The Creature From The Black Lagoon
Because its October and Halloween is right around the corner i'm going to spend this month posting about my favorite Halloween movies, old Universal Studio Monster Movies!!!!
i'm not necessarily posting reviews, but just my comments and thoughts on the movies. Some will be long, some will be short, but like the movies all will be filled with continuity problems, cheesey dialouge and awesome!
First up The Creature From The Black Lagoon!
In March 1954 Universal Studios released its last major classic monster movie The Creature from the Black Lagoon. Sort of a King Kong in the water told in a 1950’s B-movie fashion; the story is about a group of scientists searching uncharted waters in the Amazon for the mystery of a fossilized creature hand that has been unearthed. They discover much more!!!
Originally filmed in 3D, this black and white film is stunning to look at. From the on location shots in the Florida everglades to the captivating underwater takes the Creature is a movie that constantly engages the viewer. Made almost ten years after the Frankenstein/ Wolfman/ Dracula/ Mummy movies this film harkens back to the fun, fantasy, and fright of those earlier Universal horror classics.
While the scientists are terrorized throughout the film by the Creature, the monster (always announced on screen by a very distinctive musical theme) is the real one being imposed on. Made in the early part of the 1950’s director Jack Arnold seems to foreshadow the environmental issues that are plaguing us today. Arnold subtly weaves a message about environmental concern into a horror movie.
The scientists invade and run havoc all over this atmosphere that is untouched by the outside world. We see simply by tossing a cigarette into the water how this contained universe is polluted. Then of course the scientists go one further; they realize if they capture the Creature fame, notoriety, and money would follow. So they dump poisons in the water to get the creature to surface killing about every fish along with it. It seems nothing will stop career obsessed Dr. Mark Williams (play byRichard Denning) to achieve his prize, when someone asks what he plans to shoot with his huge harpoon he responds coldly “Does it matter?”
The movie also manages to let several other innuendos’ land. When young Icktheologist Kay (played by the beautiful Julie Adams, check her IMDB she’s still working today!) goes for a swim in her racy (for the time) bathing suite the Creature stalks her underwater. Seemingly simulating a sexual act, he mirrors her without her notice. The Creature develops feelings for Kay and instead of picking her off like he does the scientists and crew members, he is almost shy about brushing her foot with his talon as she swims. Continuing the King Kong underwater theme as the scientists are about to escape the Lagoon the Creature desperately captures Kay and drags her underwater to his cave.
Another interesting innuendo of the movie is its stance on evolution. The first lines are quoted from the Bible “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth” a voice over announces but the images we see are of the big bang and then footprints coming of the ocean. In the conservative time of the 1950’s it’s an interesting juxtaposition. The Creature himself is living proof of the evolution theory as the link between man and fish. Good scientist David Reed (played by the handsome Richard Carlson) explains the necessity to study how life evolved if we are ever to find a way to adapt on other planets.The cultural seeds of the space race already taking shape, three years later would come Sputnik.
The Creature From The Black Lagoon is the last great classic monster to come out of Universal Studios. Like all Universal classic horror films it provides entertainment, thrills, special effects, and interesting social commentary. Who knows, if the world listened to the lessons the Creature was trying to teach in 1954 maybe we would be better off today.