As we are well into the Halloween season, our propane company would love to discuss one of America’s favorite ghoulish families: The Addams family. Making their debut as a cartoon in The New Yorker, this family would grow increasingly popular over the years. With so much history behind them, let’s take a deeper dive into the fascinating history of the Addams family.

Cartoon

Cartoonist Charles Addams is responsible for the creation of the eccentric Addams family in 1938. Originally a single-panel cartoon, audiences fell in love with the wacky, macabre family. Living in a dilapidated Victorian mansion on a hill, this loving family embraces all things spooky and strange.

TV Show

In 1964, ABC created an adaptation of this peculiar family in a popular television series, which ran for two years. The catchy, finger-snapping theme song emerged during this series.

Unfortunately, the New Yorker decided not to publish any more Addams Family cartoons while the TV show was on air. The editor felt that his publication targeted a more sophisticated audience who did not want to associate with a TV show. Once the editor retired in 1987, the magazine resumed publishing the cartoons.

Animated TV Series

From 1973 to 1975, NBC created an animated version of the popular TV series. However, this show depicted the family touring the country in a spooky RV. However, this cartoon did not include the theme song we all know and love. In 1992, ABC remade the Addams Family animated series, but it was not very successful and only ran for a year.

The Addams Family Movie

In 1991, the Addams Family Movie debuted to wild success. Featuring an all-star cast, including Raul Julia, Anjelica Huston, Christina Ricci, and Christopher Lloyd, this movie delighted Halloween enthusiasts worldwide. Here are some interesting facts about the movie:

Anthony Hopkins Was Offered the Role of Uncle Fester

Although esteemed actor Anthony Hopkins was offered the role of Uncle Fester, he turned it down to play Hannibal Lecter in Silence of the Lambs. This role would become one of his most famous film roles and earned him a Best Actor Oscar.

The Screenwriters Originally Wanted Tim Burton as a Director

Famous for his spooky, surreal movies, including Beetlejuice and Edward Scissorhands, Tim Burton was rumored to be the original director. Although he had worked with the movie’s screenwriters on previous projects, Burton decided not to take the job. Wouldn’t it be interesting to see Tim Burton’s interpretation of the movie?

The Director’s First Movie

Instead of Burton, seasoned cinematographer Barry Sonnenfeld landed the job as the film’s director. Amazingly enough, this was the first movie that Sonnenfeld directed, which turned out to be a commercial hit.

Christina Ricci Champions the Cause of Uncle Fester

Originally, the script called for an Uncle Fester to actually be an imposter named Gordon. However, the actress who played Wednesday Addams begged the director to change the script so that Uncle Fester was, in fact, a real Addams family member. The only actor who seemed unfazed either way was Christopher Lloyd, who played the role of Uncle Fester.

Christopher Lloyd Was a Huge Fan of the Addams Family TV Show and Cartoons

Growing up, not only was Christopher Lloyd a huge fan of the Addams family, but Uncle Fester was one of his favorite characters. However, Uncle Fester is a short, fat, character with a bald head and a round face.

In real life, Lloyd is 6’1 feet tall and rather lanky in appearance. Through the use of prosthetics and makeup, Lloyd was able to transform his appearance. He also bent his knees to appear shorter, which also provided him with a rather unusual gait.

Morticia Addams

Although the actress and singer, Cher, was interested in playing Morticia Addams, the role went to the esteemed actress, Anjelica Huston. Huston wanted to distance herself from Carol Jones’ portrayal of Morticia in the 1960’s TV series. Instead, she drew her inspiration from two different sources.

Huston studied the 1975 documentary, Grey Gardens, which focused on a mother and daughter, who were the aunt and cousin of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. Refusing to leave their decaying mansion in the Hamptons, this duo lived in squalor. Most likely, Huston drew from their eccentricities to play Morticia Addams.

Despite her taste for the spooky and macabre, Morticia Addams is a very warm, loving wife and mother. Drawing inspiration from her friend Jerry Hall, ex-wife of Mick Jagger and loving mother, Huston added a warm maternal kindness to her character.

Creating the Look of Morticia

Morticia’s shape and overall look were very hard to translate from a cartoon to real life. On set, Huston was subjected to wearing an extremely uncomfortable tight metal corset on a daily basis. Her facial features also required extensive makeup, complete with eye lifts and neck tucks.

Despite their love for all things weird and spooky, the Addams family are more likable than they are scary. If you love a good fright, we recommend that you watch a classic horror movie to make your heart race.

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