The Creature from the Black Lagoon

The famous Universal Monsters movie follows a group of scientists who encounter a amphibious humanoid in the Amazon.

The 1954 film was directed by Jack Arnold.

Ben Chapman was the actor who brought the monster to life on screen. In an interview with classic movies website AmPop, Chapman spoke about his on-set experiences, particularly those related to the costume design. He recalled: “Well, the costume was made out of foam rubber, and there was a latex one-piece body stocking that I got into, many pieces were stuck to that. It was very simply made, it’s not like the high-tech stuff of today, and the costume wasn’t very heavy, because it was made out of foam rubber. It took about 2-3 hours to get in and out of [the costume]. As we went along it was easier to get in and out of.”