''Creature from the Black Lagoon'', 1954 - art by Reynold Brown is a mixed media by Movie World Posters which was uploaded on December 27th, 2020.
''Creature from the Black Lagoon'', 1954 - art by Reynold Brown
Creature from the Black Lagoon is a 1954 American monster horror film directed by Jack Arnold and produced by William Alland. It is a classic entry... more
Title
''Creature from the Black Lagoon'', 1954 - art by Reynold Brown
Artist
Movie World Posters
Medium
Mixed Media - Digital Art
Description
"Creature from the Black Lagoon" is a 1954 American monster horror film directed by Jack Arnold and produced by William Alland. It is a classic entry in the Universal Monsters series and is known for introducing the iconic Gill-man, a humanoid amphibious creature.
Plot:
The film is set in the Amazon rainforest, where a team of scientists embarks on an expedition to uncover evidence of prehistoric life. They discover a mysterious amphibious humanoid, often referred to as the "Gill-man," lurking in the depths of a remote lagoon. This creature becomes the focal point of their research and curiosity.
As the team attempts to capture and study the Gill-man, tensions rise, and a deadly cat-and-mouse game ensues. The creature becomes infatuated with Kay Lawrence (played by Julie Adams), one of the expedition members, leading to a series of confrontations as it attempts to claim her.
Legacy:
"Creature from the Black Lagoon" is celebrated for several reasons:
Iconic Monster: The Gill-man, portrayed by Ricou Browning in underwater scenes and Ben Chapman on land, has become an enduring and iconic creature in the world of classic horror cinema.
Underwater Photography: The film is praised for its groundbreaking underwater photography, showcasing the Gill-man's graceful movements beneath the surface. It set new standards for underwater filmmaking at the time.
Atmosphere and Suspense: Director Jack Arnold effectively builds tension and suspense throughout the film, making it a quintessential creature feature.
Influence on the Genre: "Creature from the Black Lagoon" is considered a significant influence on subsequent monster and creature-themed films.
Enduring Popularity: The Gill-man character remains a beloved figure in pop culture and has appeared in various forms of media and adaptations.
The film's enduring appeal is due to its effective blend of suspense, horror, and science fiction elements, as well as the memorable design of the Gill-man. "Creature from the Black Lagoon" remains a classic of the monster movie genre, representing a bygone era of Hollywood horror that continues to captivate audiences to this day.
About the artist:
William Reynold Brown (October 18, 1917 – August 24, 1991) was an American realist artist who painted around 250 Hollywood film posters. He was also briefly active as a comics artist and he worked as a technical artist at North American Aviation during World War II.
Following the war, Brown drew paperback book covers along with advertisements and illustrations for numerous magazines including Argosy, Popular Science, Saturday Evening Post, Boys' Life, Outdoor Life, and Popular Aviation.
Brown taught at the Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles before he started creating film posters. Among the dozens he designed was an original painting for The Alamo, which hung for years at the actual Alamo in San Antonio, Texas. Some of his other well-known posters at the time included How the West Was Won, The Incredible Shrinking Man, Dr. Zhivago, Ben Hur, Spartacus, Mutiny on the Bounty, and The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Today, he is best remembered for his posters for The Creature From the Black Lagoon and the cult classic Attack of the 50-Foot Woman.
Brown's posters imparted a sense of cinematic adventure to movie theater lobbies across the country. The posters became popular due to his ability to portray movie scenes using a dramatic collage effect. Unlike earlier poster designers, he based his illustrations and compositions not on traditional graphic design but on the dynamic nature of popular filmmaking.
Although his posters were widely recognized and contributed to the success of many popular films, Brown, like other movie poster artists, was contracted to maintain his anonymity and could not sign his work.
In 1953, Brown cofounded the Society of Illustrators of Los Angeles. He suffered a stroke in 1976, after which he spent the remaining years of his life on a 180-acre plot of land in Nebraska.
In 1994, a documentary about Brown was broadcast on television, titled The Man Who Drew Bug-Eyed Monsters. In addition, a book with many of his artworks was published in 2009, “Reynold Brown: A Life in Pictures.” According to a movie reviewer in Nebraska, as a result of the documentary, Brown and his colleagues are beginning to get the recognition they deserve, not only as talented artists but for their broader impact on popular culture.
Uploaded
December 27th, 2020