My Undying Love for ‘Creature from the Black Lagoon’ And Its Enduring Appeal

Amanda Nevada DeMel

3 years ago

What is it about 1954’s Creature from the Black Lagoon that delights me so? Is it the unknown nature of the water and all the monstrosities it may contain? Is it the unrequited love of Gill Man for Kay Lawrence? Is it the surprising influence of women on- and off-screen? Or is it simply the cheese factor? Creature isn’t even my favorite of the Universal monster movies, but I love it so much that I dressed as Gill Man for Halloween in 2018. I am far from the only one who adores Gill Man. Perhaps the most famous lover of the flick is Guillermo del Toro, whose 2017 tribute The Shape of Water received ten Oscar nominations and won four of them. What more can I say about my love for Creature? As it turns out, I can write quite a bit.

The Fearful Allure of the Deep Sea in Creature from the Black Lagoon

Full disclosure: I hate all activities relating to water except drinking it. I can’t swim, I am terribly uncomfortable on boats, and I detest the feeling of being submerged. Add in the fact that scientists are still discovering creatures of the deep and you can imagine my fears when it comes to aquatic life. I enjoy learning about deep sea creatures, but I’m also terrified of them. Just look up abyssal gigantism or goblin sharks to get a glimpse of what horrors lurk down there. Going back to Creature from the Black Lagoon, I don’t think the existence of a humanoid fish is likely, but I do think there are even more terrifying creatures that we haven’t yet discovered.

Gill Man’s Dangerous Unrequited Love Story

Moving on to the next point of appeal, unrequited love is a tricky trope to pull off. One can easily fall into the range of unhealthy or dangerous obsession. Gill Man, much like Erik from another one of my favorite pieces of media (The Phantom of the Opera in many, but not all, of its forms), provides an example of dangerous unrequited love. Although Kay Lawrence, played by Julia Adams, shows compassion towards Gill Man, he is not a gentle creature. Our first interaction with him is the murder of two innocent men, after all. Even so, I’m a sucker for a good number of unrequited love stories.

Kay Lawrence: A Strong Female Character From the 1950s

Kay, the only woman on screen, is a surprisingly strong lady for a B horror movie from the 1950s. Sure, she screams quite a few times, functions mainly as the love interest, and has more costume changes than is necessary, but she is also unafraid of water, dirt, risk, and other threats that usually keep woman characters pushed to the side. And she’s a scientist in her own right! Moreover, her contributions are not disregarded but instead are appreciated. If only Rosalind Franklin, the woman who took Photograph 51 of DNA in 1952, which led Watson and Crick to develop the first structural model of DNA, got her due in a similar fashion. Unfortunately, much like the erasure of Franklin’s work, Kay is often overlooked as another early scream queen, most famous for the swimming scene. Granted, that scene is unexpectedly lovely, with Gill Man mirroring her movements and timidly reaching out to her, but her character is so much more than a woman to ogle.

Milicent Patrick: The Unsung Hero Behind Gill Man’s Design

Behind the screen, we have the legacy of Milicent Patrick. Although Bud Westmore is usually credited with designing Gill Man, Patrick was actually responsible for the costume. She was the only woman who worked in the makeup department on any Universal Studios monster movie, which is an impressive feat for her and a rather significant disappointment for representation. You can read more about this topic in Mallory O’Meara’s wonderful book The Lady from the Black Lagoon: Hollywood Monsters and the Lost Legacy of Milicent Patrick.

Embracing the Cheesy Charm of B Horror Movies

No discussion of Creature would be complete without mentioning the cheese. I simply love B movies, particularly old ones. I find that they are just good fun, unpretentious labors of love. Aside from Creature’s outlandish concept of a fish-man stalking a crew of scientists, there’s plenty of melodramatic music to ramp up the less than successful attempts at tension. We see Gill Man’s hand four times before the reveal of his face, and each instance is accompanied by obtrusive music with an overpowering horn section. The writing and acting aren’t top-notch either. Most of the performances are over the top, especially Mark Williams, the aggressive, money-obsessed doctor, played by Richard Denning. The characters show little nuance. In fact, I’d say that Kay has the best writing.

Why Creature from the Black Lagoon Remains a Classic

I won’t say that Creature from the Black Lagoon is a masterpiece. There are certainly excellent qualities, like Patrick’s creature design, but overall, it’s not a flick that enraptures the viewer and gives substance to think about. But do all movies need to have deep meaning or ask complicated questions? Sometimes just having fun is merit in itself.