The Lady from the Black Lagoon

Particularly timely in light of the #MeToo movement, this book is more than simply a tribute to a forgotten pioneer of special effects and makeup design, Milicent Patrick. The creator of the iconic mask used in Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954), and one of the first female animators for Walt Disney, Patrick seemed destined for a memorable career before encountering the sexism of male coworkers threatened by her talents. When she was a child, her father had been superintendent of construction at newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst's Hearst Castle, so readers are also treated to a fascinating side story about life in and around San Simeon, CA, as well as the peripatetic life of Patrick's family. But it's the book's subtitle that clearly has a twofold meaning for author, screenwriter, and producer O'Meara, reflecting her passion for the project. The individuals she discusses are also those who are part of the internalized misogyny of the industry, and she and her subject had to handle very similar situations and prejudices. VERDICT This engaging, forthright, and personal history of both the author and her muse will be a valuable addition to most libraries.--Peter Thornell, Hingham P.L., MA

Copyright 1 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Mallory O'Meara offers her first audiobook after a career in the independent film and new media industries. Her pleasant but mostly unvaried narration does little to shed light on her well-researched portrait of the first of very few women who have designed monsters for horror films, former Disney animator and special effects designer Milicent Patrick. Much of the audiobook is about O'Meara herself and the sexist discrimination she and Patrick have met since the release of THE CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON in 1954. O'Meara's tone and vulgar language often reflect her anger toward the predominantly male film industry. Patrick, who also acted on the silver screen, was a woman ahead of her time, but O'Meara's framing of the interesting bits within a strongly feminist agenda does little to boost understanding of the accomplishments of the Creature's creator. W.A.G. � AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine

January 1, 2019
An idiosyncratic, much-needed biography of "a woman before her time."Screenwriter and genre film producer O'Meara's first book is an engaging chronicle of Milicent Patrick (1915-1998), a woman trailblazer in the film industry, as well as the personal story of O'Meara's own, not always pleasant, experiences in the industry. As the enthusiastic author writes, in 2018, Patrick is "still the only woman to have designed an iconic movie monster." Yet "she's not just the queen of monsters, the goddam Joan of Arc." O'Meara set out on a nearly three-year journey to piece together the life of this largely unrecognized artist. Mildred Elisabeth Fulvia Rossi was born in El Paso, Texas. When she was 6, her father, Camille, was hired to be the on-site superintendent of construction for the William Randolph Hearst estate, and Patrick spent 10 wonderful years as "Alice in Wonderland." Years later, she changed her name in honor of Hearst's wife, Millicent (Patrick left out the second "l"). In 1935, she began her study of illustration and drawing at the Chouinard Art Institute. In 1938, "her work caught the eye of Walt Disney," and she joined his studio, working on The Sorcerer's Apprentice and Dumbo. Patrick did some bit acting and modeling before getting a big break in 1952, when she was the first woman hired by Bud Westmore for his famous special effects makeup department at the male-dominated Universal Studios. After designing monsters for some science-fiction movies, she took on her most famous design, Gill-Man, for the classic Creature from the Black Lagoon, "still one of the best designed and recognizable movie monsters in Hollywood history." She never received any on-screen credit, and a highly successful tour she did promoting the film got her fired by a jealous Westmore.Jam-packed with many funny, goofy footnotes, this passionately written biography will do much to bring Patrick the recognition she deserves.

COPYRIGHT(2019) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.