The Creature From the Black Lagoon (1954) @ EOFFTV


	SYNOPSIS \| REVIEW \| PRODUCTION NOTES \| TRIVIA \| PRESS \| QUOTES \| KIM NEWMAN ARCHIVE \| MEDIA
	The Creature From the Black Lagoon (1954) Country of Origin: USA Year of Production: 1954 Running Times: 79 mins Format: black and white 35mm 3D Ratio: 1.37:1 Sound: Western Electric Sound System CREDITS PRODUCTION Production Company: Universal-International Producer: William Alland SCRIPT Script: Harry Essex, Arthur Ross Story: Maurice Zimm DIRECTION Director: Jack Arnold Assistant Director: Fred Frank Underwater Sequences Director: James C. Havens PHOTOGRAPHY Director of Photography: William E. Snyder Special Photography: Charles S. Welbourne EDITING AND POST-PRODUCTION Editor: Ted J. Kent MUSIC Musical Director: Joseph Gershenson Music: Robert Emmett Dolan (uncredited), Henry Mancini (uncredited), Milton Rosen (uncredited), Hans J. Salter (uncredited), Herman Stein (uncredited) SOUND Sound: Leslie I. Carey, Joe Lapis Sound System: Western ElectricRecording MAKE-UP AND COSTUMES Make Up: Bud Westmore Hair: Joan St Oegger Julie Adams' Wardrobe: Rosemary Odell SPECIAL EFFECTS Creature Designer: Milicent Patrick (uncredited) DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION Art Director: Bernard Herzbrun, Hilyard Brown Set Decorator: Russell A. Gausman, Ray Jeffers LOCATIONS Locations: Green Cove Springs, Florida, USA; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Paradise Cove, California, USA; Silver Springs, Ocala, Florida, USA; Wakulla Springs, Florida, USA STUNTS Underwater Stunts: Ginger Stanley (uncredited) CAST Richard Carlson (Dr David Reed) Julia Adams (Kay Lawrence) Richard Denning (Dr Mark Williams) Antonio Moreno (Dr Carl Maia) Nestor Paiva (Lucas, Captain of the Rita) Whit Bissell (Edwin Thompson) Bernie Gozier (Zee, Rita Crewman) Henry Escalante (Chico, Rita Crewman) Ricou Browning (Gill-Man (in water - uncredited)) Ben Chapman (Gill-Man (out of water - uncredited)) Perry Lopez (Tomas (uncredited)) Sydney Mason (Dr Matos (uncredited)) Rodd Redwing (Louis (uncredited)) PLOT SUMMARY A group of scientists and explorers are searching for fossils in the Amazon basin and get more than they ever bargained for when they arrive at the Black Lagoon. Here they find a prehistoric Gill-Man which they quickly capture. It escapes but returns to abduct one of the expedition members, Kay. CAPSULE REVIEW Introducing the last of the great Universal monsters, The Creature From the Black Lagoon is a fun monster romp with a slightly silly looking monster but some fabulous underwater photography. The jungle settings are also beautifully realised and the film has endured thanks to its energy and its tactfully handled beauty and the beast love story. AVAILABILITY Portugal Theatrical Distributor: Doperfilme USA Theatrical Distributor: Universal Pictures Video Distributor: MCA; Goodtimes; Hollywood Movie Greats Laserdisc Distributor: MCA Home Video (23005 - 1991); Pioneer (PLFEB 35801 - 1997) DVD Distributor: Universal (20760) CENSORSHIP HISTORY Australia Rating: PG Finland Rating: K-12 USA Rating: approved (J6854) TIMELINE 1954 March 5: USA - theatrical release November 29: Sweden - theatrical release December 10: Finland - theatrical release 1955 January 24: Denmark - theatrical release May 12: Portugal - theatrical release 1991 October 10: USA- laserdisc release (MCA Home Video (23005)) 1997 July 7: USA - laserdisc release (Pioneer (PLFEB 35801)) 2000 August 29: USA - DVD release (Universal (20760)) 2002 January 6: USA - television broadcast (on American Movie Classics) 7: USA - television broadcast (on American Movie Classics) POSTER TAGS Not since the beginning of time has the world beheld terror like this! Centuries of passion pent up in his savage heart! Terrifying monster ravages mankind! Amazing! Startling! Shocking! Clawing Monster From A Lost Age strikes from the Amazon's forbidden depths! ALTERNATIVE TITLES Black Lagoon - working title LINKS SEQUELS Revenge of the Creature (1955) The Creature Walks Among Us (1956) SEE ALSO El castillo de los monstruos (1957) Fade to Black (1980) Little Shop of Horrors (1986) Mad Monster Party? (1967) Matinee (1993) The Monster Squad (1987) Saturday the 14th (1981) FOOTAGE INCLUDED IN Coming Soon (1982) It Came from Hollywood (1982) Il mondo di Dario Argento 3: Il museo degli orrori di Dario Argento (1997) REFERENCES MAGAZINES Cinefantastique vol.12 no.2 (April 1982) p.13 (USA) review Cinefantastique vol.27 no.3 (December 1995) pp.44-47, 61(USA) illustrated article Classic Images no.276 (June 1998) pp.C4-C9 (USA) Illustrated article Classic Images no.277 (July 1998) pp.C2-C7 (USA) illustrated article L'Ècran Fantastique no.26 (1982) p.76 (France) review Empire no.163 (January 2003) pp.168-169 (UK) illustrated DVD review Fangoria no.68 (1987) interview ith Harry Essex (The Creator from the Black Lagoon by Tom Weaver) Fangoria no.120 (1993) pp.14-19, 58-59 illustrated production notes (Behind the Black Lagoon by Tom Weaver) Fangoria no.198 (November 2000) p.65 (USA) illustrated DVD review Film Score Monthly vol.6 no.2 (February 2001) pp.42-43 (USA) illustrated soundtrack review Filmfax no.58 (October 1996/January 1997) pp.86-94 (USA) illustrated interview Filmfax no.73 (June/July 1999) pp.50-58, 87; 76-80, 89 (USA) illustrated article; illustrated interview Hollywood Reporter vol.128 no.9 (9 February 1954) p.3 (USA) review Journal of Popular Film vol.2 no.1 (Winter 1973) pp.15-28 (USA) article Kinematography Weekly no.2474 (25 November 1954) p.16 (UK) review The Listener vol.117 no.2994 (15 January 1987) p.26 (UK) review Monthly Film Bulletin vol.22 no.252 (January 1955) p.7 (UK) credits, synopsis, review Motion Picture Herald vol.194 no.7 (13 February 1954) p.2182 (USA) review Starburst no.45 (1982) pp.36-40 (UK) review Starburst no.295 (February 2003) p.6 (UK) illustrated article Starlog no.164 (March 1991) illustrated interview with Richard Denning (Creature Hunter by Tom Weaver) Starlog no.167 (June 1991) illustrated interview with Julie Adams (Creature Love by Tom Weaver); illustrated interview with Ricou Browning (Creature Man by Tom Weaver) Starlog no.180 (July 1992) illustrated interview with Ben Chapman (Creature King by Tom Weaver) Starlog no.218 (September 1995) illustrated interview with William Alland (The Producer from the Black Lagoon by Tom Weaver) Starlog no.250 (May 1998) pp.61-65 interview with Arthur A. Ross (Anatomy of a Merman by Tom Weaver) Today's Cinema vol.83 no.7145 (19 November 1954) p.12 (UK) review Total Film July 1999 p.106 review (by John Walker) Variety 10 February 1954 (USA) credits, review Video Watchdog 11 pp.16-17 illustrated review BOOKS Creature from the Black Lagoon by Tom Weaver (Absecon NJ: MagicImage Books, 1992) production notes, script Hoffman's Guide to SF, Horror and Fantasy Movies 1991 - 1992 p.81 credits, review Reference Guide to Fantastic Films p.78 credit KEYWORDS 3d, the amazon, boats, expeditions, fossils, jungles, monsters, rivers, scientists, scuba diving, spear guns, underwater Last Updated: 15 October, 2008