Lots of horror fans still love to watch Creature From The Black Lagoon, but they may not have a clue as to who actually played the Creature. Well, the "land" Creature was Ben Chapman and in the following interview...
Edited with an introduction by JOHN F. CROSSEN Would you like a big hug (scaly and wet) from the Gill Man? That's just what you might receive if you have the good fortune of ever meeting Benjamin F. Chapman Jr., the stuntman-actor who first portrayed Creature From The Black Lagoon in 1954 (above water, that is; underwater scenes were filmed with Ricou Browning in a different suit). In recent years, Ben Chapman has become a regular at horror cons, basking in the sunlight of appreciation by thousands of "Gillies" (fans of the Creature--a named applied to them by Mr. Chapman). As the last remaining "Classic Monster" living, he is a tall, robust man with a ready smile and an enthusiastic "Alooooha!" for everyone. He delights in talking about the Gill Man with the same tones that Karloff reserved for his "beloved Monster." He is also generous about corresponding with friends of the Gill Man, whether it be snail-mail or email. After an encounter with Ben Chapman, you do indeed feel as if the Creature himself rose up from the Amazonian depths to embrace you--and confirm what you've always suspected: the Gill Man is more "human" than most people.
The son of Tahitians, Ben Chapman was born in Oakland, CA on October 29, 1928. His parents returned to Tahiti where he lived until age 12. Arriving back in California in 1940 he went to school in San Francisco. Following graduation, he moved to Santa Monica and began his first career as an entertainer, singing and dancing songs of Polynesia. In 1950 Chapman was called to active duty in the U.S. Marine Corps and served in the Korean War. After discharge from the Marines in 1952, he returned to night club work. In 1953 Universal Studios offered the six-foot, five-inch actor a one-year contract. As Ben Chapman notes: "It was during this time period that I was lucky to be in the right place at the right time and be signed to do the role of the Gill Man." Putting "Power" into the suit designed by Bud Westmore and Jack Kevan, Chapman was an intimidating presence on the set and screen. Through carefully orchestrated gestures and movements, sometimes gentle and oftentimes brutal (and with the help of shadowy lighting, 3D photography, and memorable music), Chapman gave life to the rubbery skin. To this day the Gill Man is a bona fide icon of the horror genre. Chapman did more movies, TV, and stage work in the 50s. In the 1960s, however, he "retired" from the entertainment industry and worked ten years for the Seven-Up Bottling Co. in Los Angeles. Other careers have included Hawaiian tourism and real estate investment. (He currently resides in Hawaii.) In 1997, he retired yet again--but this time to "devote my time in doing collector/memorabilia appearances around the U.S." Gillies the world over hope he will not be retiring from this happy career any time soon! In fact, he's making an appearance at the Monster Bash in late June.
I contacted Mr. Chapman through his website to see if he'd be interested in an interview with members of a Onelist chat group I manage, "Prehistoric Horror." With characteristic warmth and generosity, he responded positively. What follows is a transcript of questions and answers about Creature From The Black Lagoon and the film's impact on pop culture, adapted for HORROR-WOOD. * * * BEN CHAPMAN: Aloha John and Gillies. (Gillies is my nickname for Gill Man fans.) HORROR-WOOD: Thank you, Mr. Chapman, for accepting our invitation for an interview on the Net. First question--why were there two stuntmen needed to play the Creature? B.C.: Ricou and I were not stuntmen at that time of our lives. Ricou was a swimmer in a water show in Florida. I was a Tahitian entertainer/actor under contract to Universal Studios. The reason they used two of us is because we were going to be shooting at the same time. When you shoot action movies you always have different units shooting at the same time. In our case we had two units. Unit 1 is usually the stars (main characters) such as Julia Adams, Richard Carlson, Richard Denning and myself. We had stunt doubles doing the underwater scenes in Florida while we were back at Universal Studios in California shooting the main story. By shooting at the same time it saves money. We did the picture in six to seven weeks. H-W: Today, the Gill Man is as recognizable as Frankenstein or Dracula. Did you have any idea at the time that your character would have become such an icon? B.C.: I talk to Julie (Adams) every once in a while and we can't believe the way the Gill Man has taken on a life that has lasted this long. No, we had no idea that he would become an icon after 47 years. H-W: Since the suit was made of latex it must have been frightfully difficult to get in and out of. Were there any special methods they used to get you in the suit? Like maybe a liberal sprinkling of talcum powder?
B.C.: The suit was a one-piece body stocking with foam rubber parts stuck to it to give it that scaly look. They took a complete plaster of Paris impression of my body and molded the suit to fit me like an outer skin. Getting in and out of the suit was tricky because I had to slip into it like a glove. It took anywhere from two to three hours to get into the suit. I had three people putting me in and out of the suit so as not to tear it. No talcum powder. H-W: Also, it looks like maybe there are patches on the suit which are elastic rather than latex. Was it all latex or were there areas that weren't made of latex? B.C.: The suit was made of foam rubber which made it quite comfortable to move around in. There were no patches. I had six suits all together in case anything happened, such as a tear.
H-W: Could you please describe the colors of the suit? This is a real bone of contention among modelers building the Creature kits. B.C.: The suit was green with a kind of gold/copper edging around the scales to give it a sheen like a fish. The green was in different shades. It was primarily a mossy green with highlights as I have described. H-W: Did you ever "borrow" the Creature suit and go scare the locals? Any stories of practical jokes or funny moments while wearing the suit? B.C.: No, they wouldn't allow me to play with the suit or take it home to wear. What I did on certain days on the back lot where the lake was, I'd swim around like a seal and growl like a wild animal. Stars would sometimes bring guests to see us shoot and I would go into my act. Otherwise, it was business as usual. H-W: What was your vision like in the mask? How much of a field of vision? (You were looking through "glass eyes", like fish eyes, right?) B.C.: If you look closely at some of the pictures of the Gill Man he had regular looking eyes but I could not see out of them. Those were used for close-ups. But if they were shooting at a distance I had another set of eyes that they drilled out the pupil so I could see. The eyes just popped in and out. When I was not working they would take the helmet (head) off so I could be more comfortable. H-W: How did they set up the 3D cameras to photograph you? Any scenes cut out of the film? B.C.: 3D cameras work just like your eyes. The cameras are set side by side--that way they can catch depth perception as your two eyes. One-eyed people do not have depth perception. (Try it: cover one eye and see.) I have no idea how much of the film was edited or cut out. H-W: How many Creature suits were there before they decided on the one you wore? B.C.: There was a prototype but they didn't like it. That's when they created the one I wore and he's been my alter-ego ever since. He's also my best friend. Ha, ha.
H-W: If they remake the Creature how do you think they should do it? Just like the first one? B.C.: First of all, I wouldn't want them to remake it because I know they will ruin him and the story with all the high tech they use today. I call it overkill. Movies in my day were very simple and the story spoke for itself. Today, the stars are the main attraction; the story comes second. In my day, the story came first...Look at movies from the Thirties, Forties, and Fifties. H-W: I've seen color photos from the film. Were they thinking of doing it in color? B.C.: The movie was shot in black and white. Whatever color photos you see are colorized. I have been asked that question many times and I can only say I do not remember any color photos taken at that time. I can be mistaken. They had thought of doing the movie in color but it didn't fit in the budget. Classic Universal horror movies (Frankenstein, The Wolf Man, Dracula, etc.) were shot in black and white. That's what makes them classics. They wouldn't be the same in color. H-W: The Creature is killed at the end of the first film. But they go back and find another one in Revenge Of The Creature (1955). How many Gill Men are there? Is he really as single as he seems, or an unfaithful Gill-Husband fooling around with a human woman on the side? H-W: You see him shot and he staggers into the water and sinks...But I think he comes to life and that's where Revenge begins. As far as we knew at the time he was there alone. Don't ask me how he got there or if there were other little Gillies running around. We made a lot of jokes about his sex life but we won't get into that.
H-W: Were you offered the chance to return as the Gill Man in Revenge Of The Creature? If not, why not? B.C.: My contract was up and I had moved on, so they got a friend of mine, Tom Hennesey, to portray the Gill Man in the second film. No, I was never asked to come back and do the sequel. H-W: In closing, any more thoughts on why the Creature is a "classic monster"? B.C.: People relate to the Gill Man. He was really a good person who was violated by interlopers coming to his home with evil intentions. In other words, how would you feel if you came home one day and found a bunch of people sitting in your living room having a party? Unfortunately, he fell in love with the girl and would not let them leave. It's the story of beauty and the beast. If you have a chance, rent the movie The Seven Year Itch. There is a scene where Marilyn Monroe comes out of a movie theater after seeing The Creature From The Black Lagoon and remarks how she felt so bad for the Creature.
H-W: Thank you again! We certainly feel for the Creature, too. BC: I'm very honored that the Gill Man would be etched in stone along with all of the other Universal Monsters. * * * The Gill Man continues to attract adoring fans who have "discovered" the poetics of the Universal horrors on video. He has also generated an industry all his own! This includes numerous articles, photos and posters, model kits, dolls (including a recent Hasbro one and the incredibly detailed Sideshow figure), websites, and even a newspaper, The Black Lagoon Bugle, published irregularly by splatter-punk author David Schow. Mr. Chapman offers a variety of signed photos for sale on his website (see Introduction for the URL), or you may write him for more information at 300 Wai Nani Way #1612, Honolulu, HI 96815. His website also lists upcoming personal appearances at a Con near you. Note: I realize that the Creature's name is often spelled as the Gillman. Either spelling is acceptable. I have chosen to write it as "Gill Man," the form used on Ben Chapman's 1953 contract with Universal. (John F. Crossen is Assistant Professor of Spanish at Mansfield University in Pennsylvania. He loves the fact that the Gill Man is a true Classic Monster of the Americas. Our very own for this hemisphere! He has a photo hanging in his office of Ben Chapman as the Creature signed in Spanish: "Saludos de la Laguna Negra." It's hanging next to a photo of Isabel Allende--John's two most favorite South Americans! Bill Edwards is a classic monster fan who is putting out his own fanzine that he will sell at the Monster Bash. You can get more details at his website.) Thanks, John, for letting us to finally hear the Creature speak! It's nice to know that there's at least one "classic monster" still with us, and still doing business from the Black Lagoon. Interview copyright John F. Crossen |
