Ben Chapman’s Passing: The Loss of the Man Behind an Iconic Cinema Creature

I received an email announcement from Rue Morgue Radio announcing that Ben Chapman, the actor who played the Creature from the Black Lagoon in the land-based scenes from the film, passed away this morning. As I have mentioned previously, this film was the first horror film I saw as a young boy that both frightened me and filled me with a sense of awe as it touched my imagination. The Creature, in part through Chapman’s work, helped shape my lifelong passion for the fantastic and the horrific. I attempted to contact Chapman last year through his website for a possible interview and I received a response from his agent notifying me that Chapman was leaving the hospital in his home in Hawaii only to relocate to the mainland for recovery. Unfortunately, I will not have an opportunity to chat with Chapman, but his legacy lives on in this classic film and in the imaginations of countless people impacted by this iconic Creature through the decades.

One Response to “Ben Chapman’s Passing: The Loss of the Man Behind an Iconic Cinema Creature”

  1. EegahInc

    The Creature is my all time favorite Universal monster; I can’t remember a time I’ve been without a statue or figurine of him around. The news of Mr. Chapman’s passing is sad indeed.

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