ALL SCI-FI

[Bud Brewster]

Director Jack Arnold's best-known sci-fi film from the 1950s isn't really Arnold's best — in my opinion.

It demonstrates much less of Arnold's poetic style than his other films, but the creature itself is one of the screen's most effective full-body monster suits, designed by two ace make-up men, Bud Westmore and Jack Kevan. (Actually, I've heard that a lady designer did it, but Westmore took credit.)





Richard Carlson (It Came From Outer Space) is the star, Richard Denning (The Black Scorpion) co-stars, and gorgeous Julie Adams provides the cringing heroine.








The BTS shot below is Julie being treated for a bump on the head when the creature carries her into his cave and smacks her noggin' on the side of the cave wall as they entered. When you notice the creature kneeling on the left, looking so concerned, it becomes pretty damn funny.





William Alland handled production chores, and Hans Salter composed his famous and effective blaring-trumpet music score.

Swimming champ Ricou Browning wore the creature suit in the underwater scenes (which he also directed), and Ben Chapman played the creature on land.

Whit Bissell ("The Time Machine") plays the bandaged scientist whom the creature malls. It was filmed in 3-D because of the success of It Came From Outer Space the previous year. Screenplay by Harry Essex and Arthur Ross.

The movie was successful enough to inspire two sequels — Revenge of the Creature, and The Creature Walks Among Us. Film historian Tom Weaver has written several books on the subject, including the one below.





Today The Creature from the Black Lagoon is equated with the great horror classics from the 1940s such as "Frankenstein" and "The Wolf Man". Naturally the 1987 movie The Monster Squad included the "Gill Man" in its roster of classic monsters.

Sequels have been discussed for years. The two pieces of artwork below may be concepts for the new creature — and I love 'em. I think they actually improved the design.







But if they use this design, I'll be disappointed. Not so good.



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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[Brent Gair]

CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON can now be seen as originally intended thanks to the Blu-ray release. First made available in the Universal Classic Monsters boxed set, it is now for sale as a separate disc (artwork will vary).

The movie is now presented in 3D and in the proper 1.85:1 widescreen ratio. Previous home video versions were in the unmatted 1:33:1 aspect ratio which exposed things that were never meant to be seen (like a telephone pole in the background). By 1954, Universal had switched entirely to 1.85:1 for it's Black & White movies.

Although I don't have a 3D TV set, my next door neighbour (and childhood friend) does have 3D capable equipment. He suggested a "movie night" and this was an obvious choice so I am fortunate to have watched this in 3D. It was also a good opportunity to educate my neighbour who was surprised that they made 3D movies in B&W!



The 3D on the Blu-ray is, of course, a proper presentation using two HD feeds and viewed through LCD shutter glasses. This best replicates the original polarized 3D.

For those who have a pair of red/cyan anaglyph glasses, here's a 3D pic of my Aurora Creature model.

[Bud Brewster]

Correct me if I'm wrong, Brent, but would this new hi-tech way of presenting the 3D on a Blu-ray disc not actually surpass the original technique in reliability, avoiding the problem the process sometimes had with the two images going out of synch?

I know that the DVD of The Adventures of Robin Hood used computer technology to insure that the Technicolor three-strip process lined up the images just right, whereas the original procedure didn't always work perfectly.

Hot damn, it's great having you back to share this info with us, Brent. Thanks.
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[Brent Gair]

[Brigz]

As I'm quickly perusing through this vast list of films, I just have to mention that Julie Adams, in this movie in particular, is the most beautiful woman ever filmed. EVER!

(Hummm...I just noticed I wrote "quickly perusing." Isn't that an oxymoron?)

Dave B.

[gofffan]

Just sayin'.

[Bud Brewster]

We know that the Creature is a missing link, half man and half fish. Now we can add this new revelation concerning his complex biological nature.

He's a party animal!

[Bud Brewster]

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IMDB has an interesting trivia item about this classic.
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Forrest J. Ackerman, a horror and science fiction writer for Famous Monsters of Filmland Magazine, bought the mask and claws of the Creature's costume from a young man who had once used them as a Halloween costume.

The costume pieces were discarded by Universal after production had finished on the three films (Creature from the Black Lagoon and its two sequels) and were later recovered from the studio's dumpster by a janitor, who thought the ensemble would make a good Halloween costume for his son. Other costume pieces were recently sold at auction by Bud Westmore, who was an assistant to Milicent Patrick, the original designer of the costume.

Note from me: My goodness, how times have changed!

Props from modern movies are now guarded like bars of pure gold. And when they get lost, it's because these valuable items have been stolen — not because the idiots at the studio tossed out these works of art because they didn't know their anal cavities from Carlsbad Caverns!
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[Krel]

This reminds me. Back in either the late 80s, or early 90s I read about a man that had been collecting discarded film from the studio's dumpsters for decades. This man had footage that was thought lost, and would be if not for his collecting.

They were talking about charging this man who had saved this film history with theft! For taking film that they had thrown away! I don't know how it resolved, but they should have been kissing his feet for saving what they threw away.

David.

[Bud Brewster]

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A few more interesting trivia items from IMDB on this popular movie.
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Two different stuntmen were used to portray the creature and therefore two different suits were used in the movie. Ricou Browning played the creature when it was in the water and wore a lighter suit. Ben Chapman played the creature when it was out of the water with a darker suit.

Note from me: Here's something for fans to watch for while viewing various scenes from this movie: is that the lighter/Browning suit or the darker/Chapman suit. Of course, we can assume that the scenes in the water or on dry land are a dead give-away . . . most of the time.

When William Alland was a member of Orson Welles' Mercury Theatre, he heard famed Mexican cinematographer Gabriel Figueroa tell of a legend about a humanoid creature that supposedly lived in South America. That legend became the origin of this film.

Note from me: The instant I read this trivia item I remember how much I've always wished most of the scary scenes had been filmed at night.

In one sequence Julie Adams' character is captured by the creature and carried into a cave. During the filming the stuntman misjudged where the side of the entrance was and accidentally struck Ms. Adams' head against the wall, knocking her unconscious.

Note from me: The idea that Miss Adams was conked in the head is unpleasant for sensitive gentlemen like men. Ouch . . . .





Jenny Clack (University of Cambridge) discovered a fossil amphibian, found in the remnants of what was once a fetid swamp and named it Eucritta melanolimnetes - literally "the creature from the black lagoon".

Note from me: Boy oh boy, would I like to see a photograph of THIS!

Milicent Patrick created the design of the Creature, although Bud Westmore, who was the head of Universal's makeup department at the time, would take credit publicly for the Creature's design.

Note from me: My opinion of Bud Westmore just took a nose dive!

Julie Adams noted that making the film was an extremely pleasant process and that the cast and crew got along quite well. She also explained that she felt sympathetic toward the monster. Adams said, "there always is that feeling of compassion for the monster. I think maybe it touches something in ourselves, maybe the darker parts of ourselves, that long to be loved and think they really can't ever be loved. It strikes a chord within us."

Note from me: The next time I watch The Seven Year Itch and hear Marilyn Monroe say basically the same thing, I'll remember Miss Adam's sweet sentiments!





Director Jack Arnold claimed that his main goal in the making of this film was to create a sense of dread. Arnold said, "it plays upon a basic fear that people have about what might be lurking below the surface of any body of water. You know the feeling when you are swimming and something brushes your legs down there - it scares the hell out of you if you don't know what it is. It's the fear of the unknown. I decided to exploit this fear as much as possible."

Note from me: This was what Stephen Spielberg did with Jaws . . . only much better!

Ricou Browning, the stuntman who provided the underwater shots of the creature, once had to make an emergency bathroom visit while he was filming a scene. Browning had been underwater for several minutes and breached the water, in full costume, next to an unsuspecting mother and her young daughter on the nearby shore. Browning said that they fled in terror once they saw him. He recalled, "they took off, and that's the last I saw of 'em!"

Note from me: One has to wonder — did Ricou have to go "number 1" or "number 2"?

Going number 1 in the suit wouldn't see so bad — just like doing it in a swimming pool. But going number 2? That's different!

When the Creature attacks Zee, the script called for him to pick him up and throw him into the camera for the 3-D effect. Unfortunately, the wires used to lift Zee up to make it appear as though he was actually being picked up by the Creature kept breaking. After two tries, Jack Arnold decided to just have Zee get strangled to death

Note from me: Next time you think actors have a glamorous life, remembering this event. Picked up twice by the creature, only to fall when the wires broke. And then being strangled by a creature with sharp claws!
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[alltare]

According to IMDB, Julie Adams was credited as Betty (her given name) in her movies through 1950, and then as Julia through 1954, and then as Julie from then on. But I have not found any explanations for the name Julia. IMDB says she changed her name from Betty to Julie in about 1948 or 49. So why was she called Julia for those 4 years (1950 thru 1954)?

[Gord Green]

Here you go Bud-------

Eucritta melanolimnetes

[Bud Brewster]

[Bud Brewster]

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I remember pouring over the theater ads in the Atlanta Journal in the 1950s, looking for movies at the Roosevelt Drive-in.

The idea of going to a drive-in or an indoor theater when I was a kid and seeing some of the co-billed movies I found double-feature newspaper ads for is fun to contemplate.

These two are a fine example!


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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[Robert (Butch) Day]

Blacky LaGoon's original pin-up gal:


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Common Sense ISN'T Common