What’s Halloween without a few monsters lingering around? From costumes to yard decorations to creature feature marathons playing on our television sets, monsters have become as much a part of Halloween as bedsheet ghosts and rumors of stuff hidden in our candy. Honestly, you probably have a better chance of finding some unspeakable evil under your bed than you do of finding LSD in your kid’s mini pack of Sweetarts.

We honor this tradition of monsters today with a look at one of the most indelible and influential monsters to ever grace the Silver Screen, the Creature from the Black Lagoon. Of course, there’s much to be said about whether this mesmerizing being is truly a “monster” or just the victim of man’s fear of that which he does not understand. That said, many memorable monsters were misunderstood in one way or another. 

I have the honor of welcoming Sean Mitus back to the Halloween Horror series for today’s look at this iconic dweller of the deep. Although I’ve known Sean for a few years now, the Halloween series did take a two-year break, so it wasn’t until last year that he made his debut as one of our series contributors. Obviously, Sean must have enjoyed the experience as he was one of the first contributors to sign up for this year’s event. His support of the other contributors in this series has been admirable as well, so I think I can safely say that we’ve all enjoyed having him around as well.

 

I’ll say this up front: The Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954) is my favorite Universal Classic Monster character and film.  It always has been since I first saw it as a kid.  Sure, there are better films among the Universal Classic Monster franchise, such as Bride of Frankenstein.  Sure, there are interesting characters in Frankenstein and his Bride, along with Dracula, the Wolfman, and the Mummy. However, there was something about the Creature that appealed to me then that continues to this day.

The Creature is isolated and is the last of his kind (as far as the films show).  That appeals to anyone who feels alone.  The Gill Man can’t communicate and doesn’t speak.  That mirrors those who have difficulty expressing themselves.  The Creature is misunderstood which is the experience of just about every kid watching the film.  Taken together that fit my childhood experience as a latchkey, only child growing up.

 

Think about the plot from the Gill Man’s perspective: (1) Strangers, most likely the first humans he’s ever seen, enter his domain and start digging things up, (2) more strangers aggressively enter his domain and (3) try to capture him forcibly by drugging him and taking him captive!  It’s man’s hubris thinking that they are superior to the Creature that leads to their deaths and injuries.  The Gill Man is instinctively defending his territory!  Yes, he pursues the most beautiful female he’s most likely ever seen in Julie Adams, but that’s because he’s the last of his kind.

However, Universal’s series (Creature from the Black Lagoon, Revenge of the Creature, and The Creature Walks Among Us) was not intended to reflect the Gill Man’s perspective; it was meant to thrill and to scare audiences.  The added bonus of some of the finest 3-D camerawork made the first and second films especially entertaining!  The films depict the Creature as a wild, aggressive animal attacking the humans when threatened.  This gives both viewpoints ample reason to enjoy each film.

The Creature from the Black Lagoon has an enduring legacy due to its amazing creature design (by the uncredited Millicent Patrick), crisp cinematography (whether 2-D or 3-D presentation), competent acting, and pitch-perfect staging and direction.  This legacy reached all the way to the present at the annual Blobfest at the Colonial Theatre in Phoenixville, PA which regularly featured the film and guest appearances by Julie Adams and Ricou Browning (the actor/swimmer who performed the underwater scenes) and to the recent film The Shape of Water that won Oscars for Best Picture and Director for Guillermo del Toro.

I revisit this gem regularly and attend revival screenings whenever in my area.  I hope you give this classic Universal Horror film a watch this Halloween season!  Enjoy!