Like the first film, Revenge of the Creature was a hit, grossing $1.1 million at the box office. Unfortunately, while the original was well-received, the sequel wasn’t looked on as favorably by critics, often dismissed as fourth-rate. Regardless, Universal decided to push forward with another sequel the following year, though this one wouldn’t be in 3D. Also, Jack Arnold, who directed the previous two films, felt he had nothing left to contribute to the horror genre. Instead, Arnold recommended John Sherwood, who was a long-time assistant director at Universal, to helm this sequel. While Ricou Browning returned to once again play the Gill-Man underwater, he would be played by Don Megowan on land. For this film, the Gill-Man would be made more of a sympathetic creature and there’d be more human drama added. In April of 1956, The Creature Walks Among Us, the last Universal Classic Monster Movie, was released.
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Synopsis
Following the Gill-Man’s escape, a group of scientists led by Dr. William Barton (Jeff Morrow) tries to capture the Gill-Man. They’re joined by Barton’s wife Marcia (Leigh Snowden), though they have been going through marital troubles, mostly because of Barton. It doesn’t help that Barton starts getting paranoid when he notices their guide Jed Grant (Gregg Palmer) advancing towards Marcia. Eventually, the group manages to capture the Gill-Man, but he gets horribly burned in the process. Barton, alongside Dr. Thomas Morgan (Rex Reason), Dr. Borg (Maurice Manson), and Dr. Johnson (James Rawley) perform emergency surgery. Following the surgery, the Gill-Man has shed its gills, grown more human-like skin, and breathes air using a lung system. They clothe him and try getting him used to live amongst humans, but he pines to return to the water. What will transpire now that the creature walks among us?
Review
For a third installment, The Creature Walks Among Us is better than one would expect and goes above and beyond. Admittedly, there’s not as much horror as the previous films, but instead focusing more on human drama and marital disputes. The lack of horror might disappoint old school monster movie fans, but the human drama helps make this stand out. It helps that Jeff Morrow does a fantastic job of playing such a flawed character that you love to hate. There are moments where he explodes at his wife, and they’re oddly among the scariest moments of the movie. Leigh Snowden, on top of looking fantastic in a swimsuit, makes for a strong female lead that you feel for. Gregg Palmer, though he tries hitting on someone’s wife, is a likable character who becomes a father-figure for The Gill-Man. This is strangely a case where the real monster is human.
This film has some parallels to Frankenstein, given the creature becomes more human, wears clothes, and has a similar walk. Also, the creature is much more sympathetic, clearly just wanting to return to his home, even if he can’t. While he does attack the humans early on, he does become attached to Jed since he took pity on him. It’s much like how the Frankenstein monster isn’t necessarily a monster, but more so someone looking for companionship. Speaking of, while the previous films had the creature pursuing the female lead, that’s not the case here. The creature had always been sympathetic in the previous films, but he’s much more sympathetic here, longing for his home. Hardcore horror fans might be disappointed by the focus on drama, but it’s that drama that makes this stand out. Overall, The Creature Walks Among Us is a solid final installment in a long-running series.
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