Millicent Patrick


Astromonster (on the blog of same name) writes: Conceptual designer/actress Millicent Patrick, in the Universal Studios workshop in 1954, strikes a tender pose with her own creation — The Creature From the Black Lagoon. Patrick — who was an animator at Disney when she wasn’t looking decorative in B-pictures and television during the 50s and early 60s — was totally responsible for the design of the iconic creature. But for a variety of reasons (including, one presumes, sexism) her role was deliberately downplayed by chief Universal makeup artist Bud Westmore, who for half a century received sole credit for the Gill-Man’s conception. In any case, it is, uh, interesting to imagine the reactions of the rest of the male artisans in the Universal art department to the presence of the frankly va-va-voom Ms. Patrick in their midst. Let’s just say it is perhaps no accident that the third, and last, entry in the series was titled The Creature Walks Among Us.

I think she must be some kind of spiritual cousin to my friend Christina Yoder, who was born to make this kind of stuff!

More Patrick photos:

I found Patrick by accident when I was digging for Gill-man's photo, and I also found a couple of cute "behind the movie scenes" photos; Gill and friends making sure their co-star is OK:

And finally finding the love of his life, another finned creature!

The actor in the suit is in fact a cutie, but I am going to borrow his head for a project of my own so I won't post it here.

Comments

  1. Her talent was bigger than we'll ever know, courtesy of Bud Westmore blackballing her. And yes, she was the possessor of an absolute killer 1950's style body.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment