Creature from the Black Lagoon
Director: Jack Arnold
Year 1954
Creature from the Black Lagoon is a
beautifully crafted horror classic, which brings into the spotlight
one of Universal's most interesting of monsters, the Gill-Man.
Heavily atmospheric and tremendously effective, this black and white
masterpiece features a strong cast of believable actors and
astounding photography, both above and below the surface of the
water. Charged with an unsettling tone and as mysterious as they
come, Creature from the Black Lagoon is a wonderful adventure film
which is laced with enough horror elements and astonishing special
effects, to make any lover of classic genre efforts more than happy.
The film follows a group of scientists
on an expedition into the Amazon, after hearing news that a previous
team had come across a curious fossil of a strange prehistoric beast.
Once they arrive at the location of the discovery, along the Amazon
River, they come to find that the camp has been destroyed and all
evidence of the fossil, along with the workers, have vanished.
Deciding to crack the mystery, the scientific group decides to dock
their ship in the Black Lagoon in hopes to uncover some more evidence
of the prehistoric amphibian creature, but they soon find out that
they might actually find some real, living breathing proof, of its
existence.
Julie Adams takes on the role of Kay
Lawrence, the eventual admirer of Gill-Man's affections. She's a
stunning beauty to say the least, but against the black and white
photography of the film, she is lifted up to cinematic goddess
status. Wholesomely portrayed and as classy as they come, Adams gives
the film a great dose of femininity, while genuinely and effortlessly
falling into the damsel in distress role. Richard Carlson acts as her
hero and constant savior, David Reed. As the central hero of the
piece, Carlson does a fantastic job. He earnestly plays the character
and gives him enough heart and vigor to allow us to root for him.
Richard Denning on the other hand plays the driven and ambitious Mark
Williams, whose hunger for fame and recognition proves to be his
character's moral downfall. Williams is an interesting character
study, because he is mostly likeable in the first half of the film,
that is until he begins to obsess over capturing the Gill-Man alive,
which drastically changes his personality and personal outlook in the
film.
Human characters aside, the real star
of the picture is the creature itself. Brought to life by two actors,
Ricou Browning and Ben Chapman, who perform the 'in water' and 'on
land' portions respectably, and also the outstanding design work for
the monster done by Milicent Patrick. Truly original and extremely
remarkable, the Gill-Man is a monster effects masterpiece that
genuinely stands the test of time. Whether it's Ricou Browning's
iconic movements while swimming through the lagoon's dark waters or
Ben Chapman's frighteningly creepy motions once on land, there is
just something special about this unusual monster that has always
intrigued me. After almost 60 years, the collaborated performance of
both actors is still as fresh and unsettling as the day it was filmed
and that is a testament to the hard work and expert craftsmanship of
these two actors.
Like all Universal horror movies,
Creature from the Black Lagoon is all about atmosphere. It oozes from
every pore of this film and infects every aspect of the production.
From the disturbingly calm waters of the Black Lagoon, to the
unsettling swamp-like setting, this cinematic gem has got it all.
Added on top of that is the extraordinary photography work of James
Curtis Havens, who was in charge of all of the underwater sequences
within the film. That iconic moment when Julie Adams' character
decides to go for a swim in the lagoon and is shadowed underwater by
the Gill-Man, would not have been so beautifully crafted if it wasn't
for Havens expert eye and tonal sensibility. The underwater
photography is simply haunting in this picture and a great deal of
credit for the film's hypnotic nature should go to Havens for
providing such a potent collection of atmospheric imagery.
Aiding in providing this outstanding
tonal ambiance, is the perfect location of the Black Lagoon and all
of its surrounding amenities. From above ground to below water, we
are given a textual layout of the playground in which these
characters perform, and the design work is nothing but exquisite. The
cavernous lair of Gill-Man is also an impressive structure, which
gives enough gothic flair to this film to sit comfortably against
some of the greats in Universal's monster library, like The Wolf Man
and Frankenstein. If there is one thing that this film is, it is a
succinct and potent experience. One that engages the audience fully
as it tells a most engrossing story about a missing link in the
amphibian chain. Mystery and horror abound in this indisputable
classic.
Creature from the Black Lagoon is one
of my favorites of the Universal monsters. Its got an impressive
atmosphere, an engaging story, and a cast of genuine characters, but
all of this comes second to the outstanding combined performance of
the Gill-Man. Ripe with mystery and filled with tragedy, this iconic
character thrives on the screen in this introductory outing. Against
the black and white photography, the design of the creature comes to
stark life, casting nightmarish visions across the silver screen
which will dance in the minds of generations for years to come.
Buoyed by the performances of Julie
Adams, Richard Carlson and Richard Denning, this lively story of
survival and evolutionary quagmires is one that just can't seem to
fade from my memory. The miraculous underwater photography, the
astoundingly rich locations, and the unparalleled creature design are
just so vivid and plain brilliant, that it can't help but wow the
unexpected or ill-prepared. As classic horror movies go, Creature
from the Black Lagoon is a must see as it showcases all the things we
love about the genre, yet presents it in a classic and refined manner
which only magnifies its brilliance. Creature from the Black Lagoon
is.....
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| You better pull my finger mister. |
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| How the hell did Colonel Sanders get on my boat? |
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| How many morons does it take to look at an ancient fossil? Apparently six. |
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| Whatever they're looking at must be bad for Colonel Sanders to take off his hat. |
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| High-five lady...... Don't leave me hanging. |
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| How many times have I told you not to poop in my net. |
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| I told you I wanted to go as Scuba Steve to the costume party Dave! |
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| Everyone look away! Carl is gonna hurl! |
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| Get that light out of my face! |
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| I wonder what Gill-Man is doing now? He's such a dreamboat. |
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| You know it's not polite to stare at a deformed man's face. |
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| Cheer up Richard, things will get better..... but not for you. |
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| Come here you little shit! |
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| Weeeeeeeeeee! |
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| So where should I set down this beautiful piece of ass? |
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| Honey! I thought I talked to you about sleeping on strange rocks. |
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| Hey... Can the Gill-Man get in on some of that sweet hugging action? |
