History Film / CreatureFromTheBlackLagoon

** Special mention should go to Julia Adams' outfit at the climax of the film (halter-top, shorts, bare feet), which is almost as provocative as her skintight white swimsuit.

* CoverAlwaysLie: Many posters depict Gill Man kidnapping Kay in her iconic white swimsuit. While the Gill Man does kidnap Kay at the film's climax, she's wearing casual halter-top and shorts.

* DoesNotLikeShoes: Kay goes barefoot in her shorts and halter-top at the climax of the movie, probably to appear more vulnerable and sensual.

* ManOnFire: Dr. Thompson sets the Gill Man on fire with a well placed lantern strike when it attacks him.

* MonsterMisogyny: Inverted. Throughout his three movies, the Gill Man mostly kills men, but doesn't hurt women and even befriends one them. This is discussed in the Vargo Statten {{Novelization}} where they basically conclude he's gentle with Kay because she's female and he considers all human males a threat to his possession of her.

* ScienceHerosBabeAssistant: Kay is the only woman on the scientific expedition and spends most of her time swimming in a not especially practical tight-fitting swim suit (with plenty of shots of her butt) before being menaced by the titular creature.

* LegFocus: There are many lingering shots of Kay's legs. [[note]]Julie Adams' legs were said to have been very favored during her career, and studios even kept them insured.[[/note]]

** The second is by Walter Harris writing under the pseudonym "Carl Dreadstone," which barely resembles the film. Not only are several characters renamed (some slightly, others very drastically), but everyone besides David and Kay who survived the movie dies, and the titular monster as a Franchise/{{Godzilla}}-sized [[AttackOfThe50FootWhatever aquatic hermaphroditic pig-lizard]] referred to as [=AA=] for "Advanced Amphibian." In addition to numerous ''Film/{{King Kong|1933}}'' metaphors, Harris adds a subplot involving the expedition getting captured by a hostile Indian tribe, a scene where "[=AA=]" battles a helicopter, and a changed ending wherein the monster needs to be killed with a Polaris missile from a Brazilian Navy torpedo boat (!).

* MauveShirt: Dr. Thompson.

* ScreamingWoman: Kay, multiple times.
* ShesGotLegs: There are especially many lingering shots of Kay's legs. [[note]]Julie Adams' legs were said to have been very favored during her career, and studios even kept them insured.[[/note]]

** The second is by Walter Harris writing under under the pseudonym "Carl Dreadstone," which barely resembles the film. Not only are several characters renamed (some slightly, others very drastically), but everyone besides David and Kay who survived the movie dies, and the titular monster as a Franchise/{{Godzilla}}-sized [[AttackOfThe50FootWhatever aquatic hermaphroditic pig-lizard]] referred to as [=AA=] for "Advanced Amphibian." In addition to numerous ''Film/{{King Kong|1933}}'' metaphors, Harris adds a subplot involving the expedition getting captured by a hostile Indian tribe, a scene where "[=AA=]" battles a helicopter, and a changed ending wherein the monster needs to be killed with a Polaris missile from a Brazilian Navy torpedo boat (!).

** The second is by Walter Harris writing under under the pseudonym "[[AwesomeMcCoolname Carl Dreadstone]]," which barely resembles the film. Not only are several characters renamed (some slightly, others very drastically), but everyone besides David and Kay who survived the movie dies, and the titular monster as a Franchise/{{Godzilla}}-sized [[AttackOfThe50FootWhatever aquatic hermaphroditic pig-lizard]] referred to as [=AA=] for "Advanced Amphibian." In addition to numerous ''Film/{{King Kong|1933}}'' metaphors, Harris adds a subplot involving the expedition getting captured by a hostile Indian tribe, a scene where "[=AA=]" battles a helicopter, and a changed ending wherein the monster needs to be killed with a Polaris missile from a Brazilian Navy torpedo boat (!).

''Creature From the Black Lagoon'' is a Franchise/UniversalHorror film from 1954. [[UsefulNotes/TheAmazonRainforest In the heart of the Brazilian Jungle]], a scientist named Carl Maia finds a unique fossil which suggests an amphibious, transitional creature. After showing it to his colleagues at the Brazilian Marine Institute, an expedition is organized to go find the rest of the fossil. Little do they know that a live specimen of the creature, the Gill Man (or "Devonian Man") lives in the waters, who's highly territorial, [[MarsNeedsWomen lonely]] and intelligent, and has no intention of letting any of them leave alive.

Notable for its beautiful underwater shots (the 3-D version of the movie is breathtaking), artful full-body ''submersible'' costuming for Gill Man, location filming [[CaliforniaDoubling (in Wakulla Springs, Florida]] rather than Brazil, but still good) and the quick, graceful swimming of Gill Man--Ricou Browning, who played him underwater, was an Olympic Swimmer. Of course, above water he's a slow, waddling horror, but has titanic strength and jaguar-sharp claws to make up for it. Also notable for being very suspenseful and restrained compared to other {{B Movie}}s, only showing Gill Man's hand and silhouette at first, and teasing the audience with having him stalk the female lead underwater almost shyly.

Had two lackluster sequels, ''Film/RevengeOfTheCreature'' (1955), which was featured on an [[Recap/MysteryScienceTheater3000S08E01RevengeOfTheCreature episode]] of ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000'' and is best known as the first appearance of Creator/ClintEastwood, and ''Film/TheCreatureWalksAmongUs'' (1956). Creator/GuillermoDelToro wanted to do a remake but Universal refused, and most of his ideas went into the Oscar-winning ''Film/TheShapeOfWater'' (2017).

It is one of many films included in the "Franchise/UniversalHorror" canon (Incidentally, Ricou Browning is probably the only person to play one of the Universal monsters who's still alive).

* AlasPoorVillain: [[spoiler:Unusually for a '50s monster movie, the Gill Man's death at the end of the film is portrayed as tragic]].

* SympathyForTheDevil: Despite the fact that the Gill Man is responsible for multiple deaths and attempted to kidnap his girlfriend, David treats him with a great deal of sympathy throughout the film and [[spoiler:even mourns the creature's eventual death]].

* LicensedPinballTable: Partially based on the movie, and partially based on [[FramingDevice attending a drive-in to see the movie]]. More information [[Pinball/CreatureFromTheBlackLagoon here]].

''Creature From the Black Lagoon'' is a Franchise/UniversalHorror film from 1954. [[TheAmazon In the heart of the Brazilian Jungle]], a scientist named Carl Maia finds a unique fossil which suggests an amphibious, transitional creature. After showing it to his colleagues at the Brazilian Marine Institute, an expedition is organized to go find the rest of the fossil. Little do they know that a live specimen of the creature, the Gill Man (or "Devonian Man") lives in the waters, who's highly territorial, [[MarsNeedsWomen lonely]] and intelligent, and has no intention of letting any of them leave alive.

* TheAmazon: The Gill Man lives in a secluded lagoon deep in the Amazon rainforest.

* AlasPoorVillain: [[spoiler:Unusually for a '50s monster movie, the Gill Man's death at the end of the film is portrayed as surprisingly tragic]].

* BewareTheNiceOnes: Captain Lucas is a perfectly friendly man, but if you try to overrule his authority as captain he will not hesitate to pull a knife on you.

* MarsNeedsWomen: The Gill Man, being the last of his kind, becomes [[Yandere fixated]] on Kay because he desires a mate.

* MarsNeedsWomen: The Gill Man, being the last of his kind, becomes fixated on Kay because he desires a mate.

* ArtisticLicencePaleontology:

* ArtisticLicenceBiology: The Gill Man, being a clawed, super strong, bipedal amphibious creature, doesn't resemble any kind of Devonian lifeform whatsoever. There's also a line suggesting that there were giant rats in the Devonian period -- two hundred million years before the first mammals appeared, give-or-take.

* ManOnFire: Dr. Thompson sets Gill Man on fire with a well placed lantern strike when it attacks him.
* MarsNeedsWomen: Gill Man, being the last of his kind, becomes fixated on Kay because he desires a mate.

* ScienceHerosBabeAssistant: Kay is the only woman on the scientific expedition and spends most of her time swimming in a not especially practical tight-fitting swim suit (with plenty of shots of her butt) before being menaced by the titular creature. She's introduced as a scientist but doesn't do anything very scientific in the entire film.

* MonsterMisogyny:
** Inverted: Throughout his three movies, the Gill Man mostly kills men, but doesn't hurt women and even befriends one them.
** This is discussed in the Vargo Statten {{Novelization}} where they basically conclude he's gentle with Kay because she's female and he considers all human males a threat to his possession of her.

* FishPeople: The Gill Man is described as "the missing link" between man and fish.

* InformedAttribute: Kay is allegedly a scientist, but doesn't do a single solitary scientific thing for the entire movie. She's purely a damsel in distress who seems to be treating the expedition like a pleasure cruise.
** It comes and goes. For a few moments she'll talk about scientific theory as well as the men do--but when they're managing the boat or their findings she's usually standing on the side looking pretty.