Up the Amazon searching for The Creature from the Black Lagoon
- Tony Elvin
- 3 days ago
- 5 min read
If you're reading this, then phew .. you survived our Amazonian trip in search of the Creature. Read on for our trivia from the night, our wines and gallery.
On Board Wine Menu
In true pioneering spirit, Chandon Argentina was founded in 1959 by Moët & Chandon to produce a sparkling wine that combined French winemaking expertise and the passion of Argentina. From the foothills of the Andes, the classic grape varietals of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir have been skillfully blended using méthode traditionnalle, resulting in a lively wine with fine bubbles and delicate citrus aromas. A perfect aperitif on board the Rita.
Emiliana, a leading Chilean winery renowned for its organic and biodynamic practices. It comes from the cool-climate Bío Bío Valley in southern Chile, a region well-suited for aromatic white varieties. Quietly complex on the nose with fresh lime notes combining with a steely minerality and gentle honeysuckle flora. The palate is off-dry with persistent flavours of lime, there is a natural salinity which gives contrast and balance.
The "Myth of Motu Nui" Sauvignon Blanc is a Chilean wine that takes inspiration from the Polynesian myth of the Tangata manu (bird-man) cult from Easter Island.. Motu Nui is a tiny islet off the coast of Easter Island (Rapa Nui), Chile's farthest-flung outpost.
This proximity to the ocean and cool climate viticulture results in a wine with a distinctively crisp, aromatic profile and pungent notes (such as gooseberry, citrus, and fresh herbs) that are often compared in style to a New Zealand Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, on the other side of the Pacific Rim.
The Pisano family, with Italian and Basque roots, has been making wine in Progreso since 1914. Their vineyards are located about 25km north of Montevideo. The Pisano Tannat Reserve is an exclusive wine created for The Wine Society, blended annually in a collaborative session with the Pisano winemakers. The 2024 vintage is an unoaked expression of the Tannat grape, known for its ripe, fresh character with blackberry fruit and mild tannins. It is a high-value wine that offers an excellent introduction to Uruguayan Tannat.
Bodega Catena Zapata, a fourth-generation family winery led by Nicolás Catena Zapata and his daughter Laura Catena. The grapes are sourced from various high-altitude vineyards (some over 3,000 feet) in the foothills of the Andes Mountains, which is key to the wine's unique balance and concentration. Bold. Ripe. Fruity. It’s a big wine with lots of flavour – and a lovely plush texture.
Our Amazonian Gallery, featuring some behind the scenes footage from the movie
The Trivia from the Black Lagoon
1) The idea for the film reportedly originated during a dinner party hosted by Orson Welles for Citizen Kane — cinematographer Gabriel Figueroa told a tale of amphibious beasts in the the Amazon, which producer William Alland later adapted into this film.
Mental Floss
2) The Creature’s design was (in part) inspired by the shape of the Academy Award statuette — the director Jack Arnold once said, “If we put a gilled head on [the Oscar], plus fins and scales… that would look pretty much like the kind of creature we’re trying to get.”
Mental Floss
3) The famed visual designer Milicent Patrick created the original concept sketches and design for the Gill-man, but makeup head Bud Westmore took credit publicly and worked to suppress her recognition.
Mental Floss
4) Two different creature suits were built — one for land (Ben Chapman) and one for underwater (Ricou Browning) — because their body shapes and heights differed.
Classic Movie Hub
5) The creature suit’s eyes were fixed parts of the rubber mold — the actors inside could barely see. Chapman once accidentally bumped actress Julie Adams’ head against rockwork in the grotto because of his restricted peripheral vision.
Mental Floss
6) Underwater, Ricou Browning (the underwater stuntman) had to hold his breath for up to 4 minutes at a time to avoid air bubbles revealing scuba gear.
IMDb
7) The film was originally shot in dual-strip polarized 3D (a 1950s 3D process) though many theatres also screened it in 2D. At the time of making, the 3D craze was waning — Creature from the Black Lagoon came at the tail end of the early 1950s 3D boom.
CBR
8) Many of the underwater and river scenes were filmed on location at Wakulla Springs, Florida.
Mental Floss
9) On the studio backlot, the “Amazon river” was often simulated using Park Lake (Universal’s backlot) for above-water sequences.
Wikipedia
10) Studio executives mandated the “Creature Theme” (musical motif) be played incessantly — reportedly it’s heard some 130 times through the film.
Mental Floss
11) The creature’s appearance was partially based on 17th-century woodcuts of mythical sea creatures — specifically the “Sea Monk” for the final head, and originally some ideas from the “Sea Bishop.”
12) The script intended to leave the Creature’s ultimate fate ambiguous (to allow for a sequel) before the shooting was finished.
Classic Movie Hub
13) In one scene, the original plan was for the creature to pick up the expedition member “Zee” and throw him directly toward the camera (for a dramatic 3D effect). The wires kept breaking, so the scene was revised to a simpler strangulation.
Classic Movie Hub
14) The Gill-man (under the alias “Uncle Gilbert”) made a cameo in The Munsters TV show in the episode “Love Comes to Mockingbird Heights.”
Mental Floss
15) In later sequels, the film’s “no air tanks underwater” rule is ignored — you can see air bubbles from the creature’s head in Revenge of the Creature. This was much safer for the actors.
IMDb
16) After production, many of the costume parts (masks, claws) were discarded by Universal; they were later rescued from dumpsters by a janitor, who thought they’d make good Halloween costumes.
IMDb
17) The creature costume was extremely hot to wear — on land, Ben Chapman sometimes stayed in a backlot lake during breaks or asked to be hosed down.
Wikipedia
18) The film was one of Universal’s iconic “monster” films, considered part of the “Universal Monsters” pantheon (alongside Dracula, Frankenstein, etc.).
Wikipedia
19) A fossil amphibian species discovered in recent times was named Eucritta melanolimnetes — “creature from the black lagoon” — inspired by the film.
Classic Movie Hub
20) The Gill-man’s influence extends widely: Guillermo del Toro cited it as an inspiration for The Shape of Water.
Wikipedia
21) The creature has inspired various appearances in pop culture: the Gill-man appears in Robot Chicken, Jonny Quest, X-COM: Terror from the Deep, etc.
Wikipedia
22) Over the decades, several remake efforts have been attempted (John Carpenter, John Landis, Guillermo del Toro among them), but none have come to full fruition.
TV Tropes
23) In its climactic ending, after being shot, the creature wades from the boat and, wounded, attempts to swim away — eventually succumbing to its injuries and sinking back into darkness. This bittersweet fade-out helps maintain the mystery and horror rather than just a definitive death.
Wikipedia
Ladies and gentlemen, it's been my pleasure to serve as your tour guide, protector and sommelier this evening. I'm not sure about you but I have some sympathy for 'The Creature', he's in the swamp alone for all eternity, how should he know it's not acceptable to stalk young lady's in bathing suits? Neverheless, we returned safely to tell the tale of The Creature from the Black Lagoon, ta da dahhhh!!
Until next time ..
Sir Antony Reed and the crew aboard, The Rita
Please do check out our upcoming movies with wine across the festive season and beyond.
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