If you know the name Ricou Browning at all it may well be as the creator and writer of the manyTV and Movie Flipper incarnations. But did you know he was also the (uncredited) creature performer of all of the underwater sequences of The Creature from the Black Lagoon and its two sequels? Not only then is Browning responsible for performing those wonderful underwater ballet-esque sequences but he’s also officially a Universal Monster, which is pretty damn awesome. Can you imagine what the unions would say today about sticking a guy in a heavy rubber suit and having him swim upside-down in mirky water uncredited? Uncredited no more Mr Ricou Browning. You can check out Ricou going all manner of Michael Phelps in the video below:
Deadly Movies
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Those who frequented horror cons in the 2000s are more than likely to know Ricou, and may know of his feud with Ben Chapman. Both men were in heavy rotation on the circuit, and they shared a disdain for one another, as each claimed to be the real Creature. I was at cons where they both were guests, and they sat with big distance between them, sometimes not even in the same room.
I got Chapman to sign a Creature 8×10 for me shortly before his death. I’ve never gotten Ricou’s autograph, but he certainly holds just as much weight in the argument the men ran for so many years.