Amazing Photos From Auditions for “The Addams Family” TV Show in 1964

In 1964, the casting process for the original The Addams Family television series involved searching for actors who could embody the macabre yet charming essence of Charles Addams’ cartoons. Many of these auditions were captured in a series of iconic black and white photographs by Bill Ray for LIFE magazine.

Interestingly, John Astin was originally considered for the role of the butler (Lurch). Producers initially thought the show should revolve around the butler character. After a meeting with executive producer David Levy, it was decided he was a better fit for the patriarch. Astin was even given the choice between two names for his character: Gomez or Repelli. He chose Gomez.

Already an Oscar-nominated film star, Carolyn Jones was cast as Morticia to bring a “muted, witty, and deadly” elegance to the role. During auditions, John Astin (already cast) read lines with several potential Morticias. Jones was so dedicated to the role that she reportedly enjoyed hosting Addams-themed parties in her private life.

Ted Cassidy’s casting was a “miracle” of physical presence. Standing 6’9” (2m06), he showed up looking for work and perfectly embodied the looming butler. Originally, Lurch was intended to be entirely mute, only grunting or groaning. However, during his audition/early filming, Cassidy ad-libbed the line “You rang?” in his deep, resonant voice. The producers loved it so much they gave him regular dialogue.

Jackie Coogan, a former child star, was so determined to play Fester that when he wasn’t immediately cast, he went home, shaved his head, did his own makeup to look like the cartoon, and returned to the studio to “insist” he was the right choice.

Lisa Loring (Wednesday) was only five years old and couldn’t read yet during her audition. She had to memorize her lines by having them read aloud to her. She was selected partly due to her resemblance to Carolyn Jones.

Ken Weatherwax (Pugsley) was chosen from a group of “would-be Pugsleys” because he captured the “enthusiastic” nature Charles Addams intended for the boy. Other young boys, including a young Billy Mumy, were also considered.

The chemistry established in these 1964 auditions was so strong that the cast remained close for decades, even reuniting for a TV movie in 1977.

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50 Candid Photographs of Metallica at Their Headquarters “MetalliMansion” From 1983 Through 1986

The “MetalliMansion” is the legendary nickname for a rented house at 3132 Carlson Boulevard in El Cerrito, California, which served as Metallica’s headquarters from 1983 to 1986. This period is considered the most formative in the band’s history, as they lived, rehearsed, and wrote the bulk of their breakthrough material within its walls.

The band originally formed in Los Angeles in 1981, but they relocated to the San Francisco Bay Area in early 1983. This move was the result of a deal with bassist Cliff Burton, who agreed to join the band on the sole condition that they move to his home territory of El Cerrito. The band rented the Carlson Boulevard house shortly after, making it their base for the next three years.

While the house itself was the band’s residence, the garage was the true creative engine. In this space, Metallica composed and rehearsed nearly all the songs for two of the most influential albums in heavy metal history: Ride the Lightning (1984) and Master of Puppets (1986).

The garage has since been demolished and replaced by modern apartments, but its legacy remains central to the band’s lore. In 2018, Hetfield revealed he had acquired wood from the original garage before it was torn down. He used this reclaimed wood to build a custom guitar nicknamed “Carl” (after Carlson Boulevard) to preserve the history of the site.

Life at the MetalliMansion was characterized by raw energy and heavy drinking. Hetfield, Ulrich, and friend/manager Mark Whitaker were the primary residents. It was a magnet for fans and friends who would frequently drop by with cases of beer, leading to legendary nightly drinking sessions.

“It really was a Cinderella story for Metallica,” said Bay Area friend Rob Parker. “In 1983, people said, ‘Look at these guys. They don’t take anything seriously; they drink too much. They’ll never amount to anything. They were a goofy bunch of kids, but they had talent and drive, and by 1985, things were going hella fast.”

In April 2016, the band returned to the house for a nostalgic visit where Hetfield remarked, “Thankfully, most of the things that went on in here are forgotten. But we had a lot of fun. They were honored by the Mayor of El Cerrito with a proclamation recognizing them as a cultural institution.”

“The (Carlson) house was about eight hundred square feet and furnished with all kinds of junky, mismatched shit,” Ulrich recalled. “It had two bedrooms: Mark was in one and James and I shared the other. We had a Foamtech blanket up against the outer wall because it got so fucking cold in there.”

The property is now a multi-family rental. For a period, it was reportedly available as an Airbnb, allowing fans to stay in the historic location, though recent listings have been harder to find.

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Geraldine Chaplin: The Graceful Muse of Art-House Cinema

As the daughter of the legendary Charlie Chaplin, Geraldine Chaplin did not merely inherit a famous name, she forged a formidable legacy of her own as one of the most versatile and captivating actresses of her generation.

With her delicate, expressive features and a background in classical ballet, Geraldine brought a unique, ethereal grace to the screen. She first captivated international audiences with her poignant portrayal of Tonya in David Lean’s masterpiece, Doctor Zhivago (1965). However, it was her long-term collaboration with Spanish director Carlos Saura that truly showcased her range, as she became the face of Spanish art-house cinema in classics like Cria Cuervos (1976).

Known for her ability to convey deep emotion with a single glance, Geraldine Chaplin transitioned seamlessly between Hollywood epics and avant-garde European films. Even today, she remains a revered figure in world cinema, celebrated for her intellectual depth, her striking timeless beauty, and a career defined by artistic courage rather than celebrity lineage.

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The 1959 Chevrolet El Camino: A Masterpiece of Mid-Century Chrome

The 1959 Chevrolet El Camino remains one of the most striking examples of American automotive optimism. Launched as a direct response to the Ford Ranchero, the ’59 El Camino was more than just a “utility sedan”, it was a visual spectacle.

Built on the Brookwood station wagon platform, it featured the radical “Batwing” fins and iconic “cat’ eye” taillights that defined Chevrolet’s design language that year. Its sleek, low-slung profile and wrap-around windshield blurred the lines between a rugged workhorse and a high-end cruiser.

With its sprawling cargo bed and abundance of chrome detailing, the 1959 model captured the “Space Age"”spirit perfectly. Today, it is revered by collectors as a pinnacle of mid-century design, embodying an era when even a pickup truck was expected to look like a piece of jet-age art.

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30 Fascinating Photos of Sissy Spacek in the 1980s

Mary Elizabeth “Sissy” Spacek (born December 25, 1949) is an American actress and singer. She has received numerous accolades throughout her career spanning over five decades, including an Academy Award, three Golden Globe Awards, and a Screen Actors Guild Award as well as nominations for four British Academy Film Awards, three Primetime Emmy Awards, and a Grammy Award. For her contributions to the film industry, Spacek was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2011.

During the 1980s, Spacek solidified her status as one of Hollywood's premier leading actresses. She began the decade by winning the Academy Award for Best Actress for her 1980 portrayal of country music legend Loretta Lynn in Coal Miner’s Daughter. Notably, she performed her own vocals for the film’s soundtrack. Her performance was so authentic that the soundtrack earned her a Grammy nomination. Leveraging the success of the film, Spacek released a country music album titled Hangin’ Up My Heart in 1983, which saw modest success.

Following her Oscar win, she received three additional Academy Award nominations during the 1980s for her work in Missing (1982), The River (1984) and Crimes of the Heart (1986). She starred in a variety of other productions, including Heart Beat (1980), Raggedy Man (1981), Marie (1985), and ‘night, Mother (1986). 

Throughout the 1980s, Sissy Spacek was known for her “extraordinary ordinary” quality, often portraying strong, independent women in challenging real-world situations. She was famous for her freckles and red hair, often appearing on screen with little to no makeup, which helped her disappear into the “everywoman” roles she was known for.

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Humphrey Bogart’s Childhood Life

Humphrey Bogart (1899–1957), nicknamed Bogie, was one of the most influential American film actors of the 20th century, best known for defining the tough, world-weary hero of classic Hollywood cinema. In 1999, the American Film Institute officially ranked him as the number one male star of classic American cinema.

Humphrey DeForest Bogart was born on Christmas Day 1899 in New York City, the eldest child of Belmont DeForest Bogart and Maud Humphrey. The name “Bogart” derives from the Dutch surname “Bogaert,” meaning “orchard.” Belmont and Maud married in June 1898. He was a Presbyterian, of English and Dutch descent, and a descendant of Sarah Rapelje (the first European Christian girl born in New Netherland). Maud was an Episcopalian of English heritage and a descendant of Mayflower passenger John Howland. Humphrey was raised Episcopalian but was non-practicing for most of his adult life.

Bogart’s father was a cardiopulmonary surgeon. His mother was a commercial illustrator who received her art training in New York and France, including study with James Abbott McNeill Whistler. She later became art director of the fashion magazine The Delineator and a militant suffragette. Maud used a drawing of baby Humphrey in an advertising campaign for Mellins Baby Food. She earned over $50,000 a year at the peak of her career – a very large sum of money at the time, and considerably more than her husband’s $20,000. The Bogarts lived in an Upper West Side apartment, and had a cottage on a 55-acre estate on Canandaigua Lake in upstate New York. When he was young, Bogart’s group of friends at the lake would put on plays.

Bogart had two younger sisters: Frances (“Pat”) and Catherine Elizabeth (“Kay”). His parents were busy in their careers, and frequently fought. Very formal, they showed little emotion towards their children. Maud told her offspring to call her “Maud” instead of “Mother,” and showed little, if any, physical affection for them. When she was pleased, she “[c]lapped you on the shoulder, almost the way a man does,” Bogart recalled. “I was brought up very unsentimentally but very straightforwardly. A kiss, in our family, was an event. Our mother and father didn’t glug over my two sisters and me.”

Bogart was teased as a boy for his curls, tidiness, the “cute” pictures his mother had him pose for, the Little Lord Fauntleroy clothes in which she dressed him, and for his first name. He inherited from his father a tendency to needle, a fondness for fishing, a lifelong love of boating, and an attraction to strong-willed women.

Bogart attended the private Delancey School until the fifth grade and then attended the prestigious Trinity School. He was an indifferent, sullen student who showed no interest in after-school activities. Bogart later attended Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts, a boarding school to which he was admitted based on family connections.

Although his parents hoped that he would go on to Yale University, Bogart left Phillips in 1918 after one semester. He failed four out of six classes. Several reasons have been given; according to one, he was expelled for throwing the headmaster (or a groundskeeper) into Rabbit Pond on campus. Another cited smoking, drinking, poor academic performance, and (possibly) inappropriate comments made to the staff. In a third scenario, Bogart was withdrawn by his father for failing to improve his grades. His parents were deeply disappointed in their failed plans for his future.

30 Amazing Photos of a Young Evelyn Nesbit in the 1910s

Florence Evelyn Nesbit (December 25, 1884, or 1885 – January 17, 1967) was an American artists’ model, chorus girl, and actress. She is best known for her career in New York City, as well as her husband, railroad scion Harry Kendall Thaw, whose obsessive and abusive fixation on both Nesbit and the prominent architect Stanford White resulted in White’s murder by Thaw in 1906.

In the 1910s, Nesbit’s life was defined by a transition from being a passive figure in the “Trial of the Century” to an independent, though struggling, performer. After her husband was committed to an asylum for the 1906 murder of architect Stanford White, Nesbit found herself cut off from the wealthy Thaw family and forced to rebuild her life.

Between 1910 and 1912, Nesbit was a headliner on the Keith vaudeville circuit. While critics often noted her act relied more on her fame than raw talent, she drew large crowds as people flocked to see “the girl in the red velvet swing.” In 1913, she began a successful dancing partnership with Jack Clifford. Their popularity surged particularly after Harry Thaw escaped from his insane asylum that same year. In 1914, she published her first memoir, The Story of My Life, to capitalize on public interest and tell her side of the scandal. 

Nesbit gave birth to her only child, Russell William Thaw, in October 1910. She maintained that Harry Thaw was the father, though he vehemently denied it and the Thaw family used the dispute to cut her off financially. She finally divorced Harry Thaw in 1916. That same year, she married her dancing partner Jack Clifford, though the marriage was short-lived and he abandoned her by 1918.

Toward the end of the decade, she moved into the emerging film industry. She appeared in nearly a dozen silent films, including Redemption (1917), in which she acted alongside her son.

Despite earning significant money in vaudeville, she faced constant financial pressure as the Thaw family withheld her expected inheritance. During this decade, she also began a lifelong battle with morphine addiction and alcoholism. Evelyn Nesbit in the 1910s was essentially America’s first modern “famous for being famous” celebrity, trying (and often failing) to find a stable identity outside of the tragedy that made her a household name.

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