Customer Reviews

The Munsters - America's First Family of Fright (Documentary)

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Back in August 2004, Universal released The Munsters: Season One DVD. The set featured all 38 episodes plus the unaired pilot, but no extras. This set, The Munsters - America's First Family of Fright, an independent 2-disc (243 min.) set, with extras, from Image Entertainment was also planned to arrive on August 24th, the same day as Universal's The Munsters: Season One release. Fearing consumers would be confused by what they would be getting from the two Munsters sets, Image pulled their release with the intent to simply release it at a later date. But then Universal expressed interest in using it as extras for the Munsters Season Two set. Universal and Image negotiated and voila! The Munsters Season Two released with extras: the four documentaries that make up Disc One of this 2-disc set listed below.

Four Amazing Looks at the Munsters:
The Munsters: America's First Family of Fright
Fred Gwynne: More than a Munster
Yvonne DeCarlo: Gilded Lily
Al Lewis: Forever Grandpa


And here's the previously unreleased material you're getting that make up Disc Two of this 2-disc set:

Hours of Eerie Extras:
"My Fair Munster" plus 3 Different Presentations in Black and White and Color; Unaired Main Title Sequence (Pilot Version); CBS Network Promos; The Munsters in Several Vintage TV Special Appearances: "Seven Wonderful Nights" (CBS Special with Buddy Ebsen); "Wayne & Schuster Take an Affectionate Look at the Monsters"; "Marineland Carnival" (CBS Special); "Big G, Little O"; "It's What's Happening, Baby" (with "Murray the K"); "We Don't Knock" (with Lenny Clarke).

Plus: Universal Newsreels; Syndication TV Spots; Munsters Go Home Theatrical Trailer and TV Spots.


This set is a "no-brainer" purchase if you don't already own The Munsters Season Two DVD, but for those that do already own the Munsters Season Two set (with the Disc One documentaries from this set), just know you run the risk of double-dipping on Disc One content (assuming the docs are the same versions) so you may want to first rent and compare before you decide to buy.

Two years ago, Image Entertainment announced the release of this DVD only to have it yanked from release just days before Universal's release of "The Munsters" Season One. It seems Universal was "spooked" that another Munsters DVD item might confuse buyers. A compromise was reached: Image would withdraw the item voluntarily but Universal would release all four of the one-hour Munsters documentaries as VAM on their Season Two DVD. So why purchase this disc? Well, in addition to the really terriffic documentaries (originally produced by for A&E's Emmy Award-winning Biography series), Image has added LOTS of great bonus material, all digitally remastered from original 16mm and 35mm elements! In addition to two (2) extremely rare versions of the original 1964 Presentation entitled, "My Fair Munster" (which are, by the way, different from the one Universal released as VAM on the Season One disc), there are vintage TV spots, a cast commercial for Cheerios, a promo for the Munsters' 1965 TV Special at Marineland, "Munster, Go Home" trailers and TV spots, vintage Universal Studios newsreels and even a PSA featuring Fred Gwynne as Herman Munster for a US Government youth program -- to name just a few! But wait! There's MORE! As if nearly five full hours of content were not enough, Image added an hour of excerpts from cast interviews with Al Lewis, Yvonne DeCarlo, Butch Patrick and all three original Marilyns (Beverley Owen, Pat Priest and Debbie Watson)! Look, if you're NOT a Munsters fan, there's no reason to buy this DVD (or even read this review, for that matter). But if you ARE a Munsters fan, you MUST add this well produced item to your collection. Trivia Note: The featured documentary, "The Munsters: America's First Family of Fright" is narrated by Bill Mumy of "Lost in Space" and "Babylon 5" fame. Bill also guest starred on "The Munsters" in an episode entitled, "Come Back, Little Googie." Pretty cool, eh? Additional Note: All four documentaries and all contents of the discs were produced by #1 Munsters fan, Kevin Burns. Burns is the prolific filmmaker who made the definitive documentaries on Apes ("Behind the Planet of the Apes"), "Star Wars" ("Empire of Dreams") and Superman ("Look, Up in the Sky"). He also created and produces E! Entertainment's hit reality series, "The Girls Next Door."

.....this Image Entertainment set WAS in fact released in the US, for I owned it before the Season Two "Munsters" package came to be, and still have it in my library, along with the Season Two.

However, though the documentaries are the same on both packages, the Season Two does NOT contain what's on Disc Two of this Image release: one hour of uncensored and in-depth interviews with all of the then-surviving cast members, including both TV Marilyns, plus Debbie Watson, who played Marilyn in the "Munster Go Home!" feature film.

So if you're a total Munster-Maniac, as I am, you must have this package as well. Sorry, Catwoman, WRONG AGAIN!!!!!

This two-disc DVD set will thrill serious buffs of the legendary 1960's sitcom THE MUNSTERS even if half of it may be quite familiar; disc one is a collection of four episodes from the BIOGRAPHY series that were dedicated to the show and it's three main stars (Fred Gwynne, Yvonne De Carlo, Al Lewis). These episodes are in the mega MUNSTERS COMPLETE SERIES dvd set so it's target audience likely already has them still the other disc here is certainly worth the reasonable list price of this set alone.

Disc two features an hours worth of additional footage from 1990's interviews with the cast (De Carlo, Lewis, Butch Patrick, and all three Marilyn's - Pat Priest, Beverly Owen, Debbie Watson) from their interviews filmed for the above Biography episodes. The comments are generally light, positive, and rather bland; there were no major quabbles or "dirt" on the set of this series and it's cast of pros.

This disc also contains about an hour of brief footage from other TV appearances by the cast (usually just Gwynne) in character. I really wish they would have given us the complete episodes of some of these programs even if the Munsters bits are short. One especially longs to see the apparently lost CBS special MARINELAND CARNIVAL with the full cast in their characters for this variety special flmed at the famous California attraction which here is represented by it's promo commercial. There's also a couple of Universal studio theatrical newsreels (still in production in the 1960's!!) featuring public appearances by Gwynne and Lewis.

This set could have been better had it included some of 1980's and 1990's various television appearances of the cast such as the full cast reunion on a short-lived talk show, Lewis' intros for the horror movie show he hosted and the TBS marathon of MUNSTERS episodes with his guests Patrick and Priest, De Carlo's rare 1990's talk show appearance on VICKI, etc. I realize getting the rights to such clips would have not been inexpensive but still I'd imagine most Munsterphiles would have gladly paid more for this set with those features. As it stands, it's still a terrific set and an absolute must have for devoted fans of the show.

This is actually a great release. I bought this to supplement my Season One, Season Two, and Munster movies collection. A lot of the material here is repeated on the Munsters Season special features, but it still has additional unreleased material that is needed for any completist. The casual fan can pass on this package, but to any Munstermaniac, this is a must have!

This entire DVD is already on the Munster televised series. You do not need to buy this if you buy the first two seasons.

The Munsters - America's First Family of Fright was an excellent documentary and I love it's. If you an fan of the show,you have to purchase this one for your collection, if you do not have it.

Awesome shipping from the seller! Haven't had a chance to preview all of it yet, but it looks great!

KEVIN BURNS does a GREAT job at collecting all things MUNSTERS! Yvonne will be missed!

For 60's TV fans, this should be a great addition to their collections. It should be a fun Halloween DVD :)