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13 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
Ooky Is Right, June 29, 2004
Will we ever again see a TV show as full of nonconformity, deep dark humor, and head-scratching eccentricity as the Addams Family? I doubt it. This book is a treasure trove of trivia and collector's info for Addams geeks worldwide. Stephen Cox is as knowledgeable an enthusiast as you could hope for, though his writing could use some work. That's usually not a problem in a fun trivia book like this, though when it comes to cultural analysis he does get in over his head sometimes. Examples are his weak attempts to compare the show to the French playwright Moliere, or to explain the deep cultural significance of Gomez's love for cigars. But otherwise, you'll learn some great Addams TV tidbits here, like who played Thing (Ted Cassidy, better known for playing Lurch), and who did Cousin Itt's voice (soundman Tony Magro). You also may not have known that the pig who played Pugsley's frighteningly alive piggy bank also played Arnold on Green Acres. The only real problem with this book is the very quick and rather uninformative biographies of the stars. With the exception of Jackie Coogan (Uncle Fester), most of the actors get bios that are only two or three pages long. But in the end, I'm especially happy to learn that I'm not the only one who thinks that Carolyn Jones as Morticia was quite sexy, rather than creepy. [~doomsdayer520~]
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The Addams Chronicles: An Altogether Ooky Look at the Addams Family 1888952911
Stephen Cox
Cumberland House Publishing
The Addams Chronicles: An Altogether Ooky Look at the Addams Family
Books
Ooky Is Right
Will we ever again see a TV show as full of nonconformity, deep dark humor, and head-scratching eccentricity as the Addams Family? I doubt it. This book is a treasure trove of trivia and collector's info for Addams geeks worldwide. Stephen Cox is as knowledgeable an enthusiast as you could hope for, though his writing could use some work. That's usually not a problem in a fun trivia book like this, though when it comes to cultural analysis he does get in over his head sometimes. Examples are his weak attempts to compare the show to the French playwright Moliere, or to explain the deep cultural significance of Gomez's love for cigars. But otherwise, you'll learn some great Addams TV tidbits here, like who played Thing (Ted Cassidy, better known for playing Lurch), and who did Cousin Itt's voice (soundman Tony Magro). You also may not have known that the pig who played Pugsley's frighteningly alive piggy bank also played Arnold on Green Acres. The only real problem with this book is the very quick and rather uninformative biographies of the stars. With the exception of Jackie Coogan (Uncle Fester), most of the actors get bios that are only two or three pages long. But in the end, I'm especially happy to learn that I'm not the only one who thinks that Carolyn Jones as Morticia was quite sexy, rather than creepy. [~doomsdayer520~]
doomsdayer520
June 29, 2004
- Overall:
5
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Location: Pennsylvania
New Reviewer Rank: 157
Classic Reviewer Rank: 90
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