Take a photo of a barcode or cover
836 reviews for:
The Lady from the Black Lagoon: Hollywood Monsters and the Lost Legacy of Milicent Patrick
Mallory O'Meara
4.11 AVERAGE
836 reviews for:
The Lady from the Black Lagoon: Hollywood Monsters and the Lost Legacy of Milicent Patrick
Mallory O'Meara
4.11 AVERAGE
challenging
funny
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
This is a magnificent, illuminating, and fun read. The book provides two stories in one by giving the most thorough account of the fascinating life of Creature From the Black Lagoon 'Gil-Man' designer Milicent Patrick alongside the author's own narrative in tracking down all there is to know about her subject. The inspiration, motivation, and "making of" is a novel and welcome device and puts the author's dedicated search for the life of Milicent Patrick into context. It also provides a documentary and detective mystery within the biography. Why was Milicient largely unknown? Why were her contributions minimized and obfuscated? How and why did the cover up happen and why, after so many years, did it fail? I'm glad I moved this to the top of my reading pile after hearing a radio interview with the author, and having read a little about Ms. Patrick in 'The Creature Chronicles' by Tom Weaver. Its a wonderful book with beautiful cover art, highly recommended.
I was intrigued by the premise, but ultimately disappointed. This read more like an amateur memoir of O’Meara researching Milicent Patrick than an actual biography or a niche history of the movie monster film era.
This is a great mystery, following O'Meara as she starts with a tiny bit of possible information that suggests Milicent Patrick was behind the Creature From the Black Lagoon.
Admittedly, I'm not a horror or science fiction fan, but this was enthralling. I couldn't put it down. Millicent is fascinating and I think many women will be able to see themselves in her as the author did whether they're in a creative industry or hobby, in theater, in male dominated spaces, tried to exist under the patriarchy. I think there's something for everyone. Horror fans, though, will be especially rewarded knowing where Patrick fits in.
There are several passages I've marked as quotes on here - one about women generally living the horror in movies and one on the value of seeing women like yourself represented.
Admittedly, I'm not a horror or science fiction fan, but this was enthralling. I couldn't put it down. Millicent is fascinating and I think many women will be able to see themselves in her as the author did whether they're in a creative industry or hobby, in theater, in male dominated spaces, tried to exist under the patriarchy. I think there's something for everyone. Horror fans, though, will be especially rewarded knowing where Patrick fits in.
There are several passages I've marked as quotes on here - one about women generally living the horror in movies and one on the value of seeing women like yourself represented.
OK, full disclosure- it has been AGES since I've seen Creature from the Black Lagoon. I have a pretty murky memory of the movie. One thing stuck out in my mind- the poster with Julia Adams being carried by the creature. That's the extent of my relationship with this movie.
Then, a couple months ago, this title popped up on my Goodreads feed. Intrigued by the title, I clicked on it to learn more. This sentence in the description made me add to my TBR pile:
The Lady from the Black Lagoon uncovers the life and work of Milicent Patrick—one of Disney’s first female animators and the only woman in history to create one of Hollywood’s classic movie monsters.
Whaaaat?!? A female Disney animator I didn't know about?!?!? I had to know more. Once I had the chance to check out this book, I devoured it in three days. I was that intrigued.
The book follows the life of Milicent Patrick, an inker at Disney & makeup artist at Universal Studios. Not only did she design the Creature from a look that sounded pretty lame into the iconic look he has today, but she worked on this awesome Disney villain:
Mother. Fricking. Chernabog
HOLY DANG. HOW HAD I NOT HEARD OF HER BEFORE? Sadly, there is a tired and common reason for that. Universal sent her on a tour to the movie & her boss, a man jealous of all the attention she was getting and that he wasn't getting, fired her while she was gone and made it so she would never work behind the scenes of a movie again.
Me at Bud Westmore, her petty boss & at Universal for just letting her get fired like that
It's an all too familiar story of a non cis and/or straight and/or white man's achievements getting swept under the rug because the ego of a cis straight white man might be bruised. This message is prevalent through the book, both in Milicent Patrick's story and in Mallory O'Meara's investigation into Patrick's life. O'Meara is likable. Having the story follow both Milicent's life and O'Meara's research was wonderful.
Milicent Patrick was a fascinating woman. Fashionable from teenagehood until the end of her life, an artist who trained at a school that eventually became CalArts under the tutelage of a female mentor, someone who loved Hollywood and wanted to be a part of it no matter what, a sister estranged from her siblings and parents because she got involved with a married man, a girl who grew up at Hearst Castle, her father the superintendent of construction, she was complex. This book is not only a great read, but an important one. Following the story of a woman who did a lot in Hollywood, working in Disney inking and painting with a team of women on some classics and being instrumental in the design of one of the most enduring Universal monsters.
If you have an interest in 1940's & 1950's Hollywood history, the history of women in the film industry, women in horror movies, Creature from the Black Lagoon and want to read a book that would piss off a lot of cis straight white misogynist white dudes (that is an enjoyable read to boot!), then you should give The Lady from the Black Lagoon: Hollywood Monsters and the Lost Legacy of Milicent Patrick a try.
Then, a couple months ago, this title popped up on my Goodreads feed. Intrigued by the title, I clicked on it to learn more. This sentence in the description made me add to my TBR pile:
The Lady from the Black Lagoon uncovers the life and work of Milicent Patrick—one of Disney’s first female animators and the only woman in history to create one of Hollywood’s classic movie monsters.
Whaaaat?!? A female Disney animator I didn't know about?!?!? I had to know more. Once I had the chance to check out this book, I devoured it in three days. I was that intrigued.
The book follows the life of Milicent Patrick, an inker at Disney & makeup artist at Universal Studios. Not only did she design the Creature from a look that sounded pretty lame into the iconic look he has today, but she worked on this awesome Disney villain:
Mother. Fricking. Chernabog
HOLY DANG. HOW HAD I NOT HEARD OF HER BEFORE?
Me at Bud Westmore, her petty boss & at Universal for just letting her get fired like that
It's an all too familiar story of a non cis and/or straight and/or white man's achievements getting swept under the rug because the ego of a cis straight white man might be bruised. This message is prevalent through the book, both in Milicent Patrick's story and in Mallory O'Meara's investigation into Patrick's life. O'Meara is likable. Having the story follow both Milicent's life and O'Meara's research was wonderful.
Milicent Patrick was a fascinating woman. Fashionable from teenagehood until the end of her life, an artist who trained at a school that eventually became CalArts under the tutelage of a female mentor, someone who loved Hollywood and wanted to be a part of it no matter what, a sister estranged from her siblings and parents because she got involved with a married man, a girl who grew up at Hearst Castle, her father the superintendent of construction, she was complex. This book is not only a great read, but an important one. Following the story of a woman who did a lot in Hollywood, working in Disney inking and painting with a team of women on some classics and being instrumental in the design of one of the most enduring Universal monsters.
If you have an interest in 1940's & 1950's Hollywood history, the history of women in the film industry, women in horror movies, Creature from the Black Lagoon and want to read a book that would piss off a lot of cis straight white misogynist white dudes (that is an enjoyable read to boot!), then you should give The Lady from the Black Lagoon: Hollywood Monsters and the Lost Legacy of Milicent Patrick a try.
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
I went into this book almost positive I would love it. I’m a big fan of Mallory’s podcast and ladies in film and basically everything this story is. I was right, it’s incredible.
I teared up reading both the dedication and the last chapter and loved every page between them. This is a moving story of the realities of being a woman in the arts and it’s beautifully written and funny and tragic and absolutely perfect. Thank you Mallory for writing this book. The time is now.
I teared up reading both the dedication and the last chapter and loved every page between them. This is a moving story of the realities of being a woman in the arts and it’s beautifully written and funny and tragic and absolutely perfect. Thank you Mallory for writing this book. The time is now.
informative
medium-paced
DNF and I am feeling bamboozled! If you're looking for a memoir about Mallory O'Meara researching Milicent Patrick (while creepily describing her attractiveness) then this is the book for you. But if you want an actual biography of Milicent Patrick and her accomplishments, look elsewhere.
medium-paced