Red-Haired Ash Reads

“The beauty of Milicent’s life and work was, like that of many other women, purposefully hidden to rob her of her power and her influence.”

This biography/memoir discussed the life and hidden legacy of the Creature from the Black Lagoon designer Milicent Patrick. Milicent created one of the most iconic movie monsters and the last big named Universal Monster. Unfortunately, her legacy was hidden by a jealous makeup artist who wanted to take all the credit and who made sure she would no longer have a career in Hollywood. This also discusses Mallory’s journey to find Millicent and her experiences with Hollywood. We get a nice comparison to what women experienced then and what they experience now, which unsurprisingly, is the same harassment. 

I will admit, I watched Creature from the Black Lagoon for the first time this year. It has been on my list to watch for years, especially after I learned about this book and that a woman created the creature. But I finally got around to watching it, and for a movie from 1954, it’s pretty good. It was even more interesting when you realize how this was filmed with all new techniques and the creature actor had to hold his breath underwater during all the scenes. So after watching this movie last month, I knew I finally needed to read this book to find out about the woman behind the design. 

Milicent Patrick, a woman with many different names, was an absolutely fascinating woman. She was an actress, model, makeup designer, special effects artist, and animator. She animated for famous Disney films like Fantasia and Dumbo. She animated the famous Chernbog scene from Fantasia, which was always the coolest part of that movie. In 1952, she joined the Universal Studios makeups department to work under Bud Westmore, which would be the beginning and end of her career.

She was the first woman to work in a special effects department and was actually credited for her makeup designs. Her career was looking up in 1953 when the studio started working on the Creature from The Black Lagoon, and Milicent designed the monster. Everything changed when the studio wanted to send Milicent on a press tour, titled “The Beauty Who Created the Beast”, because then the world would know she was the designer.  Bud Westmore couldn’t have that and started his campaign to remove her name from the film. Milicent still went on the tour, but it got retitled “The Beauty Who Lives with the Beast”, and while she credited Bud for everything the world still loved Milicent. When she returned, Bud fired her and blacklisted her from Hollywood.  Bud was just an insecure and petty man who couldn’t have anyone take his fame, and I was so surprised by how long Universal kept him. But I should have expected that after everything we learned during the #MeToo movement. 

Milicent’s story is one many women still have to deal with, and Mallory discusses her experiences with harassment and assumption that she is an assistant because she is a woman. It is very sad that the entertainment industry is still toxic for women almost 80 years later. Also the women who do make a name for themselves in male dominated fields, like the entertainment industry, are treated like they only got that position due to appearances or because they slept with someone. It really sucks. 

“We need women to be allowed to be simply good at what they do. We need them on set, in meetings, behind cameras and pens and paintbrushes. We need them to be themselves, to be human: ordinary and flawed. That way, more girls can see them and think “I can do that.” That way, no one can look at them and say “She got that job because she’s beautiful. She just got that gig because she slept with someone.”

This book was just a fascinating look at Milicent’s life and career. She was such a remarkable woman but until recently, no one really knew that. I really hope we see more books like this that show remarkable women who have been hidden from history due to men’s insecurities. I love learning about these women. 

If you are a fan of horror movies, the entertainment industry, or just forgotten women, I highly recommend this book. Milicent was fascinating and more people should know about her life and career. 

TW: misogyny; Matilda Effect (erasure of women from history); infertility; suicide; death of a partner; grief;  sexual harassment; death of parents;

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