Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954)

Director:

Jack Arnold

Writers:

Harry Essex (screenplay)
Arthur A. Ross (screenplay)
(more)

Release Date:

5 March 1954 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Horror | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

Not since the beginning of time has the world beheld terror like this!

Plot:

A scientific expedition traveling up the Amazon River encounter a dangerous humanoid amphibious fish creature.

Plot Keywords:

Expedition | River | Creature | Gill Man | Amazon

Cast

Richard Carlson	...	Dr. David Reed
Julie Adams	...	Kay Lawrence (as Julia Adams)
Richard Denning	...	Dr. Mark Williams
Antonio Moreno	...	Carl Maia
Nestor Paiva	...	Captain Lucas
Whit Bissell	...	Dr. Edwin Thompson
Bernie Gozier	...	Zako
Henry A. Escalante	...	Chico (as Henry Escalante)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ricou Browning	...	The Gill Man (in water) (uncredited)
Ben Chapman	...	The Gill Man (on land) (uncredited)
Perry Lopez	...	Tomas (uncredited)
Sydney Mason	...	Dr. Matos (uncredited)
Rodd Redwing	...	Louis, expedition foreman (uncredited)

Directed by
Jack Arnold

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Harry Essex		screenplay
Arthur A. Ross		screenplay
Maurice Zimm		story

Produced by
William Alland	....	producer

Original Music by
Henry Mancini		(uncredited)
Hans J. Salter		(uncredited)
Herman Stein		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
William E. Snyder

Film Editing by
Ted J. Kent

Art Direction by
Hilyard M. Brown		(as Hilyard Brown)
Bernard Herzbrun

Set Decoration by
Russell A. Gausman
Ray Jeffers

Makeup Department
Joan St. Oegger	....	hair stylist
Bud Westmore	....	makeup artist
Robert Hickman	....	makeup artist (uncredited)
Jack Kevan	....	makeup artist (uncredited)
Chris Mueller	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Fred Frank	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Leslie I. Carey	....	sound
Joe Lapis	....	sound

Stunts
Polly Burson	....	stunt double: Julie Adams (uncredited)
Ginger Stanley	....	underwater stunts (uncredited)
Al Wyatt Sr.	....	fire stunts (uncredited)
Jack N. Young	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Scotty Welbourne	....	special photography (as Charles S. Welbourne)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Rosemary Odell	....	wardrobe: Miss Adams

Music Department
Joseph Gershenson	....	musical director
Robert Emmett Dolan	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)
Milton Rosen	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)

Other crew
James Curtis Havens	....	director: underwater sequences (as James C. Havens)
Milicent Patrick	....	creature designer (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Universal International Pictures (UI)

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1954) (USA) (theatrical)
• Universal Film (1954) (Belgium) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures (1972) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Universal (1955) (France) (theatrical)
• Doperfilme (Portugal)
• GoodTimes Home Video (video)
• Hollywood Movie Greats (video)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (USA) (VHS)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (USA) (laserdisc)
• Universal Home Entertainment (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Universal Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Black Lagoon (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

79 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.00 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Finland:K-12 (1954) | Finland:K-15 (2004) | Canada:PG (Ontario) | USA:Approved (PCA #16854) | Spain:T | Australia:PG | Norway:16 (original rating) | UK:PG | USA:G (re-rating) (1972) | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Backlot, Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Company:

Universal International Pictures (UI)

Trivia:

In this film, the eyes of the Creature were a fixed part of the rubber construction of the suit. The actors who played the part of the "Gill Man" could barely see, if at all. In the second film, the eyes have been, somewhat ludicrously, replaced with large, bulbous fish-eyes to assist in the actor's vision.

Goofs:

Continuity: When David and Mark leave the ship for the first time in a little boat to disperse rotenona in the lagoon, Kay stays on the ship desk smoking, with her right elbow leaning on her left folded arm. Between shots, from the boat point of view, she appears with both hands on the lateral rope.

Quotes:

Lucas: I can tell you something about this place. The boys around here call it "The Black Lagoon"; a paradise. Only they say nobody has ever come back to prove it.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Aquanoids (2003)

Entertaining and worthwhile.

Classic, influential creature feature about the dangerous Gill-Man, discovered on an expedition in the Amazon, who proceeds to terrorize / kill the team members.

The pompous Mark Williams (Richard Denning), acting more like a big game hunter than a scientist, wants to bring back the creature as "proof", but level-headed David Reed (Richard Carlson) is more concerned with everybody's survival. The gorgeous Julia (Julie) Adams is Kay Lawrence, the obligatory damsel-in-distress, not a "modern" woman by any stretch of the imagination, since her purpose is basically to scream whenever the monster appears, and to always be in peril.

"Creature From the Black Lagoon" is a sometimes suspenseful and sometimes jolting (aided no end by a music score full of loud "stings") horror thriller. It's done in director Jack Arnold's efficient style, with a good pace and an excellent cast. The creature may be a typical "man in a suit" type thing, but it looks fierce and is capably played by both swimmer / diver Ricou Browning (in water) and stuntman Ben Chapman (on land).

Although this was originally made as a 3-D feature, I found that it doesn't need to be in 3-D to work.

For me, it wasn't altogether *scary*, but pretty thrilling nonetheless (the movie has its share of atmosphere; I believe that it was filmed on location in Florida). CFTBL would be followed by two sequels in the next two years, and a remake (Yes! Yet another remake! Does anybody even TRY to come up with new ideas anymore?) is planned for next year.

8/10