A remarkable fossil is discovered (and almost destroyed) in the Amazon, prompting an expedition to find the rest of the creature that is supposed to link land and marine animals. Dr. Carl Maia assembles a team to do this, including ichtyologist Dr. David Reed, Dr. Mark Williams the investor, and Kay Lawrence. When they arrive, Dr. Maia's assistants are killed by a living version of the fossil, who fixates on Kay while trying to kill all the other members of the party. Can the expedition trap the creature alive and escape with their lives?
The Creature from the Black Lagoon was never one of my favorite Universal monster movies, but I hadn't watched it since I was a child. However, looking at now, it's an enjoyable and complex film. First, there's the contrast between the main men in the film. David Reed and Mark Williams couldn't be more different. Reed focuses on scientific findings and breakthroughs while Williams is in it for money, fortune, and fame. In the modern "remake" The Shape of Water, he has a lot in common with Strickland while Reed has more in common with Hoffstetler, the Russian undercover agent that does what he can to make sure the unique creature lives. Unfortunately, much of this film is Reed and Williams posturing, arguing, competing, and swimming around, which gets old pretty quick.
Kay Lawrence is a much more interesting character than I remember. All of the iconic pictures of her are with the Gill-man carrying her and essentially being a damsel in distress for her boyfriend to save. While this is true of the last half of the film, the first half has her challenging men in authority and making some surprisingly modern life decisions. Kay works with Dr. Reed and although she isn't a doctor, she is educated and goes on the expedition as another scientist. When Maia says Reed doesn't look like an ichthyologist as an attractive, fit young man, Kay counters with a sassy remark. She and Reed have chosen not to marry, a controversial decision for the time, and seem to be financially independent of each other, although Reed currently makes more money. Kay doesn't sit quietly and let the men talk like other heroines of the time. Reed supports her completely and never admonishes her. Their relationship looks healthy by todays standards and that's saying something since the same isn't true for many films today.
The Creature itself is fairly sympathetic, as most monsters are in the Universal canon. He is the last living member of a race of amphibious humans. The expedition is invading his home and he's defending it as he always has, giving rise to myths and rumors of a cursed lagoon. When he sees Kay, he develops feelings for her, swimming beneath her while she swims along the surface of the lagoon. This scene is beautiful and shows the humanity of the creature. I can see why Del Toro wanted to make a film where they end up together. Of course the Gill-man kills quite a few of the expeditions' lackeys, usually defending himself. The Gill-man design is as recognizable as Dracula or Frankenstien, which was created by Millicent Patrick and a team of designers. Unfortunately, George Westmore wasn't happy with sharing the limelight with anyone else when Patrick went on a press tour as The Beauty who Created the Beast, denying that she had anything to do with the creature design. He refused to work with her again despite her giving him credit during the tour, ending her career at Universal. She had worked there for years contributing to designs and it's such a shame that her career was ending by a jealous man.
The Creature from the Black Lagoon is an undeniably cheesy movie that has the marks of a Universal monster movie. The creature is sympathetic and the leading woman breaks social norms. The cheesy aspects had the theater laughing, especially when the Gill-man theme played so many times, an unfortunate studio decision, or when shots were obviously recycled several times. The film is impressive for the time, especially in regard to makeup. I liked it so much more than I expected. I had the wonderful opportunity to see it at the Egyptian Theater, along with a Q&A with Guillermo del Toro and Doug Jones and a double feature with The Shape of Water. Del Toro spoke at length how it inspired him as a child and how it informed not only The Shape of Water, but other of his films where monsters prove to have much more humanity than the people.
My rating: 3.5/5 fishmuffins
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