CBB Presents the Bear Cave of Terror - Ep. 56 - Creature from the Black Lagoon
In this week's episode of the Bear Cave of Terror, guest host Rob Staeger brings us another classic film favorite to chat about, with Universal's 1954 monster masterpiece, Creature From the Black Lagoon, directed by Jack Arnold. Originally shot and presented in 3D (which sadly, Steve has yet to see in the original format), Universal presented a brand new monster to add to its pantheon for the first time in 20 years. Debuted on national television during a special featuring Abbott and Costello, CFTBL went on to terrify audiences for generations through re-release in cinemas and on TV. With a face and head designed by Millicent Patrick and sculpted by Chris Mueller Jr, the Gill-Man's recognizable appearance was portrayed by two different actors in the film who both literally walked, or swam, into the role. Complex underwater filming, great on-location visuals in Florida standing in for the Amazon rainforest, and a fairly high body count make this film visually exciting, as do the frequently shirtless, and pretty caked up, actors portraying the male scientists searching the lagoon for proof of a prehistoric amphibious evolutionary off-shoot. The female lead also doesn't disappoint with a scandalous one-piece and the even more scandalously progressive relationship she maintains with one of her fellow male scientists, as well as her ability to pack more costume changes in 60 minutes than should be possible on a steam boat in the jungle! Additional resources for the film: Creature Feature: 60 Years of the Gill-Man (2014) directed by Matt Crick, and narrated by Keith David The Lady from the Black Lagoon by Mallory O'Meara, (2019) published by Hanover Square Press