Moving into the 1950's, we find a slightly different tale for the Gill-Man.
In case you missed Revenge of the Creature, don't worry as it had the same ending as Creature from the Black Lagoon. Namely, the Gill-Man was shot full of holes and left floating in the water.
As it turns out, maybe they should have skimmed the water after that that, as the Gill-Man (Ricou Browning) is still very much alive and now on the loose in the Everglades. Dr. William Barton (Jeff Morrow) is obsessed with tracking the creature down and brings a team along with him. Included is Dr. Thomas Morgan (Rex Reason) and professional hunter Jed Grant (Gregg Palmer). Barton also brings his wife Marcia (Leigh Snowden), although it seems he mostly brought her so he can yell at her.
When Barton seems friendly and Grant lustful towards Marcia, Barton soon starts snapping at them and everyone else within sight. It's almost a relief when the Gill-Man forces them into shallow water. Going after him in a smaller boat ends with the creature being captured, but only after suffering third degree burns over most of it's body.
Barton isn't happy, but he isn't disappointed either. He seems to think that the Gill-Man is capable of evolving into a land creature, and a pair of lungs found during the exam seem to prove that. Sailing back to California and Barton's private estate gives them time to surgically alter the creature (now Don Megowan), who now sports almost human like skin.
Back on land, the scientists spend most of their time trying to alter the Gill-Man's behavior. I say most of their time, as Grant ramps up his game towards the married Marcia. After Barton finds the pair enjoying a late nigh swim, he fires the hunter on the spot. Grant decides to get in one last dig at Barton...which proves fatal for the hunter.
In a bind, Barton decides to frame the Gill-Man for the murder. Things go downhill from there.
The science shown is almost laughably bad, but the actors handle it with professionalism. Morrow is a first class heel as the jerk Barton, and Megowan manages to emote through the heavy makeup. The final shot may be the most heartbreaking scene in the Universal canon.
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