In Honor of - The Creature from the Black Lagoon RIP

Editors Note - This post was actually scheduled to be posted Friday without me knowing Mr. Browning had passed.

I can honestly say that meeting him is one of the highlights of my fandom. He will be missed.

The post below is in Honor of the great man……RIP.

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Whether you are a TTRPG Gamer or into Horror, you have to appreciate the Classic Movies. They taught us monsters were things to be feared, and we all “hate” things that go bump in the night….so today we revisit one of my favorites - The Creature from the Black Lagoon.

The Creature from the Black Lagoon is one of the original Universal Monsters, and is such a classic. I remember watching this movie as a kid (definitely saw it first on Sammy Terry), and being truly terrified….so much so, that when I was getting swimming lessons when I was 5, I was scared of learning in a lake because I couldn’t see below the surface like you could in a pool. I just knew he was down there.

But, like all good Horror movies that scare you…..I kept coming back for more. So much more, that I can honestly say that Gill-Man is my favorite Horror Monster.

Now, before we get going - I am sure there are few people that have never seen The Creature…..so here is a brief synopsis from IMDB:

Remnants of a mysterious animal have come to light in a remote jungle, and a group of scientists intends to determine if the find is an anomaly or evidence of an undiscovered beast. To accomplish their goal, the scientists (Antonio Moreno, Richard Carlson, Richard Denning, Whit Bissell) must brave the most perilous pieces of land South America has to offer. But the terrain is nothing compared to the danger posed by an otherworldly being that endangers their work and their lives.

Ok - Now that everyone is an expert ……on with the Trivia. Here are 8 things (plus a few bonuses at the end) that you probably didn’t know about our beloved movie.

Seeing Double

Two different stuntmen were used to portray the creature, and therefore, two different suits were used in the movie. Ricou Browning played the creature when it was in the water and wore a lighter suit, Ben Chapman played the creature when it was out of the water with a darker suit.

No Bubbles for you

Ricou Browning, a professional diver and swimmer, was required to hold his breath for up to 4 minutes at a time for his underwater role as the "Gill-man". The director's logic was that the air would have to travel through the monster's gills and, thus, air bubbles from his mouth or nose must not be seen. Thus, the costume was designed without an air tank. In the subsequent films, this detail was ignored and air can be seen emanating from the top of the creature's head.

Do I know you?

Ricou Browning and Ben Chapman never met during the making of the film. Browning's underwater scenes were filmed in Florida, and Chapman's scenes were filmed in California. They didn't meet until they both attended a convention in Florida 20 years later.

The Gill-Man is related to The Munsters

During the first season episode Love Comes to Mockingbird Lane (1964), the Munster received a crate filled with their Uncle Gilbert’s spinish doubloons. In the final scene, Gilbert shows up and is revealed to be none other than the creature from the Black Lagoon (as played by Richard Hale, who dons both a Gillman mask and a three-piece business suit).

Hey, is that…..?

The first on screen movie that Clint Eastwood was in was the sequel, Revenge of the Creature, where he plays the lab assistant Jenkins who is looking for a mouse.

Two Classics on the same screen

In the film Seven Year Itch, the movie Tom Ewell and Marilyn Monroe sees is The Creature from the Black Lagoon, which can be spotted by in marquee and posters in the background.  In fact, as they discuss the movie Marilyn confesses she feels sorry for the creature. 

Homage

Creature from the Black Lagoon director, Jack Arnold, also directed many of The Brady Bunch episodes in 1969. In the Season 2 episode The Slumber Caper, Bobby Brady wears a Creature mask while they raid the  girls' slumber party.

Bonus Round

Ricou Browning is the last living Universal Monster

When you think about it, The Creature from the Black Lagoon was made almost 70 years ago (69 years at the time of this post). Over the years, naturally actors and actresses pass away. When Julia Adams, Browning costar in the movie, passed away in 2019 - that left him as not only the last Universal Monster, but also the last actor from the original film still alive. Not only is Ricou still alive, but the is still doing the convention circuit - so you have the chance to meet him.

Me meeting Ricou in 2020

Finally - If it was shot in water, Ricou probably worked on it

The Creature movies, to 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, to directing 37 episodes of Flipper - Rocou Browning was THE man to go to when filming in water. While that may not be to surprising, when I met him, he pointed out that he directed one of my favorite movie scenes of …..the Water Ballet scene from Caddyshack. So as I leave you with that clip, I want close by saying Gill-Man is one the most underrated creatures - and Ricou is a pure treasure. If you get the chance to see him live - definitely do.

Cheers -