Reviews - The Lady from the Black Lagoon: Hollywood Monsters and the Lost Legacy of Milicent Patrick

836 reviews for:

The Lady from the Black Lagoon: Hollywood Monsters and the Lost Legacy of Milicent Patrick

This book is incredible. I’m not that into monsters or horror as a general rule because I can’t have scary things. I’ve never seen the movie, and know very little about Creature from the Black Lagoon. But I didn’t need to to relate to Milicent Patrick. I spent the whole book rooting for her, hoping for the world to actually know of her legacy. There is nothing quite like reading about people who have experienced the things you have. As a woman in a male-dominated industry, I have definitely experienced the kinds of things that Mallory, Milicent, and countless other women before and since have encountered.
For all the men who dislike this book and are uncomfortable with it, take stock and think about why you are uncomfortable with it. Support women. Not just in your family, or workplace, or industry, but everywhere.

grayotter's review against another edition

4.5

inspiring mysterious reflective medium-paced

Content Warnings

samgeer7's review against another edition

5.0

Wow wow WOW W O W. This book is fucking phenomenal. I’ve never actually cried over a book but this one had me in tears at the end. Every female-identifying person looking to enter any area of the film industry should read this. I’d give it ten stars if I could. I borrowed this book from my local library but I will be purchasing it. It’s THAT good.

The legacy of Milicent Patrick is beautiful and fabulous and also tragic. As the author, Mallory O’meara, stated several times throughout this book many women are left out of film history due to male jealousy and Milicent was one of many victims. I love how O’Meara also told us about her research process as well. It’s challenging to write a book about a person who was purposefully forgotten.

Thank you Mallory for sharing her story, as well as your own. It has really inspired me as a young film student and I will cary it with me for the rest of my life.

darkangeldaria's review against another edition

5.0

I thoroughly enjoyed this combination tale of Mallory's journey to find information about Milicent, Milicent herself and those around her. I fully understand the viewpoint of those that may not enjoy this book because it is a mix of those things with (what I feel is important) social commentary intertwined. Not your jam, ok, cool. I personally found that the inclusion of much of her father's history would have been important to Milicent herself considering her own attempts later and in life to bring light to his accomplishments. I didn't mind the swaps between memoir of the author and memoir of Milicent at all myself.

If you have any love or interest for the era of Universal Monsters, give it a whirl. I found out about this book and Milicent herself even existing because Mallory guested on an episode of the podcast Bizarre States (Andrew Bowser & Jessica Chobot's Nerdist hosted podcast, no longer active) around the time she was either finishing the book or getting ready for it's release. Glad I did.

annarella's review against another edition

4.0

To be honest I knew very little about Millicent Patrick and this book made me learn a lot about this woman and the world she lived in.
It's an interesting and well researched book.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

chelton's review against another edition

5.0

Milicent Patrick was one of the most remarkable women working in Hollywood. After being one of Disney’s earliest female animators, she moved her talents onscreen, working primarily as a background extra in many films. She should best be known as the designer of the titular monster in the movie Creature from the Black Lagoon. Yet her contributions have gone largely unknown, stripped from cinema history by a male colleague with an ego. Her life went so underreported that when filmmaker Mallory O’Meara set out to write a biography of Patrick, she wasn’t even sure that she was deceased.

Still, O’Meara persevered, combing libraries, archives, and anywhere else she thought she could find information that would shine light on one of her greatest career influences. The result is a stunning portrait of Hollywood eccentricity. A childhood in world famous Hearst Castle. Cutting edge special effects work for Disney. A design career cut short by a vindictive studio boss. These years are as fascinating as they are tragic.

After her career in Hollywood, a lot of Patrick’s life becomes hazy. There isn’t a lot of documentation or verifiable information. Patrick mostly moved out of the spotlight. However, O’Meara does a fantastic job of offering some theories. She bridges as many gaps as she can, going so far as tracking down and interviewing Patrick’s niece, which offers a trove of previously unpublished knowledge. Still, with so little previous focus on Patrick’s life, there are moments when the narrative feels thin.

But honestly?

That doesn’t matter.

O’Meara’s devotion to Patrick is palpable. Anyone who gets a tattoo of their research subject on their arm might be ‘too close’ to the topic. In this case, that totally works. With all of the gaps in Patrick’s life, she needed someone with an overabundance of love to dig deep and find what answers are available. The result is probably the most complete biographical portrait of Patrick that will ever be available. It’s uplifting to realize that this book represents Patrick finally getting a glimmer of the praise and recognition she deserved in life.

Beyond discussing researching Patrick’s life and career, O'Meara writes extensively about women in the film industry and her own experiences. These sections are particularly effective when juxtaposed against the ‘old’ Hollywood system. Time might have progressed, but many of the attitudes and actions have not.

It’s what makes this book so fascinating and frustrating. The same scrutiny and issues Patrick dealt with in the 1950s are still occurring today. Fortunately, there are individuals like O’Meara working now, highlighting injustices and showcasing credit when it’s due.

Note: I received a free ARC of this book through NetGalley.