I love movies. But I like TV too. There are many similarities between the two. You could even claim TV is just a series of short movies. So, why not include some quality TV in our look at Halloween. And The Munsters is quality Halloween TV.
This 1964 series played off the classic monster movies. Classic comedy actor Fred Gwynn had just come off a successful run in the series of Car 54 Where Are You? Even by that time, he was no slouch to TV. he had worked in several other series before then and even more since. One of his most famous rules was as the judge in the comedy movie My Cousin Vinnie with Joe Pesci. His ‘long’ face lent itself to play Herman Munster (yes, even the name leads to comedy gold). Herman is the head of the Munster family, a comedic hodge podge of other classic monster stereotypes. His wife, played by Yvonne De Carlo (with her own impressive list of movies and TV behind her), was more in the style of Frankenstein’s bride, but without the crazy hair. Follow these parents up with young Eddie (Butch Patrick), a definite vampire take-off, and the teenage daughter Marilyn, who somehow is born virtually normal, though she loves her family and gets mixed up with all their monster hi-jinx. Added for flavor, Al Lewis, also a Car 54 alumni, portrays the older grandfather, also in the Dracula style. The series also featured several cameo appearances: Mel Blanc (the voice of Bugs Bunny amd many more), Paul Lynde (America’s favorite center square on the original Hollywood Squares and Bewitched), Harvey Korman (Carol Burnett Show, Blazing Saddles), and many more.
Episodes involved many problems of ‘scary’ monsters living in the ‘burbs. It put a new spin on the everyday life with mayhem quickly ensuing. The family was strange to us, even to the point of housing a pet dragon under the stairs, but in reality, we knew the family was more like us than on the surface. It really showed us, beauty is only skin deep and underneath it all, we are all the same.
Return to some of the old episodes and you will see the comedy is timeless, the acting wonderful, and the Munsters are cool. And bring the kids!
I’ve always had a special place in my heart for The Munsters. I was born in 1970 so I never got to see the series in its first run.
I first started seeing it (and the Adams Family as well) in the early 1980s, once our family had cable. Every day after school, here was this peculiar show about a family of monsters. Obviously, it was right up my alley.
At times, I’ll admit that I found Herman a bit annoying. However, overall it seemed like a household that I’d like to visit.
The final thing that I’ll mention is the theme song. To me, it’s creepy perfection. I simply can’t hear it withot humming it for days to come.
Great!
I was also born in 1970 and loved catching the re-runs after getting home from school. After mentioning the song, I was reminded about the Munster’s car which was a hot little roadster. That was cool in itself.
Herman could be a little annoying at times, acting the part of the oaf, but I understand it as the plot device to keep the story line going. It was always great to see Lily standing by his side no matter what.