On February 12, 1954, one of the all-time greats graced the silver screen and in trendy 3D, no less: Creature from the Black Lagoon.
This monumental, monster classic was directed by Jack Arnold, who helmed It Came From Outer Space and would go on to magnify The Incredible Shrinking Man, with a crackerjack script by Harry Essex and Arthur A. Ross. Ben Chapman and Ricou Browning play the emoting Gill-man, the former on land, the latter in water. And the Gill-man sports iconic detail, thanks to his designer, Millicent Patrick and costume-makers, Chris Muller and Jack Kevan; and as for that in-depth photography which coddled his hijinks, beyond exquisite: in fact, some of the best 3D ever to kiss celluloid.
In addition to Browning and Chapman, Creature's cast presents an indelible ensemble: Richard Carlson, Richard Denning, Whit Bissell, Nester Pavia, Antonio Moreno, leggy Julia Adams and her equally leggy understudy, Ginger Stanley. The characters prove edgy and nuanced, and the Gill-man wouldn't be as frightful or forlorn if not for their presence.
What more can I say that hasn't already been said about this box-office sensation? Creature from the Black Lagoon was and remains a Universal Studios' dream come true, a bridge between the old, monster regime and what then became the long-running new. It's a cherished production that's held up well, and if you've any doubt, give it a whirl, or a re-whirl, as it were. There's no way to come away unsatisfied, even seventy years after the trailblazing fact.
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