Julie Adams as Kay Lawrence
In this classic '50's monster movie about an expedition up the Amazon that encountersa vicious half man, half fish "Gill Man", the creature is captured but escapes. Taking a liking to heroine Adams, he carries her off to his misty cave. The film is full of powerful scares and steamy eroticism - the famous swimming scene was obviously an inspiration for the opening sequence in Jaws. Originally released in 3-D, this films's great success led to the sequels Revenge of the Creature and The Creature Walks Among Us and an entire lot of monster from the deep B movies.
Biography for Julie Adams
Birth name
Betty May Adams
Date of birth
17 October 1926
Waterloo, Iowa, USA.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mini biography
Although born in the Hawkeye State, Betty May Adams grew up in Arkansas and made her acting debut in a third grade play, "Hansel and Gretel." Deciding to become an actress, she moved to California, where she worked three days a week as a secretary (to support herself) and spent the remainder of her time taking speech lessons and making the rounds at the various studios' casting departments. Her first movie role was playing a starlet, appropriately enough, in Paramount's "Red, Hot and Blue" (1949), followed by a leading role in the Lippert Western "The Dalton Gang." Over a period of five weeks, she appeared in six more quickie Lippert Westerns. Adams' first big show biz break was at Universal, when she appeared in a screen test opposite All American footballer Leon Hart, a Detroit Lions end. It was Hart who was being considered by the stuido, but the gridiron star flopped while Universal execs flipped over Adams. The studio changed her first name from Betty to Julia (and later to Julie).
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Personal quotes
No matter what you do, you can act your heart out, but people will always say, "Oh, Julie Adams--CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON."
Biography from Leonard Maltin's Movie Encyclopedia:
One wouldn't think to look to Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954) for lyrical moments, but the underwater pas de deux between the killer amphibian and this statuesque heroine is still a milestone of subtle eroticism. Adams, a former secretary, broke into films in the late 1940s, originally appearing under her given first name before changing it to Julia, then finally Julie. She was leading lady to sagebrush stars James Ellison and Russell Hayden in a series of six ultra-cheap Westerns, shot back to back over a four-week period in 1950. She was signed by Universal, where she remained confined to the range, putting her in both A and B oaters, among them The Dalton Gang (1949), Bend of the River, Horizons West, The Lawless Breed (all 1952), Mississippi Gambler and The Man From the Alamo (both 1953); other roles in this period include small ones in Red Hot and Blue (1949) and Hollywood Story (1951). After Creature she had more varied parts (including female leads) in the likes of The Private War of Major Benson (1955), Slaughter on Tenth Avenue (1957), The Underwater City (1962), Tickle Me (1965), The Last Movie (1971), McQ (1973), The Wild McCulloughs (1975), and The Killer Inside Me (1976). Her TV series include "Yancy Derringer" (1958-59), "The Jimmy Stewart Show" (1971-72, as his wife), and "Code Red" (1981-82). Adams continued to work on TV in the 1980s and had a recurring role on "Murder, She Wrote" in the early 1990s. She was married at one time to Ray Danton.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Links:
Back to the Black Lagoon (2000) .... Herself
Conviction of Kitty Dodds, The (1993) (TV) .... Margaret
Catchfire (1989) .... Martha
... aka Backtrack (1991) (USA: TV title) (director's cut)
... aka Catchfire (1989) (Australia)
... aka Do It the Hard Way (1989)
Black Roses (1988) .... Mrs. Miller
"Murder, She Wrote" (1984) TV Series .... Eve Simpson (1987-1993)
Champions (1983/I) .... Emma Hussey
"Capitol" (1982) TV Series .... Paula Denning (1983-1987)
"Code Red" (1981) TV Series .... Ann Rorchek
Code Red (1981) (TV) .... Ann Rorchek
Fifth Floor, The (1980) .... Nurse Hannelord
Fade to Black (1980) (uncredited) .... Footage from 'Creature from the Black Lagoon'
Goodbye, Franklin High (1978)
"Greatest Heroes of the Bible" (1978) (mini) TV Series .... Queen
Killer Inside Me, The (1976) .... Mother
Six Characters In Search of an Author (1976) (TV)
Psychic Killer (1975) .... Dr. Laura Scott
... aka Kirlian Effect, The (1975)
... aka Kirlian Force, The (1975)
Wild McCullochs, The (1975) .... Hannah McCulloch
... aka McCullochs (1975)
McQ (1974) .... Elaine Forrester
Go Ask Alice (1972) (TV) .... Dorothy
Last Movie, The (1971) .... Mrs.Anderson
... aka Chinchero (1971)
Trackers, The (1971) (TV) .... Dora Paxton
... aka No Trumpets, No Drums (1971) (TV)
"Jimmy Stewart Show, The" (1971) TV Series .... Martha Howard
"General Hospital" (1963) TV Series .... Denise Wilton (1968)
Valley of Mystery (1966) (TV) .... Joan Simon
... aka Stranded (1966) (TV)
Tickle Me (1965) .... Vera Radford
Gold, Glory and Custer (1962)
Underwater City, The (1962) .... Doctor Monica Powers
Raymie (1960) .... Helen
Gunfight at Dodge City, The (1959) .... Pauline Howard
... aka Bat Masterson Story, The (1959) (USA)
Dungeon, The (1958) (TV)
Tarawa Beachhead (1958) .... Ruth Nelson Campbell
"Yancy Derringer" (1958) TV Series .... Amanda Eaton
Slim Carter (1957) .... Clover Doyle
Slaughter on Tenth Avenue (1957) .... Dee Pauley
Four Girls in Town (1956) .... Kathy Conway
Away All Boats (1956) .... Nadine MacDougall
Six Bridges to Cross (1955) .... Ellen Gallagher
Private War of Major Benson, The (1955) .... Dr. Kay Lambert
One Desire (1955) .... Judith Watrous
Looters, The (1955) .... Sheryl Gregory
Francis Joins the Wacs (1954) (as Julia Adams) .... Capt. Jane Parker
Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954) (as Julia Adams) .... Kay Lawrence
Stand at Apache River, The (1953) (as Julia Adams) .... Valerie Kendrick
Wings of the Hawk (1953) .... Raquel Noriega
Man from the Alamo, The (1953) .... Beth Anders
Mississippi Gambler, The (1953) .... Ann Conant
Horizons West (1952) .... Lorna Hardin
Lawless Breed, The (1952) (as Julia Adams) .... Rosie
Bend of the River (1952) .... Laura Baile
... aka Where the River Bends (1952) (UK)
Finders Keepers (1951) (as Julia Adams) .... Sue Kipps
Treasure of Lost Canyon, The (1951) .... Myra Wade
Bright Victory (1951) (as Julia Adams) .... Chris Paterson
... aka Lights Out (1951) (UK)
Hollywood Story (1951) (as Julia Adams) .... Sally Rousseau
Marshal of Heldorado (1950) (as Betty Adams) .... Ann
... aka Blazing Guns (1950)
Fast on the Draw (1950) (as Betty Adams) .... Ann
... aka Sudden Death (1950) (USA: new title)
Crooked River (1950) (as Betty Adams) .... Ann Hayden
West of the Brazos (1950) (as Betty Adams) .... Ann Greene
... aka Rangeland Empire (1950)
Colorado Ranger (1950) (as Betty Adams) .... Ann Green
... aka Guns of Justice (1950)
Hostile Country (1950) (as Betty Adams) .... Ann Green
... aka Outlaw Fury (1952) (USA: TV title)
Red, Hot and Blue (1949) (as Betty Adams) (uncredited) .... Starlet
Dalton Gang, The (1949) (as Betty Adams) .... Polly Medford