Customer Reviews

The Munsters: Television's First Family of Fright

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Hello Munster Fans! This book by Stephen Cox is so wonderful. It is so hard to find.. It is out of print and it took me 5 years to find a copy.. Talks about Yvonne De Carlo and Fred Gwynne to Pat Priest... If you can get your hands on it, you will LOVE it....

I found this in my local used-book cellar for $6.00. If you, too, had a soft spot for these guys as a kid and just want to reminisce, this happy little book is worth your while. Author Steve Cox, the king of quickie books about those goofy old sitcoms, does his usual thorough job- at the time, all the cast members were still alive and the show was still in frequent reruns. I especially liked reading about things like the Herman Munster costume and makeup (it took two hours for Gwynne to be fitted!), the Munster Koach and Drag-ula cars (two more Kustom Kar Kreations from George Barris), and other Munster trivia. I also had no idea there was a "Munsters Today" remake; to these eyes, I'm sure Lee Ann Meriwether made a very nice Lily (she was a great Catwoman in the "Batman" movie from the '60s). I liked this book- it's, to my knowledge, the only one about the Munsters- but I sure wouldn't spend sixty bucks for it unless I was a hopeless Munster maniac. See what you can find in your local used book store?

I have been a fan of The Munsters since I saw the very first episode in 1964. I purchased the "First Family of Fright" book in 1989 and have enjoyed it ever since. The book is in an easy to read format, with page margins of 7/8". The photographs are of good quality and interesting, including the unused makeup with larger ears for Butch Patrick, some publicity shots and many behind the scenes photos. The book also provides interesting details about the Munster house exterior and how it was built in the mid-1940's with its neighbors on the Universal back lot being the Norman Bates and the Cleaver family residences. It also details Grampa's dragster, the difficulties with Herman's costume, the brief pilot episode "My Fair Munster" as well as the Munster movies. Now that I have the Munsters first season on DVD, I am referring to this book all the time. One note: there is at least one inaccuracy in the episode guide. Roy Roberts (Admiral Rogers in McHale's Navy) does not appear in the "Walk on the Mild Side" episode. Actor Barry Kelley, who looks and sounds like actor Roberts, played Police Commissioner Ludlow in this episode.

To my knowledge, this is the only comprehensive book written on the Munsters! As with all Stephen Cox books, this one is absolutely incredible. If you can get your hands on this rare little gem, BUY IT NOW! I paid a small fortune for 2 of them on eBay a few years ago and this book was worth every penny!

I fell for the hype and searched the world over for a copy of this book. Finally found one out of an online book dealer in Paris and paid $47 total for a copy. The book is OK but there's hardly anything new for even basic Munster fans. The copy is strrrrrrreeeeeeettttttccccchhhhhhhhhhhed throughout, for example, wide, wide margins and some pages have just one or two lines of text. Sorry, but this was one of the most anticipated books for my collection and I feel completely ripped-off. I would feel the same had I paid the book jacket price as well. Cox's Addams Family book is leaps and bounds better than this. Live and learn.

Where oh where can I find a copy of this book? Help! mraves@desert-resorts.org