Creature from the Black Lagoon

A scientific team in the Amazon finds the fossilised hand of a creature that is part fish and part man. Following the trail they reach the Black Lagoon. There is a living one there: the Gill-man. It fixes on Kay Lawrence, the only woman in the party, and will not let them leave. Jack Arnold directed and William Alland produced. It premiered in Detroit on 12 February 1954. It was shot in 3D using polarised light, though most audiences in smaller theatres saw the flat version. Two performers played the creature: Ben Chapman on land and Ricou Browning underwater. The underwater sequences were filmed at Wakulla Springs in Florida. Browning is said to have held his breath for long stretches; he later explained that while actually swimming this was limited to about two minutes. Its most remembered scene is Kay swimming at the surface with the creature directly beneath her, matching her movements without touching her. Rotten Tomatoes sits at 81 percent. Leonard Maltin gave three stars out of four, praising its juicy atmosphere and luminous underwater photography. It produced two sequels. Directors including John Carpenter, Guillermo del Toro and James Wan have tried to remake it and none succeeded. Who it is for: viewers who like fifties monster films and practical suit work. Who it is not for: anyone expecting the horror standards of today. The film does not frighten, and the woman's function is almost entirely to be threatened.