Munster, Go Home!

Of course it would have been impossible for the Munsters to take a trip to England in a 25-minute TV episode. So it's fun to see it finally happen. I'm not the world's biggest Munster fan, but I've been watching the series ever since I was a little kid and I do love it (a wee bit). This, in particular, is a fun adventure, in which Herman inherits an English title and goes to the Sceptred Isle to claim it, even in spite of the wishes of his greedy cousins, who want the title for themselves. Naturally, this movie has the same kind of rim shot-based gags that highlight the show ("I thought he was made in Germany"), but it also has a great deal of fun and some gags are really quite funny, not to mention the drastic culture shock that takes place when the Munsters-- who aren't even normal Americans-- take Great Britain by storm. So if you like "The Munsters," you should go ahead and give "Munster, Go Home!" a try. You won't be disappointed.

The Munsters read a will from their late English relative. Herman is named the new Lord of Munster Hall and inherits a vast estate. The family is off to England but their distant relatives have dire plans for them.

I've never seen the TV show but it's not that complicated. They're a lovely bunch. It's a little silly. It's light. It's nothing outrageously funny but it's cute enough. It's cute enough.

I have to admit this one kind of had me reaching. Munster Go Home has our friendly Gothic cast from the television series going to the United Kingdom to claim the title of Lord Munster. Needless to say the guy who hoped he would inherit the title Terry-Thomas is not pleased. Neither of course is Lady Munster wannabe Hermione Gingold and their faithful retainer butler John Carradine. In fact Carradine's working an agenda all his own.

I'm still puzzling over how someone who was put together with old body parts can possibly claim any lineage for a title. But I think I'm being picky there.

Anyway Fred Gwynne, Yvonne DeCarlo, Al Lewis, and Butch Patrick from the television series all return for the feature film and Debbie Watson becomes the third actress to play Marilyn who thinks she's an ugly duckling because of the beautiful family she's from. The cruise to the other side of the pond should have made her rethink those notions as she sees everyone else on the ship and gets romanced by Robert Pine.

Nothing great here, but if you're a fan of the show you should like it.

Only the laugh track is missing from this movie version of the classic TV series. The absence of the canned laughter makes some of the sight gags seem like they go on a little too long, but other than that, I give the writer and director credit for doing the series justice. It's too bad that writers and directors of more recent times can't learn a few things from their predecessors about making movies out of TV shows.

This movie was filmed around the time the series was still in production, using writers and a director from the original. No doubt, that is a major advantage when trying to capture the original flavor. Some might argue that the movie should have been done in black and white, but the color is not overdone and actually adds a nice touch. With the exception of Marilyn, the original cast is there. Marilyn's role changed hands in the series anyway. Debbie Watson does fine, so it's not a significant distraction.

This is good light fare for the family looking for some classic innocent fun. Fans of the series should like it as well. It is nothing more than it tries to be - a movie version of the series with a few extras (color, location, and length.) The movie delivers on that, and I give it high marks.

Fans of this movie should also try "The Ghost and Mr. Chicken." It has nothing to do with the Munsters (other than the house facade happens to be located next door to the Munster house on the Universal Studios back-lot), but it is more classic comedy with a spooky twist. It stars Don Knotts during his heyday.

This film appeared at the height of the Swinging London movement of the mid-Sixties, when even Batman made a televised visit to Britain. A cross section of British funnymen came aboard to welcome America's improbably sweet family of ghouls to the old country. (And never mind that the name "Munster" is Irish and not English).

Fred Gwynne never looked back after making this final appearance as Frankenstein's monster, so bitter was he at the lingering pain performing the role caused him. It's a shame, because he was never better than in this lightweight role of goofy old Herman.

As he was in "Car 54", Al Lewis is Gwynne's sidekick, gleefully gnawing on the scenery as an over-the-top sendup of Dracula. Frankenstein vs. Dracula sounds like one of those high-concept films only the hard core will watch, but these two made it work.

I saw this film in the theater during its first run and continue to enjoy it on its occasional TV appearances. Often these are during the run-up to Halloween, when "Munster Go Home" acts as an antidote to the depressing run of horror films.