Things were so black-and-white in 1966. Most things that happened fifty-five years ago have little significance today; at least to a younger crowd anyway. That’s why when it came time to tell you about Munster, Go Home! (1966), I felt an obligation to be the one to break these shades of gray gently. Chances are, if you’re even reading this you already know that Rob Zombie is working on a Munsters movie. The Munsters have had a difficult time adapting outside the small screen, so if you’re trepidatious about it, you’re not alone.
The Munsters live in Rob Zombie’s wheelhouse, so chances are, it will at least retain the right aesthetic. Rob Zombie, if you read this, I only have two requests: 1. Make it black-and-white. Young Frankenstein would not have been the classic it is if it was presented in color. Knowing your love for monster nostalgia, you’re probably tempted to flash a title on the screen that says, “Now in color!” or “In Technicolor!” Don’t. Please don’t. The Munsters are black-and-white in our minds. Keep it that way in the screen. 2. Since we’re talking about the screen, here’s the second request: Keep to the original aspect ratio. I have no argument for this other than it should “feel” like television. No one has ever liked The Munsters in the movies, but we love them on television. There, I said it.
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Now, you all may think I’m going to tear Munster, Go Home! apart, and say don’t bother. On the contrary, there’s a lot that went wrong. Getting the glaringly obvious out of the way is Marilyn Munster. She was first played by Beverley Owen and then by Pat Priest. By the time the Munsters TV series was set to go into worldwide syndication, they designed Munster, Go Home! to appeal to an international audience, and cast Debbie Watson, the third actor to portray her. Accepting the necessity of it, she was the center of the second storyline, while Grandpa Munster (Al Lewis) and Eddie Munster (Butch Patrick) were relegated to quick-take punchlines with very little purpose. They were wasted!
The other big problem is the laugh track, or lack thereof. Laugh tracks are criticized, but often necessary. They used it perfectly in the series. The Munsters’ humor is all deadpan. The prompts are there for audiences to understand Grandpa’s quips are funny. Instead, he comes across as a bitter old coot with a camera that stays on him too long after he cracks one. Al Lewis was a stealth bomber, not a joke bomber. I never realized how much a quick edit and permission to laugh made him funny.
Herman (Fred Gwynne) is still the immature giant with self-esteem issues and a child-like sense of humor. He’s the king of monster dad jokes. But without a laugh track, he’s reduced to Ashlee Simpson being caught lip-synching on Saturday Night Live; dancing an awkward jig until the camera cuts away… but it never does. And the worst of it; poor Lily Munster (Yvonne De Carlo) is the glue that holds the family together. She’s the strict, motherly type. Her combination placid and self-possessed demeanor (modeled from Morticia Addams) was typically exasperated by Herman’s antics and Grandpa’s shenanigans. Without the laugh track, she just seems crotchety and rigid.
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The story revolves around Herman inheriting lordship to his uncle’s estate across the pond. It’s a simple enough premise that takes the family on a cruise to a mansion whose werewolf-ish butler appears instantly, and answers, “You rang?” in Lurch fashion (an Addams Family homage that appears more like a rip-off), to a Wacky Races situation where Herman is dressed like Dick Dastardly, but plays the role of Penelope Pitstop. He’s very much a Mister Magoo-type character, so it certainly makes sense.
Munster, Go Home! is a visual masterpiece in the same way Mad Monster Party (1967) was. The design is there, but the string of long-winded scenes just doesn’t keep your attention. Wardrobe deserves a mention, as the costume designs were so over-the-top funky, fun, and colorful that it may have been the reason to shoot in color. Herman was a sight in sixties bug-eye sunglasses, a bowler cap, a silk ascot, and wool London Fog with “Lord Munster” bedazzled on the back. Of course, they wanted to show that to us in color! It’s understandable. Still, though… it just feels wrong.
Be sure to let us know your thoughts on Munster, Go Home!, and if you’re excited for the big screen adaptation.
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