Having starred in the popular sitcom series The
Munsters from 1964 -1966, Herman (Fred Gwynne), Lily (Yvonne De Carlo), Grandpa
(Al Lewis), Eddie (Butch Patrick) and Marilyn (Debbie Watson) hit the big
screen in Munster, Go Home (1966).
Produced and co-written by series creators
Joe Connelly and Bob Mosher (Leave It to Beaver), this satire of American
suburban life features British comedians Terry-Thomas and Hermione Gingold,
legendary horror star John Carradine and future Family Feud host Richard Dawson,
who was then appearing on Hogan’s Heroes.
The Munsters achieved higher Nielsen ratings
than the similarly macabre family of the time The Addams Family. In 1965 it was
nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series but lost to The
Rogues starring David Niven which was cancelled after one season.
After 70 episodes, The Munsters was also
cancelled after ratings dropped due to competition from the Batman TV Series.
The film was produced immediately after the television series completed filming.
It starred the original cast (Fred
Gwynne, Yvonne De Carlo, Al Lewis, Butch Patrick) apart from Marilyn, who was
played by Debbie Watson, replacing Pat Priest from the series.
The movie was released in Technicolor,
whereas the TV series was telecast in black & white. The hope was that the
film would introduce the series to the world in advance of negotiating future
syndication rights. The film was released in the United Kingdom at the end of
December 1966 as support for the Norman Wisdom movie Press for Time (1966). The
instrumental theme song, titled The Munsters' Theme, was composed by
composer/arranger Jack Marshall and was nominated for a Grammy Award in 1965.
The story sees Herman becoming Lord Munster
after he inherits an estate from an English uncle. With Spot guarding 1313
Mockingbird Lane, Herman leaves his job at Gateman, Goodbury & Graves
Morticians for Munster Hall in England. Whilst there, he uncovers a counterfeiting
ring and upholds the family honour by driving his Drag-u-la special in the
annual road race.
The move from the TV screen to the cinema
screen is often a gamble. The transition is tricky, with the chief obstacle finding
a story interesting enough to fill a 90-minute slot while at the same time
sustaining the audience’s attention can be tough. However, the central problem
with Munster, Go Home! is that it just really isn’t that funny. The shifting
dimensions between TV and cinema so often adjust the overall dynamics. The
absence and familiarity of a laughter track almost leaves a cold, empty feel to
the movie. Whilst The Munsters (shot at Universal City) was never filmed in
front of a live studio audience, it was overdubbed with ‘canned laughter’ or a
laughter track, an element that at least helped cue up or support a punchline
or a comedic line of dialogue. As a result, something just seems to be lost in
the movie version. Even the support from Terry-Thomas as English ancestor
Freddie Munster is really over-the-top and at times borders on embarrassing. At just 96- minutes, it’s all really hard
work.
Nevertheless, it’s not all bad. On the
technical side, the production values work very well. Creepy dungeons, gothic
mansions et al – create the perfect setting and atmosphere to satisfy every
horror kid’s dream. The film is also presented in its original theatrical
1.85:1 ratio. But the real winner here
is the Technicolor photography; the process simply elevates everything on
display. It’s a distinctly ‘groovy’ 60’s colour pallet with all of its vibrant
lime greens, luminous pinks and rich reds’ really igniting the screen and it
comes through as the film’s overall saving grace.
Considering the film (and the series it was
based upon) was so culturally significant, the Blu-ray’s extras are decidedly
thin, consisting of just a lone theatrical trailer. It’s a real pity that some
film or horror historian couldn’t be found to sit in and provide some sort of
commentary – especially as the whole franchise had loose connections and is
distantly related to the whole Universal Horror cycle…
Munster, Go Home! is released on July 25th
2022 as a Region 2 Blu-ray and is available from www.fabulousfilms.com
(Darren Allison is the Soundtracks Editor for Cinema Retro)