The Third and Final

THE CREATURE WALKS AMONG US-1956-A new expedition is put together by hot headed Dr. Barton (Jeff Morrow) to go to The Amazon and capture “The Gill Man” in this second sequel to the classic THE CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON (after REVENGE OF THE CREATURE). For some reason Barton wants to change the creature into a new species and has something to do with man living in outer space! Level headed Dr. Thomas Morgan (Rex Reason) just wants to make the world “a happier place”. Barton's spoiled rich wife (Leigh Snowden) gets in the way. When the gill man attacks the small group drug him and accidentally set him on fire. Unconscious they take the poor water breather back to their lab and perform several operations to save him. It seems the fire has burned away his scales and he (?) now has the metabolism of a normal man. They also do an operation that removes his need to breath under water so when he escapes he nearly drowns. Eventually they take the now rather docile creature back to San Francisco and put him in an outdoor cage with some sheep. In a jealous rage Barton kills his deck hand (Greg Palmer) and tries to blame it on the creature who goes bonkers, breaks out of his cage and kills Barton. Shot up and breathing heavy the now “gill-less” man leaves the compound and heads toward the sea (and his apparent death). Whether intentional or not the story really shows “man's inhumanity to monsters”.

 The Gill Man underwater was played by Ricou Browning while on land Don Megowan portrayed him. Usual second unit director John Sherwood makes the best of what he's got to work with in this senseless sequel. He made the more interesting THE MONOLITH MONSTERS the next year. Lead actress Leigh Snowden married singer Dick Contino the year this was released and following the birth of their first child retired from acting.

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