If you’re looking for a cool piece of trivia you probably didn’t know, Revenge of the Creature (1955), the sequel to the Universal monster movie classic Creature from the Black Lagoon, holds the distinction of being Clint Eastwood’s first feature film (a small role as Lab Technician Jennings. . . his second role for anyone asking – Francis in the Navy).
Helmed once again by Jack Arnold, the story picks up quite promptly after where the original left off. Having heard of the impressive gill-man specimen that has been seen in an Amazonian lagoon, the Ocean Harbor Oceanarium in Florida sends off a small but well prepared team to capture the unknown species with the help of the Captain who helmed the first venture, Lucas (Nestor Paiva returning). After a bit of a struggle, they’re able to transport it back from the Amazon, chaining it in a tank in the above mentioned tourist attraction and zoology study centre.
Headed by chiseled Professor Clete Ferguson (John Agar), who has taken a small leave from his normal job upstate to investigate the strange creature, and aided by an ichthyology student working on her Masters, Helen Dobson (Lori Nelson), the pair are more than intrigued by the fascinating find. . . and seem quite interested in each other as well.
Taking a page from 1933’s King Kong, the beguiling creature becomes a massive tourist attraction, the thing that brings people from far and wide to see. Made into a larger than life spectacle, thousands flock to see something that is not used to the attention. . . after all, the lagoon was a calm, tranquil and most private place.
Picking up on a trend from the previous film, the gill-man clearly has a love for gorgeous women, for he quickly falls for the Masters student. Showing his brute strength, he escapes and starts wreaking havoc along the Florida Oceanside. Fearing that it could be anywhere (after all, he is a lot smaller than King Kong), the creature only has one thing on his mind. . . capturing and transporting Ms. Dobson back to the luxurious lagoon – looking quite a bit like a stalker along the way.
Telling another version of the age old tale of beauty and the beast, this sequel adds more sympathy for the poor creature. At first just minding his own business at home, he is ripped from it and placed in a faux habitat, being poked and prodded by all the scientists. Falling for only the second woman he’s met, it is clear that he is a hopeless romantic, but he just can’t compete with that charming Professor. Flawed by thinking the same way all other beasts apparently do, kidnapping is the answer. . . but we have little hope it will work. Featuring even more connections to Guillermo del Toro’s The Shape of Water than the original, it is quite clear that the gill-man, even here in 1955, would make good bait for a more modern, nuanced reworking – proof being that the creature earned a Best Picture sixty plus years later.
A solid if simple sequel to arguably the biggest Universal monster movie of the 1950s, Revenge of the Creature was a big box office success. . . though it is difficult to get exact numbers, it is said that the sequel out-earned the original in ticket sales. It also holds the distinction of being the last 50s film to be shot in 3D, as the gimmick was waning. . . though that technology brought it a newfound fame in 1982, as it was chosen to be the first 3D movie to premiere on commercial television – with people rushing in droves to the stores to buy special dual-color glasses to experience the event firsthand. So, leave your own personal lagoon and see this serviceable sequel, it’s like a gilly walk on the beach.