In Memoriam: Julie Adams

Most famous for her starring role opposite the titular Creature in the Universal Studios classic CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON (more on that in a second), Ms. Julie Adams, who inspired a little boy still several years shy of puberty to nevertheless feel its first stirrings when he watched her in that film some years ago—yes, I am speaking of myself—also appeared in such genre projects as KOLCHAK: THE NIGHT STALKER, ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS, NIGHT GALLERY, THE INCREDIBLE HULK, and even LOST. She passed away this past weekend at the age of 92, another star of the classics who has left us, and left us a little poorer for it.

Julie’s onscreen dalliance with the Creature (portrayed by both Ben Chapman and Ricou Browning) in the above-mentioned flick (directed by Jack Arnold and filmed in Florida—read about my visit to the Black Lagoon here) in 1954 inspired a young kid named Guillermo del Toro to wish for the Gill-Man and his lady friend a happy ending, an ending he gave to them with his own movie entitled THE SHAPE OF WATER. You might have heard of that one, too, since it won the Academy Award for Best Picture last year at the Oscars. Julie Adams deserves some of the credit for that storming of the snooty awards show by a good old-fashioned Monster movie.

By The Evil Cheezman

WAYNE MILLER is the owner and creative director of EVIL CHEEZ PRODUCTIONS (www.evilcheezproductions.blogspot.com, www.facebook.com/evilcheezproductions), specializing in theatrical performances and haunted attractions. He has written, produced and directed (and occasionally acted in) over a dozen plays, most of them in the Horror and Crime genres. His first novel, THE CONFESSIONS OF SAINT CHRISTOPHER: WEREWOLF, is available for purchase at https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/734763 MORTUI VELOCES SUNT!

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