Creature from the Black Lagoon

Name: Creature from the Black Lagoon
Genre: Sci-Fi, Horror
Released: March 5, 1954
Duration: 79 min
Rating: 68
Cast: Antonio Moreno, Ben Chapman, Bernie Gozier, Henry A. Escalante, Julie Adams

1954

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Generally favorable reviews based on 11 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 16 Ratings

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7.0	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 16 Ratings

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Creature From The Black Lagoon

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Movie Details & Credits

Universal Pictures | Release Date: March 5, 1954 | TV-G

Starring: Antonio Moreno, Ben Chapman, Bernie Gozier, Henry A. Escalante, Julie Adams, Nestor Paiva, Richard Carlson, Richard Denning, Ricou Browning, Whit Bissell

Summary: 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.

Director: Jack Arnold

Genre(s): Sci-Fi, Horror

Rating: TV-G

Runtime: 79 min

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Critic Reviews

Kevin Thomas

A drive-in classic that is one of the most cherished horror pictures of the '50s. [30 Oct 1997, p.F17]

Josh Larsen

In so many monster movies, the pieces show. This creature is seamless. Read full review

Empire Kim Newman

A classic horror that warms the heart and wets the pants. Read full review

Michael Wilmington

This Universal sci-fi saga has little of the style or atmosphere of the studio's '30s horror classics; its stars are amiable Richard Carlson and Julia Adams. But it does have a unique monster: the Amazonian gill man, a lovelorn amphibian who spots Adams underwater and doesn't stop swimming after her until the very last minute. [30 Oct 1998, p.I]

Milton Luban

A good piece of science-fiction of the beauty and the beast school, the beast in this case being a monstrous combination of man and fish. It makes for solid horror-thrill entertainment. Read full review

Staff (Not Credited)

The routine story - members of a scientific expedition exploring the Amazon discover and are menaced by an amphibious gill man - is mightily improved by Arnold's sure sense of atmospheric locations and by the often sympathetic portrait of the monster. Read full review

A.H. Weiler

It's a fishing expedition that is necessary only if a viewer has lost all of his comic books. Read full review

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User Reviews

r96sk

Dec 31, 2021

'Creature from the Black Lagoon' is an entertaining flick from 1954.

For a film made so long ago, it really does age nicely. Sure some of the ways used to bring the creature to life look a little dorky in patches, but for the most part I felt the required creepiness - especially via the'Creature from the Black Lagoon' is an entertaining flick from 1954.

For a film made so long ago, it really does age nicely. Sure some of the ways used to bring the creature to life look a little dorky in patches, but for the most part I felt the required creepiness - especially via the creature's face. It has the feel of a very well made production, which is little surprise given it's a Universal production of course. I also like how it has a sense of knowledge to it, who knows if it all adds up but it sounds the part at least.

I enjoyed the cast, they all work well together onscreen. Richard Carlson, Julie Adams and Richard Denning are naturally the standouts, though I also found Nestor Paiva to be decent. Interesting to note that two people played the Gillman, with Ben Chapman on land and Ricou Browning underwater.

The start of a trilogy, I'm keen to check out the two sequels.… Expand