Leading Lady Julie Adams

After spending her formative years in Arkansas, Julie Adams moved to California and started out as a part-time secretary. While working, she took acting lessons. Her hard work paid off when she was given her first part, a small role in Paramount's ‘Red Hot and Blue’ in 1949, which she followed up with a series of seven quickie Westerns.  She billed herself under her real name of Betty Adams until she was signed by Universal in 1949, she then became Julia Adams, which was modified to Julie by the early 1950's.


Fans of the horror film ‘Creature From the Black Lagoon’ tend to believe that Julie became a leading lady on the strength of her role in this film as the imperiled and fetchingly underdressed heroine. In fact, she has been cast in many leading roles in other good films, notably ‘Bend in the River,’ ‘The Private War of Major Benson,’ ‘Mississippi Gambler,’ ‘Bright Victory’ and ‘Slaughter on Tenth Avenue.’ 


Julie feels fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with such wonderful co-stars as Jimmy Stewart, Tyrone Power, Arthur Kennedy, Rock Hudson, Charlton Heston, Elvis Presley, John Wayne, Glen Ford, and Van Heflin. If she had to pick a favorite leading man, it would be her co-star in ‘Bend in the River,’ Jimmy Stewart. She just loved the job playing his wife on his TV show years later.  Julie worked with Elvis Presley in ‘Tickle Me’ in 1965.  She really feels blessed to have been able to work as an actress in such an interesting variety of roles and with such talented people. She has remained familiar to her fans from her numerous guest starring appearances on television.


Julie Adams was at one time married to actor/director Ray Danton. Julie and husband Ray Danton worked together a number of times in film and on television. In addition to being in the films ‘The Looters’ in 1955 and ‘Tarawa Beachhead’ in 1958, Julie and Ray guest starred on a January 1972 episode of Rod Serling's ‘Night Gallery’ entitled ‘The Miracle at Camafeo,’ and Ray Danton directed his wife in the 1975 horror flick ‘Psychic Killer.’ Although the couple was married for many years, they divorced in 1981. Julie Adams was still in demand throughout the 1980s on television, and in 1987 accepted a recurring role as Eve Simpson, the real estate lady on the CBS-TV series ‘Murder, She Wrote. ‘


Julie, along with her son, Mitchell, has authored a book on her life and career, ‘The Lucky Southern Star: Reflections From The Black Lagoon,’ which was published in 2011 and is currently available via her web site. The autobiography has received both public and critical acclaim, with noted movie critic Leonard Maltin praising it on his indiewire.com Blog as, "A charming memoir by longtime leading lady Julie Adams." On the Amazon.com web site, the book is currently rated 4.5 out of 5 stars.  A DVD of the audio book version has now been completed.


In 1999, Julie received a Golden Boot Award for her work in Westerns. She was inducted into the Arkansas Entertainers Hall of Fame in 2000. At CineCon in 2011, Julie was honored with a Film Career Achievement Award. In 2012, she won the Rondo Award for the Monster Kid Hall of Fame at the annual Wonderfest in Louisville, Kentucky.


I had an opportunity to visit with Julie and her son Mitchell Danton after our photo session to learn more about her career and the fascinating book they co-authored.





AM:  What made you both realize it was time to write a book?


MD:  In 2009 a fan at the Egyptian Theater came up with a ‘Creature From the Black Lagoon’ poster and asked Mom if she had a memoir.  So I thought perhaps if this gentleman was interested maybe others were as well.   I wrote the prologue that night and showed it to Mom and she thought it was a great idea.


AM:  So Mitch was it your idea to write the book?


MD:  Yes because of the fan asking about it.  I had done some screen writing but didn’t have any success at it.  This book was more like editing which is what I do.  How do you pare down eighty years into two or three hundred pages?  We wanted it to feel alive so when you’re reading it, you feel like you’re going along for the journey.


JA:  I wrote my stories in long hand.  It’s my story.


AM:  Was it easy to access your memory Julie?


JA:  Pretty easy.  It came in stages and one memory led to another.  I had so many wonderful people that I met along the way.  It wasn’t that hard.


AM:  What emotions did it bring up for you?


JA:  All kinds of emotions like how I felt when I first got a contract or when I was working with James Stewart, all those things.


AM:  Did you learn things about your Mom you didn’t know Mitch?


MD:  I gained a greater appreciation for her acting ability and how dedicated she was to learning the craft of acting.  The fascinating aspect of the book is you see someone who had a dream, who chased it and achieved it.  She was a movie star in her early twenties, then the contract ends so she moves to television.  Starting in the Sixties she is in almost every show on the air.  Then when she was older and not as castable she goes to the stage.




AM:  You were in some ‘Alfred Hitchcok Presents’ shows that I love.


JA:  I did three of those.  I like the episode ‘Summer Shade.’


AM:  Anyone can watch this episode on Youtube now.  What was working with James Stewart like?


JA:  Heaven.  That’s my idea of heaven, going to work with Jimmy Stewart every day for six months.  I had worked with him before in ‘Bend In The River’ so I knew him a bit, but to work with him every day, he was one of the very best screen actors.  It was wonderful to play comedy with him.  They wrote pretty good scripts for us too.


AM:  Do you like doing comedy?


JA:  I love it!


AM:  Do you have a preference between comedy and drama?


JA:   I can’t say, it depends on what it is.  I just like to work.  I enjoy them both.


MD:  She did a lot of comedy on ‘Murder She Wrote.’  She was the comic relief on her episodes.  Her character’s name is Eve Simpson.  What did you say about this character?


JA:  I said she liked money and she liked men.  (laughing)


AM:  Julie, you’re from Arkansas and I can tell this by the fact that you’re so friendly and approachable, but you have a sophistication.  Did you learn that or was it innate?


JA:  I think that probably came from working with a wonderful coach named Florence Enright.  She helped me lose my Southern accent.  She gave me things to work with every week.  All the talent scouts told me I had to lose it.


AM:  How long did it take to lose the accent?


JA:  I guess it was at least six months.


AM:  That takes real discipline.


JA:  Yes it does, but I was very dedicated to what I was going to do.  She was a wonderful teacher.  That was my pleasure because that’s what I loved to do.


AM:  Did you have a job at the time?


JA:  I was earning my living as a secretary but I knew I didn’t want to do that for very long.  I never wanted to see another typewriter.


AM:  How did you feel when you were cast in a Francis the Talking Mule movie?


JA:  I never was snooty about it.  ‘Francis Joins The WACS’ was the film.  I thought it might be fun and it was fun!  All the actors were great and the director, Arthur Lubin was so wonderful!


MD:  Donald O’Conner was brilliant.  Mom went out with him a few times.


JA:  Yes I did.  I was very fond of Donald.  He was a delightful fellow, funny and dear.




AM:  Do you have a favorite role aside from 'Creature?’


JA:  Yes, the stage show I did called 'The Prime Of Miss Jean Brodie.’  I loved doing that one.  It was a great experience.  I’m so fortunate that I had the opportunity to do so many different things.


AM:  What’s your favorite story about making ‘Creature From The Black Lagoon?’


JA:  Since I was under contract, I asked the studio what my next assignment was going to be?  They sent me the script and I was wondering what is this?  I had been working with James Stewart and Arthur Kennedy.  I thought to myself, if I turn it down, I’ll be on suspension and I won’t get paid.   I thought again this might be fun and indeed it was.


AM:  Did you do the swimming scenes?


MD:  Most of the underwater scenes were Ginger Stanley in Florida but Mom did all the swimming on the surface and in the back lot.


JA:  I did do a little of the underwater scenes.  I was a good swimmer.


AM:  Were you aware that you were extremely beautiful?


JA:  No, but I thought I was pretty enough.


MD:  One fascinating fact is the lifelong relationship she had with the both guys that played the creature.  Ben Chapman, who passed away in 2008 was the one who started doing these conventions which helped make this film what it is today.  Now Ricou Browning is the last Universal Monster still alive.   We’ll be seeing him at some conventions.  The story that is so amazing is the legs of this movie.


JA:  That’s what’s so amazing to me.  The movie just keeps getting bigger.


AM:  What a joy you are Julie.  It’s nice to be around someone who is happy.


JA:  Thank you very much.  I’ve had a fortunate life.  I got to make a living doing something I liked to do.