Movies
The Woman Behind the Creature from the Black Lagoon
Who Was Milicent Patrick? The Unsung Hero of Universal Monsters
Before the first female special effects artist at Universal took charge of designing the Gill-man, things were looking dismal for the picture. The props department had previously been responsible for creating the Creature from the Black Lagoon, but early looks for the monster were not received well.
Director William Alland reportedly loved these initial designs, derisively known as The Pollywog – but he was the only one.
After a test screening, actor Ricou Browning remembers that the higher-ups at Universal Studios, James Pratt and Edward Muhl, said the costume “sucked.”
Meanwhile, Frank Westmore, (the brother of the head of the makeup department, Bud Westmore) recalled: “Instead of projecting menace, he looked like a man swimming around in long rubber underwear…”
Chris Mueller, in charge of sculpting, is the one who named him The Pollywog, a fitting name for what looks reminiscent of a 1960s Batman villain.
Before Milicent Patrick got to work on the Creature from the Black Lagoon, the Gill-man was far from the Universal monster we know him as today.
Who Was Milicent Patrick? The Unsung Hero of Universal Monsters
Before the first female special effects artist at Universal took charge of designing the Gill-man, things were looking dismal for the picture. The props department had previously been responsible for creating the Creature from the Black Lagoon, but early looks for the monster were not received well.
Director William Alland reportedly loved these initial designs, derisively known as The Pollywog – but he was the only one.
After a test screening, actor Ricou Browning remembers that the higher-ups at Universal Studios, James Pratt and Edward Muhl, said the costume “sucked.”
Meanwhile, Frank Westmore, (the brother of the head of the makeup department, Bud Westmore) recalled: “Instead of projecting menace, he looked like a man swimming around in long rubber underwear…”
Eight years earlier, studio chief William Goetz had ordered that no more “B” monster movies be made. After all, at that point, Universal Pictures already had Dracula, Frankenstein, and The Wolf-man (among many others) under its belt. Each with groundbreaking effects for its time. A made-for-TV villain was far below the par of what had come to be expected from the studio.
It was at that point a redesign was in order. The makeup department took over, and with it, came Universal Studios’ first female special effects artist.
Milicent Patrick’s Artistic Journey: From Disney to Universal
By the age of 25, she had worked on Fantasia, including the skit “A Night on Bald Mountain”, designing the winged Chernabog. This was more than likely the first monster she ever worked on for a wide audience.
After being laid off by Disney following a strike, she worked in modeling for a short while.
Then, she shifted her work to acting, where she worked small parts in front of the camera, such as the “Tavern Girl” in Abbott and Costello Meet Captain Kidd, and an uncredited role in Bride of Vengeance. It was in 1952 that she met the head of the makeup department Bud Westmore who offered her a job behind the scenes immediately after seeing her designs.
She did uncredited special effects work on It Came from Outer Space, Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, This Island Earth, Against All Flags, and Sign of the Pagan. But it’s her work on Creature from the Black Lagoon that brings us here today.
After the prop department’s Pollywog was laughed out of existence, Milicent Patrick spent six weeks painstakingly designing the creature that would come to be known as the Gill-man.
I’d say the rest is history but unfortunately, Bud Westmore attempted to erase much of this history – and it’s all because Universal’s publicity department loved Milicent Patrick.
Bud Westmore’s Role in Erasing Milicent Patrick’s Legacy
But Bud Westmore was reportedly furious and tried to have the whole tour canceled. He was the head of the makeup department after all, and felt that saying someone else created the creature didn’t give him credit for heading the project.
Bud insisted Milicent Patrick be called “The Beauty Who Lives With the Beast” instead.
He made other demands for Milicent Patrick’s tour, eventually including that she must tell interviewers that Bud Westmore himself created the Gill-man from start to finish.
This – of course – was far from true, as Milicent Patrick did the design, Chris Mueller sculpted the head, and Jack Kevan oversaw the project. But Milicent was so happy to be on tour, that she tried to oblige Bud Westmore’s outrageous demands.
But, the press loved Milicent Patrick too. Any comments she made about Bud Westmore were dismissed because they only wanted to know more about Milicent. The tour was extended and Milicent Patrick did more than forty interviews.
Unfortunately, by the time the tour ended, she was ultimately fired from the project by Bud Westmore.
Bud Westmore Takes Credit for Milicent’s Work
As was customary, Bud Westmore’s name would be the only one to show up in the credits for makeup design in the movie. But the credit for Milicent’s creation was largely stolen after that, with Bud Westmore publicly refuting any claims that he wasn’t responsible for the design.
To give a brief overview of Bud Westmore’s character, enjoy this quote a columnist named Mike Molony made in 1950:
“Hollywood is highly amused at the slip makeup artist Bud Westmore made when he related in an interview how he was responsible for that classic cosmetic creation, the Frankenstein monster. This, of course, is pure foopypoop. Ace makeup artist Jack Pierce made Boris Karloff into the monster back in 1931, when Bud hadn’t long been graduated from diapers, and his older brothers were busy learning the makeup business, working at Max Factor’s.”
The publicity department at Universal tried to great avail to convince Bud Westmore to let Milicent Patrick come back, up to a week after Creature from the Black Lagoon was released, but he refused to relent.
Milicent Patrick kept her career in front of the camera after that but unfortunately, most of those parts went on to also be uncredited.
After Bud Westmore died in 1973, Milicent tried to come out with the truth. Despite being featured in a “Queen of the Monster Makers” piece by Famous Monsters in 1978, many remained skeptical for years about the depth of Milicent’s involvement until a producer/screenwriter changed everything.
Mallory O’Meara’s Mission to Restore Milicent Patrick’s Legacy
Few people know of the injustice Milicent Patrick was dealt, and the woman is owed her flowers. Unfortunately, she is no longer here to claim them as she passed away in 1998; never living to see the credit her work was owed.
To Milicent Patrick, The Beauty Who Created the Beast.
For more about the making of Creature From the Black Lagoon, see our Horror Trivia Tuesday video on Instagram or TikTok!
My New Year’s resolution is to spend more time watching my favorite app. Luckily, Shudder is not taking it easy on us this holiday season, so I may meet my quota this January. The streamer is bringing in the new year with quite a few bangers. We have classics from icons, a new title from the first family of indie horror, and a couple of lesser-known films that have finally found a home. So, I am obviously living for this month’s programming and think most of you will too. I have picked the five films that I believe deserve our collective attention the most. Get into each of them and start your 2026 off on the right foot.
The Best Movies to Stream on Shudder This Month
Carrie (1976)
A sheltered teen finally unleashes her telekinetic powers after being humiliated for the last time. Carrie is the reason I thought proms might be cool when I was a kid. This Brian De Palma adaptation is one of my favorite Stephen King adaptations. It is also an important title in the good-for-her subgenre. I cannot help rooting for Carrie White (Sissy Spacek) when I watch her snap at this prom and then head home to accidentally deal with her mom. The only tragedy of this evening is that Carrie had to die, too. I said what I said, and I will be hitting play again while it is on Shudder. This recommendation goes out to the other recovering sheltered girls who would be the problem if they had powers. I see you because I am you.
You can watch Carrie on January 1st.
Marshmallow (2025)
A shy 12-year-old gets sent to summer camp and finds himself in a living nightmare. While Marshmallow did not land for me, I know plenty of people who love it. Which makes this the perfect addition to the Shudder catalogue. I am actually excited to see more folks fall in love with this movie when it hits the streamer. If nothing else, it will help a few folks cross off another 2025 title if they are still playing catch-up with last year’s movies. It also gets cool points from me for not taking the easy route with the mystery it built. I hope you all dig it more than I did, and tell your friends about it. Perhaps you could even encourage them to sign up for the app.
You can watch Marshmallow on January 1st.
Chain Reactions (2024)
Tobe Hooper’s The Texas Chain Saw Massacre cemented his horror legacy over fifty years ago. So, it is long overdue for a documentary where horror royalty can discuss its impact on them and their careers. I have been waiting for a couple of years to hear Karyn Kusama and Takashi Miike talk about Hooper’s work and how he inspired them. So, I am super geeked that Shudder is finally giving me the chance to see this film. The streamer is also helping the nerds out by adding The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) and The Texas Chain Saw Massacre 2 (1986) this month. If you are also an overachieving couch potato, I will see you at the finish line next week.
You can watch Chain Reactions on January 9th.
In the Mouth of Madness (1994)
An insurance investigator discovers the impact a horror writer’s books have on people. I love chaos, and John Carpenter chaos happens to be one of my favorite kinds of chaos. While we talk about The Thing and Halloween all the time, this maestro has given us plenty of horror to celebrate. In the Mouth of Madness is very much one of those titles vying for a top spot among the best of his filmography. To sweeten the batshit pot, this movie features Sam Neill. You know that he only shows up in our genre if the movie is going to be legendary. You cannot tell me this is not a Shudder priority this month.
You can watch In the Mouth of Madness on January 10th.
Mother of Flies (2025)
A terminally ill young woman and her dad head to the woods to seek out a recluse who claims she can cure her cancer. The Adams Family has been holding court on Shudder for years, so it feels right that Mother of Flies is a Shudder Original. More importantly, this fest favorite has one of the best performances of 2025. Which makes it a great time for people to finally get to see it and get in line to give Toby Poser her flowers. Whatever you think your favorite Poser role is, it is about to change when you see her as Solveig. I am being serious when I say that this movie might be the first family of indie horror at their best.
You can watch Mother of Flies on January 23rd.
New year, but same Shudder. I would not want to go into 2026 any other way, personally. I hope these horrific recommendations bring you the good kind of anxiety. Or at least distract you from the state of the world for a bit.
I’m happy Netflix knew I would be back on my bull shit. Now that we’re in January, and the end-of-year lists are done, I’m trying to cram as many 2025 titles into my eyeballs as I possibly can. I know it sounds backwards, but it’s sadly a yearly tradition now. No matter how many titles you cram into a year, there are always a ton more you missed. Because I am broken, I need to know if I missed anything that should have been on my lists ASAP. Then I can drag myself for not getting my eyeballs on things sooner. Or worse, seeing titles that came out after my deadline and would have definitely been on there. I need to feel resentment for their schedules not letting me be great.
Luckily for me, the streamer has dropped quite a bit of new stuff recently. This includes movies and shows that I put off, or that legitimately premiered a couple of weeks ago. So, now I can spiral in the comfort of my own home as I binge all of these titles like a maniac. If you are also trying to walk into the new year stressed out, then maybe this streaming guide is for you, too.
City of Shadows (2025)
When a burned body is put on display on the facade of an iconic building, two inspectors must work together to solve the crime. I don’t know much about this Spanish thriller, but I know winter is the time for an unsettling mystery. The show is based on the first book of the Milo Malart tetralogy written by Aro Sáinz de la Maza. So, if it’s as good as I hope it is, there is a whole world with this inspector awaiting us in print. I’m ready to take all six of these episodes in one setting if the streaming Gods allow.
Frankenstein (2025)
Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi, and Christoph Waltz are among the names in this newest adaptation of the beloved Gothic horror classic. Guillermo del Toro’s take on Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is clearly one of the top priorities this month. While I skipped it in festivals because of the runtime, I knew I would have a date with it on Netflix this winter. While it has been on the streamer for a minute, I wasn’t able to dedicate two and a half hours to it. I also had watched my friends’ mixed reviews come in, and couldn’t take another disappointment last year. So, I saved this treat for the holiday. Fingers crossed, it is better than people are saying it is.
I Know What You Did Last Summer (2025)
A new group of friends is tormented by a new stalker in this sequel to Kevin Williamson’s other ’90s slasher. I’m indifferent to the I Know What You Did Last Summer movies. Some are less awful than others, and I think this one was fine, but I know the original source material. Which means I know just how far they stray from what the original author, Lois Duncan, was about. So, I look at these movies and the flimsy premise they repeat differently than a lot of my friends. I think it’s an interesting look at how IP gets handled in Hollywood, but I don’t usually get much out of these. Which is another reason I’m kinder to this Jennifer Kaytin Robinson film than some people. While I won’t be rewatching it this January, I think a lot of people who missed it in theaters are going to have fun with some of these kills now that it’s on Netflix.
Stranger Things: Season 5 (2025)
The long-awaited conclusion to Stranger Things is finally upon us! Will Vecna take out some of this ridiculously large cast on the way out? I hope so. Will we pretend to be surprised when Eddie Munson gets a few seconds of screentime? I refuse to play this game. However, are we all going to tune in to see how this epic ride ends? You betcha! I hate that they’re breaking this final season up into three chunks, but I will be sitting for all of them.
The first four episodes hit in November. The next three landed on Netflix on December 25, and the finale premiered on December 31. I don’t know what to expect, but I know I am so ready to close this chapter of my relationship with Netflix and the Duffer Brothers. If it is even half as good as season four, then I will be a very happy nerd.
Troll 2 (2025)
A new troll awakens, causing Nora, Andreas, and Captain Kris to find new allies to take it down. This Norwegian monster flick almost got by me, so I’m happy Netflix dropped the trailer for this one. I’m using this as an excuse to finally watch the first one. I’m thinking a double feature is in order, so I can spend a whole day with these trolls. This is not my usual type of party, but after Troll Hunter won me over, I figure anything can happen. So, I will not judge you if you’re not feeling this out of left field pick. Just know that I’m running at it with an open mind and hoping to see some carnage as a reward.
These are just the Netflix titles I’m prioritizing. This is in no way a complete overview of all of the new shows and movies they’ve added this winter. We also know that they usually have a ton of international bangers that they refuse to advertise. So, I end up stumbling over Korean titles every January and then trying to tell people we missed some really excellent stuff. So, pick up your remote and turn your phone off. It’s time to Netflix and Chill in the less sexy and more nerdy way.
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