Detectives and Monsters, part 2 - Monsters in Hollywood

 This week I bring you part 2 of our latest podcast episode titled "Detectives and Monsters".  In this entry, I'm talking about monsters in Hollywood...noooo...the other kind...well..both. Anyway...

Milicent Patrick was born Mildred Rossi in 1915. When she was 6, her family began living on the property of publisher William Randolph Hearst. Her father, Camille Rossi was the superintendent of construction (that would be an interesting story too, because if you know Hearst Castle, you know that building it was a major feat due to limited transportation at the time and the remote, hilly location. But this isn't about him).

During her lifetime she was an animator, actress, model, costume designer, children’s book illustrator, makeup artist and special effects makeup artist. And despite her impressive resume, she’s gone largely uncelebrated in Hollywood over the years.

In 1939, Patrick began working at Walt Disney Productions in in their all-female ink and paint department. By 1940, she was moved to the Animation and Effects department, where she became one of the first female animators at Disney. Her work was featured in four sequences in the film Fantasia. She also worked on the film Dumbo (1941) and appeared uncredited in The Reluctant Dragon (1941). Around the same time, Rossi was profiled in Glamour magazine. Meanwhile, several Disney animators walked out on strike demanding increased pay, better working conditions, and on-screen credit for their work. The strike ended on September 21, 1941, when Disney signed a unionized contract with the Screen Cartoonist's Guild. By then, on September 12, Patrick had left Disney after privately suffering from migraine headaches (girl, I feel you!)

After leaving Disney, she began modeling in trade shows and as a promotional model, which was not a career her family particularly liked (in fact they would eventually cut her off, citing this kind of work as being akin to prostitution). In 1947, while waiting outside the Ambassador Hotel near a bus stop, she met William Hawks, the brother of Howard Hawks, who became her talent agent. After that, she worked in many movies as an extra.

In 1952, Patrick began working at Universal Studios' makeup department after showing Bud Westmore some of her sketches. She became the first woman to work in a special effects makeup department. It's funny when you read about her career and filmography, because the write ups say "she was credit with creating xyz", but in fact, MOST of her work was uncredited! For instance, according to Wikipedia, "she was credited with designing the pirate faces in Against All Flags (1952)" - um, nope. She was uncredited for that. Next..."the makeup of Jack Palance in Sign of the Pagan (1954)" - Ok she got credit for that one. "... the alien in It Came From Outer Space (1953)" - NOPE. she designed THE alien and was uncredited in the movie. What the fuck? Next? Give me hope, Wiki! ..."Mr. Hyde in Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1953)" - oh thank Goddess, she did get credit for that!. ..."the Metaluna mutant in This Island Earth (1955)" - Nope. Goddessdamnit! "and was a mask maker for The Mole People (1956)" - Nope. That one doesn't even appear in her filmography on Wiki (which we know can be imperfect), and on IMDb, her name is no where to be found on that film!

<pause for minor outrage>

In 1953, Westmore received a phone call from producer William Alland who had learned from cinematrographer Gabriel Figueroa of a mythical half-fish, half-human creature that resided near the Amazon River. He envisioned a feature film that would involve the creature and asked if Westmore's department could produce the design. Westmore assured him of the task and first approached artist Chris Mueller to create some designs, but soon remembered Patrick's designs on "It Came From Outer Space"...

In my mind it goes like this: Hey Mil, you know that movie where you created the main protagonist and didn't get any credit? Well that was real swell, doll. Would you like to do it again? You still won't get credit kid, but you're great.

Patrick was hired to create the design, and it was a tall order. The creature needed to appear fearsome and unearthly, be able to swim well, and have pulsating gills. Pulsating gills...1953! 

So, for the "Gill-man", Patrick she researched prehistoric reptiles, amphibians, and fish, as well as animals from the Devonian period. The film went into production in September 1953 under the working title "The Sea Monster". By November 1953, the film was retitled "Creature from the Black Lagoon". During promotion for the film, Patrick was sent on a press tour, dubbed "The Beauty Who Created the Beast", to discuss the creation of the creature. She had earned the title "The Beauty who Created the Beast", but ol’ Bud, well, he didn't like that much. Westmore said no, and remamed it "the beauty who lives with the beast". It should have been "the badass who worked with a beast", but onward we go.
So ol' Bud was like Ok kid, sure, we'll send you around the country but you have to tell people I designed it. You can't take credit for it. According to author and biographer Mallory O'Meara, "Bud Westmore was so jealous of all of the attention she was getting that he fired her, and she came back to Los Angeles, and she never worked behind the scenes in Hollywood ever again." Well that fucking blows. What a dick move. But...

“It was the ’50s. She couldn’t fight back,” said O’Meara.

<fantasy monologue intermission> You know...the 50's! The glorious good ol' days that half this country is so eager to return to! <said dreamily>...The Fifties.... <inside my brain> "Oh sorry darling, I was daydreaming! Let me get your slippers and... oh my gosh I have to take the meatloaf out of the oven. Kids! Wash your hands and come tell your father how wonderful he is so you don't get the belt later. That makes father grouchy and then I have to endure sex with him but I can't be on birth control or have an abortion for pity's sake! I can't even have a bank account! So kids just go wash your hands!" <end scene>

But as usual, I digress!

Patrick continued to work as a bit actress through the 1960s. She also had a string of doomed romances which have nothing whatsoever to do with her career, which is what we're talking about here. Despite her unfortunate experiences with Hollywood, she never stopped creating: Patrick designed her own outfits and drew portraits of many co-stars including Kirk Douglas.

"The Gill-man’s costume is incredibly impressive. It’s a full body suit that needed to function both above and below the water. Even to a modern viewer, it’s beautiful. But at the time, it would have been almost mind-blowing to audiences. Especially as 'Creature' was released in 3D. It’s still a stunning film to watch. Famously, The Gill-man’s gills actually move as he breathes...Having played so many creatures over so many years, I can tell you that that it takes a village to make a monster," says actor Doug Jones. He played the amphibian man in the Oscar-winning 2017 film The Shape of Water, Guillermo del Toro's homage to The Creature from the Black Lagoon. Jones says the crews of artists rarely get accolades.

"Designers and creature creators and makeup artists are — you know, it's a tight circle of people," Jones says. "Legacies have been have been passed down from one generation to the next. And so for her name to never have come up until now is a travesty."

On IMDb, which is of course a modern resource, Milicent Patrick's mini bio states "She received chief credit for developing and designing the "Creature of the Black Lagoon". Um. Nooooo. As stated earlier, she did not. Even on the IMDb listing for that film, Milicent Patrick is listed as uncredited. I mean I guess her name is at least there, even though it wasn't in the film credits. She's listed as "additional crew" and "make up department", and to be fair, the male make up artists are also listed as "uncredited".

The creation of the Creature was credited to Westmore, until recent research, most notably by Mallory O'Meara in her 2019 book The Lady From the Black Lagoon, revealed Patrick to be the designer. (Thank you Ms. O'Meara!!!) When Westmore died in 1973, Patrick began to privately take credit for the Creature. Good for you Mil! Sing it loud! Other people also starting paying attention to her previously uncredited work. In 1978, Robert Skotak published an article documenting her creature design work in the Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine. Her Gill-man work was also explored in a 2011 Tor.com article by Vincent Di Fate.

Milicent Patrick Rossi Trent went on to life as a society lady in Los Angeles, and continued to sketch portraits. “She never allowed herself to be tamped down,” O’Meara said of Patrick, who died in 1998 at age 83. “She carried her SAG card till her death; she filled her home with portraits of friends.”

I think it's clear who the real beast was in this story. Today, guys like Bud Westmore are called "The Patriarchy"...

Re-Feminist History - this blog's new purpose

Listen to the Podcast: Re-Feminist History

Email me: kelly@thebitchwhisperer.me

Hi!

So as I announced in my previous post, this blog will now be used to highlight the women we talk about on the podcast, formerly named "Bitchstory", now called "Re-feminist History". Doo-do-dooooo!

First up, Isabella Goodwin, the NYPD's first female detective. And what a badass she was!

Isabella Loghry was born in Greenwich Village, Manhattan in 1865. Around 1885, aged 19, she married John W. Goodwin, a police officer. The couple had six children, of which four survived. Goodwin was widowed in 1896, when she was 30 years old. Obviously this put her and her children in a precarious position and she needed to find work.

The New York City police department had only just started hiring women as “police matrons" to look after female and child prisoners ...so basically, legal babysitting. Goodwin applied and was hired. It was a low paid position, making only $1000/year, which amounts to about 30K a year in today's money. She had ONE DAY OFF A MONTH! She served in this position for 15 years.

The police commissioner, as history would have it, was Theodore Roosevelt, and he expanded that role to include dealing with female crime victims, sex-crime cases and matters involving children and babies. But women were still not considered officers. 

Goodwin had been recognized for her skills going undercover, posing as a hapless society lady to expose various swindlers. So when the department was stumped in 1912, they utilized her skills again. 

There was a case involving a midday robbery where "taxi bandits" beat up two clerks and stole $25,000 in downtown Manhattan. Even with 60 detectives assigned to the case, no one could solve the robbery. So they asked Goodwin to go undercover.

The best part of the story, apart from her badassness, is the robber's name: Eddie "The Boob" Kinsman.

So she posed as a maid at a seedy boardinghouse that Eddie frequented to see his girl, "Swede Annie".

Lisa and I are flummoxed as to how this has not been made into a movie, because these names alone scream for it...but anyway...

Goodwin snooped and eavesdropped and buddied up to other bad guys' girlfriends until she had enough evidence to nab "The Boob". "Goodwin knew she had the goods on the crew when she finally heard Swede Annie say, 'Eddie the Boob turned the trick, alright.'"

(Hello!?! Movie people!! )

As a result of her success in cracking a case that 60 (male) detectives could not, she was appointed as New York's first female detective and given the rank of 1st grade lieutenant. Her salary was raised from $1000 to $2,250/year. 

“There is many a 6-foot detective with a gun on his hip who does less valuable work for his $3,300 a year than Mrs. Goodwin, a slight, quick moving little woman whose brain more than keeps pace with her body,” The New York Herald wrote in 1921. (I bet all the male cops loved that article!)

In the 1920's she helped oversee the newly created Women’s Bureau, and helped with cases involving prostitutes, runaways, truants and victims of domestic violence. She was way ahead of her time, because these types of women were abandoned by most of society. She retired in 1925.

In 1921 she married a man 30 years younger than herself (go girl!) and they were together until she died in 1943. Her tombstone bears his last name, although it lists her birth year as 1871 instead of 1865 (which census records validate). Maybe she lied to him about her age. heehee.  I am tickled by this idea. 

Next week I'll tell you about a woman who didn't arrest mobsters but instead MADE monsters (damn I'm good haha) but was robbed, over and over, of credit. (Any woman who has been in corporate America understands that!)

Sources for today's story are: 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isabella_Goodwin

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/13/obituaries/isabella-goodwin-overlooked.html

The State of the BitchUnion

Dear Readers and Astro Nerds,

Bless me readers for I have sinned,  it has been exactly 4 weeks since my last confession/astro obsession.  

I'm sorry I haven't posted here.  So, wha' ha' happn'd was...

During the New Moon in Aquarius, I did some intense manifesting work around my path forward and what I am supposed to be doing.  I have been feeling burned out and over-stretched for a long time.  I had 3 podcasts and BitchScopes Astrology. The latter was a labor of love, but it was a labor.  Scopes were so much work and so much time.  I don't normally whine about that kind of stuff.  So for awhile I thought, maybe I'll feel better if this wasn't all "free", so I monetized the actual BitchScopes over on Patreon.  That eased the imbalance a little.  But a few days after the New Moon work I did,  I woke up and was struck with "I'm quitting everything!".  

BitchScopes is my baby. It is my brainchild, and my passion project.  The Bitch brand I have worked so hard to build is so meaningful to me.  I feel so passionate about empowering women (humans really. Because if men were more confident they would make the world better too).  I feel that reclaiming the word "bitch" is important and powerful.  However...

I am still butting up against the Patriarchal rules of engagement.  It is impossible to market the Scopes and the podcasts because the word Bitch is disallowed from all advertising.  Even if I put an * in the word, Google calls it a work around and straight up cancelled my Google Ads account.  We are so wrapped up in proper language that somehow it is still, ironically, oppressive! Women are on track to have more and more of their rights stripped, and we also can't use a word that has been used against us.  What the fuck is that all about?! 

The podcast game is a whole other rant that I shan't dive into today. 

So I said fine. Fuck it. If the Universe doesn't want me to do this work, then I quit.  

It is hard for me to let go of BitchScopes. But it was also a huge relief.  My health has been shit since 2020 when I got Covid and then Shingles and then Fibromyalgia/Chronic Fatigue/Long Covid, and it's all made worse by hormonal imbalances (workin on that).  It literally hurts me to walk. it hurts to get out of bed. It hurts to stand in my kitchen. It hurts to sit at my desk.  Everything hurts all the time.  I NEVER talk about my health issues, but this was another nudge from the Universe.  Please don't email me with recommendations.  I have a PhD in Google and trust me, I know a lot of shit.  Fibro is a real cunt (she's not a bitch, because bitches are badass). There is so little known about it and so little helps it. I bristle at recommendations so please don't. 

So that's where I've been for the last 4 weeks. I forgot to post here.  I had posted on social media and Patreon, but I forgot about here. But here I am - alive and surly as ever!

Last week I decided I want to keep the Bitchstory podcast, because it is also important, fun, educational, and not a huge work load. So Lisa and I just recorded a new episode and it is up now where ever you get your podcasts. 

I know a lot of my readers don't do podcasts, and I have to say, you're missing out.  They are fun and they feel more connected than words on a screen.  I can't speak for all of podcast-dom, but ours is entertaining.  You can listen while you drive, while you work, while you exercise.  If you don't know where to start, here's a couple starter hints.  

If you have an Apple iPhone, there's a podcast app that looks like this: 

Otherwise, you can listen on Spotify.  Accounts are free.  Here's the link to our show.  

You can also listen directly at our host site (no apps or subscriptions required: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/bitchstory

We also were struck with an inspiration to change the name of that show from "Bitchstory" to "Re-feminist History", (which is a play on "revisionist history").  We hope this will enable us to advertise and market like normal podcasters who don't have devil language in their title. *eyeroll*. 

This blog space will be used to write about the women we talk about on that podcast. So if you really like reading and are a subscriber here, you'll still get your fix of sass mixed with a shot of women that should be in the history books but aren't.  I hope you enjoy.  

Feel free to email me at: "Kelly@thebitchwhisperer.me" - I haven't even begun to decide what to do with all the domain names I own with the word "bitch" in them, so that's not changing yet. Or maybe ever. 

"She whispered to the Bitches to Bitch, and the Bitches did Bitch"