Creature From The Black Lagoon (1954) - Universal Classic Monsters | The Gill-man | Horror Movie Classics

Written By: Ken Hulsey

The classic movie monster Creature from the Black Lagoon, developed by Universal Pictures, was the last in a long line of iconic horror characters. By the 1950s, most studios had shifted their focus from horror to science fiction films. Universal followed this trend, with Creature from the Black Lagoon arriving soon after the popular It Came from Outer Space, both starring Richard Carlson in his signature role as the heroic scientist. This was a departure from the typical portrayal of scientists as villainous or misguided. It was a logical move for Universal to blend their established horror brand with the emerging science fiction genre, resulting in the creation of Creature from the Black Lagoon.

The original design for the Gill-Man (Creature) differed significantly from the iconic version audiences know today. Early on, studio executives had envisioned a sleek, streamlined monster. However, test shots revealed this sleek design did not translate well underwater. As a result, the design was quickly scrapped in favor of a more scaled, gill-bearing creature with a rounded head - the Creature as we recognize it. The original costume was kept in storage, in case a sequel required a female Gill-Man. While a sequel was indeed produced the following year, the "She-Creature" never materialized on screen.

For decades, monster movie fans have widely believed that the Creature's iconic design was the work of Bud Westmoore, but this is actually not the case. The distinctive "gill-man" look was in fact created by artist Milicent (Millicent) Patrick. Although the talented young illustrator never received on-screen credit, she was paraded from one film screening to the next, likely in the hopes that her model-like appearance would generate more publicity for the movie. Sadly, Patrick's significant contribution to the history of monster films has never been fully recognized and celebrated as it deserves. Regrettably, she is just one of many "unknown heroes" whose vital work has been overlooked in the horror and sci-fi genres.

The Creature in the film was portrayed by two different actors. Ricou Browning was used for the underwater shots, while Ben Chapman played the Creature in the scenes on dry land. Browning had initially been responsible for showing the film's producers two potential filming locations in Florida - Silver Springs and Wakulla Springs - which ended up being used as the Black Lagoon setting. He was then asked to do some underwater test shots, and a week later was offered the job of performing the Creature's underwater scenes.

However, the studio wanted the monster to be taller than Browning's less-than-six-foot frame. That's when they brought in the six-foot-seven-inch Ben Chapman to play the Creature on land. With the costume on, Chapman measured over seven feet tall, which is what the filmmakers were looking for.

As a result, two separate Creature costumes had to be developed - one for each actor's different size. While these differences in the costumes were noticeable when the two were side-by-side, they were not detectable on screen, since the viewers never saw the two actors portraying the Creature together.

The 1954 classic The Creature from the Black Lagoon was originally released in 3-D, a format that was gaining popularity in Hollywood at the time. To capture this immersive effect, the filmmakers developed a specialized underwater 3-D camera exclusively for the production. Viewers remarked on feeling as if they were underwater with the monster, a truly unique cinematic experience.

However, the technical challenges of 3-D projection proved difficult. If the two cameras required to produce the 3-D effect were not precisely aligned, the image would appear blurry, ruining the illusion. This issue ultimately led later releases of the film to abandon 3-D in favor of a more conventional 2-D presentation.

Legendary monster movie fan and writer Forrest J Ackerman, known for his work with Famous Monsters of Filmland Magazine, came into possession of the Gill-man's mask and claws through a remarkable set of circumstances. After Universal finished filming the Creature from the Black Lagoon trilogy, the remains of the iconic costume were discarded. A studio janitor, thinking his young son would enjoy it, took the costume home, and the boy terrorized the neighborhood with it for a few Halloweens. When the boy outgrew the costume, he sold it to another child for just $5. Ackerman eventually learned of the costume's whereabouts and contacted the new owner, who generously offered to give it to Ackerman for free. Years later, the now-grown former owner showed up at Ackerman's door with the costume, only to find him not home. Rather than leave it, the man placed it in the trunk of his rental car, planning to return in the morning. Fortuitously, when he did so, the car had not yet been rented out, and the costume was still there, allowing Ackerman to acquire this invaluable piece of movie history.

The Creature from the Black Lagoon has been the subject of numerous remake attempts over the years. In the 1980s, Universal had planned a 3-D remake to be directed by Jack Arnold and produced by John Landis. A script was written by Nigel Kneale, and makeup artist Rick Baker was enlisted to design a new Gill-man costume. However, Universal ultimately decided to make Jaws 3-D instead, and the Creature remake was shelved. The monster nearly resurfaced again in the 1990s under the direction of John Carpenter, but those plans also fell through.

In the current era, another Creature from the Black Lagoon remake is reportedly in production as of the time of this writing.

An archaeological expedition to the Amazon uncovered the fossilized remains of a "missing link" between man and fish - the arm and clawed hand. The remarkable discovery was brought back to civilization, prompting a research team to return to the Amazon and search for the rest of the specimen.

When the group returned to the campsite, they discovered it had been ransacked and the members of the previous expedition had been brutally murdered. Undeterred by this grisly find, the group pressed on with the dig, but their efforts proved fruitless. Further investigation revealed the remaining bodies had been washed downstream into an area the local natives called "The Black Lagoon."

Arriving at the mysterious lagoon, the young assistant Kay decides to take a morning swim. As she swims, the ominous Gill-man becomes instantly fascinated by the delicate creature moving above him. Captivated, the creature becomes obsessed with the young woman, making several attempts to capture her.

After failed attempts to capture the Creature, the group finds itself in a desperate fight for survival. The monster blocks their escape from the lagoon and seizes the object of its obsession. A hasty rescue mission is launched, and the beast is tracked to its den where it is riddled with gunfire. Wounded, the Gill-man retreats to the lagoon, where it is last observed floating lifelessly in the murky waters.

"Creature From The Black Lagoon" (1954) was a classic horror film produced by Universal Studios and directed by Jack Arnold. The cast included:

Richard Carlson as Dr. David Reed
Julie Adams as Kay Lawrence
Richard Denning as Dr. Mark Williams
Antonio Moreno as Dr. Carl Maia
Ricou Browning as The Gill-Man (underwater scenes)
Ben Chapman as The Gill-Man (on-land scenes)
Nestor Paivia as Lucas, the captain of the boat Rita
Whit Bissell as Edward Thompson
Bernie Gozier as Zee
Henry A. Escalante as Chico

The film was also known as "Black Lagoon" (1954), had a runtime of 79 minutes, and was shot in black-and-white with mono sound.

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Julie Adams shares numerous behind-the-scenes stories from "Creature from the Black Lagoon," "Bend of the River," "The Lawless Breed," "The Private War of Major Benson" and many other films she starred in at Universal in the fifties.

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