Creature Walks Among Us (1956)

The cool factoid of Reason and Morrow from "This Island Earth" (1955) as a connection to what many consider the final Universal Studios monster film of the classic era is a fun trivia piece for The Creature Walks Among Us", the third and final in the Gillman series. The troubled marriage between insanely jealous Morrow and browbeaten beauty Snowden takes up plenty of property on the story's real estate, but the change of direction with the Gillman losing it's ability to function underwater, and so severely burned its more human than fish, even in clothes and must more beefcake, at least provides some difference from the past two installments. Poor Gillman: if they just left it alone. It can't ever just swim in peace, whether in the Black Lagoon or the Florida Everglades. Morrow really lays it on thick as the volatile, temperamental jerk doctor while deep-voiced Reason is the reasonable, rational calm to his storm. There is a heavy-handed emphasis on man's remaining evolutionary ties to the jungle and closeness to the stars. The Creature actually evolving past its survival attack mode on humankind took a step forward in the third film, so that was a neat wrinkle, but I think the second and third films just never could quite reach the iconic status as Creature From the Black Lagoon. Besides when we first see Riccou Browning's Gillman swimming about one final time, while more scientists with scuba gear, knockout powder, and harpoons pursue it, the Creature's classic costume is relegated to the beginning of the film. Not a bad triple feature, and the Gillman is such a distinctive, detailed, impeccably designed creature I always seem to pop for anytime I revisit the films. I would love to see any of these films, particularly the first film, at a drive-in. 2.5/5 

"..we all stand between the jungle and the stars, at a crossroads. I think we better decide what brings out the best in humankind, and what brings out the worst, because it's the stars or the jungle."

Seeking the Gill Man for scientific study, Dr. William Barton(Jeff Morrow)and geneticist Dr. Thomas Morgan(the dashing Rex Reason)are on an expedition in the Everglades hoping to find it with skipper Jed Grant(Gregg Palmer)operating the boat. Along for the ride is Barton's stunningly beautiful wife Marcia(Leigh Snowden who is quite the eye-candy these Gill Man movies are accustomed to). Barton's a brilliant scientist, but crippled with jealousy..obsessed so that he's eaten to the pits when he sees any man even near her. This jealousy, at times, overwhelms him with uncontrollable rage. Meanwhile, the crew(which includes other scientists aiding Barton and Morgan including a sonar specialist who can track aquatic life underwater)eventually find the Gill Man, but he's not easy to capture and corners them into anchoring when the channel they travel comes to land. In a smaller boat, the Gill Man attacks them as they are pursuing it, accidentally covering himself with gasoline. Scared, skipper Grant sets the Gill Man on fire nearly killing it. Wrapped heavily in bandages, the Gill Man is losing oxygen as Barton and Morgan try to save it from certain death. Noticing unused lungs, they decide to open them through a surgical procedure converting the Gill Man from fish to amphibian to mammal with the result being an increase in metabolism perhaps offering a rapid case of evolution in a small period of time. Now breathing on it's own, Barton and Morgan notice that the Gill Man's outer scales were burned away in the mishap of fire and that a layer of human skin is underneath..this shows an increase in it's sensitivity to pain. The Gill Man is made a special suit for the loss of his stronger scales. Once ashore in San Francisco, Barton's behavior regarding his wife worsens as he notices Grant's aggressive advances towards Marcia. He can not shake the idea that his wife would eventually leave him and this causes a nasty streak that will lead to the murder of Grant while the Gill Man, adapting to his new system of life caged near the plantation they work and live, watches it take place. Barton tries to frame the Gill Man, but it tears from the cage going berserk. The introduction of murder between one man against another(..and perhaps it's own carnal lust for Marcia, often shown eyeing her from below)seems to have effected the Gill Man greatly as it chases after Barton who shoots his gun towards the creature. Ripping through the plantation, the Gill Man will blaze a path hunting Barton while others try to somehow survive the carnage.

Quite underrated Universal sequel to "Creature from the Black Lagoon" suffers only from a rather rushed resolution. I think the set-up of the film is quite intelligent and the debates between Barton and Morgan are quite fascinating. Barton wishes to pursue greater heights since seeing how to convert a sea animal to a land mammal, but Morgan believes they should take things slow, gradually understanding the Gill Man more before leaping into the ideas of increasing metabolism in "changing man". We also understand early on that the Gill Man suffered a disconnected thought process due to a lack of oxygen to the brain for nearly an hour which may've caused permanent damage so this might explain why it reacts so violently towards the end. But, through it all, Morgan believes Barton was actually the real monster whose demons bested him and that the Gill Man had not reverted back to what it was..but that it was just protecting itself against a predator(we see that before Barton tried to kill him after the witnessing his murder of Grant that the Gill Man killed a bobcat which had entered it's cage killing a couple sheep). I thought the boat attack towards the beginning..and the climactic rampage through the plantation..were quite thrilling. Good cast, too. Only if the screenplay had been a little stronger opting to focus on the troubled marriage of William and Marcia instead of the evolving Gill Man on land. -- August 2007, user comments.