The Creature Walks Among Us (1956) User Reviews

A Pleasant B-Movie of the 50's

[claudio_carvalho · 7/10 · 28 October 2012]

The wealthy Dr. William Barton (Jeff Morrow) organizes an expedition to the Florida Everglades with the scientists Dr. Thomas Morgan (Rex Reason), Dr. Borg (Maurice Manson) and Dr. Johnson (James Rawley) to capture the Creature. They navigate in the ship of Capt. Stanley (David McMahon) with Jed Grant (Gregg Palmer) and Dr. Barton's wife Marcia Barton (Leigh Snowden) joins the team. Dr. Barton is paranoid with the jealousy of Marcia and Jed is harassing her in the trip.

They chase and capture the Creature that is totally burnt. Without breathing through the gills, the Creature is turned into an air breather through his hidden lungs and brought to the ranch of Dr. Barton in California. Dr. Morgan defends the thesis that the Creature responds to the way that he is treated and asks people to be not violent with him. But Dr. Barton is near a breakdown with his jealousy of Marcia.

"The Creature Walks Among Us" is a pleasant B-movie of the 50's and the conclusion of the Black Lagoon trilogy. This is a film that belongs to my childhood and today I have just seen it again. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "A Caça do Monstro" ("The Hunting of the Monster")

The Best of the Three For Me.

[gkrupa73 · 7/10 · 5 January 2005]

I seem to differ from many of my fellow "monster movie" fans because I find this film the best of the series and in many ways one of the better horror flicks from this era. The reason for this preference on my part is because the human characters are rich, the actors do an excellent job, especially Jeff Morrow, and the focus is on the relationships between the characters against the backdrop of the adventure of again capturing the creature and then dealing with what to do with him when they get him. These relationships are as complex as my last sentence. The film opens with establishing a very strained relationship between Dr. Barton and his wife Marsha by inference of their nonverbal behavior. We soon find that Dr. Barton is not simply a very suspicious man afraid of being turned into a cock old by his young sexy wife. He is exploding with paranoia and she is repelled by him. This sets the underplay of all the remaining events in the film. Dr. Barton is a narcissistic, arrogant man besides paranoid. And, these are his more charming features. Jeff Morrow, who usually played a good natured hero, gets to show his muscles an actor by making himself totally repulsive in this role. Rex Reason is very good in his role and does so by using his good looks, great voice and easy charm to underplay his part. Thus, he makes himself a pleasant contrast to the splenetic Dr. Barton. Leigh Snowden as Dr. Barton's wife Marsha is, well, very good and also underplays her sexuality so well that it becomes intense. For those who look at a "monster movie" and think the plot of the movie is the monster, which in a good monster film would never take place, this film is not for that person. For those who like a little gem of good acting and interesting characters- enjoy this film.

Doctor Barton, Doctor Morgan, Doctor Johnson, Mister Grant!

[sol1218 · 7/10 · 1 March 2006]

(There are Spoilers) Third of the "Creature from the Black Lagoon" trilogy but in this movie the Gill Man or Creature is by far the most sympathetic of all the other Creatures in the "Creature from the Black Lagoon" films that he was in. Being badly burned by a can of gasoline as he was captured in the Florida Evergaldes the Creature is nursed back to heath by those scientists who almost killed him. He ends up becoming more human then most humans are both in his physical and biological makeup, his lungs for swimming underwater are now completely useless, as well as his spiritual understanding of life and the difference between Good and Evil.

Brought back to San Francisco to be studied by Dr. Barton, Jeff Morrow, and his staff of scientist the Creatue is like a Buddist Monk. Observing nature and not at all violent towards humans or the animals that are caged along with him.

The Creature looking like he grew a foot taller and gained an extra hundred pounds, all muscles, lost his ability to swim as graceful as an Olympic swimming and diving champion. He just lumbers around his cage like Tor Johnson's Lobo in "Bride of the Monster". As gentle as a kitten when not incited the Creature resorts to violence only when violence is directed towards him or anyone else. As we soon see when the peaceful Creature loses his cool and kills an attacking mountain lion; after the big cat attacked and killed a sheep and then tried to pounce on the Creature.

We also have a sub plot in the movie "The Creature walks Among Us" that's an attempted love affair with Dr. Barton's beautiful young wife Marcia, Leigh Snowden, and one of her husbands staff the handsome Jed Grant, Gregg Plamer. Jed, who can't take no for an answer from Marcia, actions leads Dr. Barton to lose his cool and later smash Grant's head in killing him. The Creature watching all these goings on from the safety of his steel cage minds his own business , while meditating and enjoying the wonders of nature, is driven back to his roots the Law of the Jungle. That happens when Dr. Barton attempts to cover up Grant's murder and dumps his body into the innocent Creature's cage, trying to implicate the totally innocent Creature in Grant's death.

Outraged at not only Dr. Barton's crime of taking a life but even more angry at him for trying to frame him for it the Creature goes completely bananas! Breaking out of his confinement the now mad as hell Creature tears the Barton house, and then Dr. Barton himself, apart as he lumbers towards the ocean where we last see him.

Standing by the shore and looking across the vast Pacific the Creature now knows that man is far too inhuman for his new found humanity. He decides to swim back home, the Black Lagoon?, with a new and better understanding of what life, as well as himself and his fellow living creatures, is all about.

P.S It seemed that the Creature must have re-learned, since when we last saw him, his ability to swim on top as well as underwater with his new found, instead of gills, lungs.

My favorite in the trilogy (and uderrated)

[mord39 · 6 October 2000]

MORD39 RATING: *** out of ****

Why Oh Why do so many fans never let go of an original film and denounce any improvement that might be made? While the original film is a classic of the fifties, I think that was purely because it was the first (a distinct advantage most first films in a series have!)

The second film was only "okay," and was a rehash of the first one. But why I like #3 so much is due to the daring change made to the Creature himself. He looks truly menacing and powerful when he becomes a land being, but more importantly he becomes much more human-like. We get to see how docile he truly is, and how it turns out to be that destructive animal known as Man who really makes him wild.

When the Creature DOES get wild in this one, he's a REAL killing machine! The rampage he goes on in this movie still packs a jolt for me.

Yet another great addition to our monster movie collection

[Tenkun · 7/10 · 26 April 2004]

"The Creature Walks Among Us" may not be everyone's cup of tea, but as a monster movie fan, I enjoyed it. It continues is the same vein (and vein-tearing) of the previous two "Black Lagoon" films, but while the level of violence, mayhem, and male protagonists goes down, there's more contemplation, "philosophy," and questioning the nature of the creature. It maintains the aura of man vs. nature, but a bit more intellectual than the other two. A good way to end the series, methinks. The acting, of course, isn't exactly its strong point, but in that aspect, it differs little from its predecessors. I must say, the creature's makeover into a more-man-than-gill is done with astonishingly good special effects- considering the time in history and the resources at hand. Overall, if you liked "The Creature from the Black Lagoon," you're bound to like this deeper, more eerie sequel, which is a little less blatant and a little more figure-it-out-yourself.

The Creature In Pants!

[babeth_jr · 6/10 · 2 December 2010]

I like this 1956 movie, the last of the Gill Man trilogy, following "The Creature From The Black Lagoon" and "Revenge Of The Creature".

The plot is simple...a rich, yet unstable scientist, Dr. Barton (portrayed with intensity by Jeff Morrow) puts together a team of doctors to find the Gill Man in the Florida everglades. Even though the Creature has been "killed off" at the end of the previous two movies, he inexplicably has been resurrected once again to be captured by the scientists for study. The Creature was badly burned, resulting in his gills being burned off, but hey, that's not a problem as the scientists discover he also has a set of human lungs. No, it doesn't make a lot of sense but you have to suspend your disbelief with these movies.

As a secondary subplot we have Dr. Barton's trophy wife Marcia (played by pretty actress Leigh Snowden) along to cause jealousy with her husband as a lecherous Greg Palmer makes play after play for her, even though she shows no interest in him. Rex Reason is the "good guy", a doctor also on board as the voice of sanity and a sounding board for the unhappy Marcia.

After the expedition captures the Creature and he has healed from his burns, they take him to Dr. Barton's home for additional study where for some bizarre reason they dress him in a shirt and pants...it is unintentionally hilarious to see. He then goes on a rampage after witnessing the murder of Greg Palmer's character by the insanely jealous Dr. Barton who then tries to pin the murder on the Creature. He kills the Doctor and then escapes, and by that time I was rooting for him! You can't but help have sympathy for this poor creature that was through no fault of his own taken from his natural environment and subjected to to being caged, studied and humiliated by having to wear a really bad suit. It all adds up to a lot of fun to watch!

Still pleases in spite of budgetary shortcomings

[Vornoff-3 · 5/10 · 7 July 2003]

I remember seeing `The Creature Walks Among Us' on TV as a kid. The local syndicated TV channel had worked out a deal with Burger King where you would buy one of their Happy Meal rip-offs (whatever they were called then) and get a pair of 3D glasses, so you could watch the movie with its `full effect.' Brilliant. I don't recall that the 3D worked very well (it rarely does on a TV screen), but I do remember how excited I was to stay up late and see the Creature from the Black Lagoon arise again in glory.

Now this was the third film in the `Creature' trilogy, and it's clear that the budget was far smaller than on either of the previous films. I'm guessing that accounts for the recycled underwater footage (there is not one new shot of the Creature swimming – it's all from the first film) and the limited use of the original Creature suit. In all probability, the suit was showing its wear and tear, we only see it from the waist up, in darkness, except for the brief scene in which they set it on fire (!). After the Gillman is captured, they explain his modified (cheaper) makeup by explaining that he is `mutating' to adapt to air-breathing circumstances. Apparently his skin is now so `sensitive' that he is required to wear a potato sack for `protection.' This means that they only had to come up with hands and a head for the actor to wear, rather than a full-bodied suit.

Still, there is something compelling about this picture, even after 20 years of growing up. Somehow the fact that the Creature is brought into our world and made to wear clothes reminds one of the Fall of Man, and our unexpected shame at our nakedness. This Creature still longs for that innocence, for a return to his primal water environment, even though his gills are damaged and his lungs would drown if submerged. The romantic subplot parallels this theme in its reversal of the original `Creature' pattern. This time, instead of a lustful but rich scientist hitting on the Hero's girl, the girl is married to the rich but jealous scientist while our Hero reminds her what love is meant to be like. This girl is already Fallen, and she begins the movie looking like a slut, but she slowly comes around to innocence, under the charms of Rex Reason.

Jeff Morrow and Rex Reason have a fascinating chemistry, just as interesting here as in their better known picture, `This Island Earth.' In that movie, again, Morrow plays the scientist who `has it all' – unlimited funding, access to advanced alien technology, and Reason portrays the good guy who won't sell his soul to get ahead. This version of the story has Reason a bit more subdued, and Morrow a bit more paranoid/manic. Comparing the two films makes it possible to appreciate the actors' range, and makes me wish they had worked together more often.

Better than you've heard!

[eileenmchenry · 7/10 · 10 January 2004]

The third installment of the Black Lagoon trilogy offers all the important elements you came to expect in the first two films, including an assortment of lunkheads vying for the love of a damsel in a white, one-piece bathing suit and a Gill Man in a terrible predicament. This time a wealthy yachtsman sets out to capture the Gill Man and accidentally discovers a secret beneath that green, scaly exterior. Good fun.

The Creature goes out with a whimper...

[moonspinner55 · 3/10 · 27 August 2006]

Tame, tacky third entry in the popular "Creature" trilogy has the Gill-man getting captured by a team of doctors who perform plastic surgery on this monster from the depths in a misbegotten attempt to humanize him. One aspect of the "Creature" features that was always successful was the underwater photography (low-budget, black-and-white, but eerie and somehow shimmering), and the cinematography here by Maury Gertsman doesn't disappoint either. Unfortunately, the acting is stilted, the pacing and direction are low-energy, and the special effects are awfully cheesy, as if nobody involved had much interest in making this thing work. The silly, inept screenplay is the main culprit, with poor plotting and dreary dialogue. It's always nice to see the Gill-man in action, but this vehicle for him is rather low on thrills. *1/2 from ****

Wraps up the trilogy nicely

[tomgillespie2002 · 6/10 · 14 July 2017]

Directed by John Sherwood, The Creature Walks Among Us is the third and final movie in one of Universal's most beloved monster franchises, that of the Gill-Man of the Black Lagoon. The original is a genre classic, a surprisingly creepy picture given its B-movie shackles that makes powerful use of its man-in-a-rubber-suit special effects. With audiences losing interest in creature features and denying Universal its bread and butter in the process, Creature from the Black Lagoon inspired a quickly-made sequel the following year, Revenge of the Creature, a routine monster movie that proved to be as uninspiring and unimaginative as its title, drawing from what made its predecessor so memorable without any of its skill of execution.

This final bow wraps the trilogy up nicely, while facing the wrath of its fans by being rather hesitant to go underwater and taking the evolutionary curiosity in a different direction all together. After the events of Revenge, the creature is at large in Florida, believed to be hiding out in the wetlands of the Everglades. A new crack team of square-jawed scientists and one of their pretty wives head out on a boat in the hope of snaring the beast, although it quickly comes to light that each man may have their own intentions. The handsome Thomas Morgan (Rex Reason) hopes to gain medical insight through experimentation, but the unhinged William Barton (Jeff Morrow) plans to mess with its DNA and creature a whole new species. The presence of Barton's wife Marcia (Leigh Snowden) has testosterone running high, sending Barton slowly mad in the process, while sleazy jungle guide Jed Grant (Gregg Palmer) tries to catch her eye.

After an incident leaves the Gill-Man badly burned, the crew tend to him and head for home. The burns peel back to reveal a smoother skin beneath, and the group are shocked to learn that the gill-breather also has lungs. The creature starts to, as the title suggests, walk among us, and is here more human than ever. With this idea, the film harks back to the original and turns its focus on man as the beast. He doesn't even need shackles to walk into his enclosure once he is brought ashore, and is eventually only thrown into a rage by evil acts committed by man. There's no claiming and kidnapping women to be his mate, and at one point he even prevents a rape. There is a startling amount of characterisation for a genre normally so reliant of archetypes, thanks to the script by Arthur A. Ross and strong performances from Morrow and Reason (who appeared together in sci-fi turkey and 'classic' This Island Earth. Given its obvious appeal, the Creature has remained surprisingly untouched by Hollywood's fondness for remakes, and judging from the reaction to Universal's introduction to their planned 'Dark Universe', The Mummy, let's keep it that way.

Slightly weak conclusion to the Creature trilogy

[Leofwine_draca · 5/10 · 19 September 2016]

THE CREATURE WALKS AMONG US is the third and final of the trilogy that began with CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON and followed with REVENGE OF THE CREATURE. While I appreciate that the writers of this third instalment wanted to do something a bit different to what had come previously, there's no denying that THE CREATURE WALKS AMONG US is a low budget effort that disappoints slightly.

The problem with this film is its predictability. It starts off on a usual footing with the main characters going on a creature hunt. One of them is played by B-movie regular Jeff Morrow, who you may or may not have seen in THE GIANT CLAW. The usual murky underwater photography follows, and then the film's highlight comes, an outstanding moment in which the Creature attacks. From this point in the film becomes something of a re-run of MIGHTY JOE YOUNG, with the Creature reinvented as a tragic antihero.

There's a fair amount of padding in what is already a rather short film, and a lot of scenes of characters standing around and yapping. The characters aren't very interesting and the Creature himself is a bit of an oddball, looking like a hulking Michael Myers clone in a fish head mask rather than the lithe and graceful figure of the past two films. It only starts picking up again at the climax. It's not a bad film per se, but it could have been so much better...

The Creature Stalks Among Us

[twanurit · 10/10 · 25 August 2000]

This dramatic thriller is intelligent, thoughtful, and terrifying. The Creature is sought by scientists on an expedition to the Florida Everglades, where the second film ("Revenge of the Creature") ended. Unlike the first 2 films (Barge-like boats called "Rita" and "Rita ll"), they are using a better (bigger) boat, a yacht named "Vagabondia lll" (means roaming) from San Francisco. Joining in the expedition is the wife (Leigh Snowden) of a disturbed scientist (Jeff Morrow), who hasn't much to do but be admired by the men around her, including a compassionate scientist (Rex Reason) and an amorous guide (Gregg Palmer). In a suspenseful nighttime waterway sequence using sonar to track him (later well-used in "Alien" - 1979), the Creature is subdued, but only after being burned in a ghastly fire (grilled Gill, fried Fish). The head scientist (Morrow) discovers lung tissue in the Creature, and he is transformed into an air-breathing animal. There is a certain poignancy when he first steps out to his new home in a Sausalito mansion's stockade, walking and seeing a new world for the first time (sheep are also in the electrified enclosure; prior 2 films justifiably limited his land time). The estate overlooks a bay, and eventually he longs to return to the water.

The racial undertones of his new appearance are undeniable. The 6'6" Don Megowan is superb as this "animal" (as Morrow calls him once), expressing torment and despair through a rigid mask with his sullen eyes and settle body gestures. In the last scene, as he stands on the hill overlooking the ocean, injured and breathing heavily, we wonder his thoughts on humans in this film trilogy - after being harpooned, drugged, beaten, imprisoned, blinded with lights, set afire, stabbed, shot at, chained, cattle prodded, surgically altered, framed for murder. Yet at last, he is now free to try to return to his natural habitat. Ending is ambiguous and he could survive: 1)"His gills may grow back" - Dr. Morgan 2)Beachcombers could rescue him before he hits the surf 3)He might retreat as soon as he discovers inability to breathe in water.

Commenters mention that he is wearing clothes and we do not see his body. We also didn't see the body of "The Wolf Man" (1941), just head, claws, paws, as well as "The Thing From Another World" (1951), alien head, claws in a jumpsuit, many other films. Being a burn victim, "his sensitivity to pain is increasing" - Dr. Morgan, he needs the protection of the sailcloth. Also mentioned is how sad all this is. Much worse is being riddled with bullets in the first 2 films, and presumed dead.

Main titles are an improvement, finally overlaid on gurgling water, rather than the clouds in prior two films. Another tremendous advance is the simple upgrade of giving the Creature eyes in this movie that move and exhibit some expression, versus the un-moving eyes of the other two movies ("Creature From the Black Lagoon" had blank eyes underwater, fake eyes on land, "Revenge" had frog-like bulbous eyes under and over). The music has been updated and is haunting, and the misty underwater photography in the first half is stunning, best in the series. The whole film is beautifully directed by John Sherwood, with lights, shadows, contrast in exquisite black and white. All the actors are fine, reciting mature dialogue.

The first 2 films together basically re-do the plots of "The Lost World" (1925) and "King Kong" (1933), of venturing into untapped territory, finding and fighting a strange entity, who is enamored with the lone female ("Kong"), bringing him back to civilization, where he escapes and abducts the woman. Sympathy is invoked for the Creature, making this most unusual.

The Gill Man is back for the 3rd Time

[chris_gaskin123 · 7/10 · 30 July 2008]

The Creature Walks Among Us is the second sequel to Creature From The Black Lagoon, although not as good as Revenge Of The Creature, it is quite a good movie.

In this one, another group of scientists head out to capture the Gill Man, who is this time living in the Everglades. They successfully capture him and take him back to the lab where they do experiments on him, removing his gills in the process. The Gill Man is then locked in a cage but he dosen't like that, so he escapes once again and after killing more people and once again kidnapping the main female character, he escapes, heading towards the sea...

The cast in this movie includes Jeff Morrow and Rex Reason, reunited from This Island Earth. Leigh Snowdon is the love interest and Morrow's wife. With Gregg Palmer.

Although not quite as good as the first sequel, I rather enjoyed The Creature Walks Among Us. Not too bad.

Rating: 3 stars out of 5.

A Different View Of The Creature

[sddavis63 · 5/10 · 27 September 2008]

"The Creature Walks Among Us" is the third in the "Creature From The Black Lagoon" trilogy. To be honest I found it a little difficult to figure out what to do with this one, since it's so different from the other two. The plot is different, the cast is different, the message is different - even the creature is substantially different. It's most easily compared to the second movie ("Revenge Of The Creature") since, basically, neither sequel managed to match the original's quality as a horror movie.

Compared to "Revenge," "Walks" has both strengths and weaknesses. It's biggest strengths are first, the performances from the cast, who do a much better job than the preachy and sometimes wooden cast from "Revenge," second, the decision to avoid the "creature falls for a beautiful girl" theme, which had already been overdone in the first two movies - and even though the chance was there, since there was a beautiful girl in the cast (Leigh Snowden) - and, finally, a better exploration of the creature's mindset and of the human condition. However, balanced against those strengths are the fact that while there were parts of the story I thought were improved, overall I just didn't find the movie particularly captivating, and I, for one, didn't like the changes to the creature.

Essentially, a year after the events of the second movie, the creature is captured in the Florida Everglades by a group of scientists led by Dr. Richard Barton ( Jeff Morrow) who wants to do some experimenting around evolution to try to make the "gillman" more human. The creature is horribly burned in the capture, losing his gills and his scales, but it's discovered that he has a set of lungs and can live on land. With a decidedly more human appearance, I found the creature less interesting frankly - more of a standard type monster. Essentially, we discover here that the creature has a kinder, gentler side (such as when he saves the sheep from the mountain lion that was about to attack them) and it's really human nature (represented both by the somewhat insane Barton and by the lecherous Jed, who won't take Barton's wife's "no" for an answer) that needs to be called into question. I can't argue with the critique of human nature, but I still have to say that I didn't find the movie that engrossing.

The end of the movie seemed to leave open the possibility of still more sequels, which Universal - thankfully - didn't pursue. The creature was clearly worn out by the end of "Walks." Essentially, I find it hard to differentiate between the second and third chapters in terms of overall quality, and so both get a 5 from me.

My favorite in the series

[grghull · 28 August 2005]

Like a few other posters, I consider THE CREATURE WALKS AMONG US the best in the Gill Man series. Granted that's not saying a whole lot because I never cared for the Creature films anyway. The concept of an amphibious monster lurking underwater was just way too limited and never really held my interest. Still, in CREATURE WALKS AMONG US he becomes a much more intriguing character due to the plight his human costars impose on him, and Don Megowen's (uncredited) performance as the Creature is very good. Like Christopher Lee in Hammer's THE MUMMY he manages to convey emotion without the benefit of dialog or even facial expressions. And his final rampage through the house is terrific for such a low budget film. There's a real sense of brute power as he smashes everything in his path in his attempt to reach his human tormentor. And like almost everyone else, I find the ending surprisingly poignant.

Not as good as Creature From the Black Lagoon but an improvement on Revenge of the Creature

[TheLittleSongbird · 7/10 · 31 July 2013]

Creature From the Black Lagoon is not without its flaws but it is very easy to see why it is deemed a classic monster movie, it is fun to watch with a sense of creepiness and is one of the better monster movies of the 50s. Its two sequels, Revenge of the Creature and The Creature Walks Among Us are not as good and do have areas where they are lacking a lot but both were a lot better than expected. Before, mind you this was just under 10 years ago, Revenge came across as slightly better. On re-watch however, The Creature Walks Among Us was the superior film. The script isn't the best asset in either three movies, in fact in all three it was one of the weak links, and in The Creature Walks Among Us it can come across as both corny and dreary. The pace can lumber at times as well and the special effects apart from Gill-Man are rather hokey. However, the acting is not bad though it's not what you call great, much improved from the acting in Revenge, Rex Reason clearly relishes his role and Jeff Morrow is likable enough. Leigh Snowden is also very pretty and not too vapid. The story is also more involving, it doesn't have a scene like that memorable and very creepy scene where Julie Adams is swimming alone and the creature is lurking underneath, but it also thankfully doesn't have that half-baked romance from Revenge. It is fun and suspenseful though, and the creature/Gill-Man is much better used than in Revenge, there he was used too much whereas here like in Creature From the Black Lagoon it is just right. The cinematography is crisp and has a good atmosphere, while the underwater sequences are beautifully shot and the way they're lit and constructed creates a sense of foreboding. Gill-Man/the monster still looks great, and he still has a personality. When he is menacing he is genuinely sinister, but there is also a sympathetic side that's quite affecting. There is less of the Beauty and the Beast/King Kong-like shadings than in the first two, but when it's there(it's most prevalent in the climax) it is movingly done, and the ending is agreed very poignant. The music score captures the mood of the movie wonderfully and adds to it as well. All in all, a good sequel, better than Revenge(though Revenge is not that bad a movie, it still has a fair amount of good things as well as a lot of flaws) but Creature From the Black Lagoon personally will always be the best of the three. 7/10 Bethany Cox

Final Film in Gillman Trilogy Takes a Dark and Gill-less Turn

[Cineanalyst · 6/10 · 20 October 2018]

"The Creature Walks Among Us" begins much like the first two Gillman films, "Creature from the Black Lagoon" (1954) and "Revenge of the Creature" (1955), with some doctors and a crew taking a boat down river to capture the merman. Instead of a small steamboat on the Amazon, however, it's a big ship speeding through some imaginary Everglades. Apparently, the filmmakers had no idea what the Everglades actually are, nor any concern that their audience might, as one would have more trouble finding a spot in the tropical wetlands to stand without their head being above water and where they weren't being eaten by alligators than they would from becoming unconscious from diving too deep in clear waters, which is what happens in the film. Regardless, there's more of the same lovely underwater photography and a tense sequence as they hunt and are hunted by the amphibious creature. Once again, the monster is captured and wreaks havoc when on the loose, too. Otherwise, this final creature feature is substantially different in tone and characterization.

The woman is quite the distraught and abused wife this outing, and like the rest of the main human cast, a disagreeable character. The Gillman seems to think the same, as he's less interested in her than he was in the last films' damsels. Out of boredom, she shoots sharks for sport and endangers the mission by her incompetence at deep-sea diving. Two other members of the crew hit on her repeatedly, one on whom is rapey about it, and the other makes clunky colonialist metaphors about men reaching for the stars or the jungle. Worst of all, though, is the woman's sociopath and jealous, beady-eyed husband, who dreams of being a mad doctor in the vein of a Frankenstein or Moreau by turning the Gillman into a Lung-man. The creature catching on fire during the film's best scene, however, along with a tracheotomy, causes this mutation for him, as his scales are burned off to reveal an under-layer of human skin, and X-rays reveal that he can breath without his lost gills because he also has lungs. No vivisection required.

The marriage drama is gloomy, and I could see how it might upset some horror fans' expectations, but I appreciate the change of pace, especially since the last two films were so repetitively similar. On the other hand, the pacing isn't as good here, especially compared to the first film, and is rather repetitive, replaying the same situations of marital squabbles and lecherous other men. There are a few too many characters, most of them being of no consequence, although this does lead to an early unintentionally-funny scene where they introduce each other with a greeting along the lines of, "Dr.... Dr.... Dr." And there's no explanation as to why the Gillman suddenly bulks up after shedding his scales. Yet, while spelling the end of the series by the Gillman also shedding his gills, the new makeup allows us to see the actor's eyes. His displays of strength, including a great final rampage, add some much-needed action to the plot, too. Instead of entrapment within the (former) illusion of Sea World tranquility of "Revenge of the Creature," he's essentially put in a concentration camp this time. The result is a more sympathetic creature, which along with the unsympathetic men, makes "The Creature Walks Among Us" more similar in some ways to "The Shape of Water" (2017) than to the first two creature features.

A thoughtful, perhaps misguided sequel

[dinky-4 · 5/10 · 2 July 2000]

While the third entry in the "Creature" trilogy is obviously its weakest link, it nevertheless continues the practice of trying to evolve the story rather than simply re-hashing it, as do so many current "sequels." However, the story may be going in a wrong direction here. True, the notion of converting the Creature into a land animal has interesting possibilities, and the sympathy and even respect shown him is commendable, but this deprives the story of the thrills and suspense and energy which made the first two entries in the cycle so memorable. Too often the movie drifts into philosophising and while some of this dialog is worthy and thought-provoking, it comes at the expense of the action which the audience reasonably expects. What's more, the desire to leave the ending "open" enough to permit yet another sequel deprives this story of a suitable climax.

Nonetheless, the third "Creature" movie has more merit than it's generally given credit for and, like most sci-fi movies of its era, has been assembled with a degree of efficiency and competency not often found in today's low-budget movies.

It's good to see Rex Reason and Jeff Morrow re-united following their work in "This Island Earth," though Morrow seems a bit mis-cast in a somewhat villainous role. Reason's acting range is limited but he was one of those actors groomed by Universal more for good-looks than for other factors -- think Rock Hudson and John Gavin -- and he's certainly easy on the eyes. What's more, the watery locale gives him ample opportunities to strip down to a snug-fitting bathing suit. (Note how his suit is white whereas Greg Palmer's is black. But also note that while Palmer is smooth-chested, Reason's chest is quite hairy --a departure from the usual pattern of good-guy-vs-bad-guy physiques.)

Return of the rubber-suit.

[Boba_Fett1138 · 7/10 · 19 November 2007]

Despite not being too much alike, the first sequel "Revenge of the Creature" still felt a bit too much of the same after "Creature from the Black Lagoon". "The Creature Walks Among Us" feels more fresh. So I think a change of director was not a bad choice. John Sherwood takes over the helm from Jack Arnold. He does this in the same trend as the previous tow movies but still adds enough elements of his own.

The movie is more horror-like than its two predecessors. The tension gets build up well and the Gill-man isn't as prominently featured as in the second movie was the case. That was sort of what was wrong with the first sequel of the movie; the creature played a too prominent role, which was a killer for the movie its tension and mystery. Lucklily this movie does have both tension and mystery in it. Through its build-up and atmosphere, it makes this movie a rather effective on in its genre.

In his movie the creature is more being treated as a victim, rather than a cold-hearted killing monster. This approach was also tried in the previous two movies but it did not worked out as well as it does in this one. It helps you more to understand- and sympathize for him. This is the Gill-man's most personal movie! He's more like the Frankenstein-creature in this one.

The characters are rather solid in the movie, though of course you just never really start to care for them. The actors aren't among the greatest but what '50's B-monster movie did ever feature any award winning performances?

Of course the movie above all things still remain a B-monster movie. The Gill-man's suit is obvious fake and its story is at all times kept very simple. About halve way through the movie and story even start to become ridicules but at least its trying to be original, at least when compared to the previous sequel. The movie also manages to create some interesting side-plots, involving some of the characters.

In my opinion the best of the three movies!

7/10

http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/

The Creature Walks Among Us (1956) **

[Bunuel1976 · 5/10 · 8 July 2005]

The third and final entry in the series is something of a failure, if still eminently watchable, because it presents too many angles and, then, is not prepared to follow any of them all the way through! For instance, the female lead initially comes off as something of a femme fatale, which lends the proceedings an added - and welcome - degree of tension, but during the second half the script basically lets this idea drop and simply blames this behavior on her husband's possessiveness; the latter, then, is somewhat ineffectual - both as the ostensible lead of the picture and as the misguided scientist so often a feature of the horror/sci-fi genre. The Creature itself is strapped to an operating table for most of the running time (although the final rampage, admittedly, is very well done), whereas the very brief underwater footage has been recycled from the previous films.

Besides, the alleged change in the monster's behavior pattern (from fish to man) is superficially treated - despite the high-falutin scientific discussion which crops up from time to time to pad out a rather thin plot line - as it is never really made to feel human apart from being dressed in over-sized clothes! Hell, it had a great deal more in common with the prototype male as a fish with an unmistakable eye for the ladies (another angle which is barely touched upon here, despite the delectable presence of Leigh Snowden...although, by this time, The Creature had probably learned its lesson)!! That said, the abrupt, downbeat finale of this one (not dissimilar to that of THE ELEPHANT MAN [1980]) ends the saga of The Creature From The Black Lagoon on a satisfyingly high note.

He Didn't Get a Chance to Walk Among Us

[Hitchcoc · 7/10 · 22 June 2015]

Our friend the "Creature" is again under assault from people wanting to exploit him. An expedition is launched to the Everglades and fish finding devices are able to figure out where he is. After numerous efforts, he is finally subdued after being doused with gasoline. These "scientists" have the idea of transforming him into an air breathing superman. I guess it's to skip over the natural evolutionary process of nature. He becomes a sad figure, wearing an idiotic suit and walking around an electrified pen. He is treated with malice by the leader of the expedition, who spends more time dealing with his wife, whom he doesn't trust, that he does on the mission on hand. Anyway, the creature ends up in Sausalito, California, in the San Francisco Bay. Not a bad episode, once again showing the darker side of science. Rex Reason provides an apt counter to the evil man of science.

High anxiety for the gill man

[bkoganbing · 3/10 · 26 July 2014]

The third and final creature feature with the gentleman from the Black Lagoon was strictly from hunger. Apparently in not one of the three films was it thought that, where there are gill men there must be gill women.

Because being cut off from his gill women must be giving that creature one mean itch he has to scratch. In this case the itch giver is Leigh Snowden.

Snowden herself has some scratching issues. She's married to scientist Jeff Morrow. But rugged sailor Gregg Palmer has got his eye on her and making moves as well.

This film also features scientists Morrow and Rex Reason operating on the creature after he's burned. They take out his gills and work on developing some nascent lungs.

Now his native habitat is the water and doing that will also increase the creature's anxiety level. What happens? You stay to watch the last and clearly the worst of the Black Lagoon films.

Man is the Monster

[drmality-1 · 8/10 · 8 June 2005]

In the third and final installment of the "Creature" trilogy, it is clearer than ever that the real monsters are the scientists themselves, with their constant prodding and poking of nature. The Creature is bestial, but no more evil than a wolf or a lion, when you come down to it. He is a natural part of his landscape. But Man is not content to leave him there.

In the first movie, the scientists didn't really know there was a living Creature. That story was one of survival...kill or be killed. In the second film, Man is not content to let the Creature live his isolated existence, so he is captured, brought to civilization and displayed like a sideshow freak. In "Creature Walks Among Us", science now thinks it can "improve" the Creature. As one might expect, the results are tragic.

Millionaire scientist Bill Barton is obsessed with capturing the Creature and "tweaking" him. Barton himself is a seriously unbalanced man...abusive to his beautiful "trophy" wife and insanely jealous when she is in the company of other men. Barton is the ultimate control freak and as his hold over his wife weakens, he increases his control over the Creature, capturing him. When the Creature is severely burnt by a fire, Barton and his team of scientists convert him into a hulking, ungainly land beast that even wears clothes.

The "land" Creature is a pathetic sight and evokes tremendous sympathy. Despite the constant babbling of the egg-heads to the contrary,the Creature is not meant to be a land dweller. Graceful and natural in the water, he is a stumbling, confused brute in the air. Yet his instinct always guides him back to the water where he belongs.

As Barton's marital and mental condition deteriorates, it is also clear that humans are more purely hateful, grasping and neurotic than animals. Finally, both the Creature and Barton erupt into violent conflict.

The movie has its slow spots but is extremely well-directed, almost like a film noir. The scene where the Creature catches fire is breath-taking, but it's the haunting last scene of the movie that will stay with you. At the end, there is nothing "monstrous" about the Creature anymore. He is a victim, pure and simple. This radical concept makes this movie daringly different from almost every other 50's monster flick.

The acting is pretty good, with Rex Reason playing a sympathetic scientist who is the voice of reason. Jeff Morrow (who co starred with Reason in "This Island Earth") is nasty but nuanced as the grasping Barton. Leigh Snowdon is lovely as Barton's sexy young wife and also gives a pretty good performance.

More than just a monster movie, this is thought-provoking entertainment. "The jungle or the stars?" asks Dr. Morgan, concerning mankind's destiny. Watching "The Creature Walks Among Us" doesn't make me too optimistic about the stars...

Spoilers follow ...

[parry_na · 6/10 · 1 December 2016]

The Creature from the Black Lagoon is often thought of as the last Universal classic monster. As far as this, the final of three films to star the titular 'gill man', the difference from the Lugosi/Karloff/Chaney monster mashes is marked. No familiar orchestral soundtracks cribbed from earlier horrors; a sun-kissed Honolulu main road (which opens this) is a million miles away from the faux 'European' locations on Universal's backlot that provided a staple part of earlier monster movies. Of course, in the late 1950's, times and styles have changed. Sleek haired, square jawed wholesome heroes are a kind of progression from familiar quick-talking reporters or clipped police officers. And what a dull bunch they initially appear to be. An early conversation where they speculate about man exploring outer space is an ideal time to go and put the kettle on. One cries out for a Lionel Atwill, or even a Skelton Knaggs to breathe some life into the proceedings.

Typical audacity is displayed by the humans, who not only capture the creature from its natural habitat, but then subject it to an operation to give it a more human aspect. Perhaps it could become a jealous neurotic like Jeff Morrow (Dr William Barton), or his wife Leigh Snowden (Marcia Barton) who is trapped in an unhappy marriage? It is an interesting conundrum for the audience. These respectable progressive heroes are noticeably flawed for a change.

The creature is used to excellent effect here. A Frankenstein-like pathos accompanies its attempts to come to terms with its enforced condition. The make-up, by Bud Westmore (who appears to be the only link between this and Universal's 'classic monster series), is also very impressive, ridding the creature of the wide-eyed cuteness he previously possessed, instead imbuing him with a naturalism that belies the man-in-costume realisation. It is played by a (bizarrely) uncredited Don Megowan, who – amongst many other things – went on to play Frankenstein's Monster in an abortive pilot for Hammer's TV show 'Tales of Frankenstein' two years later.

original skin

[lee_eisenberg · 5/10 · 3 March 2012]

Yes, the Gill-Man is back again. In "The Creature Walks Among Us", his skin gets burned off and some scientists make him look more human. Can't the guy ever catch a break?! As in the first two movies, the audience's sympathy is with the Gill-Man, seeing how the humans invade his world and take him prisoner. The object of his affection this time is Marcia Barton (Leigh Snowden), a sassy blonde bombshell in an abusive marriage. A lot of the scientific jargon might go over your head, but I always like hearing that stuff. Overall, the movie delivers what it promises. To be certain, there's at least one scene that must have given millions of teenage boys their first carnal experience.

Good times.