The Creature Walks Among Us
by Greg Kishbaugh
It is an indelible image. Equal parts gorgeous and terrifying. A young woman glides through the crystalline waters of a lagoon, unaware that below her a primordial creature swims inches away. Darting toward her, withdrawing, reaching for her dangling feet, then withdrawing again. An aquatic cat and mouse ballet.
It’s a scene I spoke with Guillermo del Toro about the very first time we met. I have no idea how the topic even presented itself, but within minutes of sitting down to dinner we were rhapsodizing about the Creature From The Black Lagoon. How much we loved it, and how it, along with the other Universal monster movies, spoke to us in ways few other movies did.
It’s a film that shaped the sensibilities of millions of Monster Kids, perhaps none more so than GdT.
Of course, del Toro’s love of the Creature from the Black Lagoon soon helped inspire a film that would see him awarded every major recognition in Hollywood — and beyond — including Oscars for Best Director and Best Film. The Shape of Water.
Recently I relived that famous scene, and the amazing movie from which it sprang, speaking with the Creature himself — 98-year-old Ricou Browning. My wife and del Toro Films partner Donna and I had the incredible pleasure of spending time with Mr. Browning at the recent Louisville Supercon convention.
The convention, as a whole, was extremely well run and kudos to their organizers for a great lineup of guests that included Mr. Browning.
We spoke, naturally, of The Shape of Water and of Mr. Browning’s gratitude and excitement for Guillermo making a motion picture that clearly pays homage to the Universal classics of yesteryear.
Browning had a long and distinguished career in Hollywood. Writer, director, actor, producer. Far-ranging, he saw success as a co-writer and producer of both the film and television series Flipper, and he worked as second unit director on a variety of seminal films — everything from Caddyshack to the James Bond classics Thunderball and Never Say Never Again.
It’s very rare these days to experience any first-hand connection to those long-ago Universal monster movies. The chance to speak with Mr. Browning was a treat, a dream come true for us life-long monster kids. Face to face with the Gill-Man!