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837 reviews for:
The Lady from the Black Lagoon: Hollywood Monsters and the Lost Legacy of Milicent Patrick
Mallory O'Meara
4.11 AVERAGE
837 reviews for:
The Lady from the Black Lagoon: Hollywood Monsters and the Lost Legacy of Milicent Patrick
Mallory O'Meara
4.11 AVERAGE
I absolutely loved this book! I am incredibly pleasantly surprised at how much I adored it. I went in knowing very little about it but the author's story of researching Milicent Patrick was just incredibly interesting and entertaining.
challenging
funny
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
Loved this one!
The writing style is so engaging and instantly you connect with it. Mallory does a beautiful job of showing the mirrored life of her and Milicent in a humours but honestly way. It could be said that it’s unnecessary for her to include auto biography in this but, in my opinion it really proves the point of how little change we’ve seen in the film industry from the 1950’s to 2018 when the book was written. Speaking of this book was surprisingly very feminist! Surprising in the best possible way it was powerful and empowering and you really fall in love with these two women’s stories. A very easy read but so engaging especially for people (like me) who have a very basic knowledge of the film industry in that time. Maybe for someone who is more knowledgeable they would get less out of this.
Overall Mallory’s personality really shines through and I’m for sure going to dive into her podcast now!
The writing style is so engaging and instantly you connect with it. Mallory does a beautiful job of showing the mirrored life of her and Milicent in a humours but honestly way. It could be said that it’s unnecessary for her to include auto biography in this but, in my opinion it really proves the point of how little change we’ve seen in the film industry from the 1950’s to 2018 when the book was written. Speaking of this book was surprisingly very feminist! Surprising in the best possible way it was powerful and empowering and you really fall in love with these two women’s stories. A very easy read but so engaging especially for people (like me) who have a very basic knowledge of the film industry in that time. Maybe for someone who is more knowledgeable they would get less out of this.
Overall Mallory’s personality really shines through and I’m for sure going to dive into her podcast now!
I'm DNFing this one. Sorry y'all. I'm also going to leave it unrated since my issues with it are just my issues.
4- 5 stars. This is a chatty biography of Milicent Patrick, one of the first women to work in film in makeup, animation, and special effects. It's a story of a person whose contributions were diminished and denied simply because she was female. I read it for my 2020 Reading Challenge (Reading Women "biography/memoir by/about a woman") and the 2020 Hugo nominations (Best Related Work).
I originally picked this up because another book I was reading at the time had become way too stressful for me and I just had to have *something* light to read. I’m glad I did because I very much enjoyed this book.
Peeling back the fog of obfuscation, Mallory O’Meara gives us the life of one Milicent Patrick, one of the most important yet unknown women in film history. While he biggest claim to fame is the designing of the legendary Creature From the Black Lagoon, as the book illustrates, Milicent Patrick should be remembered for so much more. And she would be, had not the egos of men lead to her legacy being swept under the rug. O’Meara takes us on this journey, beginning with a life of basically serfdom, up to fame and fortune, and then obscurity.
However, O’Meara doesn’t just open a door for us into Millicent’s life. She also opens one into her own, taking us down her own journey in researching and writing the book. She also uses it to show just how buried the story of Milicent Patrick was, while also highlighting how the sexism and misogyny that Milicent had to put up with is still around and that precious few gains have been made for women in Hollywood.
That might sound heavy, but, rest assured, the book does trend toward inspirational. This is, after all, in addition to a biography, a book about how women can be badasses who leave a mark on the world despite what or who might get in their way. O’Meara also has what I found to be a nice sense of humor, which comes through in various quips and asides and the extensive list of footnotes. There’s plenty here in both women’s’ lives that’ll make you want to scream, but you’ll get a few laughs to balance it out.
I actually enjoyed her writing enough that I bought the audiobook and ended up listening to it while I read along. O’Meara reads it herself and, while she’s not the best narrator I’ve heard, I still recommend it.
The book is also somewhat sprawling, which is both a negative and a positive. A positive, in that the book is highly informative about many aspects of Hollywood history and the movie industry. You ever wonder what the difference is between a makeup artist and a visual effects artist is? O’Meara will be happy to inform you. The negative comes when literal pages go by before looping back around to Milicent. You ever wonder who Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane is based on, as well as a quick breakdown of his life, who his wife was, what she was like, and the history of the absolute castle of a mansion he built? You’ll know after reading this book! And although these digressions are enjoyable to read, it leaves the book feeling unfocused in places.
Whatever weakness there might be to find in the book, O’Meara succeeds wonderfully at her goal of shining a light on Milicent Patrick’s life and work. As you read she creates an amazing portrait of a talented, vivacious woman who you feel like you truly come to know. By the time the book reaches that point that all biographies must reach and Milicent slips away, you feel a tugging in your chest as if you’re losing someone you’ve known for years.
If you like Hollywood history, if you like horror history, if you like stories about kick ass women who manage to leave a lasting mark on history, give this a read.
Peeling back the fog of obfuscation, Mallory O’Meara gives us the life of one Milicent Patrick, one of the most important yet unknown women in film history. While he biggest claim to fame is the designing of the legendary Creature From the Black Lagoon, as the book illustrates, Milicent Patrick should be remembered for so much more. And she would be, had not the egos of men lead to her legacy being swept under the rug. O’Meara takes us on this journey, beginning with a life of basically serfdom, up to fame and fortune, and then obscurity.
However, O’Meara doesn’t just open a door for us into Millicent’s life. She also opens one into her own, taking us down her own journey in researching and writing the book. She also uses it to show just how buried the story of Milicent Patrick was, while also highlighting how the sexism and misogyny that Milicent had to put up with is still around and that precious few gains have been made for women in Hollywood.
That might sound heavy, but, rest assured, the book does trend toward inspirational. This is, after all, in addition to a biography, a book about how women can be badasses who leave a mark on the world despite what or who might get in their way. O’Meara also has what I found to be a nice sense of humor, which comes through in various quips and asides and the extensive list of footnotes. There’s plenty here in both women’s’ lives that’ll make you want to scream, but you’ll get a few laughs to balance it out.
I actually enjoyed her writing enough that I bought the audiobook and ended up listening to it while I read along. O’Meara reads it herself and, while she’s not the best narrator I’ve heard, I still recommend it.
The book is also somewhat sprawling, which is both a negative and a positive. A positive, in that the book is highly informative about many aspects of Hollywood history and the movie industry. You ever wonder what the difference is between a makeup artist and a visual effects artist is? O’Meara will be happy to inform you. The negative comes when literal pages go by before looping back around to Milicent. You ever wonder who Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane is based on, as well as a quick breakdown of his life, who his wife was, what she was like, and the history of the absolute castle of a mansion he built? You’ll know after reading this book! And although these digressions are enjoyable to read, it leaves the book feeling unfocused in places.
Whatever weakness there might be to find in the book, O’Meara succeeds wonderfully at her goal of shining a light on Milicent Patrick’s life and work. As you read she creates an amazing portrait of a talented, vivacious woman who you feel like you truly come to know. By the time the book reaches that point that all biographies must reach and Milicent slips away, you feel a tugging in your chest as if you’re losing someone you’ve known for years.
If you like Hollywood history, if you like horror history, if you like stories about kick ass women who manage to leave a lasting mark on history, give this a read.
Huge shoutout to Netgalley and Harlequin for making my entire year with this ARC.
I am so happy to finally be writing this review. I've followed writer/filmmaker/reader extraordinaire Mallory O'Meara for quite some time, and I have been looking forward to this book since she first started talking about it on the podcast, Reading Glasses.
Like probably 90% of the population, before picking this book up, I didn't know anything about Milicent Patrick. I love film. I love genre film, and classic monster movies are the best. The fact that a woman designed arguably the most iconic movie monster in history is amazing, and I was eager to find out more of her story. From a childhood at the famous Hearst Castle to Disney and a later life of socialite status, Patrick's life is fascinating.
I loved that this book is as much about O'Meara's journey as it is Patrick's life. As a library professional, I was blown away by her research and dedication to tracking down information. I loved the flow of the story. It unfolds like a mystery and alternates between Patrick's story and O'Meara's search.
This book is so many things. A look at both classic and modern Hollywood from the perspective of a producer/filmmaker. A biography of a largely unknown icon. A classic quest to uncover hidden information. And, of course, an old-fashioned, geeking out over film. I can appreciate all of these things. I even teared up at the end.
I cannot recommend this book enough. I read the entire thing in O'Meara's voice, and I've already requested my library purchase the audiobook, so I can listen to and relieve it again!
I am so happy to finally be writing this review. I've followed writer/filmmaker/reader extraordinaire Mallory O'Meara for quite some time, and I have been looking forward to this book since she first started talking about it on the podcast, Reading Glasses.
Like probably 90% of the population, before picking this book up, I didn't know anything about Milicent Patrick. I love film. I love genre film, and classic monster movies are the best. The fact that a woman designed arguably the most iconic movie monster in history is amazing, and I was eager to find out more of her story. From a childhood at the famous Hearst Castle to Disney and a later life of socialite status, Patrick's life is fascinating.
I loved that this book is as much about O'Meara's journey as it is Patrick's life. As a library professional, I was blown away by her research and dedication to tracking down information. I loved the flow of the story. It unfolds like a mystery and alternates between Patrick's story and O'Meara's search.
This book is so many things. A look at both classic and modern Hollywood from the perspective of a producer/filmmaker. A biography of a largely unknown icon. A classic quest to uncover hidden information. And, of course, an old-fashioned, geeking out over film. I can appreciate all of these things. I even teared up at the end.
I cannot recommend this book enough. I read the entire thing in O'Meara's voice, and I've already requested my library purchase the audiobook, so I can listen to and relieve it again!
3.5 - (listened on audio) - I loved learning about the elusive Milicent Patrick, the under-appreciated and forgotten talent behind the Creature of the Black Lagoon monster design and other contributions to Hollywood during her time. This story is clearly the author’s passion project, a horror film producer herself, and it’s really cool to toggle between her search for details about her hero and Milicent’s story from birth to death. Clearly there are many forgotten women who contributed to film greatness throughout history, and it’s great to hear their stories be told as is done here.
I think I went into this book with a set of skewed expectations. I thought I was getting a deep archival dive and restoration of the life/career of Milicent Patrick--and to an extent, that expectation was met, though perhaps not to the depth that I was hoping for. Instead, it felt as though I was reading a personal and passionate blog.
The context you need to enjoy this book to the fullest is that it is 50% a book about Milicent Patrick and 50% about Mallory O'Meara herself. Which isn't a bad thing, particularly when so much of what O'Meara stands for (equality, intersectional feminism, and righting wrongs in the film industry) resonates with me as well. Think of The Lady from the Black Lagoon as more akin to [b:Julie and Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen|13747|Julie and Julia 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen|Julie Powell|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1442804846l/13747._SY75_.jpg|3338312] where the discovery of a powerhouse woman of the past inspires the present-day woman to new heights. If you go in with that expectation, you'll get a much more satisfying read out of O'Meara's work.
The context you need to enjoy this book to the fullest is that it is 50% a book about Milicent Patrick and 50% about Mallory O'Meara herself. Which isn't a bad thing, particularly when so much of what O'Meara stands for (equality, intersectional feminism, and righting wrongs in the film industry) resonates with me as well. Think of The Lady from the Black Lagoon as more akin to [b:Julie and Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen|13747|Julie and Julia 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen|Julie Powell|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1442804846l/13747._SY75_.jpg|3338312] where the discovery of a powerhouse woman of the past inspires the present-day woman to new heights. If you go in with that expectation, you'll get a much more satisfying read out of O'Meara's work.
There is so much in this book - part personal quest, part early history of film (including Disney animation, and monster and other effects), part California history, and part commentary on feminism then and now. And all through it, filling in a portrait of a remarkable woman.
The audiobook is well read (the author, who reads it, has a podcast and has done public speaking), but the audio leaves out the footnotes found in the physical and ebook versions. The non-audio versions also contain a few pictures, mostly of Millicent.
The audiobook is well read (the author, who reads it, has a podcast and has done public speaking), but the audio leaves out the footnotes found in the physical and ebook versions. The non-audio versions also contain a few pictures, mostly of Millicent.