Maybe it’s because I’m comparing it to Halloween with the New Addams Family (1977), but I enjoyed The Munsters’ Revenge (1981.) I mean, I really enjoyed it, surprising myself by the number of times I laughed. Even with running gags that repeat too many times, predictable punch lines, and recurring patterns of wordplay followed by physical humor, it’s solid entertainment.
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One of the most frequent running gags is when visiting cousin, Phantom of the Opera (Bob Hastings, who alternated with Mel Blanc as the voice of the cuckoo clock raven in the original television series), sings at such a high pitch that glass breaks. I lost count of how many times it’s used, even though it often has consequences for the story.
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This is an example of setting up a predictable “punch line.” Near the end, even though it won’t be the last time Phantom breaks glass, you know exactly what’s going to happen when Marilyn (Jo McDonnell) and her current beau, Glen Boyle (Peter Fox), are trapped inside a large glass bell jar and Herman (Fred Gwynne) can’t lift it or break it.
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An example of what I called a “recurring pattern of wordplay followed by physical humor” occurs when Lily (Yvonne De Carlo) explains to one of Marilyn’s new boyfriends that The Munsters are just an old-fashioned family that wants to set a good example for the children. As soon as she says it, the police burst in looking for Herman and Grandpa (Al Lewis.)
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The story unfolds from an attraction called, “Chamber of Horrors” that displays wax figures of famous monsters, as well as of Herman and Grandpa. After closing, they come to life as robots, part of a plot by Dr. Dustin Diablo (Sid Caesar) to ultimately steal jewels from a mummy exhibition. (Oddly, Caesar is the least funny part of The Munsters’ Revenge.)
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We’ve seen the Munster characters in color before, so in and of itself, that’s not a problem. However, the makeup is sometimes problematic, especially with the “blue” characters, Lily, Grandpa, and Eddie (K.C. Martel.) However, the fact that it’s shot on film rather than videotape and has no laugh track more than compensates.
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Although this is comedy, not horror, director Don Weis has some genre cred. He also directed episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The Twilight Zone, and Kolchak: the Night Stalker. Writers Arthur Alsberg and Don Nelson bring their experience with humor from episodes of I Dream of Jeannie, Bewitched, and The Ghost & Mrs. Muir.
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Speaking of genre cred, The Munsters’ Revenge features several masks from Don Post Studios, circa 1977. Monster kids probably recognize the company’s Tor Johnson and Demon masks from the pages of Famous Monsters of Filmland. Plus, many of the other wax figures/robots represent classic Universal monsters, like the Wolf Man.
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Rob Zombie’s The Munsters got a bad rap, but does anyone remember how many other versions came before? Herman has been portrayed by Richard Long, John Schuck, Edward Herrmann, and Jerry O’Connell. This was the final movie or television show starring Gwynne, De Carlo, and Lewis, and it leaves a sweet rather than bad taste in the mouth.
Visit the TV Terror Guide: 70's TV Movies playlist at ClassicHorrors.Club TV on YouTube to watch The Munsters' Revenge and other great movies from this series.
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