The Creature Walks Among Us (1956)

Director:

John Sherwood

Writer:

Arthur A. Ross (writer)

Release Date:

26 April 1956 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

Fury stalks the streets and a city screams in TERROR!

Plot:

In this third Gill-Man feature, the Creature is captured and turned into an air-breather by a rich mad scientist...

Plot Keywords:

Monster | Gill Man | Beautiful Woman | Sequel | Sea Monster

Cast

Jeff Morrow	...	Dr. William Barton
Rex Reason	...	Dr. Thomas Morgan
Leigh Snowden	...	Marcia Barton
Gregg Palmer	...	Jed Grant
Maurice Manson	...	Dr. Borg
James Rawley	...	Dr. Johnson
David McMahon	...	Capt. Stanley
Paul Fierro	...	Morteno
Lillian Molieri	...	Mrs. Morteno
Larry Hudson	...	State trooper
Frank Chase	...	Steward
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ricou Browning	...	The Gill Man (in water) (uncredited)
Don Megowan	...	The Gill Man (on land) (uncredited)

Directed by
John Sherwood

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Arthur A. Ross		writer

Produced by
William Alland	....	producer

Original Music by
Irving Gertz		(uncredited)
Henry Mancini		(uncredited)
Heinz Roemheld		(uncredited)
Hans J. Salter		(uncredited)
Herman Stein		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Maury Gertsman

Film Editing by
Edward Curtiss

Art Direction by
Alexander Golitzen
Robert Emmet Smith		(as Robert E. Smith)

Set Decoration by
John P. Austin
Russell A. Gausman

Makeup Department
Joan St. Oegger	....	hair stylist
Bud Westmore	....	makeup supervisor
Vincent Romaine	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Lew Leary	....	unit manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Joseph E. Kenney	....	assistant director

Art Department
Julius Rosenkrantz	....	props (uncredited)

Sound Department
Leslie I. Carey	....	sound
Robert Pritchard	....	sound

Stunts
James Jackson Jr.	....	stunt double: Gregg Palmer (uncredited)
Al Wyatt Sr.	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Clifford Stine	....	special photography
Russ Franks	....	key grip (uncredited)
Max Nippell	....	gaffer (uncredited)
Eddie Pyle	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Lew Schwartz	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
William Walling	....	still photographer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Jay A. Morley Jr.	....	gown supervisor
Roger J. Weinberg	....	wardrobe (uncredited)

Music Department
Joseph Gershenson	....	music supervisor

Other crew
Jack Kevan	....	creature design
Adele Cannon	....	script supervisor (uncredited)
Leon Charles	....	dialogue director (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Universal International Pictures (UI)

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1956) (USA) (theatrical)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (USA) (VHS)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (USA) (laserdisc)

Runtime:

78 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #17742) | USA:Unrated (video rating) | Finland:K-16

Company:

Universal International Pictures (UI)

Trivia:

Sequel to Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954) and Revenge of the Creature (1955), and the only one of the three not made in 3-D.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: At the climax, when the creature escapes and begins throwing furniture around, you can see the wires attached to the pieces of furniture.

Quotes:

Dr. William Barton: What are you shooting at, you fool? I want him alive!

Movie Connections:

Featured in Monsterama Sci-Fi Late Night Creature Feature Show Vol. 1 (1996) (V)

Overlooked Classic

Similar to the under-appreciated "Alien 3"(1992), this dramatic thriller has so many ideas that to disregard it would be a waste. The Creature is sought by scientists on an expedition to the Florida Everglades, where the second film ("Revenge of the Creature") ended. Joining in the expedition is the wife (Leigh Snowden) of a disturbed scientist (Jeff Morrow), who hasn't much to do but be admired by the men around her, including a good scientist (Rex Reason) and a lecherous guide (Gregg Palmer). The Creature is subdued, but only after being burned in a ghastly fire. The head scientist (Morrow) discovers lung tissue in the Creature, and he is transformed to an air-breathing animal. Cruelly pent-up back home in a Californian sea-side stockade, he longs to return to the water. The racial undertones of his new appearance are undeniable, and we feel sympathy for him. The last scene is breathtaking, since we know he can not survive a return to the sea. The music has been updated and is haunting, and the misty underwater photography in the first half is stunning. The whole film is beautifully directed by John Sherwood, with lights, shadows, contrast in exquisite black and white. All the actors are terrific, reciting mature dialog. The Creature does not get the curvaceous girl in this one: appropriately, since he's got all these plastic-surgery troubles. In many ways, this is an improvement over the second film, which basically re-hashed the first classic. Catch this one!