Customer Reviews

The Munsters: A Trip Down Mockingbird Lane

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I thoroughly enjoyed this lavishly illustrated book about everybody's favorite family of ghouls. Author Steve Cox was able to touch base with each of the cast members and many of the behind-the-scenes folks who worked on the show (and the movies), and he weaves the many perspectives into a cohesive and delightful look at the people who made the Munsters what it was (and still is). What becomes clear to me is that although there was some friction and conflict on the set (I leave the details to the devoted reader), these people were professionals who knew how to do their jobs and did them better than anyone else could. Subsequent re-incarnations of the family of 1313 Mockingbird Lane have proved that such show-business lightning doesn't strike twice. I gained great respect for Fred Gwynne in particular, who suffered physically and emotionally during the show...a brilliant performer and a great human being! And Al Lewis-though it's somewhat disturbing to think that I am now older than Mister Lewis was when he portrayed Grandpa, I am dazzled by what he brought to the role. Not content with traipsing out the old Lugosi "I want to suck your blood...blah!" stuff, Mr. Lewis created a unique and loveable character from the ground up. Although he may not have been given carte blanche, he certainly took it and ran with it. Butch Patrick, Yvonne DeCarlo and Pat Priest all knew what would work and surprised you with their brilliant work on the show. In short, a wonderful book about a classic of television history...The Munsters!

...unless you're "The Munsters", that is.

Steve Cox has done an incredible job updating, redesigning and totally transforming his earlier (and very much sought after) Munsters book from 1989 ("America's First Family of Fright"). With the benefit of new information, even more inside cast info, up-to-date interviews and -- most notably -- hundreds of incredible color and never-before-seen photographs, this book makes the the earlier effort look like a dry run by comparasion. Even the quality and clarity of the images is astounding. And the art direction is flawless.

It's fun and informative. Too bad Fred Gwynne and Al Lewis aren't around. I'm sure even they would have been impressed.

I never thought that I had much in common with Howard Stern until I heard that his favorite TV show was "The Munsters". And when I heard that he loved this book by Stephen Cox, I immediately picked it up. What a great volume to have alongside you while you watch these episodes. It is absolutely packed with great photos (many in color and almost all of them rare), behind the scenes stories, and information about the creation of the series. If you have even the slightest interest in The Munsters, you will love this book!

This books gets five out of five stars from me. It has great updates, fantastic color and black and white photos, behind the scenes information, interviews, collectibles...and well, you get the idea. If you purchase it, you won't be disappointed.

I just picked up this book and I'm done. I couldn't put it down. Stephen Cox covers it all from A to Zombo. I never even thought of wondering who supplied the voice of the raven, and I was amazed to learn where much of the equipment in Grandpa's lab came from. And to overlook the sultry photo of Pat Priest's Marilyn being serenaded by the make-up artist on page 64 would be criminal! If you're already a fan of the Munsters this book is a must. If you're not, it will help make you one.

Some 40 years after leaving the TV airwaves The Munsters continues to grow in popularity and attract a legion of fans both old and young. Stephen Cox, a true blue, or perhaps green, Munsters fan has penned a loving tribute to this show which, much like its colorful characters, never seems to die. Cox has jam-packed the book with well-researched articles, comments from cast and crew members, an episode guide, a look at Munsters collectibles, trivia, and much, much more.

This is not some breezy fluff book. Cox has clearly done his homework and sought out as many people involved with the production of the show as possible including Chris Hayward and Allan Burns, a writing team who penned the initial "Meet the Munsters" script in 1963. Cox shows off photos from the rare pilot episode, shot in color, featuring a different Eddie and Lilly (who looked more like Morticia Addams). Interestingly, John Carradine was offered the role of Herman Munster and Burt Lahr (the Cowardly Lion from Wizard of Oz) the role of Grandpa. How different would the show have been with that cast!

There are wonderfully informative articles on the make-up and look of the Munsters. At the time Bud Westmore was the head of Univeral's make-up department and Westmore had trained under the great Jack Pierce. While Westmore gets the credit in the show, Cox uncovers that he wasn't directly involved with the show as that fell into the hands of his crew including Westmore's brother Perc, and Abe Haberman. Cox has uncovered a veritable treasure chest of behind the scenes photos showing the stars getting their makeup applied and these talented crewmembers hard at work. I'm always amazed that things like these photos managed to survive the decades.

We get to see the cast in all sorts of promo pictures including a shot of Gwynne and Lewis visiting the Los Angels Rams in 1965, the entire cast at the Marineland Carnival that aired as an Easter Special in April 1965, and riding in their hotrod hearse in the 1964 Macy's Thanksgiving parade. Auto fans will love the chapter on the Munstermobile and Grandpa's Dragster, filled with rare details on how these cars were built and filled with more great photos. If anyone is curious, the Munsters Coach was a 300 horsepower, 289 Ford Cobra engine.

The book also gives due space to the films and later TV shows and specials which came many years after the show ended and included different cast members. While these never came remotely close to capturing the spirit of the original, they are certainly a testament to the show's popularity.

Cast biographies and an episode guide with detailed synopsis of 70 episodes fills out the book and Butch Patrick provides the Afterword. I cannot say enough great things about this book. It's a Munsters fan's dream!

Reviewed by Tim Janson

Wow! What this book is to it's previous version (The Munsters, Television's First Family of Fright) is what The Incredible Hulk is to Dr. Banner. Stephen Cox has given his book a monsterous (or should I say Munsterous) dose of Gamma radiation. The first edition is 174 pages of standard paper with over 250 Black & White Photos. This edition is 208 gloss pages of both color and black & white photos. There are less than 250 pictures but far more written information. If you have the first edition, I recommend you pick this one up also. If you don't, buy both.

This is the third book from Cox that I've read, and I have to say, I think Stephen Cox is the pre-eminent expert on Hollywood's yesteryear. I first became acquainted with Cox's style when I read his book about the Munchkins of Oz, and have since read his books on Gilligan's Island and the Addam's Family (I guess that would be 4 books ... math was never my strong suit!) and enjoyed them tremendously. And while I will always favor the Addamses over the Munsters (Sorry, Fred Gwynne), I loved the book! (great job, Steve -- if you read this!)

Yea! Stephen Cox has finally updated his book on "The Munsters." I have waited seventeen years for this update. It almost happened five or six years ago, but the publisher, Cumberland House, pulled out without explanation and refuses to explain why to this day. I'm actually glad that that edition never happened because the 2006 edition is even better than I could have imagined. This book is full of never-before-seen photos - both in black and white and full-color. I love how this book has been re-designed. It is beautiful and printed on glossy paper. Very professional and it will last for years. The episode guide is even better than the original. It has been expanded but there are still a couple of minor errors in the episode guide - guest actors listed that never appeared, mis-spelled names of guest actors, and a couple of mis-spelled episode titles - and I would have preferred that the character names of the guest actors been included, so I guess that I will keep the original book for that reason (I made the corrections in that book, myself). But other than that, it is incredible. I think I may even buy a second copy to have in case I wear this one out. As the previous reviewer has stated, the interviews have been updated and everything from the first edition has been expanded. I am finding out things that I have not seen anywhere else.

Thank you Stephen Cox for this book. He has authored several wonderful books on my favorite television shows - "The Beverly Hillbillies" 3rd edition being the best - until now.

So to all "Munsters" fans out there: buy this book! You will not regret it. This is a dream come true for all fans.

Having recently acquired this wonderful book by author Stephen Cox titled "The Munsters: A Trip Down Mockingbird Lane", as well as the recently released Two Seasons of the classic series on DVD, I once again never fail to marvel at this brilliant and totally original series that ran from 1964-66. Part domestic sitcom, part tribute to the Universal Monsters of old, and part satire on the "then", state of society as we perhaps knew it, "The Munsters" were really one of a kind, a sort of ghoul's version of "Father Knows Best". Produced in what I still firmly believe was the most creative decade on television, the swinging 1960's, "The Munsters", entry into the television schedule was perfectly timed and this most unusual of families slotted right in with the fantastic and totally "out of this world", programming of the time that featured beautiful suburban witches, talking horses, multi-millionaire hillbillies, bumbling spies, and sexy Genies.

Stephen Cox's loving tribute to this classic series makes first rate reading, chock full of terrific and highly informative information and dozens of truly stunning photos never before seen that will delight the heart of any reader. It truly is essential in the book collection of any devoted "Munster", fan like myself. In a similar vein to his other writing efforts that explored such much loved series from the 1960's as "The Beverly Hillbillies", and "Green Acres", Mr. Cox here explores everything to do with the show in a easily read format. Everything "Munster" is here from the original ideas that formed the basis for the eventual series, to information on the series' incredible cast and production crew, to a detailed look at the show's lavish attention to detail in terms of sets, costumes and makeup. Discussion is also given by Mr. Cox on the still mysterious reasons for the show's cancellation after only two years and then examines the amazing after life of "The Munsters", that continues on as strong as ever after 40 years when many of the more "realistic", sitcoms that replaced it are now only hazy memories. In short it's the perfect book for "Munster", lovers and anyone who has a real interest in how television was produced in that golden decade of the 1960's.