Munster, Go Home!

_The first Munsters movie features the unique family in vibrant color_ Herman inherits an estate in England and so the Munsters travel there, but soon discover that the surviving family members of the property are antagonistic toward him, not to mention something nefarious is going on. “Munster Go Home” (1966) is rather unique in being one of the very few movie adaptations of a TV show featuring the original cast done around the same time as the series. The show ran two seasons and ended on May 12th while this flick came out on August 6th. Of course, the big draw is that it’s in impressive color. The only member of the main cast who isn’t present is Pat Priest, who played Marilyn. Since she was over 30 years-old at the time, Universal chose Debbie Watson, who was only 17 during shooting, which better fit the idea of Marilyn being 19 in the story. While it failed at the box office, it fulfilled its purpose, which was to introduce the characters to foreign audiences in preparation for international syndication of the 70-episode show. The flick works simply because it’s the first time the characters are featured in vibrant color. A sequel debuted fifteen years later, “The Munsters’ Revenge,” minus Butch Patrick as Eddie, with yet another actress playing Marilyn (the best one yet). I favor the second movie for all-around entertainment whilst most viewers seem to prefer this one. As with the TV series and second movie, it's the charm of Fred Gwynne & Al Lewis and their camaraderie that makes anything with them in it amusing and endearing. There are other highlights, of course, such as the ship journey across the Atlantic, the hot rods and the race. It runs 1 hour, 36 minutes, and was shot in the backlot of Universal Studios in the Los Angeles area with the racing scenes done at the Paramount Ranch Racetrack in Agoura Hills, California, which is a 37-minute drive due west. GRADE: B