Gill-man

The Master was an homage to Nosferatu.

The iconic Gill-Man from the 1954 movie Creature from the Black Lagoon was designed by Millicent Patrick.

a talented Disney animator and Universal's first female special effects makeup artist.

However, Universal's makeup department head, Bud Westmore, took sole credit and had her fired out of professional jealousy.

Yeah.

This is where Swamp Thing, uh, who they call the Gill Man, but Swamp Thing-

You mean Gilman?

...

[laughs]

Anyway, so similarly they had a song.

In some versions on the VHS release, there's a lyric referring to the Gill Man swimming in the pool.

Uh, but as of 2007, and cable releases or streaming releases, this is sometimes replaced by the creature from The Black Lagoon, uh, because now this has been acquired by different companies that have the rights to use those names.

Uh, in 1959, Hammer shot a half-hour pilot for this series in association with Columbia Pictures, and it was directed by Wolf Man screenwriter Curt Siodmak, and it starred German actor Anton Diffring as Baron Frankenstein and American actor Don Megowan as the creature.

What's of note there is that Don Megowan was also the Gill Man in The Creature Walks Among Us.

Oh, cool.

We've got two original Universal monster connections here, which I think is pretty cool.

Guillermo, Guillermo del Toro, who did Shape of Water, agrees.

The people who worked on Creature from the Black Lagoon, Ginger Stanley, Julia Adams, said they always felt bad for the Gillman.

Yeah.

That he never got the girl.

I felt bad for him.

Everybody should feel bad for the Gillman.

I think he's, like, the best, you know, from that era.

Like, he's way better than Frankenstein or Dracula.

... we get our Creature from the Black Lagoon reference.

Now, we had seen the Devinians before, and they are obviously modeled after the Gill-Man.

But this scene is almost right out of the original Creature from the Black Lagoon, but there's a twist on it.

Um, these fishermen are, are like, you know, shocked to see this, this Devonian.

And I am one of the 10 so-called Horror Avengers, an impressive roster that includes the likes of these horror critics: Dave Dr.

Shock Becker, The Gillman, Joel Video Star Robertson, Mr. Watson, Dr.

Walking Dead, Kyle William Bishop III, The Southern Gentleman, Greg Amortus, Count Macula, The Scarlet Ron Martin, our witchiest Horror Avenger, the inimitable Dave Z, and our nepotistic recruit, Spawn of the Dead.

Of these 10 revolving door of horror hosts, during the course of this monster episode, you'll be hearing from eight of them, as well as one special guest.

And of course, be sure to check out all of our co-hosts' various blogs, podcasts, books, YouTube channels, and many other cool endeavors.

All of this stuff I've just talked about is linked in the show notes for episode 186 at newhorrormovies.com. And on behalf of Dave "Dr.

Shock" Becker, the Gillman Joel "Video Star" Robertson, Mr. Watson, Dr.

Walking Dead Kyle William Bishop III, the Southern Gentleman Greg Mortis, Count Macula, the Scarlet Ron Martin, our witchiest Horror Avenger, the inimitable Dave Z, and our nepotistic recruit, Spawn of the Dead, you have been listening to Jay of the Dead's New Horror Movies, the gold standard of horror movie podcasts.

Well, it's not, like, a quick process.

When I did, um, my Creature of the Black Lagoon talk at Tiki A Go Go, uh, two years ago it was, um, she did the Gill Man on my thumbnail, and it took, like, two hours.

So just the face or the entire creature?

Just the face.

And I think there's an Abbott and Costello connection also.

I think they, he also, I think the Gill Man also met Abbott and Costello at-

Did, did he hang out with Abbott and Costello in some of those movies?

I think they had to.