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'{{infobox fictional creature | name = The Gill-man | image = [[Image:CreaturefromtheBlackLagoon.jpg|200px|]] | caption = The Gill-man, as portrayed by [[Ben Chapman (actor)|Ben Chapman]] in ''[[Creature from the Black Lagoon]]''. | classification = [[Devonian]] [[amphibian]] | first = ''[[Creature from the Black Lagoon]]'' | last = ''[[The Creature Walks Among Us]]'' | created by = [[Harry Essex]]<br>Arthur A. Ross<br>Maurice Zimm | portrayed by = '''Land'''<br>''Creature from the Black Lagoon''<br>[[Ben Chapman (actor)|Ben Chapman]]<br>''Revenge of the Creature''<br>Tom Hennesy<br>''The Creature Walks Among Us''<br>Don Megowan<br>'''Water'''<br>[[Ricou Browning]] }} The '''Gill-man''' is the titular character of the [[1954 in film|1954]] black-and-white [[science fiction]] film ''[[Creature from the Black Lagoon]]'' and its two sequels ''[[Revenge of the Creature]]'' (1955) and ''[[The Creature Walks Among Us]]'' (1956). [[Ricou Browning]] portrays the underwater Gill-man throughout the three films. [[Ben Chapman (actor)|Ben Chapman]] plays the Gill-Man on land in the first film, followed by Tom Hennesy in the second, and Don Megowan in the third. The Gill-man's popularity as an [[icon]]ic monster of cinema has led to numerous [[cameo appearance]]s, including in an episode of ''[[The Munsters]]'', the motion picture ''[[The Monster Squad]]'' and a [[Creature from the Black Lagoon- The Musical|stage show]]. ==Concept and design== [[Image:Millicent Patrick.jpg|thumb|left|Millicent Patrick, adding some final touches to Ricou Browning's underwater Gill-man mask.]] ===Original=== According to producer [[William Alland]], the idea behind the film was originally thought up by an unnamed [[Brazilian people|Brazilian]] director whom he met at the home of [[Orson Welles]]. The unnamed man spoke of a friend of his who disappeared in the Amazon in an attempt at filming a documentary on a rumored population of fish people.<ref name="Mostri">{{cite book | author = Ferrari, Andrea| title = Il Cinema Dei Mostri | year = 2003 | pages = 287| id = ISBN 88-435-9915-1}}</ref> There were various designs for the creature. William Alland envisioned the creature as a "sad, beautiful monster" and the [[sculpture]] of it was much like that of an aquatic development of a human. Alland said, "It would still frighten you, but [[Uncanny valley|because how human it was, not the other way around]]". Originally, the creature's design was meant to incorporate a sleek, feminine [[eel]]-like figure, which did not have as many bumps and gills as the final version. The designer of the approved Gill-man was [[The Walt Disney Company|Disney]] animator Millicent Patrick, though her role was deliberately downplayed by makeup artist [[Bud Westmore]], who for half a century would receive sole credit for the creature's conception.<ref name="Mostri" /> The Gill-man suit was made from [[airtight]] molded sponge rubber and cost $15,000.<ref name="suit">{{cite book | author = Rouin, Jeff| title = The Fabulous Fantasy Films | year = 1977 | pages = | id = }}</ref> The underwater sequences were filmed at [[Wakulla Springs]] in North Florida (today a state park), as were many of the rear projection images. Part of the film was shot in [[Jacksonville, Florida|Jacksonville]], [[Florida]] on the south side of the river near the foot of the old [[Acosta Bridge]]. The underwater Gill-man suit was painted yellow for greater visibility in the dark waters.<ref name="Mostri" /> Air was fed into the suit with a rubber hose.<ref name="suit" />penispenispenispenispenispenispenispenispenispenispenispenispenispenispenispenispenispenispenispenispenispenispenispenispenispenispenispenispenispenispenispenispenispenispenispenispenispenispenispenispenispenispenispenispenispenispenispenispenispenispenispenispenispenispenispenispenispenispenispenispenispenispenispenispenispenispenispenispenispenispenispenispenispenispenispenispenispenispenispenispenispenispenispenispenispenispenispenispenispenispenis ===Remake=== In October 2005, [[Breck Eisner]] signed on as director to remake a sexy pronzzzzz. "As a kid, I remember loving sexy pronz," he explained. "What I really want to do is update an iconic image from the sexy pronz and bring in more of the sci-fi sensibility of ''[[Alien (film)|Alien]]'' or [[John Carpenter]]'s ''[[The Thing (film)|The Thing]]''."<ref>{{cite news |first=Gabriel |last=Snyder |title=U's 'Creature' meets maker |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |date=2005-10-19 |url=http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117931280.html?categoryid=13&cs=1 |accessdate=2008-01-10}}</ref> Eisner spent six months designing the new incarnation of the Gill-man with [[Mark McCreery]] (''[[Jurassic Park (film)|Jurassic Park]]'', and [[Davy Jones (Pirates of the Caribbean)|Davy Jones]]'s designer). The director said the design was "very faithful to the original, but updated", and that the Gill-man will still be sympathetic.<ref>{{cite news |first=Ryan |last=Rotten |title=Excl: Eisner on Creature from the Black Lagoon Remake! | work=Shock Till You Drop |date=2008-05-02 |url=http://www.shocktillyoudrop.com/news/topnews.php?id=5919 |accessdate=2008-05-03}}</ref> ==Biology== The Gill-man is fully [[amphibian|amphibious]], capable of breathing both in and out of the water. As shown in the first film, it is vulnerable to [[rotenone]]. It also possesses [[superhuman]] strength, which is flamboyantly displayed in the second and third films. It also possesses large, webbed hands with sharp claws on the tip of each finger. The Gill-man's scaly skin is extremely tough, which combined with a fast acting healing factor, allows it to survive wounds which would be fatal to humans, such as gunshots and full [[wikt:immolate|immolation]]. As shown in the third film, the creature has a dormant set of [[lung]]s, should its [[gill]]s be irreparably damaged. The Gill-man is slightly [[photophobia|photophobic]], due to its murky water habitat.<ref name="Trivia" /> 35% of the Gill-man's blood is composed of [[white blood cell|white corpuscles]] lacking a nucleus.<ref name="Trivia">{{cite web | url = http://www.the-reelgillman.com/trivia/gilltrivia.html | title = The Gill-man's movie trivia | publisher = Ben Chapman Family | accessdate = 9 | month = July | year = 2008}}</ref> ==Fictional character biography== ===Creature Trilogy=== ;''[[Creature from the Black Lagoon]]'' The last surviving member of a race of amphibious humanoids which lived during the [[Devonian]] age, the Gill-man (as christened by Dr. Thompson) dwelled in a [[lagoon]] located in a largely unexplored area of the [[Amazon Rainforest]]. The creature was apparently known to the natives, as the captain of the boat ''Rita'' mentioned local legends of a "man-fish". [[Image:Swimminggillman.jpg|200px|thumb|The Gill-man in his natural habitat, as portrayed by Ricou Browning in [[Creature from the Black Lagoon]]]] After having found the fossilized remains of another Gill-man, a [[marine biology]] institute funds an expedition to the Amazon in order to find more remains. Though the Gill-man reacts violently to the intrusion, he develops a soft spot for the team's only female member, Kay and repeatedly tries to abduct her, going as far as building a makeshift dam to prevent their boat from escaping. After having killed numerous members of the expedition, the creature takes Kay to his underwater lair, where he is tracked down by the remaining survivors and riddled with bullets. The creature sinks into the depths of the lagoon. ;''[[Revenge of the Creature]]'' The Gill-man survives and is captured and sent to the Ocean Harbor Oceanarium in [[Florida]], where he is studied by an animal psychologist and his [[ichthyology]] student. The psychologist's attempts at communicating with the Gill-man are hampered by his attraction to his student. The Gill-man breaks free from his tank and escapes into the ocean. It is not long before he begins stalking the ichthyology student and kidnaps her. The Gill-man is soon tracked down and once again repeatedly shot, forcing him into the ocean. ;''[[The Creature Walks Among Us]]'' [[Image:Thecreaturewalks.jpg|200 px|left|thumb|The mutated Gill-man, as he appears in ''[[The Creature Walks Among Us]]'', as portrayed by Don Megowan]] After living for a short while in a [[Florida]] river, the creature is found again, and after a vicious struggle, is accidentally immolated. The Gill-man's injuries are so severe that his scales and gills fall off, forcing his captors to perform surgery on it to prevent it from suffocating. [[X-ray]]s on the creature show he has begun developing a land animal's lung structure, so a [[tracheotomy]] is performed, opening an air passage to the lungs, transforming the Gill-man into an air-breathing, nearly human animal. Dressing him in a suit made of sail cloth, the creature is taken to a [[California]] estate where he is imprisoned within an electric fence. The creature escapes into the ocean, where he presumably drowns. ===Breck Eisner remake=== Producer [[Gary Ross]] said in March 2007 that the Gill-man's origin would be reinvented, with him being the result of a [[pharmaceutical]] corporation [[pollution|polluting]] the Amazon. "It’s about the [[rainforest]] being exploited for profit," he said.<ref>{{cite news |first=Michael |last=Cieply |title=On Screens Soon, Abused Earth Gets Its Revenge |work=[[The New York Times]] |date= 2007-03-12 |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/12/movies/12vill.html?_r=1&ref=todayspaper&oref=slogin |accessdate=2008-01-10}}</ref> ==In literature== ===''Creature from the Black Lagoon'' novelization=== The 1977 novelization of ''Creature from the Black Lagoon'' by Carl Dreadstone offers a completely different origin for the Gill-man, who in this version of the story is a [[hermaphrodite|hermaphroditic]] giant, almost as big as the ''Rita'' itself, weighing in at 30 tons. This Gill-man is both cold blooded and warm blooded and also has a long whiplike tail. The gigantic creature is dubbed "AA", for "Advanced Amphibian," by the expedition team members. After slaying most of the team members, destroying a Sikorsky helicopter, and kidnapping Kay more than once, the creature is killed by the crew of a [[United States Navy]] torpedo boat. ===''Time's Black Lagoon''=== In [[Paul Di Filippo]]'s novel ''Time's Black Lagoon'', the Gill-man is depicted as descending from a race of [[extraterrestrial life|extraterrestrial]]s who came to [[Earth]] during the Devonian period on a giant spaceship called ''The Mother''. The Gill-people have the ability to communicate [[telepathy|telepathically]] among themselves and among the human characters. Alphas such as "Fleshmolders", "Mudshapers", and "Fishcallers" are highly telepathic individuals in their tribal communities. The Creature from the Black Lagoon itself is a degenerate member of this race, descended from an individual who explored deep in the ocean and became exposed to [[archaea|archaebacteria]], becoming deformed and insane, driven to infect others with the disease. Eventually there were no healthy gill-people left, and the race's numbers dwindled over the [[epoch (reference date)|epoch]]s to one individual in the 1950s, which is the one that appears in the original film. ==Theme park attraction== The gill-man will be the star of ''[[Creature from the Black Lagoon- The Musical]]'', an upcoming Live performance show to be added to the [[Universal Studios Hollywood]] theme park in [[Los Angeles]], [[California]]. It is scheduled to tentatively debut in the spring of 2009, when it will replace ''Fear Factor LIVE''. ==In popular culture== [[Image:Unclegillman.jpg|left|thumb|"Uncle Gilbert" from ''The Munsters'']] [[Image:MSGILLMAN.jpg|thumb|The Gill-man, as portrayed by Tom Woodruff Jr. in ''[[The Monster Squad]]'' (1987)]] * In an [[Abbott and Costello]] sketch, Gill-man appears in a haunted house after [[Frankenstein's monster]] faints at the sight of [[Lou Costello]]. * The creature made a cameo appearance on an episode of TV's ''[[The Munsters]]'' as visiting Uncle Gilbert. *The Gill-man reappears in [[Fred Dekker]]’s ''[[The Monster Squad]]'', where it shows little interest in human females as opposed to its classic counterpart. Instead, it allies itself with [[Count Dracula]], [[Frankenstein's monster]], [[the Mummy]] and the [[Wolfman]] in order to secure a magical amulet which will allow them to conquer the world. After snapping the necks of several police-men, the Gill-man is killed by Monster Squad member Horace, who shoots it with a shotgun. For its appearance in ''The Monster Squad'', the gill-man was redesigned by [[Stan Winston]] in order to merely suggest Milicent Patrick’s original design due to licensing issues. The Gill-man was the first costume portrayal of Tom Woodruff, Jr. who would later work prominently in the [[Alien (franchise)|Alien film series]].<ref name="Winston">{{cite book | author = Jody Duncan & James Cameron| title = The Winston Effect: The Art and History of Stan Winston Studio | year = 2007 | pages = | id = ISBN 1845761502 }}</ref> * A creature somewhat similar in appearance to the gill-man, though more massive and capable of emitting plasma blasts from its mouth, appears in the ''[[Teen Titans (TV series)|Teen Titans]]'' episode "Episode 257-494" as the Creature From Jones Lake. * The Creature from the Black Lagoon appeared in the ''[[Robot Chicken]]'' episode "[[Shoe (Robot Chicken episode)|Shoe]]" voiced by [[Seth Green]]. He complains that he prefers to be called the "Creature from the [[African American]] Lagoon." In the episode "We Are a Humble Factory" the Creature (voiced by [[Breckin Meyer]]) tried to create his own cereal called "The Creature with the Black Macaroons". * The character of Rikuo (a fishman creature also known as Aulbath) from [[Capcom]]'s ''[[Darkstalkers]]'' series is a similar being, and also named in honor of Ricou Brownings's portrayal of the Gill-Man from Creature from the Black Lagoon. * The Gill-man lived in [[Count Dracula]]'s castle in the first draft of ''[[Van Helsing (film)|Van Helsing]]''.<ref>{{cite web|author=Derek Thompson|title=Projects|url=http://www.derekmonster.com/projects_film_vanhels.html|accessdate=2008-12-11}}</ref> * The Japanese action series ''[[Kamen Rider Kiva]]'' includes a race inspired by the Gill-man called the Basshaa. * The 2009 film ''[[Monsters vs Aliens]]'' has a character quite similar to Gill-man called "the Missing Link." == See also == * [[Universal Monsters]] ==References== {{Reflist}} {{commonscat|Gill-man}} [[Category:Horror film characters]] [[Category:Science fiction film characters]] [[Category:Fictional amphibians]] [[Category:Fictional sea creatures]] [[it:Mostro della laguna nera]]'