Cinema Revisited: The Creature Walks Among Us (1956)
Directed by John Sherwood. Cast: Jeff Morrow, Rex Reason, Leigh Snowden, Gregg Palmer, Maurice Manson, James Rawley, David McMahon, Paul Firerro, Lillian Molieri. Released April 26, 1956. Running time: 78 minutes.
In the mid 1950s, Universal International studios began to conclude whatever series were still in production, along with ceasing production on their Abbott and Costello films. The studio’s popular Francis The Talking Mule movies lost its leading man when Donald O’Connor left in 1955 (amusingly citing to the press that it was because the mule received more fan mail). They tried to continue with Mickey Rooney in the lead, but Francis in the Haunted House was not a success, so this August 1956 released ended the series. The same year O’Connor left the Francis movies, the popular Ma and Pa Kettle films lost Percy Kilbride who had played Pa for the entire series, sputtering to a close with 1957’s The Kettles on Old McDonald’s Farm and Parker Fennelly replacing Kilbride as Pa. Despite the theater trade magazine Independent Film Exhibitor Bulletin stating in its September 5, 1955 issue that the Creature series would run “as long as the Frankenstein group,” "The Creature Walks Among Us" was to be the final movie featuring the Gill Man.
This does not mean the studio eschewed science-fiction all together. They continued until the end of the decade with such one-shot efforts as "The Deadly Mantis," "The Incredible Shrinking Man," "The Monolith Monsters," "The Mole People," and "The Leech Woman," which concluded their sci-fi output in 1960. Of course science-fiction is a genre unto itself, with the Creature series the only monster hybrid that would fit comfortably in this study. Thus, as far as the monster movies of Universal studios are concerned, "The Creature Walks Among Us" is the final entry.
"The Creature Walks Among Us" is directed by John Sherwood. Jack Arnold, the director of the last two Creature films, had gone on to other projects, but recommended Sherwood would had been his assisted director. The movie was filmed from late August into mid-September of 1955. "The Creature Walks Among Us" is also the only Creature movie to not be filmed in 3-D.
Picking up from where "Revenge of the Creature" left off, "The Creature Walks Among Us" has the Gill Man having escaped into the Florida waters and being pursued by a group of scientists on a boat. The leading scientist is Dr. Barton, who is not the intrigued researcher the others are, but an angry, unstable individual whose character is not too far from the crazed scientists of the studio’s earlier horror movies. He even evokes Dr. Frankenstein by stating at one point, “We can create an entirely new form of life.” His colleague is Dr. Morgan, who wavers between agreeing with Barton’s madness regarding control of the creature, and a more grounded approach to their project. There is an element of jealous tension when his wife, Marcia, becomes attracted to their flirtatious guide Jed Grant and Barton’s paranoia increases.
Mental instability becomes something of a theme here as Marcia swims too deeply while exploring the ocean depths with Jed and Dr. Morgan, and is overcome by what is described as “the raptures of the deep.” Her mind snaps to the point where she starts to remove her scuba equipment while underwater and has to be rescued and returned to the ship. She is ok once brought aboard.
Along with taking an odd approach to its human characters, "The Creature Walks Among Us" also presents its monster in an unusual manner. Having been burned during its capture, doctors notice while bandaging the Gill Man that he is breathing oxygen successful and his gills are evolving into lungs. They attempt to continue the transition by mainstreaming him into a more human lifestyle, including getting him clothes. The movie responds to this rather remarkable development with the confused Gill Man attempting to escape into the ocean, not realizing his lungs will no longer allow him to breathe underwater. Shots of the Gill Man actually drowning are among the most harrowing underwater images in this film.
"The Creature Walks Among Us" isn’t so much about the Creature as it is about the people, with the Creature serving as a catalyst for their actions. The horror in this film seems to stem more from the love triangle involving Marcia, Jed, and Dr. Barton, who murders the guide in a jealous rage. He tries to blame the Creature, who responds with a rampage of his own, killing Barton. He returns to the sea, but unlike the previous two films where his return could signify, he remains alive, he now has lungs rather than gills, so it is assumed he drowns at the end.
While certainly the most offbeat of the Creature movies, "The Creature Walks Among Us" has its own merit. Because he had been an assistant director Sherwood does nicely with second unit footage as establishing shots, offering vast longshots of the ship coasting on the water with Henry Mancini’s pleasant music backing up the image. This more tranquil shot dovetails into similar underwater footage as Mancini’s relaxed score enhances the camera following Jed, Marcia, and Dr. Barton as they swim underwater. The Creature’s first appearance disrupts this rhythm, and Mancini’s score emphasizes this first appearance with a loud crescendo that adds the initial shock element for the audience.
Sherwood continues this method in a later scene where the research team goes out on a smaller boat and is confronted by the Creature. The director allows for the boat to glide slowly along in a long shot, then switches to a medium shot of the characters within the craft. Sherwood then abruptly edits to a close-up of the Creature rising out of the water and slapping away the boat’s motor, with Mancini’s music again reaching a crescendo to enhance the action. Back to a medium shot of the full boat, as the Creature rises again, pushing the boat up from the bottom and causing two of the men to fly into the air and land in the ocean. It is during this confrontation where the Creature is burned, when it picks an open gas container over its head to throw at the others and causes the gasoline to pour over its body. It is easily enflamed, and jumps into the water.
The action sequences in "The Creature Walks Among Us" are perhaps better than the previous films. But the characters are not. There is no hero. All of the doctors have the same Dr. Frankenstein feelings of creating a series of mutant over which they assume control. The woman is more sexually attracted to Jed than to her husband, who becomes an unsettling figure as the story goes on. During the scenes between these characters, Mancini’s score and Sherwood’s shot composition resembles film noir moreso than science fiction or horror. While the isolated scenes are nicely presented, it doesn’t blend successfully with the sci-fi or horror elements of the production.
Some of the more interesting scenes are the attempts to assimilate the Creature into a more mainstream lifestyle where he could somehow live among humans. Putting him in a cage with electronically charged bars, the Creature spends most of its time looking longingly at the waters, exhibiting a sort of pathos that adds further depth to the character. It can be argued that transforming the Creature from a majestic monster who lives in the water into a hulking brute who lumbers about on land destroys the essence of the character. But it plays as an extension rather than a redefinition.
There is a scene where the Creature destroys an attacking mountain lion that killed some sheep in an adjacent cage. While the film presents this as the Creature having enough of a heart to protect the weaker animal, the scientists who arrive after the lion has been killed believe the Creature was either exhibiting a random killing instinct or was defending its own life. This culminates when Barton kills Jed and throws him into the Creature’s cage. The Creature has enough cognitive ability to realize he is, in fact, being framed. The shot of him violently lifting Barton over his head and throwing him to his death is another one of the film’s more shocking sequences. While Ricou Browning returns to his role as the underwater Gill Man, actor Don Megowan played the role on land. Stunt man Al Wyatt double in some scenes. It is he who is playing the creature during much of the boat attack, including when the Gill Man is set on fire.
Director Sherwood chooses to conclude the film dramatically, showing the Creature walking toward the waters but fading the film out before we see it enter. This is perhaps his attempt to allow for some ambiguity in the event that another sequel might be forthcoming. Since there was not, we can assume the Creature did drown at the conclusion of this movie.
The acting here is handled by some capable performers with solid resumes in B movies and television. Jeff Morrow as Barton, even in his more relaxed scenes, presents a manner of unstable tension that permeates his character. Gregg Palmer slinks about in typically smarmy manner. Leigh Snowden balances between a sci-fi heroine and a film noir femme fatale. Rex Reason has perhaps the most challenging role as Morgan. He is outside of the love triangle, but his attraction to Marcia is palpable. He is supportive of Barton’s research but unsettled by his behavior. Morgan is the closest thing to a hero that this film has—he has the best intentions out of everyone, and his attraction to Marcia contrasts nicely with the semi-abusive relationship she has with Barton.
While "The Creature Walks Among Us" tries to explore too many genres that don’t meld sufficiently, the sum of its parts offers a lot of interesting elements. John Sherwood’s vision, and his approach to each scene, offered real potential, making it sad that he only had the opportunity to direct two other films in his lifetime (the Rory Calhoun western Raw Edge and the sci-fi thriller The Monolith Monsters). Sherwood continued to work as an assistant director until his death in 1959.
"The Creature Walks Among Us" effectively concluded the various monster series from Universal studios. In the studio’s history, despite many top level films, it is these movies for which it remains best known.