Summer is winding down which can only mean one thing…It’s almost time for FALL. We love getting spooky here at the BCD, so we’ve decided to get a jumpstart on the season with an episode about the creepiest, cookiest family around: The Addams Family!

Whether it was in a sitcom, cartoon series, movie, or comic strip, chances are you have seen The Addams Family. This strange and loving group of weirdos has managed to remain in mainstream pop culture for well over a half-century appearing in several adaptations. This week, we’re learning where this fascinating family came from and why we’re still talking about them today.

So grab your most hideous clothes and let’s get positively ghoulish with The Addams Family.

Charles (Chaz) Addams

The story of the Addams Family begins with their creator, cartoonist Charles Addams. Addams was born in 1912 and even though his body of work would make it seem otherwise, he had a wonderful childhood. Growing up in New Jersey, he was the only child of two loving parents. He even remarked that he supposed it would be more interesting if he had a tough upbringing, but that just wasn’t the case.
- Addams did always have a love for the macabre and could be found exploring graveyards as a child. He also enjoyed pranks and would pop out of his family’s dumbwaiter to scare his grandmother.
- For over two decades, Addams lived on Elm Street in Westfield, NJ. At a young age, he broke into a nearby barn and drew a skeleton on the wall. In 2018, the town of Westfield excavated the drawing and preserved it as a piece of original art. Addams pulled a lot of inspiration from Westfield. The Addams Family would sometimes attend films at The Rialto, a theater located in his hometown. Many believe that he modeled the Addams house after one of the large victorian homes in his neighborhood that he walked past on his way to school.
Addams became interested in illustration while he was still in high school, and eventually attended New York City’s Grand Central School of Art. It was a school located on the upper floors of Grand Central Terminal. While a student there, he sold his first comic to the New Yorker in 1932, when he was only 20 years old.
- There are claims that Addams’ biggest artistic influence was James Thurber, the humorist, and illustrator known for creating characters like Walter Mitty. We wanted to include this because Thurber is from our hometown!

It wouldn’t be until 1938 that The New Yorker would publish the first comic with recognizable members of the Addams Family. It was one panel and depicted a vacuum cleaner salesman attempting to sell his wares to an unimpressed woman in a long black dress. Behind her, you can see a hulking man and a gloomy home filled with spiderwebs, and someone peeking out from the stairs. The comic earned Charles Addams $85 and launched a property that would outlast even the author himself.

The woman in the cartoon would later be named Morticia, the matriarch of the Addams clan. Many people believed that Charles modeled her after his first wife, Barbara Jean Day because the two of them looked so similar. In reality, Charles drew the first version of Morticia several years before meeting his first wife. They eventually divorced because (according to various sources) she wanted children and he did not.

As Addams continued to draw for The New Yorker, members of the Addams Family became recurring characters in his macabre illustrations. From the very beginning, readers connected with this hilarious group of nonconformists that represented the opposite of the ideal American family. They were a family that appeared to be outcasts, but instead of wishing to fit in, they wholeheartedly embraced themselves for who they were.
Charles Addams was able to make a living as an artist until his death in 1988. He had a permanent writing position at The New Yorker for over four decades, but many of his contemporaries found him to be a little strange. There were rumors that he slept in a coffin. Sometimes, he would show up to costume parties in a full suit of armor. He was known to be a bit of a ladies' man, having dated Joan Fontaine and Jackie Kennedy, and he married three times. True to form, his third marriage took place in a pet cemetery.
The characters in his cartoons were more sinister than their eventual TV and film counterparts, likely because most modern versions mirror the 1960s TV more than the original comics. But Linda H Davis, Charles Addams’ biographer, has said that she thinks he would be happily surprised by the staying power of the characters, as well as disappointed that he missed out on all the money that has been made.

The Addams Family (1964)

By the 1960s, Charles Addams and his creepy characters already had a large fan following. But, it would eventually be the 1960s TV show that would rocket The Addams Family to mainstream popularity.
In 1954, Charles Addams married his second wife, Estelle B Barb (AKA Barbara Barb). She also resembled Morticia Addams in looks and was an astute practicing lawyer. During their marriage, she successfully conned Charles Addams into signing over the TV and film rights to The Addams Family, as well as the rights to some of his cartoons. She also asked him to take out a $100,000 life insurance policy. Before doing so, he secretly consulted another lawyer who advised him not to do it. The lawyer later said that he warned Addams that it sounded like the plot of a film called Double Indemnity, where a woman murders her husband to earn his life insurance policy. Addams asked for a divorce after two years.
The idea for an Addams Family TV series came from producer David Levy. The story goes that he was walking down 5th Avenue with a friend when he saw one of Charles Addams’ books in the window. It was called “Home Bodies” and the cover featured a portrait of the unnamed Addams Family characters. Seeing that portrait convinced David that Addams’ drawing would be the perfect subject for a TV show.
- Levy worked with Addams to come up with a treatment for the series. He even urged the cartoonist to finally christen the characters with names. Together they came up with Morticia (a play on mortician) for the mother character. Addams wanted the name Repelli for the father, but the network went with Gomez instead. Pugsley, The Addams’ son, was almost named Pubert, but that sounded too sexual. Addams’ friend, a poet named Joan Blake, suggested the name Wednesday for the little girl. Wednesday honors the old nursery rhyme, “Wednesday’s child is full of woe.”
One of the most iconic pieces of the Addams Family TV show is its unmistakable theme song. Lyricist and composer Victor Mizzy created the catchy tune. He later joked that all it took to buy a house in Beverly Hills was “two snaps.” Not only did he write the song, he also directed the intro, placing each character and coordinating when each one would snap their fingers. Mizzy also maintained rights to the music and received royalties every time it was used on TV or during sporting events.
The Addams Family aired on September 18th, 1964. With John Astin as Gomez, the show reads as a zany version of “Father Knows Best” with off-beat characters. At first, the casting directors had a difficult time finding the right person to play Morticia. They really wanted movie actress Carolyn Jones for the part but weren’t sure if she would agree to take the role. Luckily for them, Jones happily accepted the job and she showed great on-screen chemistry with John Astin.

The Addams Family premiered within days of The Munsters, a sitcom on a rival network that also followed the daily lives of an untraditional family. Although many critics have found that the Munsters had more laughs, The Addams Family had an undeniable maturity, likely due to its source material.

The editor of the New Yorker didn’t like the wackiness of the show and banned Charles Addams from the magazine during the show’s original run
The sitcom was far sillier than the comics. It introduced an extended Addams Family universe that previously didn’t even exist. Producer Nat Perrin, once a writer for the Marx Brothers, has been credited with many of the show’s gags.

MGM studio set that is much creepier seen in black & white in the 1964 show.

The Addams Family had one of the most unique sets on TV at the time. The elaborate interior of the home was heavily influenced by Charles Addams and the show even included some pieces from his own collection. As the theme song suggests, the house is a museum of oddities, from two-headed turtles to medieval torture devices. The home appears very creepy in the black and white show, but if you were to find color photos, you would see that the living room walls were actually pink and mint green.
There’s no doubt that the TV show had a lasting cultural impact, especially when it came to the relationship between Gomez and Morticia. Throughout the 50s and 60s, it was rare for TV couples to imply that they were attracted to each other. Adult bedrooms often depicted two separate twin-sized beds, and couples hardly embraced or shared kisses on screen. So, it was fairly groundbreaking when Gomez and Morticia would share smoldering looks and playfully flirt with each other. It was one of the first times that a TV show celebrated the idea of physical attraction and displays of affection.

The Addams Family in the 1970s

Although the 1960s Addams Family only lasted two seasons, reruns brought cult followings to the show. This led to several revival attempts through the years, starting in the 70s.

Everyone knows that the true mark of cultural significance is guest starring on a Scooby Doo episode. In 1972 Scooby-Doo was revamped by Hanna Barbera with an animated series called “The New Scooby-Doo Movies.” In the third episode, they got to meet the Addams Family! This was the family's first appearance in a show since the 1964 show.
The Scooby-Doo episode was popular enough that it paved the way for a Hanna Barbera Addams Family cartoon in 1973 for 1 season.

Halloween with the New Addams Family
- In this live-action, made-for-television movie, in 1977 most of the original cast reunited. The plot was that a group of thieves came to rob the family during their yearly Halloween Party. The actors for Wednesday and Pugsley are present and they play young adult versions of the characters.

The Addams Family (1991)

The 1991 Addams family film was based on the original comics but also used aspects of the 1964 TV show. Its success launched The Addams Family back into the limelight, where they have generally stayed ever since. Several shots in this movie are taken straight from the original drawings! We will include a few in the blog so you can see the comparison.
Anjelica Houston as Morticia, Raul Julia as Gomez, Christina Ricci as Wednesday, Jimmy Workman as Pugsley, and Christopher Lloyd as well.
The film’s producer, Scott Rudin, fought to get the film made.
- When Rudin first pitched the movie, which he wanted to be based on the original comics, he was the head of production at 20th Century Fox. The problem was that Orion Pictures and Charles Addams’ second wife owned the rights. Orion refused to sell as they had plans to make a new TV show.
- Luckily by the time Rudin was free of his obligation to Fox, Barbara Barb (Charles Addams’ second wife) sold the rest of her shares to Orion. This caused Orion to decide to move forward with a movie instead of a tv show.
- At this point, a script was written by Caroline Thompson and Larry Wilson.
- The film is Barry Sonnenfeld’s directorial debut after having worked as a cinematographer on films with directors such as the Coen Brothers and Rob Reiner.
  - Before Sonnenfel was approached, there were two other directors that had been asked to direct. They both turned down the film. Tim Burton, who was the first choice, was busy with Batman Returns and Terry Gilliam was working on The Fisher King.
  - Since producer Scott Rudin could not secure his first two choices, Sonnenfeld told Variety, “Scott Rudin thought he wanted a visual stylist, not just a comedy director. He thought if I can’t get Tim or I can’t get Terry, I’ll get someone with a strong visual sense.”

While filming there were several health issues that delayed the project. For example, Raul Julia, who played Gomez Adams, had a blood vessel burst in his eye. Sonnenfeld also had issues, as he fought through pain due to his sciatica while filming.

Orion began having money problems due to backing too many expensive movies. They decided to sell The Addams Family in the middle of filming. They sold it to Paramount who ended up releasing the film.
- This sale ended up causing issues with DVD releases all the way up until 2013 because foreign distribution rights to the film were owned by MGM.

The film was very popular in theaters with a budget of about $30 million; it made just over $191.5 million worldwide.
- A mere two months into its release, the film had another obstacle. The producer of the 1964 show, David Levy, filed a lawsuit against the film. Although the film had taken inspiration and was modeled after the comics, it also used a lot of the ideas and concepts that the show had created. Levy listed things like the characters' names, the invention of Thing and cousin Itt, Lurch playing the piano, and Gomez’s love of fencing and fawning over his wife.
It was successful and had two sequels: Addams Family Values (1993) and the direct-to-video Addams Family Reunion (1998.)
- Addams Family Values is notable because it has a plot that resembles Charles Addams’ troubles with his second wife.
  - Family Values also had a nod to Pugsley’s original name, by adding a baby named Pubert.
- Addams Family Reunion notably starred Tim Curry as Gomez.

The Addams Family the Animated Series (1992)

This edition of The Addams Family is the second animated series based on the characters. It was also produced by Hanna-Barbera for ABC in 1992. It was made as a continuation of the previous year's film.
The series was different from the film and the previous Addams Family cartoon primarily in the character designs and voice acting. New characters were made with a passing resemblance to the original comics. It lasted for two seasons and a total of 21 episodes.
The series shows the family at their ancestral home in the fictional town of Happydale Heights. In some episodes, the Addams find themselves dealing with the Normanmeyer family who seeks to kick them from the town; the exception being the family's only son, who is friends with the Addams children.
As with the 1973 series, the ghoulish nature of the Addams family was toned down in order to be more acceptable for children. Some examples of this was Gomez's love of cigars being not shown, along with his responses to Morticia’s use of foreign languages being reduced to a kissing frenzy.

The New Addams Family (1998)

The New Addams Family was a 65-episode sitcom that labeled itself as an updated version of the 1964 show. It was a Canadian and American collaboration that most people seem to have enjoyed.
John Astin appears as Grandpapa Addams

2010 Broadway Musical

The Family appeared again in 2010, but this time on Broadway! Although critics were not fond of it, many fans were. It ran for two years and then toured with sales of about half a million dollars. According to Smithsonian Magazine, it was the most popular high school musical in 2018 and 2019.

The Addams Family (2019)

In 2019, The Addams Family returned to the big screen in an MGM animated feature. This updated version of the family included a cast of characters that closely resembled the original comics. The film also kept with the tradition of a witty sense of humor, with several pop culture references. For example, Pugsley has a Holy Hand Grenade (of Monty Python), and the house screams “Get Out!,” just like the home in the Amityville Horror. Some shots also resemble Evil Dead. At one point a red balloon floats in and Morticia remarks that there’s “usually a murderous clown attached to the end of these.”
- The movie does depict the dark and sinister hijinks of its characters, but in a way that’s palatable for children.
At the end of the film, the characters recreate the beginning credits of the 1964 show.
It had essentially an all-star cast with names like Oscar Isaac, Charlize Theron, Finn Wolfhard, Nick Kroll, Chloë Grace Moretz, Allison Janney, Bette Midler, and more.
The film was popular enough to receive a sequel.
- With a $24 million budget, it made $30 million on its opening weekend with a whopping $203 million worldwide
Fun facts:
- Tim Burton in 2010 was rumored to be the one to make this movie but in Stop-Motion.
- When the house is painted pink it is reminiscent of the actual studio set for the 1964 show which, although it was black and white on TV, contained a lot of pink in real life.

Wednesday (2022)

While it’s only been a year since the last Addams Family film was released, everyone’s favorite family will return this fall on Netflix in Tim Burton’s new horror series: Wednesday.
The show follows a teenage Wednesday Addams and her exploits at Nevermore Academy. Wednesday will be played by Jenna Ortega (of the later Scream films) with Luis Guzman playing Gomez Addams and Catherine Zeta-Jones as Morticia.
This series appears to play homage to the dark humor from the original comics, more so than any iteration of The Addams Family that has come before.

The Addams Family has something that appeals to anyone that ever felt like an outcast. They never apologize for their defiance of cultural expectations, and they never allow anyone to make them feel like they should change. Although the members of the family have gone through many changes over the last 84 years, their widespread appeal has stayed the same.

This delightfully strange group maybe creep and cooky, but it’s no mystery as to how they have lasted so long in American culture. At the end of the day, they’re just like any other family but with a few more sharp edges than most. So if you’re in the mood for the macabre, pay a call on The Addams Family.

The (Historical) Addams Family Case