THE MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK(S) OF 2019! (PART 2)

Author Mallory O'Meara

Wow! After getting Tom Weaver's "The Creature Chronicles" on the making of my favorite movie monster of the 1950's, another author comes along with yet another take on the Gill Man's origins.

While Weaver touched upon the subject, Mallory O'Meara's "Chronicle of The Creature" tells the full story (or so we hope) of Milicent Patrick, Disney animator, actress, and yes, designer of the Creature. Miss O'Meara sets the record straight and places Patrick in the proper context and acknowledgement for her artistry in designing the head of the Creature after the irascible tyrant, Bud Westmore canned her for, a) being a woman getting credit for her work, and b) for taking credit for what he wanted sole credit for. Patrick also designed character masks for THIS ISLAND EARTH, ABBOTT & COSTELLO MEET DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE, IT CAME FROM OUTER SPACE, and THE MOLE PEOPLE!

Milicent Patrick with her creation.

Unfortunately, we'll have to wait until next March to see the release of what is guaranteed to be a super read!

Here's the description from Amazon:

The Lady from the Black Lagoon uncovers the life and work of Milicent Patrick—one of Disney’s first female animators and the only woman in history to create one of Hollywood’s classic movie monsters.

As a teenager, Mallory O’Meara was thrilled to discover that one of her favorite movies, The 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.

Hardcover: 368 pages
Publisher: Hanover Square Press; Original edition (March 5, 2019)

Pre-order at AMAZON.