Milicent Patrick made Hollywood history, designing the gilled protagonist of 1954’s Creature From the Black Lagoon. It made her the first (and still only) woman to create a monster for a major motion picture.

For that, she was summarily fired by her jealous Universal Pictures boss. He seized credit for the Creature, and Patrick eventually fell into obscurity—until screenwriter, film producer, and lifelong monster geek Mallory O’Meara came across her photo and story and was moved to research and write The Lady from the Black Lagoon: Hollywood Monsters and the Lost Legacy of Milicent Patrick.

O’Meara discusses the book, her first, which is part fascinating and infuriating biography, part autobiography, part detective story, and part censure of sexism in the male-dominated movie industry.

In addition to her screenwriting and film production work. Mallory hosts the literary podcast Reading Glasses about book culture and reader life alongside filmmaker and actress Brea Grant.

Related Reading

• Hollywood horror story: For years woman got no credit for designing famous Creature (Kansas City Star)
• Who are the real monsters in this "Black Lagoon"? (Kansas City Star)