Editing The Munsters (section)

==Production==
===Development===
The idea of a family of comical [[monsters]] was first suggested to [[Universal Pictures|Universal Studios]] by animator [[Bob Clampett]], who developed the idea from 1943 to 1945 as a series of [[cartoons]].<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=96y-V5chpgkC&q=bob+clampett+%22monster+family%22&pg=PA106|title=The Frankenstein Archive|isbn=9780786480692|last1=Glut|first1=Donald F.|date=September 11, 2015|publisher=McFarland }}</ref> The project did not make progress until mid-1963<ref>Monsters to Be Just Plain Folks On a CBS-TV Comedy Series. New York Times 15 Feb 1964</ref> when a similar idea was submitted by ''[[The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends]]'' writers [[Allan Burns]] and [[Chris Hayward]]. The proposal was later handed to writers Norm Liebman and Ed Haas, who wrote a pilot script, ''Love Thy Monster''.

According to Burns, "We sort of stole the idea from [[Charles Addams]] and his ''[[The New Yorker|New Yorker]]'' cartoons.... Because Universal owned the Frankenstein character and the Dracula character for movie rights, they decided to take their characters instead of the characters we had written."<ref>{{cite book|last1=Lewellen|first1=Scott|title=Funny You Should Ask: Oral Histories of Classic Sitcom Storytellers|date=2013|publisher=McFarland|page=130}}</ref>

While some executives believed that the series should be animated, others who argued for live action prevailed. In 1964, a live-action pilot titled "My Fair Munster" was filmed in color by [[MCA Television]] for [[CBS]].<ref name=first/> [[Fred Gwynne]] and [[Al Lewis (actor)|Al Lewis]] were the first to be cast early in February 1964. They had recently completed the series ''[[Car 54, Where Are You?]]'' and had good chemistry together. [[Beverly Owen]] was signed to play Marilyn, [[Joan Marshall]] was cast as Herman's wife Phoebe and "Happy" Nate Derman was cast as Eddie. A second pilot was ordered in April 1964 with [[Yvonne De Carlo]] replacing Marshall, and the character renamed Lily. For a third pilot, Derman was replaced by [[Butch Patrick]]. CBS liked both De Carlo and Patrick, but ordered a fourth pilot in which Eddie was less spoiled.{{Citation needed |date=March 2023}}

The show was produced by [[Joe Connelly (producer)|Joe Connelly]] and [[Bob Mosher]], who were already known for creating the ''[[Leave It to Beaver]]'' television series. Prior to that, they had written many episodes of ''[[Amos 'n' Andy]]'', a popular network radio program, during its half-hour comedy era.

===Filming===
Over the course of Season 1, the makeup for Herman, Lily and Grandpa was adjusted. Lily's hair originally had a large white streak, which was reduced in later episodes. Her necklace featured a bat instead of a star, and her eyebrows were angled more. Grandpa's makeup was exaggerated, including heavier eyebrows, and Herman's face was widened for a dopier and less human appearance. Gwynne also added a stutter whenever Herman was angry or wanted to make a point, and he frequently left his mouth open, adding to the effect of a goofy, less frightening figure.

===Sets===
{{Main|Munster Mansion}}

[[File:WisteriaLanePurpleHouse.jpg|thumb|right|The mansion as seen at the [[Universal Studios Lot]]]]

The Munsters' home was a decaying [[Second Empire architecture|Second Empire]] [[Victorian Architecture#Styles conceived in the Victorian era|Victorian]] [[High Victorian Gothic|Gothic]]-style mansion. At one point the address was supposed to be 43 Mockingbird Lane, Camelot, New Jersey, but was changed to 1313 Mockingbird Lane in the city of Mockingbird Heights (state unknown) when filming began. In later incarnations of the series the location is described as a small town outside Los Angeles. 

[[File:Fred Gwynne Yvonne DeCarlo The Munsters 1964.JPG|thumb|upright|Herman and Lily in the kitchen]]
The Munster home was on the Universal Studios back lot. It was originally constructed with two other houses on Stage 12, the studio's largest [[soundstage]], for the 1946 film ''[[So Goes My Love]]''. After that film was completed, the sets were put in storage until 1950, when they (along with other house sets built from stock units) were reassembled on "River Road" along the north edge of the back lot. All three houses appeared in many television shows and films, including ''Leave It to Beaver.''<ref>{{cite book|last=Ingram|first=Billy |title=Tvparty!: Television's Untold Tales|year=2002|publisher=Bonus Books, Inc.|isbn=1-566-25184-2|page=228}}</ref>

In 1964, the house was redressed and distressed to portray the Munster home, and a stone wall was added around the property. After ''The Munsters'' ended its run, the house was restored. It was the home of the family in ''[[Shirley (TV series)|Shirley]]'' (NBC, 1979–80).

In 1981, all of the homes on River Road were moved from the north end of the lot to their present location. The former Munster house was used in ''[[Coach (TV series)|Coach]]'' and, after another remodel, ''[[Desperate Housewives]].''

The interiors of the Munsters' mansion were filmed on Stages 30 and 32 at Universal Studios. The interior was riddled with dust, smoke and cobwebs. (When Lily "dusted" the house, her [[Electrolux]] emitted clouds of dust, which she applied to surfaces that would normally be cleaned.) As a running gag, parts of the house would often be damaged, mostly by Herman's tantrums or clumsiness, but the damage would not last.

[[File:Munsterkoach.JPG|thumb|right|The Munster Koach]]

===Props===
In the fourth episode ("Rock-A-Bye Munster"), Lily buys a [[hot rod]] and a [[hearse]] from a used-car dealership and has them customized into one car (the [[Munster Koach]]) as Herman's birthday present. The Munster Koach and [[DRAG-U-LA]] (built by Grandpa in episode 36, "Hot Rod Herman") were designed by Tom Daniel and built by auto customizer [[George Barris (auto customizer)|George Barris]] for the show. The Munster Koach was a hot rod built on a lengthened 1926 [[Ford Model T]] chassis with a custom hearse body. It was 18 feet long and cost almost $20,000 to build. Barris also built the DRAG-U-LA, a dragster built from a coffin (according to Barris, a real coffin was purchased for the car), which Grandpa used to win back the Munster Koach after Herman lost it in a race.

===Theme song===
The instrumental theme song, titled "The Munsters' Theme", was composed by composer/arranger [[Jack Marshall (composer)|Jack Marshall]].<ref name="cox2">{{cite book |last1=Cox |first1=Stephen |author-link1=Stephen Cox (writer) |last2=De Carlo |first2=Yvonne |author-link2=Yvonne De Carlo |first3=Butch |last3=Patrick |author-link3=Butch Patrick |title=The Munsters: A Trip Down Mockingbird Lane |year=2006 |publisher=Random House |location=New York |isbn=0-8230-7894-9 |oclc=68192546 |chapter=Munster Maestro: About Jack Marshall}}</ref> Described by writer [[Jon Burlingame]] as a "[[Bernard Herrmann|Bernard-Herrmann]]-meets-[[Duane Eddy|Duane-Eddy]] sound",<ref name="cox"/> the theme was nominated for a [[Grammy Award]] in 1965. The song's lyrics, which were written by coproducer Bob Mosher, were never aired on CBS.