeval urges we’re all cursed with. Man’s inhumanity to man means not only man’s inhumanity to his own kind, but to anything else, especially something that’s very different from himself… My objective was primarily to entertain, but I also wanted to say something. If ten percent of the audience grasped it, then I was very successful”.
"Creature from the Black Lagoon" was Arnold's fourth directed feature film. He scored his first sci-fi horror hit the year before with "It Came from Outer Space", and after “Creature from the Black Lagoon”, directed its first sequel, "Revenge of the Creature”. His other sci-fi horror classics include "Tarantula", and what is generally considered his masterpiece, 1957's "The Incredible Shrinking Man”. His work defined the genre for years to come. You can read more about the life and career of Jack Arnold in my post on "The Incredible Shrinking Man”, just click on the film title to open it.
A groundbreaking aspect of “Creature from the Black Lagoon” was its underwater cinematography. A portable camera was made and used, and the mobile underwater shots were new to 1954 audiences. These sequences add a lot of tension (one can’t help but wonder what’s swimming just out of frame), and remain exquisitely exciting even today. The film was originally released in both 2D and 3D (3D largely only in big downtown theaters), and reportedly, in 3D everything underwater looked like it was floating in space.
Being a low-budget movie, some of the music in “Creature from the Black Lagoon” was recycled from other Universal films, but three composers were hired to add original music: Henry Mancini (whose score includes the love music); Hans J. Salter (whose contribution includes the music heard over the opening and closing credits); and Herman Stein (who wrote the film’s famous “creature theme” heard whenever the creature appears). The overall score is considered one of the best in sci-fi horror films and has inspired countless scores. One can even hear the famous two-note theme from the 1975 iconic film "Jaws" once or twice (the visuals of "Kay" swimming seem to have influenced "Jaws" as well).
Because of its low cost, no major stars were cast in “Creature form the Black Lagoon” so you won’t find Oscar performances here, but what you will find is a solid cast that make this film credible. And that certainly includes Richard Carlson who stars as "Dr. David Reed”. A dedicated scientist currently looking for a species of lungfish, Carlson effortlessly makes us aware that this man takes his work seriously. In fact, Carlson brings such sincerity and intellect to the role, he makes even farfetched concepts sound plausible, as when he says the fossilized hand is “a clue to an answer”, and goes on about evolution and how the hand can help man figure out how to adapt to living on other planets. His talent at making audiences accept the fantastical led Carlson to become one of the 1950s leading science fiction and horror stars.
With a degree in drama, Minnesota-born Richard Carlson began on stage, opened his own short-lived repertory theater, and moved to California to work at the Pasadena Playhouse before heading to Broadway. While on Broadway, he made one short film, "Desert Death” in 1935, and later signed with David O. Selznick. His film career officially started with 1938's "The Young at Heart". Carlson made up to six films a year, often in prominent, sometimes leading roles, in films like "Dancing Co-Ed", "Hold That Ghost", "The Little Foxes", "A Stranger in Town", and "Presenting Lily Mars". After leaving Hollywood to serve in the Navy during World War II, Carlson had trouble resuming his film career and took to writing while appearing in supporting roles in movies such as "The Amazing Mr. X", "King Solomons' Mines", and "The Sound of Fury". He began appearing on television in 1950, occasionally writing for it as well.
In 1953, Carlson starred in the low-budget science fiction film "The Magnetic Monster”, and over the course of the next two years starrred in more sci-fi horror films, "It Came from Outer Space”, "The Maze”, "Creature from the Black Lagoon”, and 1954's "Riders to the Stars" (which he also directed). The strength of these films turned him into a 1950’s sci-fi icon. In total, Carlson appeared in just over 100 films and TV shows before retiring in 1975, and his other movies include "All I Desire", "The Ghost Breakers", "The Valley of Gwangi", and "Back Street". He also famously starred in the Emmy Award nominated TV series "I Led 3 Lives". Carlson scripted about a dozen films and TV shows, and directed about a dozen and a half. He was married once. Richard Carlson died in 1977 at the age of 65.
Julia Adams stars as "Kay Lawrence", the marine scientist everyone desires. While Adams more than fits the bill with her ultra good looks, she also brings an independent spirit, confidence, and convincing terror (with a mighty scream), making “Kay” that much more interesting. While Adams appeared in approximately fifty films and one hundred TV shows, her most famous role remains "Kay" in "Creature from the Black Lagoon".
Iowa-born Julia Adams (also known as Julie Adams) moved around with her family, and to escape her abusive alcoholic father, left home for California to live with an aunt. Deciding to become an actress, she took acting lessons and made her film debut playing a starlet in 1949's "Red, Hot and Blue”. She followed with a slew of substantial low-budget Poverty Row Westerns until signing with Universal in 1951. Starting with "Bright Victory", Adams appeared in better quality films (still many Westerns), often as the pretty female lead opposite the male star, as in "Bend of the River" opposite James Stewart, "Horizons West" opposite Robert Ryan, "The Lawless Breed" opposite Rock Hudson, and "The Mississippi Gambler" opposite Tyrone Power.
Adams was taken aback when Universal assigned her "Creature from the Black Lagoon" (being put in a low-budget horror film usually meant an actor had been demoted in value), but once she read the script she thought it would be fun, and according to her, it was. Her contract at Universal ended in 1957, after which she worked primarily on television and in just over a dozen more films through 2018, most notably 1965's "Tickle Me" opposite Elvis Presley, and 1974's "McQ" opposite John Wayne. She's been on a plethora of TV shows including “Maverick", "The Andy Griffith Show”, "Night Gallery", and "Lost", and had recurring roles on "The Jimmy Stewart Show" and "Murder, She Wrote". She was married and divorced twice (to writer/producer Leonard Stern and actor Ray Danton). Julie Adams died in 2019 at the age of 92.
Richard Denning plays “Dr. Mark Williams”, who specializes more in fundraising than science. As “Mark” tells his employees: “A find of any real importance can be a great financial value to us also”, adding, "If I sound brash and more like a banker than a scientist, try to remember that it takes money to run an institute like ours”. As such, “Mark” brings up the interesting dilemma of what lengths one will go to for money, which Denning’s convincing portrayal helps us ponder. Though he's been in many films of all sorts, the tall, good-looking Denning is best remembered today for his work in 1950's science fiction horror films.
New York-born, Los Angeles-raised Richard Denning graduated college with a masters degree in business administration. But an interest in acting soon prevailed and he eventually signed with Paramount and began appearing in small and bit parts in films starting with 1937's "Hold 'Em Navy”. Over fifty films later, his career finally began to take off with 1941's "Adam Had Four Sons", the male lead in "West Point Widow", the male lead in 1942's "Beyond the Blue Horizon", and substantial parts in "The Glass Key", "Quiet Please: Murder", and "Ice Capades Revue”. After stopping to serve in the Navy during World War II, film roles didn't come easily after war. Unemployed for eighteen months, he caught and sold lobsters in Malibu. He left Paramount and became independent for the rest of his career. In 1948, Denning landed the title role opposite Lucille Ball on the radio show "My Favorite Husband", which ran until 1951 and was such a success it was revamped as the trailblazing TV show "I Love Lucy", in which (by Ball's insistence) he was replaced by her husband Desi Arnaz.
After the war, Denning’s film career consisted of leading roles in B movies and supporting parts in A films, including a lead in the 1948 horror film "Unknown Island". The success of "Creature from the Black Lagoon" led to more horror and science fiction films, including "Target Earth", "Creature with the Atom Brain", "The Day the World Ended", and "The Black Scorpion”. Denning branched out to TV in 1951, starring in the 1952 series "Mr. & Mrs. North", and most famously played "Governor Paul Jameson" in the classic series "Hawaii Five-O" from 1968 through 1980. He appeared in over 100 films and TV shows in just over forty years, and his other films include "An Affair to Remember", "Twice-Told Tales", "No Man of Her Own", "The Glass Web", and "The Gun That Won the West". Married over forty years to Universal horror film actress Evelyn Ankers (known as "The Queen of the Screamers”), after her death he married again until his death just over ten years later. Richard Denning died in 1998 at the age of 84.
I've previously written about two actors in “Creature from the Black Lagoon”, the first being Antonio Moreno who plays geologist “Dr. Carl Maia”, who we meet at the beginning of the film as he finds the fossilized hand. Moreno's natural authority is felt all through the film, along with a soft kindness and humor that sits in nice contrast to the others.
Born in Madrid, Spain, Antonio Moreno emigrated to Massachusetts when he was fourteen and began acting on stage before moving to Hollywood where he made his film debut in 1912's "Iola's Promise". By 1915, his dark, handsome looks made him a matinee idol typecast as a "Latin Lover", second only in popularity to Rudolph Valentino. Among his notable silent films are "It" opposite Clara Bow and "The Temptress" opposite Greta Garbo. He also directed and starred in the 1920 silent Western, "The Veiled Mystery". Moreno appeared in about 100 silent films before the advent of sound, when his heavy Spanish accent caused his popularity to slip. The studios began casting him in their Spanish-language films (made in Hollywood for Spanish-speaking markets), and when they stopped making those, he worked as an actor and director in Mexican films, occasionally appearing in character roles in Hollywood movies. "Creature from the Black Lagoon" was near the end of his long career, after which he made only four more films, including his next-to-last, "The Searchers", already on this blog, where you can read more about the life and career of Antonio Moreno.
The other actor previously mentioned is Whit Bissell, who plays “Dr. Edwin Thompson”, the pipe-smoking doctor who joins the expedition. Though usually present, "Thompson" doesn’t have a lot to do, but when he does speak, Bissell makes him convincingly scientific, even in his big scene at night on the boat talking about love with “Kay”.
A prolific actor who appeared in 322 films and TV shows from 1940 through 1984, in theory Whit Bissell should be a familiar face, but he’s not as recognized as one would think. An often restrained actor, Bissell disappears into his characters, leaving an impression of them, but not of Whit Bissell the actor. That's a sign of a reliable talent – one we believe, who helps make the story more credible. Though Bissell appeared in many genres on the big and small screens, he made his mark in science fiction where he sometimes had larger, more theatrical roles (such as playing mad scientists in "I Was a Teenage Werewolf" and "I Was a Teenage Frankenstein"), and as such, is often known by fans of that genre. In the 1950s, Bissell appeared in over 50 films while beginning to work on television, where he acted nearly exclusively for the rest of his career. His countless TV appearances include spots on varied shows like "Bachelor Father", "Here's Lucy", "Bonanza", "I Dream of Jeannie", "Star Trek", "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea”, and a 1984 episode of "Falcon Crest" (his final appearance). He was also a series regular on the 1966 sci-fi series "The Time Tunnel". Be sure to read more about the life and career of Whit Bissell in my post on "Brute Force”.
“Creature from the Black Lagoon” cost $463,000 to make and was such a hit it made $2M by the end of the year alone. Along with the enormous 1953 horror smash "House of Wax", this film revitalized the horror genre, which was considered dead in the early 1950s. Two sequels were made (1955's “Revenge of the Creature” and 1956’s “The Creature Walks Among Us”), and the creature has appeared as toys, Halloween costumes, comics, and more. It has also made appearances in other films and TV shows, including as the pink and green "Gillmen" in the animated "Hotel Transylvania" movies. “Creature from the Black Lagoon” was also a direct inspiration for writer/director Guillermo del Toro’s 2017 Best Picture Oscar winner, “The Shape of Water”.
Movies can be funny, dramatic, sad, scary, experimental, informational, or suspenseful, but regardless, they're only good if they hold one's attention and entertain. And this is a fun and wonderful classic that is first-rate entertainment, certain to grip everyone who watches it. Enjoy “Creature from the Black Lagoon”!
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TO READ AFTER VIEWING (contains spoilers):
One of the outstanding aspects of “Creature from the Black Lagoon” is the creature’s costume. Though obviously a man in a suit, the suit is sublime, moving with the ease of a man, yet riddled with the scales and gills of a fish – arguably the best-full body monster costume in cinema. Its final design was by Milicent Patrick, who worked in the makeup department under chief make-up artist Bud Westmore. Universal was so happy with her work, they sent Patrick on a publicity tour before the film's release, which gained popularity for the film and for her, making Westmore jealous, so he fired her once she returned.
Two costumes were made – one for part-time lifeguard Ricou Browning (who swam as the creature in underwater shots), and another to fit 6’5” Universal contract player and ex-Marine Ben Chapman (who towered around as the creature on land). Skin-tight molds were made of each actor's head and body, and a team of special effects artists sculpted and applied the costumes to full body leotards worn by each actor. It took 2 to 3 hours to get in and out of each costume.
Two crews simultaneously filmed “Creature from the Black Lagoon” – one at Park Lake on Universal’s backlot, and another in Wakulla Springs, Florida. The lake on the backlot was transformed into the Black Lagoon and used for all shots with the boat on the lagoon, as well as when we see characters swimming in the lagoon from above. All underwater shots (and a few of nature above the water) were filmed in the unspoiled Wakulla Springs.
In addition to having two people play the creature, stunt double swimmers stood in for the actors in all underwater shots (including Ginger Stanley who swam as “Kay” in the film’s famous “dance” with the creature).
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