The Munsters

(1964)

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Synopsis

A crumbly old mansion at 1313 Mockingbird Lane was the home of Herman Munster (Fred Gwynne), a seven-foot-tall dead ringer for the Frankenstein monster, right down to the flat head and bolts in the neck. Herman's spouse, Lily was a cross between Elsa Lanchester's Bride of Frankenstein (note that white streak in her black tresses) and TV horror-show hostess Vampira (note the garish makeup, chalk-white face, and flowing, tattered gowns). Lily's grandfather Grandpa Munster (Al Lewis), a 350-year-old vampire who looked like a desiccated Count Dracula (and who, true to his batlike heritage, slept upside down, hanging by his heels) was a genially mad scientist -- he had "built" Herman centuries before -- whose various laboratory concoctions tended to blow up in his face. Rounding out the Munster clan was Herman and Lily's son, Eddie, a ten-year-old werewolf (but a nice one), and their gorgeous niece Marilyn, the only normal-looking member of the family -- who conversely regarded herself as abnormal and blamed herself whenever her potential boyfriends fled in terror after meeting the rest of the Munsters.

Cast

Fred Gwynne, Yvonne De Carlo, Al Lewis, Butch Patrick, Beverley Owen