Title: The Lady from the Black Lagoon: Hollywood Monsters and the Lost Legacy of Milicent Patrick

Author: Mallory O’Meara

Publisher: Hanover Square Press 2019

Genre: Nonfiction - Biography

Pages: 368

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Ebook; Monthly Theme - January

As a teenager, Mallory O’Meara was thrilled to discover that one of her favorite movies, Creature from the Black Lagoon, featured a monster designed by a woman, Milicent Patrick. But for someone who should have been hailed as a pioneer in the genre, there was little information available. For, as O’Meara soon discovered, Patrick’s contribution had been claimed by a jealous male colleague, her career had been cut short and she soon after had disappeared from film history. No one even knew if she was still alive.

As a young woman working in the horror film industry, O’Meara set out to right the wrong, and in the process discovered the full, fascinating story of an ambitious, artistic woman ahead of her time. Patrick’s contribution to special effects proved to be just the latest chapter in a remarkable, unconventional life, from her youth growing up in the shadow of Hearst Castle, to her career as one of Disney’s first female animators. And at last, O’Meara discovered what really had happened to Patrick after The Creature’s success, and where she went.

A true-life detective story and a celebration of a forgotten feminist trailblazer, Mallory O’Meara’s The Lady from the Black Lagoon establishes Patrick in her rightful place in film history while calling out a Hollywood culture where little has changed since.

Why have I sat on this book for almost a year? I have no idea. I was so excited about this one coming out that I even preordered it and then it sat on my Kindle for almost a year before I picked it up (this is why I really need to prioritize books I own). Anyway… I really enjoyed this biography of Milicent Patrick crossed with Mallory O’Meara’s own sexist experiences in the film industry. We flip back and forth from Patrick’s life to O’Meara’s anecdotes and experiences while working as a film producer and author. My favorite parts were strictly about Milicent Patrick and her very interesting varied career. I loved diving into a fascinating woman at a very strange time in Hollywood. I was less impressed with the feminist asides. Mostly it was a rehashing of a lot of information I already knew. Those passages didn’t open my eyes to anything really, but I think they were necessary for the overall story O’Meara was attempting to tell. Overall this was a very interesting biography. I might just want to own it in physical form (the paperback version is releasing in March).

Next up on the TBR pile: