Revenge of the Creature *** (1955, John Agar, Lori Nelson, John Bromfield, Nestor Paiva) – Classic Movie Review 1932

‘Weird Monster Escapes! Terror Seizes City!’ The 1955 monster movie Revenge of the Creature brings scientists back to the Amazon’s Black Lagoon, where the Gill Man (Ricou Browning/ Tom Hennesy) is captured and then transported to an ocean park in Florida. 

‘Weird Monster Escapes! Terror Seizes City!’

In director Jack Arnold’s 1955 monster movie Revenge of the Creature, the sequel to his own 1954 Creature from the Black Lagoon, the original boat captain Lucas (Nestor Paiva) brings a new crew of scientists to return a year later to the Amazon’s Black Lagoon. There the Gill Man creature (Ricou Browning/ Tom Hennesy) from the original film is uncovered, captured and transported to an ocean park in Florida to become an aquarium attraction.

Unfortunately he doesn’t like this at all, so he escapes and goes on the rampage. So now Professor Clete Ferguson (John Agar) and Helen Dobson (Lori Nelson), who cared for the Gill Man at the park, have to do something about it. Helen and Clete have quickly fallen in love, upsetting the Gill Man’s keeper Joe Hayes (John Bromfield), as well as the Gill Man, who, of course, also has a thing for Helen, whom he eventually abducts.

The producer William Alland provided the soggy story, and screenwriter Martin Berkeley the drippy dialogue, but sadly this didn’t run to any lines for the Creature. This fairly entertaining Fifties horror outing is fun and funny if you’re in the right mood and frame of mind. Like its predecessor, it is made in the then popular 3D gimmick and best seen in 3D if you can.

Revenge of the Creature was the only 3D film released in 1955 and the only 3D sequel to a 3D film released during the brief Fifties golden age of 3D.

It is notable for showcasing Clint Eastwood’s movie debut in a tiny uncredited role as a dopey scientist’s lab technician assistant called Jennings, accusing a test subject cat of eating a lab rat, only to find the rat in his lab coat pocket.

Ricou Browning plays The Gill Man in the underwater scenes of all three Gill Man movies.

Ricou Browning again plays the Gill Man in water and also Lab Technician, and Tom Hennesy plays The Gill Man on land and Marineland Diver. Browning plays the Gill Man in the underwater scenes of all three Gill Man movies.

Florida-born Ricou Browning turned 90 on 16 February 2020. He joined Ivan Tors’s studios in Florida, where he co-wrote and co-produced the 1963 MGM film Flipper and worked on the subsequent TV series. He directed the underwater scenes in Thunderball (1966) and Caddyshack (1980) and Never Say Never Again (1983).

Nestor Paiva (June 30, 1905 – September 9, 1966) returns as Lucas, the boat captain in Creature from the Black Lagoon.

John Bromfield, Robert P Williams as George Johnson, Nestor Paiva, Grandon Rhodes as Jackson Foster, Dave Willock as Lou Gibson, Charles Cane as Police Captain, Brett Halsey as Pete, Bob Hoy [Robert F Hoy] as Charlie, Robert Nelson as Dr McCuller, Don C Harvey as Spotlight Party Leader Mac, Jack Gargan as Skipper, Jere A Beery Sr as News Photographer (tank side) and Patsy Lee Beery as Girl Necking in Car also appear.

Revenge of the Creature premiered in Denver on 23 March 1955 and was released as a double feature with Cult of the Cobra.

The third and final Gill Man episode is The Creature Walks Among Us (1956), a non-3D sequel.

Filming took place at Marineland of Florida, standing in the film’s Ocean Harbor Oceanarium. The St Johns River stands in for the Amazon.

It is shot by Charles S Welbourne in black and white and 3-D Horrorscope.

Ricou Browning died at his home in Southwest Ranches, Florida, on 27 February 2023, aged 93. He was the last surviving original actor to portray any of the Universal Classic Monsters.

© Derek Winnert 2014 Classic Movie Review 1932

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