The classic Universal Monsters may be old hat to some, but I can guarantee that if you catch a child young enough, these guys (Dracula, Frankenstein, Wolf Man, The Invisible Man, The Mummy, and The Creature from the Black Lagoon, for example) still have the ability to galvanize and terrorize. I know they did just that to me. Of particular creepiness of the whole lot was that creature from the blasted lagoon. That guy was so ugly, when he walked into a bank they turned off the cameras.
The original Creature of the Black Lagoon film was made in 1954. As in most movies of this nature, there needed to be a leading lady for the ugly monster to terrorize. In this case the young lady was a attractive young actress named Julia Adams (who later dropped a syllable and went by Julie Adams). At the time of the film, she was in her late twenties and had been working without much credit in a handful of films as Betty Adams.
Although she continues to act to this day (even starring in episodes of the hit TV series Lost and CSI: New York), she is still best known for her turn opposite the Creature. Her filmography is certainly worth checking out though; you’ll see such notable shows as The Andy Griffith Show, The Rifleman, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Night Gallery, Too Close for Comfort, and The Incredible Hulk.
But naturally when I got the chance to meet her at the Hollywood Show on April 21, 2012, I went with the Creature connection. She had a very nice color shot of her with the Creature for $30 and this is what I chose. Thankfully with the rather high price tag, a photo op came along with it. She also handed out photocopies of information about her career, which is always a nice touch.
It was very cool to meet her, and I figured no matter how bad I looked that day, there were many photos of her with someone uglier and scarier.
Celebrity encounters from the Spring 2012 Hollywood Show will continue…
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