Written By: Vera Chang
Introduction
Throughout history, female artists have often been denied access to creative positions, being told that the creative work is only suitable for young men. And when they did get the position, their work would often not be wrongfully credited under someone else’s name. One most prominent example of this problem can be seen through the life of Milicent Patrick (1915-1998).
Biography
Milicent Patrick was born in 1915, in Texas, USA. Spending most of her youth alongside her father, Camille Charles Rossi, an architect and engineer who was involved in the construction of William Randolph Hearst’s Castle, Patrick had access to an overview of construction and architectural work, setting in motion the beginning of her artistic pursuit. Initially, Patrick was determined to become a concert pianist, but instead, went on to study art on a scholarship at the age of 14. After finishing her studies at the Chouinard Institute in California, Patrick was hired to work at Disney, becoming one of the first women animators to work in the studios.
Career
At Disney, Patrick was to work on several projects, using her talents as a color animator on films, such as Fantasia and Dumbo. During this time, she contributed to the distinctive style within the Disney animation community, painting her characters with an impressionistic effect. However, after working two years with Disney, being unsatisfied with the environment there, she decided to quit in 1941.
Patrick began taking jobs as a model and an actress in a few movies, adding more experience to her artistic background. Ultimately, this period of time was short lived, as she went on to work for Universal Studios as a special effects artist.
There, she was also known as one of the first women to work in a special effects department. Patrick designed the looks of characters, masks and props, such as the pirate faces in Against All Flags (1952), the alien in It Came From Outer Space (1953), the makeup of Jack Palance in Sign of the Pagan (1954) and many more.
Black Lagoon and Bud Westmore Controversy
Out of all her designs, her greatest creation was the Gill Man, in the Creature of the Black Lagoon. The plot of the 1954 film revolves around a group of scientists discovering a sea creature in the Amazon forest. Patrick kept this in mind while creating the creature, using prehistoric aquatic animals as a concept to create a suit of scales. She also paid attention to the character of the creature, making sure the sculpture of the mask didn’t cover the eyes to evoke a sense of humanity. Without a doubt, Patrick played a key role in the making of the film and her talents as an artist really brought life to her work.
To promote the release of the film, Universal Studios publicity team was set to send Patrick on a tour, originally called the “The Beauty Who Created the Beast”. However, the head of the makeup department, Bud Westmore, driven by jealousy, stated that he was the sole creator of the Gill Man and that the people who contributed all left, leaving him to do all the work. He downplayed Patrick’s efforts and ultimately drove her completely out of Universal Studios, wrongfully claiming the credit for over 50 years.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Patrick and the tour would have been a revolutionary moment in history, as it would have symbolized a beginning for women getting recognition for their talents and allow more female artists to earn jobs in the field. However, due to Westmore’s abuse of power as a man in the field, Patrick’s legacy was forcefully hidden and her efforts were never credited until now.
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