1:06:02
but by a guy, or guys,
shooting at him from a helicopter,
1:06:05
just like the biplane pilots
who killed King Kong.
1:06:12
Speaking of the preview,
or one of the previews,
1:06:15
Arthur Ross, who cowrote the picture,
told me an interesting anecdote about it.
1:06:19
Ed Mull was the head of production
at Universal, and according to Ross
1:06:23
"He sensed something in
Creature that nobody else did
1:06:25
and they sort of laughed at him, but
he said it was going to be a smash."
1:06:29
"For the preview of Creature,
there were three buses of people."
1:06:32
"They took us to dinner
and then downtown for the preview."
1:06:36
"Ed bade every executive,
every contract producer,
1:06:39
every contract director come
watch Creature, because, he said
1:06:42
'This will be the pattern and form
and intent of our future films."'
1:06:46
"Harry Essex and I looked at each
other and said 'He must be crazy!"'
1:06:51
Well, Ed Mull turned out not to be crazy.
Creature cost Universal $463,700,
1:06:56
and by the end of 1954,
it had already grossed three million.
1:07:01
Another negative review came from
the Los Angeles Daily News.
1:07:04
"The action unreels as fast as
an anchor being hoisted,
1:07:07
Miss Adams changes
bathing suits several times,
1:07:09
walks woodenly
and persistently into danger,
1:07:12
and screams so often and so loud that
little babes in the audience grew pale."
1:07:17
Julie Adams, who shot this scene on
her 27th birthday, has just screamed.
1:07:21
If I was Bissell, I'd be more worried
about Carlson swinging that bat
1:07:24
than about the creature.
1:07:26
When Bissell's young daughters
saw Creature in a theatre,
1:07:29
one of 'em stood up and screamed
"It's going after Daddy!"
1:07:34
Milicent Patrick was one of
the designers of the gill-man
1:07:37
and actually worked on the suit,
and then, because she was a looker,
1:07:40
Universal sent her out on a tour
to drum up interest in the movie.
1:07:43
Universal was going to promote her as
"The beauty who created the beast",
1:07:47
but Bud Westmore, protecting
his turf, took exception to that.
1:07:50
He claimed that the creation
of the creature was completely his work.
1:07:53
Westmore, lying through his teeth,
1:07:55
said that many people had been involved
in the original sketches,
1:07:59
but had all dropped out of
the project when it became difficult.