The Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954)

The Creature from the Black Lagoon
Directed by Jack Arnold
Written by Harry Essex and Arthur A. Ross, story by Maurice Zimm
1954/USA
Universal International
Repeat viewing/Netflix rental

[box] David Reed: We didn’t come here to fight monsters, we’re not equipped for it.[/box]

Rubber-suited man + white bathing-suit beauty = iconic movie couple.

A group of scientists is excited about the finding of a lung fish.  They go to the Amazon to see if evolution may have taken one more step in the evolution between fish and man. Without much trouble, they run into the water dwelling “Gill Man”.  There is the usual argument over whether Gill Man should be destroyed or captured alive   When it becomes infatuated to hot young scientist Kay (Julie London), the boys are not left with much choice.  There you have the entire story.  With Richard Carlson and Richard Denning as scientists.

This is actually King Kong lite without the Monster’s expressive pathos, any cool dinosaurs or much in the way of special effects.  It was successful enough at the box office to spawn two sequels and a remake as well as numerous parodies so it must have done something right.  3-D probably spiced things up a bit.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZqSCs8Kj_8

Trailer