Out of This World SciFi/Fantasy Classics: Creature From the Black Lagoon (1954) review

 

CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON 1954

Richard Carlson (David Reed), Julia Adams (Kay), Richard Denning (Mark Williams), Antonio Moreno (Carl Maia)

Directed by Jack Arnold

The Short Version: One of the archetypes of the creature feature is this timeless 1954 scary tale of men, a monster, and a maiden. The subject matter isn't deep, but the Black Lagoon is, and we see lots of it and our creepy critter that calls it home. The evolution of the Amazon's most famous resident carried over into two sequels while influencing dozens of films and filmmakers alike. The popularity of the Gill Man lives and breathes sixty years after its original release.

A fossilized, clawed hand is discovered within a rock formation in the Amazon jungle. A geological research expedition is mounted to recover the rest of the specimen. As the team travel further into the tributary, they uncover a dangerous predator living below the depths of the lagoon -- a half-man, half-fish creature left over from a prehistoric era. The expedition soon becomes trapped by the monster, as the water-logged Gill-Man sets his sight on the beautiful female crew member while mauling the men one by one.

One of Universal's icons of classic creature feature cinema is this 1954 favorite about a water dwelling amphibian monster; a clawed, fishy fiend with a penchant for pulchritude, and maleficence for man. At that time in the 50s, atomic powered behemoths of Earthly origin and invaders not of this world were all the rage, so this non-nuclear threat was certainly unique. The message of man meddling with nature remains, but in this case, it's man's pursuit of its evolutionary past that causes all the troubles.

Speaking of man, there's a good deal of machismo on display from the two main leads that clashes with the fish-chismo oozing out of every orifice from the Gill Man. Both David and Mark have opposing views as to what to do with their prehistoric find culminating in a brief scuffle towards the end. All three vie for the affections of Julia Adams; the nautical masculinity of the title beast is especially apparent. As the film progresses, the Creature seems less irritated with the invading foreign interlopers than a succession of foiled attempts at trying to lay claim to Kay as his mate.

It had been 20 years since the epochal 'Beauty and the Beast' horror-fantasy classic KING KONG (1933). Both films share similarities between them, although the Gill Man is never taken out of his natural habitat (they'd save that for the sequel). The attraction between beast and a human female in KONG was accented in such scenes as the great ape playing with Fay Wray's clothes -- removing bits of them with each flick of a finger. For BLACK LAGOON, this human and non-human desire is exemplified in the films most talked about sequence -- where Kay goes swimming in the lagoon, oblivious to the scaly critter transfixed by her graceful motion in the water. The shots of the Creature swimming just inches below her in what amounts to a mating ritual is about as blatant a sexual subtext as you can get in an innocent monster movie from the 1950s. From that point on, our denizen of the deep makes it his mission to get the girl, and kill anyone that gets in the way. For man, this would be obsessive, psychotic behavior, but for the Creature, it's simply sexual selection; and who wouldn't lose their mind over Julie Adams?

The monster itself was a stunning creation; and likely the first such latex suit worn by an actor onscreen before Japan made the practice fashionable with factory-like precision. Bud Westmore was head of Universal's makeup department, but two key artists (among others) were instrumental in the finished product -- a suit reportedly designed and built within the span of a month. Modeler/sculptor Chris Mueller sculpted the iconic head and hands; and sketch artist Millicent Patrick (Mildred Elizabeth Fulvia di Rossi) was responsible for the final design of the Creature. She acted in similar capacities with the aliens and monsters seen in productions like IT CAME FROM OUTER SPACE (1953), THIS ISLAND EARTH (1954), and THE MOLE PEOPLE (1956). 

The extremely talented Patrick is an enigma. Her artistry in some of SciFi's most memorable monsters has gone largely unrecognized for decades thanks in large part to Bud Westmore's unprofessional meddling. She seemingly disappeared off the filmmaking map shortly after CREATURE's release. She did appear in front of the camera in a couple dozen minor movie roles till the early 1960s.

Of the Gill Man himself, there were two 'Creatures', so to speak. Ben Chapman was the Big Lagooner on land while Ricou Browning donned the rubber suit for the underwater sequences. Chapman was a tall guy at 6'5" whereas Browning was much shorter, yet these differences between them (and their suits) go unnoticed. Browning played the monster in all three films for the underwater sequences. Likewise, Julia (or Julie) Adams who had her own swimming double in Ginger Stanley.

As the trailer exclaimed, this was the first underwater 3D thrill. The gimmicky process was on the wane at that time, but Arnold's film (and the first sequel) kept three dimensions alive for a short time before hibernating, not reviving till the 1980s. With that equally brief revival in the 80s, the Creature made appearances on television with 3D airings. One in particular was a 9pm showing of REVENGE OF THE CREATURE (1955) on a Friday night in 1982.

In its own right, CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON was highly influential on many filmmakers, and in shaping the dozens of monster movies that came after it. Pretty much any genre movie with a monster that calls a body of water home owes some debt to the 1954 classic. It taps into that fear of not knowing just what's below the surface. The ultimate depiction of this is seen in Spielberg's seminal JAWS (1975), but without the Gill Man, it's debatable just how horror cinema of this sort would have turned out, and if we'd of gotten some of the classic examples we have since the release of Arnold's movie.

Additionally, director Jack Arnold was crucial in the revivification of Universal's monster movies that lay dormant since the mid 1940s -- replaced by a slew of comical horror mishmashes. Arnold directed three of the best such films of that decade, and all three were different in their styles. IT CAME FROM OUTER SPACE (1953) was a unique spin on the 'alien invader' motif; and 1955s TARANTULA was Arnold's contribution to the 'atomic bug' pictures that ruled the 50s. One of Arnold's most critically appraised pictures took atomic age SciFi in the opposite direction -- instead of a being growing to gigantic proportions, they shrank to miniscule size -- as seen in THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MAN (1957). His last two genre offerings were entertaining, if lesser affairs in the modest THE SPACE CHILDREN and MONSTER ON THE CAMPUS (both 1958).

Jack Arnold's most revered monster movie had two sequels -- REVENGE OF THE CREATURE (1955) and THE CREATURE WALKS AMONG US (1956). According to Tom Weaver's commentary track, the first CREATURE had some spectacularly gruesome endings written for it. Seeing the monster riddled with bullets before being devoured by piranhas; or nearly decapitated by an axe-wielding Richard Carlson during a boat battle could have been even more satisfying endings as opposed to the more sorrowful one we got. Bringing the Creature back would have been difficult in those cases without introducing a new one altogether.

CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON (1954) probably holds the record for the most times you see a clawed hand reaching to grab a victim, or causing mortal damage without the entire monster seen onscreen. Some 18 different times you see this. Of course, shots of monsters reaching out of graves, or grabbing at the nearest throat had been done many times prior, but CREATURE  '54 made an art form out of it.

Below is a minor sampling of the effect this distinctive, meticulously designed monster has had on cinema culture here and abroad.

1. The genesis of Universal's fish-man reportedly came from an old Mexican legend of an Amazonian beast that took a "bride" once a year, returning to his underwater dwelling with its prize. Incidentally, Mexico made its own version of BLACK LAGOON with the 'Cowboys vs. Creature' feature, SWAMP OF THE LOST MONSTERS (1957), aka EL PANTANO DE LAS ANIMAS (SWAMP OF LOST SOULS).

2. Mexican horror cinema further utilized a BLACK LAGOONish type monster in other films such as 1958s CASTLE OF THE MONSTERS. In that picture, the Mexican Gill Man shares a striking resemblance to his Amazonian brethren.

3. CREATURE knock-offs came in all shapes and sizes in low budget productions like the moody, surprisingly bloody THE MONSTER OF PIEDRAS BLANCAS (1959), the hilarious junk that is the HORROR OF PARTY BEACH (1964), and MONSTER FROM THE SURF (1965), which is a waste of time. Gill Men made an appearance in the Vincent Price fantasy WAR-GODS OF THE DEEP (1965).

4. THE MUNSTERS series had a cameo by the Creature under his stage name of Uncle Gilbert (or is it Gill-bert?) in the season 1, episode 31 episode, 'Loves Comes to Mockingbird Heights'.

5. In MAD MONSTER PARTY? (1967), the Gill Man puts in an appearance at a swingin' soiree being held by Dr. Frankenstein at his island abode in this Rankin-Bass stop-motion cult favorite.

6. Grade Z filmmaker Larry Buchanan made three movies featuring dime-store Halloween costumes masquerading as Black Lagoon rejects. What's significant of these three are the ping pong ball eyes of these monsters that share something in common with the mask of the monster in REVENGE OF THE CREATURE. Buchanan's abominations are CURSE OF THE SWAMP CREATURE (1966), CREATURE OF DESTRUCTION (1967), and IT'S ALIVE! (1969).

7. Harry Essex (the writer of the original film) directed his own remake of BLACK LAGOON in 1971 as OCTAMAN, a Rick Baker designed rubber suit. The simplicity of the originals storyline remained, and the eco-horror of the 70s was added, but with little effect.

8. The opening of JAWS (1975) with Susan Backlinie taking her last dip in the ocean before becoming shark food was an homage to the '54 CREATURE.

9. A goofy version of the Gill Man made an appearance in a girls bathtub in one of the funnier moments in the horror spoof SATURDAY THE 14TH (1980). Interestingly enough, this same scene poked fun at JAWS (1975), too.

10. Roger Corman's New World Pictures put out a more explicit take-off on the Gill Man with a whole slew of Gill Men driven to mate... graphically with human women, and brutally maul human men in the exploitation cult classic HUMANOIDS FROM THE DEEP (1980).

11. The Creature made a far more imposing appearance as one of Dracula's minions battling THE MONSTER SQUAD in 1987.

12. The box office success of B movie ANACONDA (1997) jump-started a new era of 'Nature Amuck' movies (most all of which went straight to television and DVD). The film itself was aping CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON with its tale of the search for a lost tribe, and the inevitable stumbling upon of a gigantic man-eating snake.

13. Since the early 80s, remakes have been planned, but none have yet materialized. Some of them seemed like they'd be fun throwbacks to that bygone era of monster magnificence, and others contained more profound, and possibly unnecessary ecological subtext attached. The most recent was set to have been released in May of 2014, and we are in July and nothing from the Black Lagoon has surfaced yet.

The amphibious, Devonian denizen of the Black Lagoon (actually Wakulla Springs, Florida) will likely rise again sometime, somewhere in the near future. It remains to be seen if an updated version will have the same ability to scare audiences the way the original did; or if a new Creature will have the lasting effect the '54 picture has maintained. And if we do return to the Black Lagoon, the B/W creature feature favorite of old will still walk among us for years to come. Not to mention having some big gills to fill.

This review is representative of the Universal Legacy Collection DVD set.

Out of This World SciFi/Fantasy Classics: King Kong (1933) review

 
KING KONG 1933

Robert Armstrong (Carl Denham), Fay Wray (Ann Darrow), Bruce Cabot (Jack Driscoll), Frank Reicher (Captain Englehorn), Sam Hardy (Charles Weston), Noble Johnson (Skull Island warrior chief)

Directed by Merian C. Cooper and Ernest P. Shoedsack

"Ladies and gentlemen, I'm here tonight to tell you a very strange story. A story so strange, that no one will believe it. But ladies and gentlemen, seeing is believing. And we, my partners and I, have brought back the living proof of our adventure... An adventure in which 12 of our party met horrible deaths. And now ladies and gentlemen, before I tell you anymore, I'm going to show you the greatest thing your eyes have ever beheld. He was a king and god in the world he knew. But now he comes to civilization. Merely a captive, a show to gratify your curiosity. Ladies and gentlemen, look at Kong, the Eighth Wonder of the World!"

The Short Version: A timeless, stunning, revolutionary monsterpiece is this, the greatest giant ape opus ever made. Aside from putting an adventure spin on the 1757 tale of 'Beauty and the Beast', KING KONG remains the granddaddy of all monster movies; and one that has influenced the furry flurry of big ape movies that followed in its thunderous footsteps. Prepare to be amazed by one of American cinemas greatest wonders of the motion picture world.

Filmmaker Carl Denham charters a ship to a mysterious island where a legendary giant ape is said to reside. Intending to shoot an epic motion picture there, Denham and his crew arrive and run afoul of virgin sacrifices, dinosaurs and Kong, the god of Skull Island. Realizing the moneymaking potential at hand, the great ape is captured and taken back to civilization where he eventually escapes, and runs amuck in New York City.

A STORY OF MEN AND BEASTS 

"Did you ever hear of Kong? Neither beast nor man. Something monstrous. All powerful. Still living, still holding that island in a grip of deadly fear. Every legend has a basis of truth. I tell you there's something on that island no white man has ever seen. If it's there, you bet I'll photograph it!"

In 1933 a benchmark in Fantasy-SciFi cinema was set when KING KONG was unleashed on a movie-going public hungering for some relief during The Great Depression. Costing a little over $672,000 (a hefty sum at the time), the film made 2 million during its theatrical run that began March 2nd, 1933. Arguably the single most famous giant monster movie of all time, KING KONG has permeated the world cinema iconography unlike any genre picture before or since. Its enduring popularity comes from a variety of factors, but largely due to the imagination and genius of Willis O'Brien and the model-making par excellence of Marcel Delgado.

Prior to KONG, both O'Brien and Delgado had showed what they were capable of with the silent film, THE LOST WORLD (1925) -- itself remade in 1960 directed by Irwin Allen (whose remake is about as hollow as Guillermin's '76 KONG). But it was O'Brien's animation in KK that pushed his imaginative stop-motion skills to another level. Unfortunately, it took him 17 more years to receive acknowledgment for his efforts and groundbreaking effects work. In 1950, O'Brien received a Best Visual Effects award for MIGHTY JOE YOUNG (1949). However, it was the hands of artisan Marcel Delgado that crafted the models that O'Brien would bring to life.

MARCEL DELGADO: CREATOR OF CREATURES AND LOST WORLDS

The builder of dinosaurs, and most notably for the famous '33 Kong model, Marcel Delgado was a master of the apes long before Rick Baker's expert primate handiwork. Born in Mexico, he was 20 years old when O'Brien gave him an offer he couldn't refuse (but did, initially) wherein Delgado built 49 dinosaur models for the silent film, THE LOST WORLD (1925). Working over two years on the prehistoric picture, his biggest, and most noteworthy work came in the form of Kong, the King of Skull Island (his brother, Victor, assisted him). From there, Delgado began a working relationship with O'Brien on a few films (including SON OF KONG, THE LAST DAYS OF POMPEII, MIGHTY JOE YOUNG, IT'S A MAD, MAD, MAD, MAD WORLD); and unfinished, shelved pictures like CREATION (1931) and WAR EAGLES (1948); and others like THE WIZARD OF OZ (1939), 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA (1954), DINOSAURUS! (1960), MASTER OF THE WORLD (1961), and 1962s JACK THE GIANT KILLER.

Suffering for nearly a year from head injuries incurred from a fall, the creator of Kong passed away the day after Thanksgiving, November 26th, 1976. Dino De Laurentiis's remake of KING KONG would open just three weeks later. Without O'Brien, Delgado would likely never have graced the screen with his remarkable models; and without Delgado, it's likely O'Brien's animated beasts wouldn't have shocked and awed legions of monster film fans for decades and still counting.

THE BEAUTY OF THE BEAST

Apes were a popular attraction in movies prior to KONG, and long after it. Few were as big, but none were as famous as the original Eighth Wonder of the World. Constructed from the rubble of an unfinished Willis O'Brien movie titled CREATION (1931), and a first draft script bearing the moniker of 'The Beast', KING KONG was soon to become a reality. Its genesis lay in Merian Coldwell Cooper's fascination with Paul du Chiallu's 1862 book 'Explorations and Adventures in Equatorial Africa'. From the young age of six, the vision of a 'Giant Terror Gorilla' stayed with him till it was visualized on screens around the world in March of 1933.

For a movie made over 80 years ago, KING KONG (1933) holds up incredibly well. Aspects of the film are obviously dated, but overall, it's astonishingly ahead of its time. The production is noteworthy for filmmaking techniques that, despite their antiquated nature compared to those of today, display a passionate level of craftsmanship that will never be replicated. Also in KK's favor is an unusually fast pace. Once the protagonists make it to the island approximately 30 minutes in, the running, screaming, and rampaging beasts take over, and never lets up.

FAY WRAY: KILLER QUEEN

"And lo, the beast looked upon the face of beauty. And it stayed its hand from killing. And from that day, it was as one dead." -- Old Arabian proverb.

One of the first, and most famous examples of the 'Scream Queen', Fay Wray went down in cinema history for the woman that stole Kong's heart in 1933. The image of the stunning Wray in the great apes grasp arguably became the most famous example of the 'Monster and the Girl' motif that would adorn countless genre advertising campaigns for decades. Starring in a few horror films including DOCTOR X and THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME (both 1932), KING KONG's Ann Darrow is far and away her most famous role. The last line in the picture from Denham, that the planes hadn't felled Kong, but was "beauty killed the beast", is among the iconic pieces of dialog in motion picture history. Wray passed away in August of 2004 shortly before Peter Jackson's KONG remake began filming. 

Among the many striking attributes of KING KONG is its visual canvas. Virtually every special effects trick in the book was used in the picture. Many of these involved multi-layered backgrounds and matte paintings. The jungle sequences are some of the most startling I've ever seen. The level of depth perception is phenomenal. The effects crew designed awe-inspiring vistas of this baroque jungle that oozed something very dangerous, yet possessed a fairy tale quality. 

This sense of depth and scope reaches its zenith during the climactic duel atop the Empire State Building as four buzzing bi-planes fill Kong's body with machine gun bullets. Much like Cagney in WHITE HEAT (1949), Kong is "on top of the world"; and dies in equally spectacular fashion. The '76 version sloppily handled this highlight, while the World Trade Center subs for the Empire State Building. The '05 remake was more successful in reflecting the grandeur of the original. In the '33 version, the surrealism of this gigantic skyscraper relegating the other buildings to an almost ant-like level of stature is breath-taking. With that said, there were other aspects of KONG that took viewers' breath away for other reasons.

KONG THE RACIST, CHAUVINIST PIG APE

"A gift for Kong [he says]...[He] wants to buy her. He's offering to trade six of his women for Ann." -- Captain Englehorn relays to Denham the Skull Island tribal chieftain's offer.

Much has been written by assorted critics who have read a bit too much into the alleged racial subtext of KING KONG. Granted, there are some visible ethnic stereotypes (such as Charlie, the Chinese cook on the ship), but nothing to the extremes of what some say is present just under the surface. Personally, I only just discovered it -- finding it all surprising, if wholly ignorant in its angrier applications. For me, KING KONG is just a movie, and a damn good one. Instead of going over everything some individuals take issue with in detail, I'll highlight links so you can see for yourself. 

Incapable of viewing it as the fantastical monster movie it is, some see it as a racist motion picture. Some have stated their case with restraint, while others have displayed outright hatred for the film. Just google "King Kong racist" and you'll find a variety of opinions on the topic. This detestation seemed to reach an apex with Peter Jackson's "insensitive" 2005 remake. Granted, everything in our modern, mollycoddled, politically correct society is tiresomely labeled as racist; but this eyebrow-raising correlation has been notated and discussed since as far back as the mid 1970s -- only in later years did it seem to be come more common. It can be fun to interpret films, but sometimes, what one sees is often more a reflection of their inner selves, and how they perceive society around them as opposed to some blatant, or hidden meaning allegedly intended by filmmakers.

Personally, I've never (and it seems many others haven't, either) seen KING KONG as anything more than escapist entertainment. It was the time of the Great Depression, and I can't imagine the filmmakers, or even the moviegoers giving a damn about a political agenda. Curiously, to a contingent of viewers, the giant ape symbolizes more than just an enormous gorilla worshiped as a god on some faraway island by primitive natives. Yes, some have viewed Kong as the embodiment of a black slave ripped from his native habitat -- chained and put on display for the enjoyment of onlookers -- as if there were a surplus of rich white gorillas enjoying martinis and banana daiquiris somewhere in the world. 

Admittedly, as far-fetched as some of these claims are, such connections make for interesting reading, but it also brings to question the potential prejudices of those who make them. Taking the monsters size into account, I have no idea how else you'd restrain a 25-50 foot giant if not with chains; yet as these critics seem awfully preoccupied with color -- Kong obviously is not; no, he's an equal opportunity destroyer. Kong shows a noticeably violent disdain for both black and white folks -- stomping, tossing, and eating them as he seeks out Ann -- the one woman that captured his fancy. 

Oddly enough, virtually no one bitched, nitpicked, nor complained about the natives attempting to trade six of their own women for Ann; or for the fact that King Kong himself was built entirely by a genius Mexican immigrant; and where is the furor over the Japanese in black-face natives of KING KONG VS. GODZILLA (1962)? If you look hard enough, you'll "see something" in every movie, or work of art. But many won't have to look too far to see that KING KONG (1933) is no more than an exceptionally well made piece of entertainment. As Freud would likely have said, "Sometimes a movie is just a movie."

KUTTING KONG

A number of plot details were removed between the time the film went from 'The Beast', to 'The Eighth Wonder', then 'Kong' before the 'King' was added to the title. Initially, a group of convicts were part of the plotline, but were removed. Carl Denham's profession changed from a big game hunter to a filmmaker. The motivation of Denham going to the island was altered. Some scenes were written that presented a softer, gentler side to Kong, but these, too, were cut. After its completion, the filmmakers had a rather robust, if lengthy movie on their hands that would lose some of its action sequences; some of which would become legend over the years.

At 125 minutes, Cooper deemed the picture too long, and a few sequences were removed to speed things up; these included the elimination of the CREATION footage of the Arsinoitherium; shots of a charging Styracosaurus; Ann menaced by a giant snake prior to the Kong and Tyrannosaur battle; and the fabled, much coveted 'Spider Pit' sequence.

The violence in KING KONG was extraordinary for the time. Granted, the Hays Code wasn't being enforced to the degree it would be the following year, so questionable material in movies was common. Much of this risque material was violence wrought by the monsters both on and off Skull Island, namely the title primate. Some of the scenes severed from the film for its 1938 re-release include Kong removing Ann's clothes, his rampage on the native village where he stomps, smashes and eats the natives, and when he casually drops a woman to her death mistaking her for Ann during the conclusion. It wasn't until 1956 that most of the cut footage was re-implemented. Today, all surviving, or known edited sequences have been restored. There remains a modicum of hope that somebody runs across the lost 'Spider Pit' footage so that fans can finally see what O'Brien referred to as his finest animation.

KING KONG KULTURE

1. KING KONG was sequelized in rapid fashion just nine months after its release with SON OF KONG (1933). An inferior film, it expanded on the Carl Denham character that was mostly glossed over in the first movie.

2. Caricatures of Kong have been featured in a variety of animated, and hand-drawn cartoons for decades (including THE SIMPSONS and FAMILY GUY). One of the most well known among fans is THE KING KONG SHOW from 1966 -- a Rankin Bass/Toei Studios endeavor.

3. Cooper and Shoedsack's movie was hugely popular in Japan. A Japanese film studio even produced their own version in 1938 entitled KING KONG APPEARS IN EDO. It is now a lost film, as some 90% of Japanese movies prior to the end of WW2 are no longer in existence from multiple reasons. KK partially inspired the Nipponese sensation, GOJIRA (1954), or GODZILLA. So successful was GODZILLA, that Toho Studios eventually hit on the idea of pitting both top draw monsters against one another in the same film. KING KONG VS. GODZILLA (1962) became, and remains the biggest moneymaker in Toho's long-running G series. Ironically, the giant island-dwelling ape was more popular in Japan than their own homegrown leviathan.

4. The aforementioned THE KING KONG SHOW was turned into a live-action kiddie epic via Rankin-Bass and Toho in 1967. The resultant film, KING KONG ESCAPES, remade classic moments from the 1933 original movie.

5. The giant gorilla was the centerpiece of a variety of commercials ranging from Pistachio's to cars, trucks, and even burgers; the latter of which was a Bembos Burgers commercial where Godzilla put in a cameo. Arguably the most ambitious of these was a 1972 David Allen stop-motion animated Volkswagen commercial. In the 90s the great ape headlined commercials for Coca-Cola and Energizer Batteries. He was also used as a publicity tool for the films 50th Anniversary in 1983 when an 84 foot KK balloon was attached to the Empire State Building.

6. Kong was the inspiration for the classic video games Donkey Kong and Rampage for various gaming platforms. A giant rampaging gorilla was also a part of the Playstation 2 giant monster game War of the Monsters from 2003.

7. Numerous comic books and magazines have featured Kong's likeness, or aped a famous shot from the original movie substituting a different character. During its original run, Famous Monsters of Filmland Magazine put the Eighth Wonder on their cover in one form or another on eight different occasions.

8. The character was parodied in movies (AMAZON WOMEN ON THE MOON [1989]), was the center of bizarre plot points (the 1978 European movie, BYE BYE MONKEY) and utilized in song lyrics (THE MUPPET MOVIE [1979], ABBA's 'King Kong Song' from 1974). Additionally, Skull Island was the setting for the opening of Peter Jackson's gore-soaked zombie comedy-horror film, DEAD ALIVE (1992).

9. KING KONG (1933) was cloned in motion picture form a number of times, most infamously in the late 1970s. In the 1960s, there was the trashy KONGA (1961). The barrel scraping THE MIGHTY GORGA closed out the decade in 1969. QUEEN KONG (1976) was a spoof from Great Britain; THE MIGHTY PEKING MAN (1977) emerged from Hong Kong; and YETI: GIANT OF THE 20TH CENTURY (1977) hailed from Italy.

10. The original 1933 production has been remade on two occasions thus far. Although there have been numerous attempts to remake the film over the years, the first remake came in 1976 under the direction of John Guillermin; and again in 2005 from Peter Jackson.

Still a cinematic marvel over 80 years after its original theatrical release, KING KONG (1933) continues to leave an indelible mark on pop culture; a remarkable feat. It's the vintage version of today's Hollywood blockbuster, but forged in a way that is quickly becoming a dying art. Hands of the artists that brought Kong and his surroundings to life are rapidly being replaced by hands who create their fantasies inside a computer. Whether mesmerizing audiences with its imagery, its spectacle, or its creatures, Cooper and Shoedsack's production of KING KONG (1933) laid the groundwork for all those that followed in the mighty apes enormous footprints. It is truly one of the greatest wonders of the cinema world that continues to astonish and entertain audiences all these years later.

This review is representative of the Warner Brothers 2 disc set.

Out of This World Sci-Fi Classics: The Time Machine (1960) review

 

THE TIME MACHINE 1960

Rod Taylor (H.George Wells), Alan Young (David Filby/James Filby), Yvette Mimieux (Weena), Sebastian Cabot (Dr. Phillip Hillyer), Whit Bissell (Walter Kemp)

Directed by George Pal

"I say, George, if you're going to start floating about in the future, aren't you going to rather mess things up for the rest of us?"--David Filby to his good friend, H. George Wells.

The Short Version: Time is definitely not of the essence in George Pal's phenomenally entertaining, provocative science fiction classic. At 102 minutes, Pal's picture takes its time exploring the themes and ideas of time travel -- the possibilities and dangers inherent in tinkering with such fantastic notions. Characterization and acting are top notch and the Morlocks are formidable, frightening foes once we finally see them. A genre milestone and required viewing for serious cinema buffs -- so don't waste time adding it to your DVD collection!



The time is the dawn of the 20th Century. Fascinated with the concept of time travel and the 4th Dimension, George Wells constructs a magnificent machine that possesses the power to propel a person into Earth's past, or its future. Traveling several years ahead in time, Wells bears witness to numerous events and a devastating nuclear holocaust. Finally, he uncovers the fate of mankind in the year 802,701. In this far-flung time-period, Wells discovers a regression of humanity. This new world is populated by two races -- the acquiescent Eloi people and the mysterious Morlocks -- human beings driven underground from the horrors of past wars that have evolved into cannibalistic albino creatures. The Eloi, normal humans who live topside, are docile, passive, and herded like cattle as food for the monstrous Morlocks. Wells enters into this futuristic, but backwards environment and attempts to free the Eloi in the hopes of creating a better future for mankind.

Much has been said over the years about the cinematic achievement that is George Pal's THE TIME MACHINE (1960). Brilliant in concept and execution, none of it would have been possible without the original novel written by famed author, H.G. Wells. The author had passion in his writing of this iconic tale, and Pal had an equal amount of passion in capturing its essence on film. I've never read the novel, but there seems to be differing opinions on the faithfulness of the film to the book. At any rate, it's a fabulous cinematic journey that not only stimulates the mind to the potentiality and folly of man's ambitions, but also sports some wonderfully colorful special effects to dazzle the eyes betwixt moments of exposition.

PASSAGES & PONTIFICATIONS OF TIME: FAVORITE SCENES I

"...I don't much care for the time I was born into. It seems people aren't dying fast enough these days. They call upon science to invent more efficient weapons to... depopulate the Earth."

Early in the film, George's good friend David Filby asks him why the fascination with time. George's response is, in part, the above quote. However, George shows nothing but apathy towards the notion of visiting Earth's past. His vested interest lies in setting foot into man's forthcoming historical eras. What's appealing about George and David's conversation is that George is obviously a man of peace. He hopes to find a better life for all in what lies ahead. He doesn't stop to think that science could possess the propensity to create devastating weapons of war; that advancements over the years will, in all likelihood, lead to even more catastrophic events -- which it does. 

Wells' passion for peace, and the hopes of finding it in the future becomes more of a pipe dream the further into the future he goes. The irony of all this is that once he reaches the far-flung future of man's destiny, the pacification of humanity, and domination by a tyrannical -- in this case, mutant oppression -- the nature of war begins anew; and he's forced to fight alone to free a subjugated race.

Not everything is perfect, mind you. Some of the effects are a bit wonky, but for a picture made on an estimated budget between $750-$800,000 in 1960, it's a stunning endeavor, all things considered. There are a variety of matte shots, miniatures and numerous instances of time-lapse photography to represent the passage of time. Wah Chang and Gene Warren were among the crew who worked on the visual effects masterfully executed here. Efforts were rewarded in 1961 when Warren and Tim Barr won an Oscar for Best Visual Effects. 

Additionally, the sets are lavishly constructed -- particularly the macabre, underground Morlockian lair; the costumes are sterling -- especially the nightmarish design of the flesh-eating Morlocks, themselves. 

The grisly face of the Morlocks turned up again in George Pal's more kid-friendly 7 FACES OF DR. LAO (1964). In that film, the Morlock costume was refurbished into an Abominable Snowman.



Their neolithic, ape-like appearance blends creepily with the monsters ghoulish features like the sharp, protruding fangs, claws and glowing eyes. Essentially, they are us -- but through a frightening process of de-evolution. This concept of humans retreating to underground domiciles and regressing into malformed versions of their former selves became a staple of SciFi exploitation features and horror movies over the years. Two examples being Bruno Mattei's horrendous RATS (1983) and Neil Marshall's modern horror classic THE DESCENT (2005). Furthermore, the creatures in Pal's movie are a stark contrast to the docile, yet socially regressed race of the Eloi.

PASSAGES & PONTIFICATIONS OF TIME: FAVORITE SCENES II

"It was disconcerting to see the sun arch in less than a minute... to see a snail race by... my flowers flinging wide their petals to embrace the new day... and the hours speeding across the face of my sundial... and the flowers closing their eyes for the night. It was wonderful! Changes that normally took hours occurring in seconds..."



The sequence where Wells goes 17 years into the future is a marvel of meticulous time-lapse photography used to further the story as Wells explains his elated experience through voiceover. He spies the changes in fashion via a mannequin displayed in a shop window across the street. This provides him a great source of amusement while he toys with his device before going on a much longer stretch of future highway. Additionally, we see the changing of seasons as the years pass within seconds before our eyes.



This sequence is made all the more poignant when Wells stops his machine on September 13th, 1917. He's still inside his own house -- which has now been boarded up from the outside. Upon exiting, the storefront across the street has changed, as well as the town around him. A motor car pulls up (something Wells has never seen before) and a familiar face steps out. It's Filby -- or more accurately, Filby's son. Their brief conversation is telling for Wells, and what he hears makes him melancholy as evidenced on Rod Taylor's face. His friend David has died, and that the country has been at war with Germany since 1914. The news relayed to Wells through Filby's son regarding David's refusal to sell Wells' estate because he thought he'd return someday is a bright spot that brings a bit of joy to his face. It's also a touching moment that details the strong bond of their friendship. 



This section of the film goes further in eroding his dream of experiencing the perceived ascension of civilization. Instead, he encounters more and more the downfall of man that culminates in a nuclear holocaust occurring in 1966. Again he runs into Filby's son -- now much older -- who begs Wells to get to a shelter amidst the sirens emitting throughout this futuristic city. Fans of FORBIDDEN PLANET (1956) will spy a guard run past Wells decked out in one of the space suits worn by the cast (see pic below). 



At first Wells marvels at the constructs, ignoring Filby's warnings, but his admiration is quickly dashed once the bombs hit resulting in massive destruction and a volcanic eruption that burns everything away. His next stop is where the biggest surprise of all awaits him. 

The arguments of time travel, the various dimensions, the make-up of space and what occupies it are all bandied about cogently in David Duncan's script; and lend parallels to ancient, and or medieval theories on whether the world was flat or round. Just as seafaring explorers like Christopher Columbus sought to prove the world was a sphere, so does H. George Wells seek out to prove his theories of traversing the fabric of man's past and his future. Granted, the validity of such a feat has yet to become science fact, but the way the idea is presented here seems highly probable and logical -- yet the means of how to go about it is where the element of imagination remains firmly within the parameters of science fiction. Even so, it's an awe-inspiring journey we watch Wells undertake.

As the dreams and aspirations of man are the driving force in this movie, other humanist traits take precedence as well. Wells talks of self-sacrifice. It is a recurring theme in a sense. It represents the entire being of the George Wells character. He risks his life for the knowledge of what lies ahead; and again to wage war against his own ideals to save a race of people for the sake of prosperity. 

PASSAGES & PONTIFICATIONS OF TIME: FAVORITE SCENES III

"What have you done? Thousands and thousands of years of building and rebuilding... creating and recreating so you can let it crumble to dust! A million years... sensitive men dying for their dreams FOR WHAT! So you can swim, and dance... and PLAY!"



The moment where Wells realizes man's future isn't what he'd expected comes once he's mingled with the Eloi. With many questions of their strange behavioral patterns and how they survive without a social structure, he asks about books, and if they have them, where they're located. One of the men states casually they do have books. Wells is taken to where said compendiums are kept. Hopeful he'll find the keys to this new world, what he uncovers is a sobering answer to the stagnation of this race of young people -- bereft of anyone with any age about them. The volumes aligning the shelves in the dilapidated domicile crumble to dust in Wells hands. It's a powerful moment as is his infuriated response. 



His despair is totally lost on the Eloi who stands in front of him emotionless, non-caring. Books, like everything else, are meaningless to them all. Coming from a world where people strive to do better for themselves, to create, to invent, to thrive -- it's a completely alien concept to Wells that an entire race of people would show indifference to advancement, or even a lack of concern for their own lives and the lives of others.

SIGN OF THE TIMES: SOCIAL RELEVANCE IN THE TIME MACHINE



In addition to perusing themes of time travel, there's a striking social subtext lying just under the surface during the last half of the movie once Wells ends up among the Eloi people. Wells is startled to learn there's no government, no laws, and no one works. At first glance, their lifestyle is a paradise, but ultimately proves to be poisoned by excessive passivity. What passes for their city is in disarray and severely unkempt (see pic above). But again, this is a social structure lacking in even the most rudimentary understanding of responsibility. It's akin to being among a race of small children in adult bodies.




However, it is gradually learned that another, mysterious race of beings known as the Morlocks provide for the Eloi. The Morlocks give them everything they want till they're called away by an hypnotic siren eerily reminiscent of those of past centuries that heralded a coming doom. In this case, they're being led like animals to a slaughterhouse -- the antithesis of a protectoral sanctuary.

By comparison, in our modern age, society continues to be indoctrinated into a welfare state where a government provides everything for you, leaving you with no self-reliance or need to do better. Essentially, you become a slave to a ruling class much like the Eloi seen in THE TIME MACHINE. Thankfully, it hasn't gotten to the point where the masses are herded as food for a totalitarian regime. But something like what was seen in SOYLENT GREEN (1970) may turn out to be a feasible, frightening reality in itself at some point.

"So this is man's future... to bask in the sunlight, bathe in the clear streams, and eat the fruits of the Earth with all the knowledge of work and hardship forgotten."



Upon reaching his final destination in the year 802,701, Wells finds the peace he'd been looking for; at least it appears that way upon first inspection. The land is clear of the multitude of buildings and busyness of those in the streets of eras prior. There's a bounty of plants and vegetation, as well as a peculiar Sphinx situated where his house once stood so long ago. Traveling on foot, Wells spies a group of humans frolicking and playing near a stream. He's found what appears to be paradise -- free of the constrictions of responsibility. 



His attitude changes once it becomes apparent these people, called the Eloi, display no emotional attachments. They are child-like in their concern for what goes on around them. They simply live to exist -- indifferent to death, or even cognizant of what life is. As touched on above, they have no individuality. Wells discovers his ultimate disappointment in all he'd hoped to learn from what the future held for the human race; and man's impending finality was due to his own squandering of knowledge used for destruction and power as opposed to future enlightenment. It's also here where the film embraces both profound ideals and also some good old fashioned Saturday matinee monster movie action.

MEMORIES OF THE MACHINE 



The original TIME MACHINE was something of a big deal during my childhood -- probably more so for my father than me as he experienced it theatrically. When it first hit videotape in the early 1980s, he rented it and boasted about how great it was; and it was, only I was hesitant about viewing it at that age (I was between 8-10). As much as I loved monster pictures, I was more attracted to films bearing overly sensational, exploitable titles; so something with a relatively plain moniker (by my young standards) seemed unappealing upon first glance. Needless to say, my attention wandered till the time traveling parts kicked in; and by the time the Morlocks made their presence known during the last half, I was riveted to the screen. The monster scenes only takes up a small portion of the picture, but the action comes so fast and furious, it was a ghoul-lash goldmine for a small monster kid such as myself. When it was over, I knew I'd just viewed something special that I grew to appreciate more and more as time wore on. It was one of a scant few times me and my father shared a bond, and I'm glad he parlayed the spectacle of this classic to me.

PASSAGES & PONTIFICATIONS OF TIME: FAVORITE SCENES IV



The finale in the Morlocks dark domain is relatively brief, but it's jam-packed with suspense and excitement. For monster fans awaiting a grisly payoff, you definitely get one during the approximately 10-12 minutes we see the nasty denizens who reside below the Earth's surface. Rod Taylor puts his athleticism to the test in a whirlwind of action -- punching, tossing and clobbering a slew of encroaching monsters. Initially fighting alone to subdue the cannibalistic creatures, the Eloi standing by in fear, finally get up the nerve to fight back. It's a turning point in the film, but for those wanting more of the monsters, the Morlocks put in one last appearance once it seems they're finally defeated.



Seemingly outnumbered, the fire-fearing Morlocks prove to be no match. The humans make their escape, destroying their slavers in the process. It's a wonderfully choreographed sequence that moves at a frenetic pace. Once we get a full on glimpse of these nocturnal creatures, it's a non-stop struggle to escape to the surface. This portion of the movie successfully imbues a tone of palpable horror and the set design of the Morlock domain with its pseudo futuristic machinery intermixed with cavernous terrain emphasizes these horror elements.



Australian actor Rod Taylor was perfect for this role. It was his first such lead role, and it lead to numerous others. Prior to his building the Time Machine, Taylor had a supporting role in another film -- WORLD WITHOUT END (1956) -- that dabbled in time travel, or Time Dilation, to be more precise. Taylor also took a role in a terrifying season one episode of the TWILIGHT ZONE (1959s 'And When the Sky Was Opened') that dealt with a different time theme -- one of time displacement wherein a persons existence is literally erased. A comical lead for Taylor came in 1960 with the occasionally witty Italian peplum spoof, COLOSSUS AND THE AMAZON QUEEN (1960). Another classic lead role came in 1963 with Alfred Hitchcock's THE BIRDS. Taylor was also among Hollywood's on and off screen 'Tough Guys'; appearing in such testosterone infused pictures as 1968s brutally violent DARK OF THE SUN and 1970s gritty DARKER THAN AMBER.

American actress of mixed heritage, Yvette Mimieux will likely be best remembered for her role in THE TIME MACHINE as the beautiful Weena. She again appeared with Rod Taylor in the aforementioned DARK OF THE SUN (1968). Other credits include the average underwater science fiction film THE NEPTUNE FACTOR (1973) and Disney's big budget outer space adventure THE BLACK HOLE (1979). One of her best acting roles came in the form of the gripping MACON COUNTY LINE (1974) style thriller, JACKSON COUNTY JAIL (1976) for Roger Corman's New World Pictures.

ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD 



George Pal's timeless 1960 production went on to be a true classic of the Science Fiction film genre. The original book by the revered H.G. Wells was influenced by scientific theory. In regards to the film, It would seem to have been a great influence of its own on other films and television programs. Below are a sampling of films and television shows that had elements of THE TIME MACHINE before and after its release.

1. Irwin Allen's single seasoned SciFi TV series THE TIME TUNNEL (1966-1967) dealt with a government financed 'Time Machine'. Threatened with closing the project, two of the machines creators enters the title tunnel and ends up on various adventures throughout Earth's past and future.

2. The classic SciFi-Horror series THE TWILIGHT ZONE featured a great episode from season two entitled 'Back There'. This episode concerned a theorist who, much like the Wells character in THE TIME MACHINE, sits among a table of friends discussing altering history should time travel be a possibility. Ultimately, he ends up in America's past just shy of Lincoln's assassination and attempts to stop it.

3. Universal Internationals pulpy SciFi-Horror opus THE MOLE PEOPLE (1956) featured scientists who find an ancient Summerian society living far beneath the Earth. There are two races here as well -- one ruling class and another that's oppressed with an iron hand. The albino beings control this subterranean society and use the monstrous mole men as their slaves. This concept is somewhat reversed from the Wells story and its filmic interpretation. No time traveling, but its association is with its depiction of a subterranean society.

4. 1985s SECRETS OF THE PHANTOM CAVERNS aka WHAT WAITS BELOW follows a similar trajectory as THE MOLE PEOPLE. It also features an underground race of albino humanoids who rule the world below amidst giant snake monsters and other perils. Don Sharp directs a good cast that includes Lisa Blount, Richard Johnson, Robert Powell and Timothy Bottoms.

5. The original STAR TREK (1966-1969) had a season two episode that shared familiarity with concepts as seen in THE TIME MACHINE. Entitled 'The Apple', the plot involved Kirk and a landing party encountering a benevolent race of humanoids whose sole provider is Vaal, a stone edifice they worship as a god. This race of people mirror the Eloi of THE TIME MACHINE, but with some minor differences. Instead of being lured into the bowels of a giant monument to be eaten, these people enter to feed it, instead. It turns out to be an alien computer that keeps these docile people stagnant and the equivalent of slaves; their survival depending entirely on Vaal.

6. The iconic PLANET OF THE APES film series was infamous for its depiction of time travel and the shocking results of man's folly. It, too, featured humans as passive as those of the Eloi. Only here, the humans were far more animalistic in this version of Earth's future where evolution was turned upside down. The endings of both films are diametrically opposed to one another -- Pal's picture ends optimistically while the ending of Shaffner's movie is engulfed in pessimism.

7. Other movies that tread similar territory include the BACK TO THE FUTURE trilogy. The first film from 1985 made time travel an 80s phenomenon and was influenced by the 1960 George Pal production. The same can be said for Nicolas Meyer's TIME AFTER TIME (1979) wherein Malcolm McDowall played H.G. Wells who goes in pursuit of Jack the Ripper, who has fled into Earth's future (San Francisco in 1979) using his time machine.

8. THE TIME MACHINE (1960) was reinterpreted as a Made For TV movie in 1978, and the famous machine made guest appearances in television shows like IN SEARCH OF and the PBS series, COSMOS. It also put in a cameo appearance in Joe Dante's GREMLINS (1984). A forgettable, CGI infested remake arrived in 2002 starring Guy Pearce in the lead role.

The script, effects and performances aren't the only notable aspects of this George Pal favorite. Russell Garcia's soundtrack is simply incredible. It's rousing in all the right places, striking a perfect tone for whatever mood each sequence calls for. The main theme is especially boisterous; and those themes that dominate the hellish domain of the Morlocks are suspenseful and gripping. Garcia lent his sonic excellence to Pal's ATLANTIS, THE LOST CONTINENT the following year in 1961.

Paul Vogel's cinematographic skills accentuate the vibrant colors emanating off the screen. Whether it's an exterior, or a stage-bound set, Vogel's camera captures an otherworldy, ethereal quality that brings the fantasy to life, and makes the humanistic sequences all the more fanciful.



Beginning much where it ends, the film culminates on a lovely note filled with romanticism and infinite possibilities for a better future. Now equipped with the knowledge of man's destiny, Wells quietly, and abruptly decides to return to the Eloi to help them make a new life for themselves -- to teach them self-preservation -- and to make a new life for himself with the lovely Weena. 



George Pal's milestone of science fiction may possibly become science fact some day, but till then, it presents viewers with a cavalcade of provocative ideas to peruse and ponder while we all hope to learn from past mistakes; and hope for a better future for ourselves and those whose lives we touch. In that, this 1960 classic will remain a timeless, and timely piece of American cinema that will continue to shape movies to come.

This review/article is representative of the Warner Brothers 4 disc set paired with FORBIDDEN PLANET, SOYLENT GREEN and 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY.