La famille Addams: C'est la fête

When Charles Addams' cartoon of a family who was too far into Halloween than most families were, he probably wasn't sure what a success it would be. When his creation was adapted into the 1964 show, the characters became larger than life with their unique personalities and interests. While the show itself only lasted two seasons, it made a lasting impression on several viewers. For couples, Gomez and Morticia are popular choices for costume Halloween parties. And although the look of the characters weren't an exact match to that of Charles Addams' original drawings, the look was iconic nonetheless. Amazingly several years later, most of the original cast returned for a TV movie special revolving around the season of Halloween.

The focus of the plot is around the holiday where the Addams will be celebrating all hallows eve. To them, it's their Christmas time. Before the end of the night, a legend by the name of Cousin Shy comes to give gifts and carve pumpkins. Meanwhile, a group of crooks lead by the boss (Parley Baer) want to infiltrate the Addams' home to steal their family fortune by luring Gomez to a lodge meeting far away. Simultaneously, Gomez (John Astin) is worried about his brother Pancho (Henry Darrow) having feelings for Morticia (Carolyn Jones). For a TV movie, it very much feels like an extended episode to the show but all in good fun. It's rather shocking considering the director, David Steinmetz, had no experience prior or after this event. Was he even directing?

Writing the script was George Tibbles, who also wrote for Dennis the Menace and Leave It to Beaver. As mentioned before the execution feels much like an extended episode and nothing more. The subplots about Gomez's brother Pancho and his advances on Morticia are bit out of place. Henry Darrow as Pancho looks very much like Gomez Addams and acts very similar, which has some comedic timing. But the point of having him being there is only because of the fake trip Gomez is going on. As for the crooks who want to break into the Addams' household, it could have very well been left out. Parley Baer, Patrick Campbell and Vito Scotti add comedic moments but they play random characters; not returning ones of such. There's even impostors who stand in as Gomez and Morticia.

In spite of all this though, this special is still watchable for the original cast themselves. Not only has time passed, but Morticia and Gomez have added children Pugsley Jr. (Ken Marquis) and Wednesday Jr. (Jennifer Surprenant). Ken Weatherwax and Lisa Loring who played the original Pugsley and Wednesday are now grown and also return to the family household. Ted Cassidy returns as the lumbering Lurch and still has his funny moments. Jackie Coogan also returns as Uncle Fester and still doesn't understand anyone outside the house. Felix Silla even has his moments as cousin It going back and forth with Gomez Addams. And of course, as if it had to be mentioned; Carolyn Jones and John Astin as the classic Addams couple still have their same comedic delivery.

For what's on screen, the visual gags are still funny too. Filmed by Jacques R. Marquette, the cinematographer to Attack of the 50 Foot Woman (1958), the camera angles used here make use of the entire set. Thing's appearances between rooms always provides a good laugh. There's even props used that have pyrotechnics. Lastly, the music was supported by original composer Vic Mizzy, who also composed the original theme for the show. Since it was a special, the intro is a tad different but still remains as lively and memorable as the original. The cues used from transitions and other doodads all works appropriately to the situation occurring at the time.

Following the success of the show, majority of the original cast return for this Halloween themed TV movie special, and it could have been worse. While the subplots going on around the main characters don't amount to much, it's still fun seeing the same chemistry return for one more extended period of time.

As stated by others, this is not as well-crafted as the more recent movies, but this was a pilot attempt to revive the original series in 1977.

Nearly all the cast returned, and new young children (Wednesday Junior and Puglsey Junior) were also added. Unlike the sound stage original, this special was shot on video in a real house, with props added, including good ol' Thing.

But, like many other shows that made the black and white to color transformation, the Addams' gallows dark humor seems lost in a bright colorful world of early video tape. Still, hats off to the performance of the original cast especially John Astin, Caroline Jones, Jackie Coogan and Ted Cassidy.

During the 1970s and into the 80s, a ton of classic TV comedies were brought back through made for TV movies. What revivals of "The Beverly Hillbillies", "Leave it to Beaver", "The Andy Griffith Show", "Green Acres" and other programs have in common is that the reunion shows were painful to watch. Much of it is because you simply cannot recreate the magic and much of it is because the writing was so bad and much of it is because several of these revivals were ruined by dead cast members. For example, with the "Leave it to Beaver" special, Hugh Beaumont was dead so scenes with him were done by having June talk to Ward at his grave!! In the case of "The Beverly Hillbillies" too many old cast members were dead or refused to do the reunion...so they did it anyway!

So how does this "Addams Family" reunion stack up with the rest? Well, in some ways it's quite a bit better. The only missing cast member was Blossom Rock (Grandmama) and she was not a pivotal member of the cast. In addition, several very familiar old 60s TV guest stars (Parley Baer and Vito Scotti) were there as well. So at least in this sense the show achieved something...though the house set was gone and the Addams' new house just isn't the same. As far as the most important part goes, the show is only fair...at best. The writing and pacing of the show TRY to recreate the magic but cannot. The plot is only okay at best and the laugh track didn't work because the laughs and goofiness were just not there. Overall, mildly interesting for die-hard fans but like all the reunion shows I mentioned, it's still a mistake...albeit a better than usual mistake for the genre. A score of 4, while not good, is lightyears better than the "Green Acres" and "Beverly Hillbillies" reunions...and slightly better than the others I mentioned.

Eleven years after the previous televised adventures of the Addams Family, Gomez' brother, Pancho (Henry Darrow), visits just in time for a Halloween celebration. He's still interested in Morticia (Carolyn Jones), which stirs the jealousy of Gomez (John Astin). Meanwhile some burglars (Vito Scotti, et al.) are interested in getting their hands on the family fortune. The cast also includes Ted Cassidy (Lurch), Jackie Coogan (Uncle Fester) and Felix Silla (Cousin Itt), amongst others.

"Halloween with the New Addams Family" (1977) was considered a pilot for a revival series, which wasn't picked up and wisely so. While I always prefer color over B&W, this is the exception because the color mixed with videotape, as opposed to film, give the proceedings a seriously amateur quality. It's so bad you'll be tempted to tune out in 5-10 minutes.

Also, the Addams' house set is long gone and the real-life mansion used (cited below) just isn't very effective by comparison. Then there are curious additions that don't work, like Gomez's brother who's basically a replica of Gomez. It's the same with Wednesday Jr. And Pugsley Jr., who add nothing to the proceedings. So why are they there? Lastly, the corny gags that were amusing in the mid-60s are now hackneyed and unfunny, like the spy (Vito Scotti) being scared by every little odd thing in the Addams' creepy manor.

Thankfully, Carolyn still looks great and Lisa Loring as Wednesday Sr. Is a highlight on the feminine front, being 18 during shooting. There are some entertaining bits, but this is strictly for die-hard fans of the 60's show interested in a low-rent reunion over a decade later.

The flick runs 1 hour, 14 minutes, and was shot at Higgins-Verbeck-Hirsch Mansion, Los Angeles.

GRADE: C-

This low-budget, color video followup to the 1960s Addams Family series was a hardcore stinker. The original series, which in my opinion was never as clever as the original Charles Addams cartoons which inspired it, nevertheless had a certain charm and atmosphere that made a big impact on me as a kid. This special had none of that, and was little more than a chance to point the camera at the same group of actors (or at least the surviving ones). I mean, it ends with the family singing a Halloween carol! How lame is that? I had the good fortune to meet Charles Addams shortly before he died in 1988. While he was politely dismissive of the original series (he called it a kids' show, but not a bad one), he mentioned the reunion show as being singularly terrible. I agree.