The Creature from the Black Lagoon

I love old monster films and Universal Studios had some great monsters. Dracula, Frankenstein, The Mummy, The Invisible Man, The Wolf Man and the monster of this post…The Creature from the Black Lagoon. This movie was released in 3-D and I’m going to get that version.

It’s been years since I watched this movie so I watched it Wednesday night. The movie was made in 1954 with some great water shots and the star of the film…The Gill-Man. He looks so odd that it still works today. The underwater shots are clear and exciting. The creature looks natural underwater.

The costume…Universal invested 15,000 dollars on the costume…in 1950s money…that would be equal to $143,294.05 today. 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.

Now let’s get to the object of the Creatures obsession… Julia Adams as Kay  Lawernce. I don’t blame the Creature.

3….2….1

Creature From the Black Lagoon's Julie Adams Dies At Age 92 | CBR

Now the plot…A scientific expedition searching for fossils along the Amazon River discovers a prehistoric Gill-Man in the legendary Black Lagoon. The explorers capture the mysterious creature, but it breaks free. The Gill-Man returns to kidnap the lovely Kay, fiancée of one in the expedition, with whom it has fallen in love.

The plot is fine but you watch to see the Creature. They did have two sequels and in the Revenge of the Creature made in 1955 you see a very young Clint Eastwood.

creature-in-the-black-lagoon | Trailers From Hell

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Author: Badfinger (Max)

Power Pop fan, Baseball fan, old movie and tv show fan... and a songwriter, bass and guitar player.

33 thoughts on “The Creature from the Black Lagoon”

      2. Since the lock down I’ve been watching movies I did as a kid…in the 70s as a kid…those old monster movies were part of it…They were amazing…the thought and planning it took.

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      3. Smart idea. Between home office, which I’m fortunate enough I can still do, writing the blog, fooling around with my guitar and – not to forget – paying attention to my family, I haven’t had much time for other stuff – believe it or not! The other night, I felt like watching 007, so went for my favorite “Goldfinger” – just a classic!

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      4. Being in IT I can work from home more than some people but I have to admit…I miss going in. I’m busy during the day but there are 2 hours drive time I save by staying home. I am lucky to have my wife here…she works from home and my son is here taking online college…he misses going in also.
        Love Goldfinger…I watched Diamonds are Forever not long ago.

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      5. Yep, sounds like the two of us are fortunate! And funny you should mention “Diamonds Are Forever.” That was one of the 007 pictures I was considering but then went for “Goldfinger.” I guess I must have watched that a half dozen times or so!

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      6. Yes we are…I really am because I work in IT in a restaurant chain corporate office…luckily I’m needed for executives to log on from home and for maintenance on the servers.

        I do like the Bond films. I show my age but I prefer the ones up til the 80s. I can still watch the others though.

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      7. Same here, the old ones are the best. There’s a new one that’s supposed to come out in November: “No Time to Die.” Initially, it was supposed to have been released this month, but they pushed it back for obvious reasons.

        I have to say I’m still getting used to Daniel Craig. He’s a little bit too rough for my taste. Apparently, it’s his last Bond picture.

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      8. I’ve never read the books but Craig just doesn’t fit to me…he is not the elegant suave type…and no gadgets…I like gadgets. Exploding briefcases etc…
        Too rough is a great description.

        I guess I automatically think of Sean Connery whitch is not fair really.

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  2. Yes! This movie terrified me when I was little. But I loved it. Quick story, Max…My mom bought me a very expensive Creature from the Black Lagoon costume when I was little for Halloween. It was rubber. It had the mask, the gloved rubber hands, the rubber webbed feet. It was very realistic. And it was glow in the dark. She was trying to please me because she had recently divorced my dad. (That was a good thing, I just didn’t know it at the time.)
    Anyway, the only problem was it was way too big. Ginormoulsy so. So whenever I would answer the door–I was sick and couldn’t trick or treat myself–I answered it in costume. The parents of the trick or treating kids laughed!! I was mortified! I got solace from taking my two year old brother into the bathroom and turning off the lights while in costume. He was sufficiently terrified, but he was the only one. Ha!

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    1. This one and King Kong I loved as a kid. The creature is still frightening to look at.

      Oh geez Pam…that is terrible! At least you scared your brother! What you probably wouldn’t give to have that costume now. The costume sounds cool made of rubber.

      I guess it didn’t do the trick against older people. My parents did the same thing… but I knew at the time it was the right thing.

      I saw the sequel last night….imagine my surprise when Clint Eastwood popped up. He must have been a Universal contract actor.

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  3. My first job was back in the summer of 84 washing dishes in a kitchen hospital. My shift started at 6am-2pm. 6 days a week as a 17 year old that summer this I how I looked at stumbling out of bed at 5 am to get to work!

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  5. I like the more recent revival of “the creature” in “The Shape of Water.” AMAZING the movie studio would pay that much for the suits. They must have been sold on the idea in a big way.

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      1. Max, it isn’t a remake of Creature from… exactly, but there is a creature who looks a lot like him. I cannot believe you haven’t watched, “The Shape of Water” yet!!!!!!! You better get on that right away 🙂

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  8. I saw a bit of it on TV a few months back… it looked watchable. A little cheesy but interesting. I’d heard of it since I was a kid but never seen any of it. I might try to watch it in its entirety if I find it somewhere streaming or on oldies TV. Bet the 3D would be the coup de grace!

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