The cast changes, the set modifications, Herman’s makeup...all excellent updates to create a masterpiece. Thanks for sharing this pilot. I only read about the challenges and changes until now.
Y'know, i cant quite figure out exactly what looks different on Herman, it mostly just seems to be that Fred is a lot more subdued in his delivery but he LOOKS fine to me...
I remember watching this with my parents when I was younger (reruns during the 80's and 90's). Was one of my favorites and watching tv now is just a bummer.
Yea same here I love this show so much. Such a terrible shame that Rob Zombie has to ruin the reboot already. Using his wife as lily smh. His wife isn’t a good actor at all. Idk why they let Rob zombie do a reboot of this awesome so. But good thing I have the originals and I’ll just watch those instead
Per Wikipedia: "In 1965, The Munsters was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series, but lost to The Rogues." Who the heck remembers The Rogues or even heard of it?
Awards aren't given based on what might get a cult following 50 years later, they can't predict the future can they? At the time the Munsters weren't as popular as they are now. Generally TV shows become more popular long after they first aired.
@@Fireglo I think you miss the point. The point is how the awards were bad at predicting the durability of the respective series. But hey, the same thing happens with movies; movies that no one remembers got Oscars but other movies released the same year have become classics.
There are probably quite a few millenials who have never heard of "The Munsters." Golden Globe Awards aren't based on popularity but for excellence. "The Rogues" had a cast that included David Niven and Charles Boyer, and had several very well known and talented guest stars.
Asensio Rodriguez This makeup was too similar to the actual Frankenstein makeup - too frightening and not comedic. Also, he's not wearing the padded suit. And Fred Gwynne was playing it too straight, whereas the key to the Herman that we now know and love is that he's just a big, guileless kid, who never means any harm. Al Lewis seems to already have Grandpa on lockdown.
Al did a show on wbai for some years with his wife. Sometimes he would discuss his life experiences and once mentioned that he was recognized throughout the world as "grandpa". He regarded that title as an honorific and liked being called grandpa. You can be sure he took no offense.
The best part of the pilot was in Grandpa's dungeon laboratory. Lighting his cigar with the Jacob's Ladder, looking through his alchemy tome, mixing the potion in a blender, pure Al Lewis gold!
The funniest episode ever is when grandpa turns Eddie into a professional trumpet player. But his potion has a side effect. It also makes Eddie talk and act like a ‘60s beatnik hippie. I laugh out loud every time I see that one. Best written part for Butch Patrick I’ve ever seen. 😂
10/13/2020 @DankyDieCast Yeah, that was a great episode. One of my favorite scenes (of a different episode), is when Herman's moonlighting as a P.I. & Lily & Marilyn are going from door to door seeking charity donations. They come to a home where Herman's working. He opens the door & Lily could hear a woman say to Herman: If it's my husband, get rid of him. Lily automatically assumes that he's having an affair. Herman starts off with: Lily, you won't believe this ... [ but Lily cuts him off in mid sentence] & she says: You may not believe this, but I'm Sonny Liston (the boxer) &🥊 uppercuts him a good one!! 🥊He goes down in a flash!! It's hilarious!!🤣😂 On a few other notes: If you think Lily is beautiful under all that make up, she is. Check her out in The Ten Commandments, as Moses wife. Also, my personal opinions on the recast. I'm glad about the Phoebe character. For one, she looks too young & I didn't think she could act. The way they had Eddie act (& his lines) were horrible. So glad that was changed. And good to see Herman loosed up a bit.😄 Plus, I get to watch The Munsters almost nightly, on CoziTV.👊
I can't blame Happy Derman for the character. That's on the writers and the director for wanting him to be that way. I'm glad they changed his demeanor for the real show.
I think they let Happy do his own rendition of the character, whereas Butch Patrick decided to do it differently, which of course worked out much better.
+Daniel Pena I agree. Yvonne De Carlo & Butch Patrick were better actors than Happy Derman & Joan Marshall. This Eddie growled too much & was too angry, while the other Eddie was just like a normal kid. Phoebe was bland but Lily wasn't.
To whom shall I speak, and give warning, that they may hear? He that has ears to hear, let him hear. Are you saved? Where will you go when you die? Heaven or hell? The Gospel, which means the Good News is the news that God Almighty, the Creator came in the flesh as Jesus Christ to take away the sin of the world. The one God is a trinity of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. The Son came and laid down his own life to save ours. His sacrifice on the cross paid the price for our redemption with his own blood. On the third day he rose from dead and offers the gift of salvation and forgiveness to those that repent and trust in him. Although God's creation was created perfect, having no death, sickness and disease, the creation became corrupted through Adam and Eve in them disobeying God. In this rebellion the creation became fallen through the curse of sin and mankind became separated from God. This world is fallen, but God offers reconciliation to him through his provision at the cross. Ultimately God will restore his creation to perfection when he returns but those that who reject his offer of redemption will remain condemned by their sins and go to hell. John 1:1,14 KJV In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and THE WORD WAS GOD. [14] And THE WORD WAS MADE FLESH, and dwelt among us, 1 John 3:8 KJV He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. Isaiah 9:6 KJV For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty GOD, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. John 1:10 KJV He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and THE WORLD KNEW HIM NOT.
Keeping in mind that Addams Family was created at the same time, so the producers of the Munsters may not have been aware of Morticia. So it was more a lucky accident that when they recast they retooled the character.
Alex Fh That’s not true, that’s actually the reason the recast her. Because they said Joan Marshall as Phoebe looked too much Carolyn Jones as Morticia
If left alone the actors of Grandpa, Herman, and Marilyn would never have been able to have gotten more acting roles in other shows and movies. Many times your performance is what gets you a better carrer. In the case of AMG the worse you are the bigger the laugh and you might move on just fo the laughs.
Their facial features may have been similar but Pat Priest was a true blonde unlike Beverly Owen. She had to wear a blonde wig the first season. The headband that is visible was the edge of the wig.
I still love the Munsters and still watch it, it’s still one of my faves. Back when there were good and safe shows for kids. I’m glad they changed the music and cast, though, and added Herman’s personality and laugh; it still cracks me up!
Thank you so much for sharing this! Most changes made by the producers for the aired version were for the better, IMO. "Phoebe" is a very nice looking goth chick, but that Vampira outfit also makes her less motherly and sympathetic. Also, let's face it, De Carlo was a better actress. Thankfully they made Herman into a perkier character. Marilyn is pretty much the same here. I hated this version of Eddie, but I think the problem was the concept of "angry beast child", not the actual actor (even though Butch Patrick *had* more charisma). One positive thing I have to say about this pilot is that I liked that Grandpa was more of a magician and less of a mad scientist
The problem with Eddie (and by an extension "Phoebe") is that there's _no twist_ on the archetypes they play. Great comedy usually comes from subverting audience's expectations. "Phoebe" was just another cold, unloving Gothic female we've seen in other horror movies. People have seen _thousands of uncontrollable, savage werewolves_ in media before this pilot and Eddie was just another one of those cliches, the only difference is he was a child. The actual show proper kept the archetypes of Lily and Eddie, but played around more with them. Lily was still a vampire (or zombie), but she was _more importantly and frequently portrayed_ as a _kind-hearted, good-humored and loving_ wife, mother and person in general, so to see her do things like sleep like a corpse, cook monster-type food and mention horror-themed things like graveyards, blood, etc. while being the kind and loving character we've come to know is funnier than if they just had her do the stereotypical monster stuff while still behaving like a monster. Likewise, Eddie is still a werewolf, but they made him more of a playful, energetic and sweet All-American Boy, whose werewolf tendencies like howling at the moon, sleeping in a coffin with a stuffed werewolf doll, etc. make him seem more like a lovable puppy instead of a bratty, pugnacious kid who has monster tendencies.
wow this looks amazing. I've seen many of the original episodes and they look so old and grainy. somebody did a great job remastering this old show. it almost looks to good to be real.
Interesting how Al Lewis seems to be the only one to have his character down from the start; not much changed with how he played him from pilot to series. And they were wise to give him so much screentime; I bet he was the one who sold the show to the network.
The music during the opening credits was from the Doris Day movie, 'The Thrill Of It All.' The next music under the production credits was also from that movie - the scene where the car is pulled up from the bottom of the swimming pool. Both the film and this program were produced by Universal.
Al Lewis really added a lot to this with his dialogue and his interesting lab. Also a well-known actor, I’m sure he drew an anticipatory happy crowd to the premiere of the show, and he didn’t Disappoint. Though he seemed a bit nervous as would be expected he added great deal to the show, and perhaps may have been the thumbs up for the continuation of the show after the pilot. The replacement of the other actors and actresses and the wardrobe changes and modifications certainly helped as well. I remember it was a favorite at our house when I was a child and I’m sure people all over the world remember it fondly. 😁
One difference that no one has mentioned is how both Fred Gwynne and Al Lewis are just playing their CAR 54 WHERE ARE YOU roles, Muldoon and Schnauzer, in monster drag. Too toned down.
Very often it happens that characters develop there 'personalities' through the run of a show. In this very early pilot, they were fleshing out the concept. Many standards of the show had been thought up and put in place. The pilot was used mostly as a showpiece for set, make-up, and the idea that they people thought of themselves as normal, while everyone else was weird. Thankfully, all three components made it to the series.
Al Lewis (Grandpa) was a very good actor. Notice the last scene, from the insert shot of the magic potion book to the end, is almost 3 minutes uncut, with camera moves and zooms, while Grandpa makes the potion & delivers a ton of dialog.
I think the actor who played Eddie took the role of a child in a family of monsters too seriously!! I'm so glad they fired him and hired Butch Patrick!!
@@cynthiaclarke3979 I grew up watching the reruns in syndication. My older sister watched the show during it’s first run and she wanted a Wolf-Wolf doll so badly. I don’t know why the show didn’t manufacture the doll like the show “Family Affair” did with the Mrs. Beasley dolls.
@@FutureGirl2033 - We used to get a few American tv shows when I lived in New Zealand..I think they might have made Wolf Wolf dolls,I just don't know if many if any could be bought at the store.I remember me mum would buy me a Barbie and back then me mum telling me they cost about $2.69 roughly..and me brother getting GI Joe and he would rip the head off me Barbie dolls.I do remember the Miss Beasley doll.I never watched "Family Affair" but "Courtship of Eddies Father" and had me very first ever girl crush on Caroline Ellis from the Bugaloos..so embarrassed as I explored me body.You would think they would had since they was trying to bring in money or as in the 70's they made all types toys from those tv shows.And now those toys are worth thousands or maybe hundreds of American dollars.I love your handle name..so into time travel movies..
Although Beverly Owen was kept on, she didn't last the first season. She had been planning on moving to New York (where her fiancee lived) when she was offered the part. Her agent told her to do it for easy money since he thought there was no way it would actually be picked up as a series. When it was, Owen stayed on but was quite unhappy as she was 3000 miles away from her fiancee. Finally the rest of the cast got together and insisted that the producers let Owen out of her contract since she was so miserable. They did, and Pat Priest took over, and no one really noticed anyway.
I read Beverly Owen was blackballed after that. I'm glad she was recast, I always thought Pat Priest was much better looking, though Beverly Owen seemed younger and friendlier.
That's because the guy playing grandpa never got replaced. And it looks like they did some makeup changes for Herman. Everyone got changed except for Herman and Grandpa. Marilyn wasn't changed till later - her own choice to leave.
When I first saw this on the DVD box set, it struck me as amazing they picked it up for production.There are some quick glimpses of the brilliance it promised, but overall, it STUNK, (and the title song was a giant zero)!!! I'm glad they kept trying and finally got the right recipe! ;)
Grandpa's hijinx in his dungeon lab is superb! But I agree, I'm happy they recast and reimaged Lily and Eddie! I liked the Eddie here, but that character would never have sustained very long in terms of plotlines (i.e., I can't possibly see this version of Eddie going to school, etc.).
Phoebe was pretty hot, but Yvonne DeCarlo was attractive and a better actress. Her lines seemed more natural and less forced. I agree with most of the other posts regarding the original Eddie. The way this character was written just got on my nerves.
I totally agree. Yvonne was so good as Lily. So believable as the mother. The writing was so good too-they were a loving family who just happened to be monstrous.
Great colour photography/cinematography, it conveys the spooky gothic mood and look without being too colourfull. I really like how "Marilyn" looks in her pink shoes, skirt & top.
I'm a little late to this party, but there was a little more to it than that. From what I read, Beverly Owen only signed on to do the show because she never thought it would take off, and she had signed a 7-year contract. When the show became a hit, it required her to move to LA from NY, and she was constantly sad and homesick. She wanted out of her contract and of course wanted to get married but they wouldn't let her, so the rest of the cast apparently marched into the office and said ”if you don't let her out we're all walking and you won't have a show". So they released Owen from her contract, but she was blackballed after that.
@@danieljackson1272 It was actually all part of a conspiracy, believe it or not. She and her boyfriend/eventual husband concocted this whole act that she would be so miserable on the set all of the time to make her impossible to work with, and let her out of her contract so she could relocate to NY and they could marry. Her husband was Jon Stone, who was the original producer, director, and one of the many original writers on SESAME STREET.
It was filmed in color in case NBC picked it up. which was the only full color network at the time. Since it ended up going to CBS, and had to be reshot with the new cast members, all the broadcast episodes were shot in black and white. In this pilot, they followed the classic Universal Pictures Frankenstein Monster face TOO WELL on Herman. Since the show was produced by Universal, they owned these copyrighted makeup designs, but modified it for the regular series to make Herman look more family-friendly. After all, the series was was produced by the creators of Leave It to Beaver. (now you know why Grampa's crystal ball could only receive Beaver reruns)
Frank Provasek Wow. I did not know that. I saw the show in syndication reruns in the 1970s and died laughing. This pilot is amusing bot the series was amazing.
Wow...am I ever glad they recast this show! Herman doesn't look quite right...Phoebe is no Lily!...and what the heck were they thinking with that version of Eddy?! I LOVE the Munsters...one of my all time favorites! If they had stuck with this pilot cast...I think it would have flopped!
Notice that the character of Hermann is different as well. In the series they made him more of a loveable goofball. That allowed Fred Gwynn to really bring out the best in his acting skills. He is so good in the series that he often upstages the other members of the cast.
***** Cool that you knew Fred Gwynne! (Loved the episode where Herman freaked out and yelled, "Car 54, where aaaaaaarrrrrrrre yoooooooooooou!") His makeup here is nearly identical to one of the test makeups for Boris Karloff from the first Frankenstein film.
dumbbo1 Fred Gyinn went on to play many parts on the radio show CBS Radio Mystery Theatre from the mid '70's to around 1990. You can google or click this link. archive.org/details/cbs_radio_mystery_theater He wasn't in all of them.
The series cast was awesome. I though this was the funniest show on TV when I was a kid watching reruns in the 1070s. It is cool to see the sets in color because the b/w recordings in syndication were so fuzzy. The video quality of this pilot is amazing, like a film rather than TV. They made the right choices in re-casting for sure.
@☆ Syriana ☆ i just SEEN you r reply . thanks for it.Its only been 6 years what made you reach out all of sudden i wrote that grammatically incorrect remark 6 years ago so one day a Syriana could get on here and correct it, Wear your mask and seat belt.
+Nichet Tucker , I'm glad that Fred Gwynne and Al Lewis were kept on, because they are amusing and memorable character actors here and in the regular series.
Very interesting early take on "The Munsters". The changes made between this and the 2nd pilot (same plot, but with Yvonne DeCarlo and Butch Patrick) were definite improvements, and in retrospect now seem obvious. Joan Marshall was rather colorless, playing it like Vampira, where in a comedy the role needed a certain flourish. Marshall herself seemed better suited to more "normal" parts, such as Capt Kirk's "old flame" in the Star Trek episode "Court Martial". Yvonne DeCarlo not only brought a greater professionalism, but the ability to handle comedy. Eddie, as portrayed here, was simply annoying -- and would have "worn thin" REAL fast. The constant "wolfman" arm swipes are distracting, and the spoiled brat routine was insipid. Can't necessarily blame the actor, however, as I'm sure he was just playing it as they wanted him to. Don't remember this kid in anything else, so don't know if he was any good as an actor. Grampa's part was pretty much set, but Herman still needed some development into the fun-loving, big-hearted hulk who always forgot his own strength. In both pilots, he plays it much too subdued, and doesn't give his comic ability any chance to shine. Glad to see that by the beginning of the show's regular run, they'd worked out all the "kinks" and created a true TV classic!
Good critique MKIVWWI. I agree that Yvonne DeCarlo was better for the role of Lily -- partly because of her better handling of comedy and also she seemed seemed more like the matriarch of the family. The early Eddie was awful -- Butch Patrick's role as a regular every day kid was much better.
it was rare, but back in those days, some pilots were made in color; then with the decision to go to series, one of the cost-cutting options was b/w..the original pilot to ''Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea'' was in color, while the fist season was in b/w...later, it was the opposite: some pilots were in b/w and aired as first episodes, with the rest of the series being in color..''Hogan's Heroes'' and ''Get Smart'' (both 1965) are examples of that.....
Yes Gothtec it's Joan Marshall she did a good job as Phoebe, I like this one as I saw the same with Yvonne in the 60s, I like them both but I'm very happy to see this one for the first time recently, it's a very different flavor ! :)
Bonjour Emma i was waiting for your comment ! :) Yvonne is big on the screen, Joan being a little kind of a less a character make the others bigger than life, this is why I think Joan will have been good as Mama Munster !
This is the 15min unaired pilot made to sell the show to the networks. It's extremely interesting for a couple of reasons...one it's in color! and the other is that they had different actors for the part of "Lily" and "Eddie"! Joan Marshall played "Phoebe" (it was later changed to Lily when Yvonne DeCarlo came on board) and Nate 'Happy' Derman played "Eddie". Now while Joan did an interesting take on 'Lily' (as "Phoebe') she had the Vampira look. Vampira was inspired by the books of Charles Addams which was the basis of the sitcom "The Addams Family" was aired the same year as The Munsters in 1964. Morticia on The Addams Family had the Vampira look, so it probably was a good idea on part of the networks to change the look on Lily" to the Bride of Frankenstein look, given the fact that Herman was the Frankenstein Monster! Nate 'happy' Derman as 'Eddie' was very different than Butch Patrick's interpretation. Derman play Eddie very obnoxious and very intense at the same time, while Butch played him more subdued and not that intense. To some extent it was good that they did change the actors in the end, but it would have been interesting to have Joan Marshall and Nate Derman come back as guest stars as Lily's sister and nephew per say. Oh well..... alas we will never know.....
This "demo reel" was probably intended for NBC, who was virtually the ONLY network to schedule a handful of color shows in prime-time during that period [CBS had NONE; ABC- about two or three filmed shows]. When the SECOND "demo reel" was produced {with changes in cast and make-up}, that was for CBS' consideration. They "bought" the idea, and a full half-hour pilot was filmed for the series.
If I made a reboot of The Munsters, I'd have the pilot dedicated to them, in addition to finding actors that can recreate the magic Fred, Al, and Yvonne made in the show.
Good point, ant dude. I believe it was made on film, not video tape (which did exist at the time, but looked awful) so where are those rolls of film now, and are any more of them in color? I think it's likely that they used black and white film stock, partly to give it that Victorian Gothic look, and partly to save money; but they must have considered making it in color, otherwise there would be little value in making the pilot in color in the first place. Incidentally, it would not be too difficult a task to accurately restore the color to all the episodes. Black and white images contain all the tonal information needed to recreate the original colors. In fact, the early (classic) Technicolor 3-strip process used only black and white film stock, exposed through three color filters. Also on the subject of color, it's interesting to see that Herman is, in fact, a blue-ish grey color, and not bright green as many people assume when they have only seen the black and white shows.
@@codeblue8922 I'm honestly glad they recasted Yvonne as the Munster wife. The quality of this show would've deteriorated if one of the lead roles was a blatant Morticia Addams bootleg. Yvonne is just such a great Lily Munster. She's like a wholesome soccer mom that's not afraid to call you out if it's needed.
nah, black and white was much more appropriate. it was, after all, a spoof of all the old Dracula and Frankenstein movies which were all B&W. Besides, B&W is just plain creepier.
+Kevin Enos I have to agree with you. There are things that are just better in black and white. I can't understand the bias so many people have against B & W. Personally, I like The Twilight Zone, the classic monster movies (Universal and the Geman horror expressionist/silent movies), film noir, and a lot of classic comedies better in B & W. Colorization of movies and TV series that were originally done in B & W has never looked right to me.
There were technically color broadcasts being done before the mid-1960s -- The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson WAS a full-color show from its inception in 1962 -- BUT the TV standards hadn't been nailed down and there were at least 2-3 competing color broadcast/TV standards before they began being set. The vast majority of people still had "only" B & W TV. It took a very long time for the color standards to be established. They HAD color sets in the 1950s but standard TV series/color production wasn't a thing until the late 1960s because of the extra film processing costs for color and the situation with the TV set manufacturers. That kind of situation (and the length of time it took to ESTABLISH a standard) is why the electronics industry does NOT like to set competing video standards. The last major format war we had was Blu ray versus HD DVD which pushed back the adoption of hi-def home video standards by the buying public for at least 3 years. Before that, there was the Beta/VHS situation in the late 1970s and early 1980s which kept videotape rentals and buys of movies on tape from being a big thing until the mid-1980s/late 1980s. It's just confusing for the average consumer and people will delay buying until they know a "standard" is going to last more than the next year! Star Trek (1966) was one of the first dramatic/comedic TV series specifically designed to be shot in color from the start and was marketed to sell color TV sets (RCA?). It's true that there were earlier full-color TV series like Adam West's Batman. 1966 seems to be a critical year for mass-acceptance of color TV. A lot of series began in color from their start that year. Other TV series transitioned to color around the same time but had earlier seasons shot in B & W (I Dream of Jeannie, The Beverly Hillbillies, Gilligan's Island). The mentality about "color-only" broadcasts was as much about the TV executives justifying the switch to full-color as the fact that a home video market didn't exist to resell old movies and TV shows until the 1980s. Sure, there were sales of 8mm film dupes of TV shows and movies but those were never as big as VHS sales later became but VHS itself took a long time to establish its presence. In the meantime, a lot of TV shows and anything in B & W other than established classics were junked and thrown away. That happened in both the US and the UK. A lot of classic TV series are incomplete (Doctor Who) or completely gone because of the practice of throwing away large parts of film libraries to make room for newer projects. There was never any thought these shows would be rebroadcast or eventually sold on home video in the future! Disney was one of the few companies that kept most of its TV and film projects with the thought of marketing these things again in the future. It's only recently that Disney abandoned its practice of recirculating certain classic movies about every 7 years. Before that, they used to rebroadcast episodes of older TV productions like the original Mickey Mouse Club and their version of Zorro on the Disney Channel.
Yvonne DeCarlo who played as Lily Munster, I have to say wowee she was a hottie and attractive lady. They said that her hairdo as Lily Munster weigh at least 90 pounds. I always love the Munsters more than the Addams family but they are great and wonderful TV shows.
No wig ever made for any project has ever been 90lbs. It's the dumbest rumor that I've ever heard, and a person would have to be retarded to believe it. I have made wigs for over 33 years for film and TV. Even the longest of wigs would only weight a few ounces and the caps that they are ventilated into weighs nothing.
Whoa...what a trip! Fred looked so much younger and leaner in the face than I remember. And "Phoebe" was freaking HOT. I thought at first that this was a recent updated unaired pilot, til Fred answered the door. Crazy!
Приколы
The film quality of this pilot is unbelievable! Hard to believe it’s 54 years-old.
That's the magic of film, That's also why it transfers so well the 4K
58 now
59 now.
It was shot on movie film. Movie film has greater resolution than the latest digital technology. That's why old movies look so great on 4K tvs.
Curious that the pilot was filmed in color but the series was filmed in black and white.
50 plus years later and people running away from the Munsters in fast motion and jumping fences is still funny as hell. LMAO!
The cast changes, the set modifications, Herman’s makeup...all excellent updates to create a masterpiece. Thanks for sharing this pilot. I only read about the challenges and changes until now.
Y'know, i cant quite figure out exactly what looks different on Herman, it mostly just seems to be that Fred is a lot more subdued in his delivery but he LOOKS fine to me...
I dont care what anyone says I still love these kinds of shows. I miss them very much
Good news, Rob Zombie is doing a reboot for this shows into movie
@@sidvicious4760 I heard that too.
I remember watching this with my parents when I was younger (reruns during the 80's and 90's). Was one of my favorites and watching tv now is just a bummer.
@@sidvicious4760 Heck ya!! That will be awesome!
Yea same here I love this show so much. Such a terrible shame that Rob Zombie has to ruin the reboot already. Using his wife as lily smh. His wife isn’t a good actor at all.
Idk why they let Rob zombie do a reboot of this awesome so.
But good thing I have the originals and I’ll just watch those instead
Al Lewis was just incredible! What a great actor. He just killed it!
Per Wikipedia: "In 1965, The Munsters was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series, but lost to The Rogues." Who the heck remembers The Rogues or even heard of it?
Awards aren't given based on what might get a cult following 50 years later, they can't predict the future can they? At the time the Munsters weren't as popular as they are now. Generally TV shows become more popular long after they first aired.
@@Fireglo I think you miss the point. The point is how the awards were bad at predicting the durability of the respective series. But hey, the same thing happens with movies; movies that no one remembers got Oscars but other movies released the same year have become classics.
@@ghenulo so they should get a crystal ball? It was the preferred show in 1965 that's why it won. The Munsters was preferred by a modern audience.
There are probably quite a few millenials who have never heard of "The Munsters." Golden Globe Awards aren't based on popularity but for excellence. "The Rogues" had a cast that included David Niven and Charles Boyer, and had several very well known and talented guest stars.
@@daniel_sc1024 David Niven the absolute worst James Bond.
I'm glad they made the cast changes and improved Fred's make up.
Asensio Rodriguez
This makeup was too similar to the actual Frankenstein makeup - too frightening and not comedic. Also, he's not wearing the padded suit. And Fred Gwynne was playing it too straight, whereas the key to the Herman that we now know and love is that he's just a big, guileless kid, who never means any harm. Al Lewis seems to already have Grandpa on lockdown.
Grandpa’s too
I’m glad they change it all.
Al did a show on wbai for some years with his wife. Sometimes he would discuss his life experiences and once mentioned that he was recognized throughout the world as "grandpa". He regarded that title as an honorific and liked being called grandpa. You can be sure he took no offense.
They improved everything, the cast, the opening theme. Practice makes perfect. :)
Yeah the opening theme was FN HORRIBLE
u guys are dumb as fuck; this pilot is far superior in every way. The 2nd version dumbed everything down for the lowest common denominator.
The best part of the pilot was in Grandpa's dungeon laboratory. Lighting his cigar with the Jacob's Ladder, looking through his alchemy tome, mixing the potion in a blender, pure Al Lewis gold!
My favorite show.R.I.P. Beverly,Fred,Al,and Yvonne.👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
I’m glad they changed the cast but wish they’d kept the color.
The funniest episode ever is when grandpa turns Eddie into a professional trumpet player. But his potion has a side effect. It also makes Eddie talk and act like a ‘60s beatnik hippie. I laugh out loud every time I see that one. Best written part for Butch Patrick I’ve ever seen. 😂
DankydineDieCast That is a great one...I need to see it now! Doesn’t he call Herman “Daddio?” 😆
Sound funny as s***.
10/13/2020
@DankyDieCast
Yeah, that was a great episode. One of my favorite scenes (of a different episode), is when Herman's moonlighting as a P.I. & Lily & Marilyn are going from door to door seeking charity donations. They come to a home where Herman's working. He opens the door & Lily could hear a woman say to Herman: If it's my husband, get rid of him. Lily automatically assumes that he's having an affair.
Herman starts off with: Lily, you won't believe this ... [ but Lily cuts him off in mid sentence] & she says: You may not believe this, but I'm Sonny Liston (the boxer) &🥊 uppercuts him a good one!! 🥊He goes down in a flash!! It's hilarious!!🤣😂
On a few other notes: If you think Lily is beautiful under all that make up, she is. Check her out in The Ten Commandments,
as Moses wife.
Also, my personal opinions on the recast. I'm glad about the Phoebe character. For one, she looks too young & I didn't think she could act. The way they had Eddie act (& his lines) were horrible. So glad that was changed. And good to see Herman loosed up a bit.😄
Plus, I get to watch The Munsters almost nightly, on CoziTV.👊
@JESUS Name Above All Names you don't need to date your comment.
I like when Eddie ran away from home. He hid up in a tree because he was too young to cross the street. that's such Vaudevillian joke. 😆
I can't blame Happy Derman for the character. That's on the writers and the director for wanting him to be that way. I'm glad they changed his demeanor for the real show.
MEEEEE TO I WAS LIKE WTF IS THIS DAMN SO CORNYTHANK GOD THEYVE CHANGED IT
@RUclips asylum butch something
I think they let Happy do his own rendition of the character, whereas Butch Patrick decided to do it differently, which of course worked out much better.
They changed the kid, not just the demeanor.
His acting was really bad
The line SHOULD have been "He's just a beautician, not a MORTICIAN!"
manofmanyinterests.. actually the line should have been "he's just a mortician, not a miracle worker"
Morticians also apply makeup to corpses. The line fits the context.
I am sooooooo glad they changed the cast. I also think it was more enjoyable in black and white.
It also helped being in black and white. Gave it more a feel of the old movies.
The black and white covered up lots of flaws in the make up.
I freaking loved this show as a kid and I love it now!
Yvonne De Carlo as Lily was a much better choice, but Joan Marshall sure does have some big, beautiful eyes.
Joan Marshall was incredibly hot looking here, but also miscast. Yvonne Dd Carlo was the better choice for the matriarch of the family.
This chick's way hotter
JBJ JONES and she was a terrible actress
@@jbjjones767, as Beautiful as Lily was, Phoebe did have the "Hot" factor.
@@davidmerlin3344 SHE WASN'T A TERRIBLE ACTRESS, SHE WAS JUST THE WRONG CHARACTER FOR THAT PART. THAT BOY WAS A TERRIBLE ACTOR
Thank god they made a lot of changes. Eddie was much better later on. Also Yvonne De Carlo made the show work.
+Daniel Pena I agree. Yvonne De Carlo & Butch Patrick were better actors than Happy Derman & Joan Marshall. This Eddie growled too much & was too angry, while the other Eddie was just like a normal kid. Phoebe was bland but Lily wasn't.
Daniel Pena Yvonne was the best
To whom shall I speak, and give warning, that they may hear? He that has ears to hear, let him hear.
Are you saved? Where will you go when you die? Heaven or hell?
The Gospel, which means the Good News is the news that God Almighty, the Creator came in the flesh as Jesus Christ to take away the sin of the world. The one God is a trinity of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. The Son came and laid down his own life to save ours. His sacrifice on the cross paid the price for our redemption with his own blood. On the third day he rose from dead and offers the gift of salvation and forgiveness to those that repent and trust in him. Although God's creation was created perfect, having no death, sickness and disease, the creation became corrupted through Adam and Eve in them disobeying God. In this rebellion the creation became fallen through the curse of sin and mankind became separated from God. This world is fallen, but God offers reconciliation to him through his provision at the cross. Ultimately God will restore his creation to perfection when he returns but those that who reject his offer of redemption will remain condemned by their sins and go to hell.
John 1:1,14 KJV
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and THE WORD WAS GOD. [14] And THE WORD WAS MADE FLESH, and dwelt among us,
1 John 3:8 KJV
He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.
Isaiah 9:6 KJV
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty GOD, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
John 1:10 KJV
He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and THE WORLD KNEW HIM NOT.
I'm glad they changed Lilly and Eddie.
@@jesusisgod2953 Go and chew on a Bible..
Phoebe is a Morticia clone! Good thing they modified the character and gave the part to Ivonne de Carlo.
Keeping in mind that Addams Family was created at the same time, so the producers of the Munsters may not have been aware of Morticia. So it was more a lucky accident that when they recast they retooled the character.
Alex Fh That’s not true, that’s actually the reason the recast her. Because they said Joan Marshall as Phoebe looked too much Carolyn Jones as Morticia
terriblita308 that’s why they recast her
*Timothy Richard-Jackson*
Is there a source you can point us to regarding that?
Alex, could the munsters have been a homage to the adams family in a way?
this is a very clean copy. I've had this on a VHS tape since the '80's.
So glad they recasted the roles, otherwise it would have sucked big time.
LOL... You would have no idea... You just like the beloved characters who were in the series.
BIG TIME!
If left alone the actors of Grandpa, Herman, and Marilyn would never have been able to have gotten more acting roles in other shows and movies. Many times your performance is what gets you a better carrer.
In the case of AMG the worse you are the bigger the laugh and you might move on just fo the laughs.
@@chrisowen2925 👋 Happy New Year Chris; what is the AMG if you don't mind?
👁️ I Am The EggMan 👁️
@@KC______ American Move Gallery I think was what I located. Your reply is too old so I do not remember the source.
Loved this show its crazy how Beverly Owen and Pat Priest were almost twins practically and them not being related is crazy how much they look alike
Their facial features may have been similar but Pat Priest was a true blonde unlike Beverly Owen. She had to wear a blonde wig the first season. The headband that is visible was the edge of the wig.
That laughter....gets to you after awhile
I met Al Lewis on Roosevelt Island great person miss you Grand Pa
I still love the Munsters and still watch it, it’s still one of my faves. Back when there were good and safe shows for kids. I’m glad they changed the music and cast, though, and added Herman’s personality and laugh; it still cracks me up!
It's now 59 years since this pilot episode was last aired! Quality at its best, like it was just made!
Strange to see it in color, the actors later on were much better
Thank you so much for sharing this! Most changes made by the producers for the aired version were for the better, IMO. "Phoebe" is a very nice looking goth chick, but that Vampira outfit also makes her less motherly and sympathetic. Also, let's face it, De Carlo was a better actress. Thankfully they made Herman into a perkier character. Marilyn is pretty much the same here. I hated this version of Eddie, but I think the problem was the concept of "angry beast child", not the actual actor (even though Butch Patrick *had* more charisma). One positive thing I have to say about this pilot is that I liked that Grandpa was more of a magician and less of a mad scientist
The problem with Eddie (and by an extension "Phoebe") is that there's _no twist_ on the archetypes they play. Great comedy usually comes from subverting audience's expectations. "Phoebe" was just another cold, unloving Gothic female we've seen in other horror movies. People have seen _thousands of uncontrollable, savage werewolves_ in media before this pilot and Eddie was just another one of those cliches, the only difference is he was a child. The actual show proper kept the archetypes of Lily and Eddie, but played around more with them. Lily was still a vampire (or zombie), but she was _more importantly and frequently portrayed_ as a _kind-hearted, good-humored and loving_ wife, mother and person in general, so to see her do things like sleep like a corpse, cook monster-type food and mention horror-themed things like graveyards, blood, etc. while being the kind and loving character we've come to know is funnier than if they just had her do the stereotypical monster stuff while still behaving like a monster. Likewise, Eddie is still a werewolf, but they made him more of a playful, energetic and sweet All-American Boy, whose werewolf tendencies like howling at the moon, sleeping in a coffin with a stuffed werewolf doll, etc. make him seem more like a lovable puppy instead of a bratty, pugnacious kid who has monster tendencies.
I love this show. I grew up watching this, the Addams family, Gilligan's Island!
wow this looks amazing. I've seen many of the original episodes and they look so old and grainy. somebody did a great job remastering this old show. it almost looks to good to be real.
HI mike.How do can I see the full episodes and I mean not on RUclips.Pls help!!!😖
+Umme Humayra By buying the DVD's...
Victorian Sculptures Thank you
Yeah, thanks a lot!!!
So glad that they changed actors to Butch Patrick, Pat Priest and Yvonne DeCarlo.
Beverley Owen actually stayed for 13 episodes.
Beverley Owen only left because she went to get married.
Interesting how Al Lewis seems to be the only one to have his character down from the start; not much changed with how he played him from pilot to series. And they were wise to give him so much screentime; I bet he was the one who sold the show to the network.
The music during the opening credits was from the Doris Day movie, 'The Thrill Of It All.' The next music under the production credits was also from that movie - the scene where the car is pulled up from the bottom of the swimming pool. Both the film and this program were produced by Universal.
Al Lewis really added a lot to this with his dialogue and his interesting lab. Also a well-known actor, I’m sure he drew an anticipatory happy crowd to the premiere of the show, and he didn’t Disappoint. Though he seemed a bit nervous as would be expected he added great deal to the show, and perhaps may have been the thumbs up for the continuation of the show after the pilot. The replacement of the other actors and actresses and the wardrobe changes and modifications certainly helped as well. I remember it was a favorite at our house when I was a child and I’m sure people all over the world remember it fondly. 😁
Wow that kid couldn't act his way out of a paper bag.
He makes Keanu Reeves look like AL Pacino!
Whoa.
I love Keanu Reeves, so I don't know what you're talking about.
The kid just got some horrible direction for his character. OMG he's obnoxious!
He was definitely terrible
HE IS ONLY A KID. THERE IS ALOT OF PRESSURE OF BEING A CHILD ACTOR.
This Lily looks so modern here in color lol and she's beautiful! I have to keep reminding myself this is early 60s!
I don't know why they never aired it? One of my favorite shows growing up!! I still like watching the reruns!!
One difference that no one has mentioned is how both Fred Gwynne and Al Lewis are just playing their CAR 54 WHERE ARE YOU roles, Muldoon and Schnauzer, in monster drag. Too toned down.
Very often it happens that characters develop there 'personalities' through the run of a show. In this very early pilot, they were fleshing out the concept. Many standards of the show had been thought up and put in place. The pilot was used mostly as a showpiece for set, make-up, and the idea that they people thought of themselves as normal, while everyone else was weird. Thankfully, all three components made it to the series.
no no no no no noo ...Only Yvonne De Carlo could play the part of Lily, no one else
SO TRUE.
Steven Patrick Stone nīce Jdt
Too true!!! Too true!!!
Que lindo!
Well she's not playing Lily. She's playing Phoebe. So technically she's a different character.
Too bad the old Munster shows aren't on YT anymore. Interesting to see this pilot again.
Man, how did not one director or anybody tell the kid to stop acting like that.That would have been impossible to watch him every week.WOW
Probably didn’t take long to replace him
Al Lewis (Grandpa) was a very good actor. Notice the last scene, from the insert shot of the magic potion book to the end, is almost 3 minutes uncut, with camera moves and zooms, while Grandpa makes the potion & delivers a ton of dialog.
I think the actor who played Eddie took the role of a child in a family of monsters too seriously!! I'm so glad they fired him and hired Butch Patrick!!
I loved the Wolf Wolf doll Eddie had..
@@cynthiaclarke3979 Me, too!!
@@FutureGirl2033 - I've always wanted one..still does and I'm 61.smiles..❤️❤️
@@cynthiaclarke3979 I grew up watching the reruns in syndication. My older sister watched the show during it’s first run and she wanted a Wolf-Wolf doll so badly. I don’t know why the show didn’t manufacture the doll like the show “Family Affair” did with the Mrs. Beasley dolls.
@@FutureGirl2033 - We used to get a few American tv shows when I lived in New Zealand..I think they might have made Wolf Wolf dolls,I just don't know if many if any could be bought at the store.I remember me mum would buy me a Barbie and back then me mum telling me they cost about $2.69 roughly..and me brother getting GI Joe and he would rip the head off me Barbie dolls.I do remember the Miss Beasley doll.I never watched "Family Affair" but "Courtship of Eddies Father" and had me very first ever girl crush on Caroline Ellis from the Bugaloos..so embarrassed as I explored me body.You would think they would had since they was trying to bring in money or as in the 70's they made all types toys from those tv shows.And now those toys are worth thousands or maybe hundreds of American dollars.I love your handle name..so into time travel movies..
Greatly done wish there were more of these great sitcom.
Wow I am so glad Yvonne De Carlo did it - and they changed Eddie. What a difference...... O_o
no wonder they changed phoebe to lily. phoebe is like a young morticia
B&W looks so much better for the Munsters!
Although Beverly Owen was kept on, she didn't last the first season. She had been planning on moving to New York (where her fiancee lived) when she was offered the part. Her agent told her to do it for easy money since he thought there was no way it would actually be picked up as a series. When it was, Owen stayed on but was quite unhappy as she was 3000 miles away from her fiancee. Finally the rest of the cast got together and insisted that the producers let Owen out of her contract since she was so miserable. They did, and Pat Priest took over, and no one really noticed anyway.
I read Beverly Owen was blackballed after that. I'm glad she was recast, I always thought Pat Priest was much better looking, though Beverly Owen seemed younger and friendlier.
Digitally remastered it was released i seen it on Nick at night years ago, still love it thanks for putting it up
The guy portraying Grandpa is fantastic.
That's because the guy playing grandpa never got replaced. And it looks like they did some makeup changes for Herman.
Everyone got changed except for Herman and Grandpa. Marilyn wasn't changed till later - her own choice to leave.
When I first saw this on the DVD box set, it struck me as amazing they picked it up for production.There are some quick glimpses of the brilliance it promised, but overall, it STUNK, (and the title song was a giant zero)!!! I'm glad they kept trying and finally got the right recipe! ;)
Over 1 million views, amazing!
Grandpa's hijinx in his dungeon lab is superb! But I agree, I'm happy they recast and reimaged Lily and Eddie! I liked the Eddie here, but that character would never have sustained very long in terms of plotlines (i.e., I can't possibly see this version of Eddie going to school, etc.).
Man I miss this show
Phoebe was pretty hot, but Yvonne DeCarlo was attractive and a better actress. Her lines seemed more natural and less forced. I agree with most of the other posts regarding the original Eddie. The way this character was written just got on my nerves.
I totally agree. Yvonne was so good as Lily. So believable as the mother. The writing was so good too-they were a loving family who just happened to be monstrous.
Phoebe was too much like Mortisha from The Addams Family and I think that’s why they recast her.
Great colour photography/cinematography, it conveys the spooky gothic mood and look without being too colourfull. I really like how "Marilyn" looks in her pink shoes, skirt & top.
Omg this is horrible! So glad they changed the cast and the theme song... I AM COMPLETELY OBSESSED WITH THIS SHOW!!!! Somebody help me!
Join the club - I've watched this show since it premiered in 1964.
Hallelujah, baby!!!
Gabriela Lovegood ÿ“
@@MetFan37 Happy 60 years to The Munsters
Glad they did some re-casting
Thanks for shearing , I grow up watching this ❤️❤️❤️❤️
The only reason Pat Priest joined the cast, is that Beverly Owen left the show half way thru the first season to get married.
I'm a little late to this party, but there was a little more to it than that. From what I read, Beverly Owen only signed on to do the show because she never thought it would take off, and she had signed a 7-year contract. When the show became a hit, it required her to move to LA from NY, and she was constantly sad and homesick. She wanted out of her contract and of course wanted to get married but they wouldn't let her, so the rest of the cast apparently marched into the office and said ”if you don't let her out we're all walking and you won't have a show". So they released Owen from her contract, but she was blackballed after that.
@@danieljackson1272 It was actually all part of a conspiracy, believe it or not. She and her boyfriend/eventual husband concocted this whole act that she would be so miserable on the set all of the time to make her impossible to work with, and let her out of her contract so she could relocate to NY and they could marry. Her husband was Jon Stone, who was the original producer, director, and one of the many original writers on SESAME STREET.
It was filmed in color in case NBC picked it up. which was the only full color network at the time. Since it ended up going to CBS, and had to be reshot with the new cast members, all the broadcast episodes were shot in black and white. In this pilot, they followed the classic Universal Pictures Frankenstein Monster face TOO WELL on Herman. Since the show was produced by Universal, they owned these copyrighted makeup designs, but modified it for the regular series to make Herman look more family-friendly. After all, the series was was produced by the creators of Leave It to Beaver. (now you know why Grampa's crystal ball could only receive Beaver reruns)
Yeah.
Frank Provasek
Ah. That explains a lot.
Frank Provasek Wow. I did not know that. I saw the show in syndication reruns in the 1970s and died laughing. This pilot is amusing bot the series was amazing.
Beaver was so boring and the Munsters were hilarious. The prototype for the Bundy’s, the Simpson’s and Family Guy. Comedy gold.
I've a memory when was black-and-white
Wow...am I ever glad they recast this show! Herman doesn't look quite right...Phoebe is no Lily!...and what the heck were they thinking with that version of Eddy?! I LOVE the Munsters...one of my all time favorites! If they had stuck with this pilot cast...I think it would have flopped!
Love!! Except for obvious canned laughter AND grateful 100 for the recasting! 🙌🏻💯⚡️📺❤️💪🏻👏🏻
Thank GOD they recasted
Happy Derman as Eddie is terribly painful to watch.
***** LOL - One has to agree!
Brian Wilson same
Brian Wilson same
+Brian Wilson (hueyfann) I disagree I think it A tough contest between the two.
Just imagine if they had NOT recast. Who would even remember the show?
I would. I like this pilot better than the show
That was awful. Lily and Eddie were awful. I'm glad they made the changes.
Notice that the character of Hermann is different as well. In the series they made him more of a loveable goofball. That allowed Fred Gwynn to really bring out the best in his acting skills. He is so good in the series that he often upstages the other members of the cast.
***** Cool that you knew Fred Gwynne! (Loved the episode where Herman freaked out and yelled, "Car 54, where aaaaaaarrrrrrrre yoooooooooooou!") His makeup here is nearly identical to one of the test makeups for Boris Karloff from the first Frankenstein film.
dumbbo1 Fred Gyinn went on to play many parts on the radio show CBS Radio Mystery Theatre from the mid '70's to around 1990. You can google or click this link. archive.org/details/cbs_radio_mystery_theater He wasn't in all of them.
No argument about the kid!
Allen Woodall Lilly was very pretty
1964 Imperial Crown Coupe convertible to be specific (used to own a 64 Crown sedan)....fantastic car...regret not having it anymore
Love the color and how clear the picture is,for being the unaired pilot looks really sharp!
This was remastered. I remember an earlier upload of this episode and it was what you would expect from a film several decades old.
The series cast was awesome. I though this was the funniest show on TV when I was a kid watching reruns in the 1070s. It is cool to see the sets in color because the b/w recordings in syndication were so fuzzy.
The video quality of this pilot is amazing, like a film rather than TV.
They made the right choices in re-casting for sure.
This show would have went off into cancellation oblivion if the necessary adjustments had not been made.
@☆ Syriana ☆ i just SEEN you r reply . thanks for it.Its only been 6 years
what made you reach out all of sudden
i wrote that grammatically incorrect remark 6 years ago so one day a Syriana could get on here and correct it,
Wear your mask and seat belt.
I actually really liked the subtlety of the remake.
This is great! Most folks don't realize that actors in pilot episodes usually don't make it to the final televised show. Thanks
+Nichet Tucker , I'm glad that Fred Gwynne and Al Lewis were kept on, because they are amusing and memorable character actors here and in the regular series.
Very interesting early take on "The Munsters". The changes made between this and the 2nd pilot (same plot, but with Yvonne DeCarlo and Butch Patrick) were definite improvements, and in retrospect now seem obvious. Joan Marshall was rather colorless, playing it like Vampira, where in a comedy the role needed a certain flourish. Marshall herself seemed better suited to more "normal" parts, such as Capt Kirk's "old flame" in the Star Trek episode "Court Martial". Yvonne DeCarlo not only brought a greater professionalism, but the ability to handle comedy. Eddie, as portrayed here, was simply annoying -- and would have "worn thin" REAL fast. The constant "wolfman" arm swipes are distracting, and the spoiled brat routine was insipid. Can't necessarily blame the actor, however, as I'm sure he was just playing it as they wanted him to. Don't remember this kid in anything else, so don't know if he was any good as an actor. Grampa's part was pretty much set, but Herman still needed some development into the fun-loving, big-hearted hulk who always forgot his own strength. In both pilots, he plays it much too subdued, and doesn't give his comic ability any chance to shine. Glad to see that by the beginning of the show's regular run, they'd worked out all the "kinks" and created a true TV classic!
Good critique MKIVWWI. I agree that Yvonne DeCarlo was better for the role of Lily -- partly because of her better handling of comedy and also she seemed seemed more like the matriarch of the family. The early Eddie was awful -- Butch Patrick's role as a regular every day kid was much better.
MKIVWWI why is it in colour when the original series started in black and white? Or am i getting mixed up with that.
www.change.org/p/i-want-universal-to-make-a-new-munsters-property
it was rare, but back in those days, some pilots were made in color; then with the decision to go to series, one of the cost-cutting options was b/w..the original pilot to ''Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea'' was in color, while the fist season was in b/w...later, it was the opposite: some pilots were in b/w and aired as first episodes, with the rest of the series being in color..''Hogan's Heroes'' and ''Get Smart'' (both 1965) are examples of that.....
MKIVWWI !
Yes Gothtec it's Joan Marshall she did a good job as Phoebe, I like this one as I saw the same with Yvonne in the 60s, I like them both but I'm very happy to see this one for the first time recently, it's a very different flavor ! :)
Bonjour Emma i was waiting for your comment ! :)
Yvonne is big on the screen, Joan being a little kind of a less a character make the others bigger than life, this is why I think Joan will have been good as Mama Munster !
Yvonne, Fred & AL had great Chemistry together. So happy they recast the rolls.
Grandpa is still my fave Munster!
holy mother of god, joan marshall is beautiful as phoebe!
The monsters are much funnier I don't like Adam family too creepy
Herman Munster was briefly married to Morticia Addams at the time.
+Stablemable2 funny enough thats why yvone was cast instead
VERY FUNNY!!!
When he gets marilyn out of the car, I believe you can see the side of the Beverly hillbilly mansion set on the lot.
Can't wait for the remake of this classic hope it's just as good
Where'd you hear that?
This is the 15min unaired pilot made to sell the show to the networks. It's extremely interesting for a couple of reasons...one it's in color! and the other is that they had different actors for the part of "Lily" and "Eddie"! Joan Marshall played "Phoebe" (it was later changed to Lily when Yvonne DeCarlo came on board) and Nate 'Happy' Derman played "Eddie". Now while Joan did an interesting take on 'Lily' (as "Phoebe') she had the Vampira look. Vampira was inspired by the books of Charles Addams which was the basis of the sitcom "The Addams Family" was aired the same year as The Munsters in 1964. Morticia on The Addams Family had the Vampira look, so it probably was a good idea on part of the networks to change the look on Lily" to the Bride of Frankenstein look, given the fact that Herman was the Frankenstein Monster! Nate 'happy' Derman as 'Eddie' was very different than Butch Patrick's interpretation. Derman play Eddie very obnoxious and very intense at the same time, while Butch played him more subdued and not that intense. To some extent it was good that they did change the actors in the end, but it would have been interesting to have Joan Marshall and Nate Derman come back as guest stars as Lily's sister and nephew per say. Oh well..... alas we will never know.....
This "demo reel" was probably intended for NBC, who was virtually the ONLY network to schedule a handful of color shows in prime-time during that period [CBS had NONE; ABC- about two or three filmed shows]. When the SECOND "demo reel" was produced {with changes in cast and make-up}, that was for CBS' consideration. They "bought" the idea, and a full half-hour pilot was filmed for the series.
You never can tell.
The this show RIP Fred, Al , and Yvonne
If I made a reboot of The Munsters, I'd have the pilot dedicated to them, in addition to finding actors that can recreate the magic Fred, Al, and Yvonne made in the show.
And Beverley. Unfortunately, I just found out that she had died over 6 months ago.
Wow, I didn’t know that The Munsters had a pilot episode before it aired
It's so strange... Everyone looks so young in this episode, even though they're in color.
Glad to see they didn't recast Igor
😊😀😂🤣🤣👍🏽👍🏽!
I guess it's no wonder that it didn't air because the Eddie in this is overdone.
Crafting a movie or TV show isn't easy, even for pros. This gives you a glimpse into that process.
Thanks for educating me on that. I have not seen an episode in years and never knew (oer did not remember) that Pat priest was not the original
I DO like it being in color though...
+fool4singing colored tv was too expensive, that's why the show was in black & white
So, they never had the original colored tapes? :(
Good point, ant dude. I believe it was made on film, not video tape (which did exist at the time, but looked awful) so where are those rolls of film now, and are any more of them in color? I think it's likely that they used black and white film stock, partly to give it that Victorian Gothic look, and partly to save money; but they must have considered making it in color, otherwise there would be little value in making the pilot in color in the first place.
Incidentally, it would not be too difficult a task to accurately restore the color to all the episodes. Black and white images contain all the tonal information needed to recreate the original colors. In fact, the early (classic) Technicolor 3-strip process used only black and white film stock, exposed through three color filters.
Also on the subject of color, it's interesting to see that Herman is, in fact, a blue-ish grey color, and not bright green as many people assume when they have only seen the black and white shows.
Clark Kant Hey, you're not Superman. :P
I'm not? Then why do I keep getting undressed in phone booths?!
My God that Happy Dermon kid playing Eddie yuck horrable no one could never warm up to that character!
he doesnt look too happy.
And Joan Marshall came off like a dollar store Morticia Addams. Yvonne De Carlo is the ONLY Lily Munster!
@@codeblue8922 I'm honestly glad they recasted Yvonne as the Munster wife. The quality of this show would've deteriorated if one of the lead roles was a blatant Morticia Addams bootleg. Yvonne is just such a great Lily Munster. She's like a wholesome soccer mom that's not afraid to call you out if it's needed.
I couldn't think of names for my new pet rats. An episode of the Munsters came on and they were named Herman and Eddie.
Joan Marshall really rockd the vampires look, didn't she?
I wish they would have made The Munsters in color.
CBS wasn't telecasting ANY color programs when they "bought" the series in 1964, so filming it in color would have been pointless that season.
nah, black and white was much more appropriate. it was, after all, a spoof of all the old Dracula and Frankenstein movies which were all B&W. Besides, B&W is just plain creepier.
+YesYou123333 I agree because you couldn't tell what they really looked like in black and white.
+Kevin Enos I have to agree with you. There are things that are just better in black and white.
I can't understand the bias so many people have against B & W.
Personally, I like The Twilight Zone, the classic monster movies (Universal and the Geman horror expressionist/silent movies), film noir, and a lot of classic comedies better in B & W.
Colorization of movies and TV series that were originally done in B & W has never looked right to me.
There were technically color broadcasts being done before the mid-1960s -- The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson WAS a full-color show from its inception in 1962 -- BUT the TV standards hadn't been nailed down and there were at least 2-3 competing color broadcast/TV standards before they began being set. The vast majority of people still had "only" B & W TV.
It took a very long time for the color standards to be established. They HAD color sets in the 1950s but standard TV series/color production wasn't a thing until the late 1960s because of the extra film processing costs for color and the situation with the TV set manufacturers. That kind of situation (and the length of time it took to ESTABLISH a standard) is why the electronics industry does NOT like to set competing video standards. The last major format war we had was Blu ray versus HD DVD which pushed back the adoption of hi-def home video standards by the buying public for at least 3 years. Before that, there was the Beta/VHS situation in the late 1970s and early 1980s which kept videotape rentals and buys of movies on tape from being a big thing until the mid-1980s/late 1980s. It's just confusing for the average consumer and people will delay buying until they know a "standard" is going to last more than the next year!
Star Trek (1966) was one of the first dramatic/comedic TV series specifically designed to be shot in color from the start and was marketed to sell color TV sets (RCA?). It's true that there were earlier full-color TV series like Adam West's Batman. 1966 seems to be a critical year for mass-acceptance of color TV. A lot of series began in color from their start that year. Other TV series transitioned to color around the same time but had earlier seasons shot in B & W (I Dream of Jeannie, The Beverly Hillbillies, Gilligan's Island).
The mentality about "color-only" broadcasts was as much about the TV executives justifying the switch to full-color as the fact that a home video market didn't exist to resell old movies and TV shows until the 1980s.
Sure, there were sales of 8mm film dupes of TV shows and movies but those were never as big as VHS sales later became but VHS itself took a long time to establish its presence.
In the meantime, a lot of TV shows and anything in B & W other than established classics were junked and thrown away. That happened in both the US and the UK. A lot of classic TV series are incomplete (Doctor Who) or completely gone because of the practice of throwing away large parts of film libraries to make room for newer projects. There was never any thought these shows would be rebroadcast or eventually sold on home video in the future!
Disney was one of the few companies that kept most of its TV and film projects with the thought of marketing these things again in the future. It's only recently that Disney abandoned its practice of recirculating certain classic movies about every 7 years. Before that, they used to rebroadcast episodes of older TV productions like the original Mickey Mouse Club and their version of Zorro on the Disney Channel.
Yvonne DeCarlo who played as Lily Munster, I have to say wowee she was a hottie and attractive lady. They said that her hairdo as Lily Munster weigh at least 90 pounds. I always love the Munsters more than the Addams family but they are great and wonderful TV shows.
No it didn't weight 90 lbs. It was a standard ventilated wig . I've seen the real one on display at a museum.
Wearing 90 lbs on your head for hours a day would be exhausting and stressful, if not dangerous.
No wig ever made for any project has ever been 90lbs. It's the dumbest rumor that I've ever heard, and a person would have to be retarded to believe it. I have made wigs for over 33 years for film and TV. Even the longest of wigs would only weight a few ounces and the caps that they are ventilated into weighs nothing.
Agree glad they made the changes However I never seen this pilot before very interesting to say the least
Yvonne de carlo was a very attractive woman. Huge crush on her
Whoa...what a trip! Fred looked so much younger and leaner in the face than I remember. And "Phoebe" was freaking HOT. I thought at first that this was a recent updated unaired pilot, til Fred answered the door. Crazy!
Great show. I liked it the very the very first time I watched it.J.W....
If this had aired, the show would have flopped.