Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954)

Director:

Jack Arnold

Writers:

Harry Essex (screenplay) and
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 strange prehistoric beast lurks in the depths of the Amazonian jungle. A group of scientists try to capture the animal and bring it back to civilization for study.

Plot Keywords:

Expedition | Creature | Amazon | Gill Man | River

Cast

Richard Carlson	...	David Reed
Julie Adams	...	Kay Lawrence (as Julia Adams)
Richard Denning	...	Mark Williams
Antonio Moreno	...	Carl Maia
Nestor Paiva	...	Lucas
Whit Bissell	...	Dr. Edwin Thompson
Bernie Gozier	...	Zee
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
Harry Essex		(screenplay) and
Arthur A. Ross		(screenplay) (as Arthur Ross)
Maurice Zimm		(story)
William Alland		idea (uncredited)

Produced by
William Alland	....	producer

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

Cinematography by
William E. Snyder		(director of photography)

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)

Production Management
Foster Thompson	....	unit manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Fred Frank	....	assistant director
Russ Maverick	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Leslie I. Carey	....	sound
Joe Lapis	....	sound
Ray Craddock	....	sound editor (uncredited)
Albert E. Kennedy	....	sound editor (uncredited)

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 (1955) (France) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures (1972) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• GoodTimes Home Video (1987) (USA) (VHS)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Universal Home Entertainment (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Universal Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• J.Arthur Rank-Film (1954) (Austria) (theatrical)
• Universal International Pictures (UI) (1954) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Doperfilme (Portugal)
• Emerald (2011) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Hollywood Movie Greats (video)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (USA) (VHS)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (USA) (laserdisc)

Also Known As:

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 | Brazil:Livre | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Norway:16 (original rating) | UK:PG | USA:G (re-rating) (1972) | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Big Bear Lake, Big Bear Valley, San Bernardino National Forest, California, USA

Company:

Universal International Pictures (UI)

Trivia:

Jean Renoir was an uncredited script doctor on this film.

Goofs:

Factual errors: The scientists in this movie, presumably geologists and palaeontologists, constantly misuse terms for the geologic time scale. They refer to the Devonian as an "age" and as an "era"; both terms are wrong. The Devonian is a period, which is shorter than an age and longer than an era. Geologic time is divided in units termed, from longest to shortest, Eon > Era > Period > Epoch > Age. The current year is part of the Holocene age of the Quaternary epoch of the Cenozoic era of the Phanerozoic eon.

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 "Mystery Science Theater 3000: City on Fire (#1.16)" (1989)

Nature supplies many mysteries.

After finding a claw-like hand, scientists make a return trip to a lagoon off of the Amazon to search for relics. The major discovery is a 'gill' man with an eye for the female form. Julie Adams is most certainly an eye opener. Very interesting underwater and location shots. Run of the mill acting from Richard Carlson, Richard Denning and Whit Bissell. This was scarier seen through the eyes of a very young boy on the third row; but still holds your attention. Is this a classic or what?