The Unofficial Addams Family
Episode Guide - 1977 Halloween Special

Halloween With The New Addams Family

The Addams Family survived so well in syndication that an attempt to revive it was perhaps inevitable. Comic-book humor was transfering to the TV screens by 1977. Wonder Woman was flexing her muscles and other body parts, and Charles Fries had already produced the pilot for the short-lived TV version of Spiderman, and The Incredible Hulk was about to burst on the scene. Quirky humour seemed to be coming back, and Fries opted to try an updated version of The Addams Family to see if the show could still work its old magic. If the ratings had allowed, the show would have returned to production once again. However, the ratings - and the critical reviews - sank the attempt.

Almost the entire cast of the original show returned for this new version, but instead of being studio-bound, it was videotaped on location in a real house. The special effects team rigged up a few extra touches, such as cauldrons and a graveyard instead of a backyard, but none of the old Addams' touches were really evident inside the house. The television movie was highly publicized, and first broadcast on the 30th of October 1977 - the night before Halloween.

Cast

Gomez Addams

John Astin

Morticia Frump Addams

Carolyn Jones

Uncle Fester

Jackie Coogan

Lurch

Ted Cassidy

Grandmama Addams

Jane Rose

Wednesday Friday Addams (Senior)

Lisa Loring

Wednesday Friday Addams (Junior)

Jennifer Suprenant

Pugsley Addams (Senior)

Ken Weathervax

Pugsley Addams (Junior)

Ken Marquis

Cousin Itt

Felix Silla

Thing

Itself

Pancho Addams

Henry Darrow

Mikey

Vito Scotti

Boss Crook

Parley Baer

Little Bo Peep

Patrick Campbell

Fake Gomez

Dean Sothern

Fake Morticia

Terry Miller

Hercules

David Johns

Atlas

Clinton Beyerle

First Cop

George Ranito Jordan

Countess Dracula

Suzanne Krarna

Plot
Gomez's brother, Pancho, is staying with the Family while Gomez goes to a lodge meeting in Tombstone, Arizona. Gomez is jeaious of his brother, who once courted Morticia. Halloween is nigh, and Pancho tells the legend of Cousin Shy, who distributes gifts and carves pumpkins. Actually, Gomez has been lured off by crooks, who' ve bugged the house in order to steal the Family fortune. Lafferty, the boss, sends Mikey to investigate. Wednesday (Senior) is home from music academy, where she studied the piccolo (she breaks glass with it). Pugsley (Senior) is home from Nairobi medical school, where he's training to be a witch doctor. Mikey panics and flees after treading on Kitty Kat's tail. The crooks have a fake Gomez and Morticia to help in their plans, along with two strong-arm goons, Hercules and Atlas. Gomez returns home for the Halloween party and trimming the scarecrow.

Lafferty poses as Quincy Addams (from Boston) to get in. He has his men tie up Gomez and Morticia and his doubles take their places, confusing Pancho, who' s still got the hots for Morticia. Lurch scares off the thugs and terrifies the assistant crook. Fester, trying to be nice, puts Lafferty on the rack. Lafferty tries to escape through the secret passage and steps on Kitty Kat's tail. When the police arrive, they surrender. The Family is then free to celebrate Halloween happily.

Additional Information
Gomez has suddenly acquired a look-alike brother who was previously unknown, he's also a Mason. Most of the Family is reunited for this film, including the older children, though they also have two younger look- and-name- alike children. Lady Fingers returns as Mother Frump's aide. In the cemetery out back are graves for Uncle Faustus, Salem Addams, Uncle Morbid and Charles Freeze Addams. The person whose foot is in the swordfish's mouth has now become Cousin Ahab.

One joke in the movie, where the crooks decide to 'Let Mikey do it', is based on a then-popular breakfast cereal commercial.

This was an attempt to revive the old series using most of the original cast (minus Blossom Rock, who was too old and frail to return). It failed abysmally in the ratings, mostly because it wasn't very funny. Oddly, the writer of this revival had never worked on the original Addams Family - but had worked extensively on The Munsters.

Production Credits
Written by George Tibbles
Directed by David Steinmetz
Music by Vic Mizzy
'A Merry, Shh, Creepy Hallowe'en'
Words by David Levy
Music by George Tibbles
Produced by David Levy
Executive Producer Charles Fries
Director of Photography Jacques R. Marquette, ASC
Associate Producer Paul Pieratt
Art Director Bill Ross
Production Manager William P. Owens
Assistant Director Peter Barth
Technical Director Jim Swick
Audio Jack Tossman
Casting Carol Jones
Videotape Editor Ken Baker
Technical Operations Supervisor Fred Donelson
Stage Managers David Wader, Paul Pieratt, Jr.
Special Effects Knott Limited
Costume Designer Jim Kessler
Makeup Carol L. Dary
Hair Stylist Helen Grizuk
Costume Supervisor Vou Lee Giokanis
Properties Randall 'Ted' Berkeley
Set Decorator Edward Parker
Production Controller Linda Sohy
Assistant to Director Lynn Tanke
Production Assistant Joseph John Kontra
Location Video Facilities Spectrum Video
Executive in Charge of Production Malcolm Stuart

'The Addams Family' created for television by David Levy based upon the original cartoons by Charles Addams Charles Fries Productions, Inc. in association with Wilshire Productions, Inc.

This review and information is from
The Addams Family and Munsters Programme Guide
by John Peel
ISBN 0-86369-837-9
Copyright © 1997. Jon A. Davis. All rights reserved.