Since The Munsters debuted in 1964, fans have loved watching the antics of Herman Munster and his family. While the show only lasted two seasons, its humor and originality earned The Munsters a devoted cult following that enjoys watching reruns of Munsters episodes and collecting Munsters memorabilia.
One look at the show and it's easy to see its appeal. Despite their unusual lifestyle, Frankenstein monster dad Herman, vampire mom Lily, werewolf son Eddie, mad scientist Grandpa, and drop dead gorgeous niece Marilyn Munster honestly see themselves as a typical American family -- and can't understand why people treat them so strangely. It's a brilliant running joke -- and one that's fueled many Munster stories.
For many fans, however, the best Munster stories actually took place behind the scenes -- proving that truth is often stranger than fiction. Here then, are some of the weirder stories that took place during the making of The Munsters.
The Munsters and The Cleavers
Ironically, the team that created The Munsters was also responsible for producing a sitcom that was the antithesis of the Munster family-- Leave it to Beaver. In 1957, producers Joe Connelly and Bob Mosher created the Cleaver family, basing the show on their own kids. After six seasons of squeaky-clean Cleavers, however, the producers wanted something more off-beat and created the Munster family using a script by Chris Hayward and Al Burns, which was later revised by Norm Liebmann and Ed Haas.
In a further bizarre twist, the Munster house used for exterior shots was only four doors down from the Cleavers' home in Universal Studios' back lot. Since the Universal Studios Tour debuted in 1964 -- the same year The Munsters first aired -- this gave visitors a very odd tour of Universal Studios' TV houses.
Munster Family Problems
While audiences responded well to this new off-beat family, producing The Munsters proved very challenging for the cast.
Fred Gwynne, who played Herman Munster, endured a two hour makeup job every day, while his costume was so heavy that he suffered from neck and back problems even after the show ended. Beverley Owen, the original Marilyn Munster, was so unhappy doing the show that she was replaced by Pat Priest after thirteen episodes. And Yvonne DeCarlo drove her makeup artists crazy trying to find the fake black nails that would fall off her hands during a shoot.
Yet perhaps the scariest story occurred when Al Lewis (aka Grandpa) was almost asphyxiated while test-driving the Munsters' Dragula car. Car designer George Barris had neglected to put in a floorboard, causing the interior to fill up with smoke, dirt, and sand as it rode down the back hills. Lewis escaped in time, but the experience nearly killed him.
Munster Fun
But it wasn't all horror stories and drudgery. For all the problems they encountered, the cast still found ways to enjoy themselves.
When he wasn't playing Eddie Munster, Butch Patrick was the studio mascot and loved wandering around the Universal Studios lot and hanging out with the makeup artists. Yvonne DeCarlo struck up a friendship with Marlon Brando after the famous actor became fascinated by her bile-green monster makeup. And Al Lewis proved to be a great practical joker, once stealing a spider webbing gun to web a sleeping crew member into his chair.
Later Munsters TV Shows and Movies
Although most of the original cast returned to make two Munster movies, Munster, Go Home! (1966) and The Munsters' Revenge (1981), all later Munsters productions, including the 1980s TV show The Munsters Today were done with new actors. While fans debate the merits of these new interpretations, the shows do prove that the Munsters -- like all good monsters -- refuse to stay dead.
Just the same, it's likely that no matter how many new Munster casts are assembled, few will ever have the same bizarre yet hilarious experiences shared by the original cast of television's first family of fright.
Do you like classic movie monsters and sci fi films? Then check out How Sci Fi Videos Inspired Monsters vs. Aliens, Great Halloween Movies to Rent for Kids, and Children's Movies to Rent for Sci Fi Fans for a look at more sci fi and horror movie classics.
Source:
Cox, Stephen. The Munsters: Television's First Family of Fright. New York: Contemporary Books, 1989.
Michael Jung - Michael Jung is a professional writer and children’s literature specialist whose articles, reviews, interviews, and short stories ...
