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Below are photos taken from Filmfax Magazine issue #4; the article by Sharon Williams and Al Taylor tells the history of the making of the Creature costume. Producer William Alland started it all after recalling a story he had heard about prehistoric fish-men that lived along the Amazon River from a South American movie director one day at Orson Welles house. The idea stayed with him and finally, in the 1950's, he decided to make a movie about such a creature.
Maurice Zimm wrote a treatment for the movie based on Alland's story ideas, called "The Sea Monster." Several rewrites came from Leo Lieberman, Arthur Ross and Harry Essex. The shooting title was "Black Lagoon."
Jack Arnold's idea of what the creature might look like was the Oscar given to Academy Award winners with gills and fins added to it. Bud Westmore was in charge of the Universal makeup department and got together his very talenterd group of co-workers to design and make the Gill Man outfit. Prominent among his assistants was Jack Kevan, who with artist-sculpter Chris Mueller, artist-Actress Milicent Patrick and mold maker-painter Tom Case came up with the final designs. The first suit made was not very effective looking (more like a body suit) and so a second outfit was made, this one being the classic one used in the movie. For underwater scenes, Ricou Browning wore a special costume made just for him. At first, because it was made of latex, he ended up floating on top of the water. So lead weights had to be added and a lead vest worn underneath the costume.
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