![\"cover](\"https:\/\/www.monsterlibrarian.com\/TheCirculationDesk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Lady_Black_Lagoon_Omeara.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n( Bookshop.org<\/a> | Amazon.com<\/a> )<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Lady from the Black Lagoon: Hollywood Monsters and the Lost Legacy of Milicent Patrick <\/em>by Mallory O\u2019Meara<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hanover Square Press, 2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n ISBN-13: 9781335937803<\/p>\n\n\n\n Available: Hardcover, paperback. Kindle, Audible audiobook<\/p>\n\n\n\n When Mallory O\u2019Meara discovered that one of her favorite movies, The Creature from the Black Lagoon<\/em>, featured a monster designed by a woman, Milicent Patrick, she knew she had to find out more. Sadly, there was little information available about this elusive figure. Through her research, O\u2019Meara learned much about Patrick\u2019s contribution to The Creature from the Black Lagoon <\/em>and her eventual disappearance from film history. O\u2019Meara, herself working in the horror movie industry, \u201cset out to right the wrong and in the process discovered the full, fascinating story of an ambitious, artistic woman ahead of her time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n O\u2019Meara\u2019s book is well-researched, using primary archival resources and interviews as a basis for her work. She describes pushback she received from different parties in her introduction. Similar to asking the question, \u201cwhy is there a Women in Horror Month?\u201d, she was asked why she was searching so much for a woman who was denied her craft for decades. O\u2019Meara spends the bulk of the book answering this question.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The book isn\u2019t strictly a biography of Milicent, but also of those closest to her. O\u2019Meara includes biographical information on Milicent\u2019s parents, William Randolph Hearst, Bud Westmore, and other people who had been influential in Patrick\u2019s life. Interspersed in the chapters are the author\u2019s discussion of her discoveries and \u201caha moments\u201d, such as finding Hearst Castle as a clue to unveiling more of Milicent\u2019s life, her time at Glendale Junior College, her eventual dropping out to attend Chouinard Art Institute, and Walt Disney hiring her on in the animation department of his humble studio. Milicent worked as an uncredited model, developing her own sense of style, something her father disapproved of. The author does not hide that some of Milicent\u2019s life choices led to heartache and agony, her own as well as others. O\u2019Meara discusses Milicent crossing paths with the infamous Bud Westmore and her time designing the Gillman, Universal\u2019s monster in Creature from the Black Lagoon<\/em>. The author also provides some great information on the history of special effects, and the ongoing gender inequality in the film industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A major criticism I have about the content is O\u2019Meara\u2019s exaggerated lack of understanding of the research process. She discusses her struggles with the process and, thankfully, credits those who helped her by providing her with clues or pointing her in the right direction. She seemed to be unaware of databases, or how to conduct oneself in an archival room. While such things are undoubtedly unknown to some people, including her own ignorance and gasping, and telling the reader she probably annoyed others in the research room of the archives, would probably be best left out. However, O\u2019Meara\u2019s conversational style of writing is appealing, to a point, and makes the pace of the book go quickly. Recommended.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Reviewed by Lizzy Walker<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" ***Cross posted from The Circulation Desk*** ( Bookshop.org | Amazon.com ) The Lady from the Black Lagoon: Hollywood Monsters and the Lost Legacy of Milicent Patrick by Mallory O\u2019Meara Hanover Square Press, 2019 ISBN-13: 9781335937803 Available: Hardcover, paperback. Kindle, Audible audiobook When Mallory O\u2019Meara discovered that one of her favorite movies, The Creature from the Black Lagoon, featured a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[337,288,137],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2263","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-book-review","category-nonfiction","category-transmedia"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3Eu9f-Av","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.monsterlibrarian.com\/ReadingBites\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2263","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.monsterlibrarian.com\/ReadingBites\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.monsterlibrarian.com\/ReadingBites\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.monsterlibrarian.com\/ReadingBites\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.monsterlibrarian.com\/ReadingBites\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2263"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.monsterlibrarian.com\/ReadingBites\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2263\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2264,"href":"https:\/\/www.monsterlibrarian.com\/ReadingBites\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2263\/revisions\/2264"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.monsterlibrarian.com\/ReadingBites\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2263"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.monsterlibrarian.com\/ReadingBites\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2263"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.monsterlibrarian.com\/ReadingBites\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2263"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}