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!
I was late to the Radio Silence party. However, I do not let that stop me from being one of the loudest people at the function now. I randomly decided to see Ready or Not in theaters one afternoon in 2019 and walked out a better person for it. The movie introduced me to the work of a team that would become some of my favorite current filmmakers. It also confirmed that getting married is the worst thing one can do. That felt very validating as someone who doesn’t buy into the needing to be married to be complete narrative.
Ready or Not is about a fucked up family with a fucked up tradition. The unassuming Grace (Samara Weaving) thinks her new in-laws are a bit weird. However, she’s blinded by love on her wedding day. She would never suspect that her groom, Alex (Mark O’Brien), would lead her into a deadly wedding night. So, she heads downstairs to play a game with the family, not knowing that they will be hunting her this evening. This is one of the many ways I am different from Grace. I watch enough of the news to know the husband should be the prime suspect, and I have been around long enough to know men are the worst. I also have a commitment phobia, so the idea of walking down the aisle gives me anxiety.
Grace Under Fire
Ready or Not is a horror comedy set on a wealthy family’s estate that got overshadowed by Knives Out. I have gone on record multiple times saying it’s the better movie. Sadly, because it has fewer actors who are household names, people are not ready to have that conversation. However, I’m taking up space this month to talk about catharsis, so let me get back on track. One of the many ways this movie is better than the latter is because of that sweet catharsis awaiting us at the end.
This movie puts Grace through it and then some. Weaving easily makes her one of the easiest final girls to root for over a decade too. From finding out the man she loves has betrayed her, to having to fight off the in-laws trying to kill her, as she is suddenly forced to fight to survive her wedding night. No one can say that Grace doesn’t earn that cigarette at the end of the film. As she sits on the stairs covered in the blood of what was supposed to be her new family, she is a relatable icon. As the unseen cop asks what happened to her, she simply says, “In-laws.” It’s a quick laugh before the credits roll, and “Love Me Tender” by Stereo Jane makes us dance and giggle in our seats.
Ready or Not Proves That Maybe She’s Better Off Alone
It is also a moment in which Grace is one of many women who survives marriage. She comes out of the other side beaten but not broken. Grace finally put herself, and her needs first, and can breathe again in a way she hasn’t since saying I do. She fought kids, her parents-in-law, and even her husband to escape with her life. She refused to be a victim, and with that cigarette, she is finally free and safe. Grace is back to being single, and that’s clearly for the best.
This Guy Busick and R. Christopher Murphy script is funny on the surface, even before you start digging into the subtext. The fact that Ready or Not is a movie where the happy ending is a woman being left alone is not wasted on me, though. While Grace thought being married would make her happy, she now has physical and emotional wounds to remind her that it’s okay to be alone.
One of the things I love about this current era of Radio Silence films is that the women in these projects are not the perfect victims. Whether it’s Ready or Not, Abigail, or Scream (2022), or Scream VI, the girls are fighting. They want to live, they are smart and resourceful, and they know that no one is coming to help them. That’s why I get excited whenever I see Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett’s names appear next to a Guy Busick co-written script. Those three have cracked the code to give us women protagonists that are badasses, and often more dangerous than their would-be killers when push comes to shove.
Ready or Not Proves That Commitment is Scarier Than Death
So, watching Grace run around this creepy family’s estate in her wedding dress is a vision. It’s also very much the opposite of what we expect when we see a bride. Wedding days are supposed to be champagne, friends, family, and trying to buy into the societal notion that being married is what we’re supposed to aspire to as AFABs. They start programming us pretty early that we have to learn to cook to feed future husbands and children.
The traditions of being given away by our fathers, and taking our husbands’ last name, are outdated patriarchal nonsense. Let’s not even get started on how some guys still ask for a woman’s father’s permission to propose. These practices tell us that we are not real people so much as pawns men pass off to each other. These are things that cause me to hyperventilate a little when people try to talk to me about settling down.
Marriage Ain’t For Everybody
I have a lot of beef with marriage propaganda. That’s why Ready or Not speaks to me on a bunch of levels that I find surprising and fresh. Most movies would have forced Grace and Alex to make up at the end to continue selling the idea that heterosexual romance is always the answer. Even in horror, the concept that “love will save the day” is shoved at us (glares at The Conjuring Universe). So, it’s cool to see a movie that understands women can be enough on their own. We don’t need a man to complete us, and most of the time, men do lead to more problems. While I am no longer a part-time smoker, I find myself inhaling and exhaling as Grace takes that puff at the end of the film. As a woman who loves being alone, it’s awesome to be seen this way.
The Cigarette of Singledom
We don’t need movies to validate our life choices. However, it’s nice to be acknowledged every so often. If for no other reason than to break up the routine. I’m so tired of seeing movies that feel like a guy and a girl making it work, no matter the odds, is admirable. Sometimes people are better when they separate, and sometimes divorce saves lives. So, I salute Grace and her cathartic cigarette at the end of her bloody ordeal.
I cannot wait to see what single shenanigans she gets into in Ready or Not 2: Here I Come. I personally hope she inherited that money from the dead in-laws who tried her. She deserves to live her best single girl life on a beach somewhere. Grace’s marriage was a short one, but she learned a lot. She survived it, came out the other side stronger, richer, and knowing that marriage isn’t for everybody.
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.
‘Ready or Not’ and the Cathartic Cigarette of a Relatable Final Girl
‘Carrie’ Review: A Look At Two Adaptations
The Best Horror You Can Stream on Shudder in January 2026
The Best Horror You Can Stream on Netflix in January 2026
‘The Taking of Deborah Logan’ Review: An Overlooked Gem
‘Dry January’ Review: The Perfect Short Film for a Long Month
‘Lair of the White Worm’ Review: A Cult Folk Horror Classic
‘Snakes on a Plane’: A First-Time Watch Review
The Horror Press Podcast: Episode 53 ‘Disclosure Day’ and AI
‘The Snake Woman’ Review: Politics and Schlock in British Horror
‘The People Under the Stairs’ Review: A Brilliantly Bizarre Horror Classic
Slappy Was the Blueprint: How the Dummy from Goosebumps Became A Horror Icon
‘Five Nights at Freddy’s’ and The Story of William Afton Explained
Glen and Glenda: Don Mancini’s Reverence for Queerness in ‘Seed of Chucky’ (2004)
‘Truth or Dare’: Who Did it Best?
V/H/S Franchise Ranked, Best to Worst
Everything You Need to Know About Jason Voorhees
The 11 Most Disturbing Horror Movies Ever, According to an Actual Horror Fan
[REVIEW] ‘Cherry Falls’ (1999) Brittany Murphy Shines in This Cult Classic Slasher
