And so here we are with the last of the Television Crossover Hall of Fame inductions for 2021. As with most of the year, this will fall into the mini-theme of our salute to the Addams Family.
Breaking TVXOHOF tradition, we not only had a ceremony on Christmas Day, but we have one also for the day after. It’s not such a big thing in the United States, but elsewhere in the Real World, December 26th is observed as Boxing Day. It is linked to an older British tradition where the servants of the wealthy were allowed the next day to visit their families since they would have had to serve their masters on Christmas Day. The employers would give each servant a box to take home containing gifts, bonuses, and sometimes leftover food. [Wikipedia]
So for Boxing Day, it seemed appropriate that we would be saluting the hired help….
LURCH
From Wikipedia:
Lurch (whose first name is unknown) is a fictional character created by American cartoonist Charles Addams as a manservant to The Addams Family. In the original television series, Lurch was played by Ted Cassidy, who used the catchphrase, "You... rang?"
Lurch largely shares the family's macabre standards, although he occasionally looks askance at some of their activities. He has a similar attitude toward visitors – almost a sixth sense. When a plainclothes policeman named Mr. Hollister (portrayed by George N. Neise) visits in "The Addams Family Meets the Undercover Man," Lurch pats him down and removes his service revolver from inside his suit coat. Although Lurch groans disapprovingly at the idea of someone bringing a weapon into the house, he returns the gun after Hollister shows his badge.
With Uncle Fester
With Gomez
With Morticia
With Wednesday & Pugsley
Lurch (whose first name is unknown) is a fictional character created by American cartoonist Charles Addams as a manservant to The Addams Family. In the original television series, Lurch was played by Ted Cassidy, who used the catchphrase, "You... rang?"
Lurch is a 6 ft 9 in (2.05 m) tall, shambling, gloomy butler. In the original Addams Family television series, Lurch has a deep and resonant voice. Although fully capable of normal speech, Lurch often communicates via simple inarticulate moans, which, much like the dialogue of Cousin Itt, his employers have no trouble understanding.
The family summons him with an ever-present bell pull (in the form of a hangman's noose). When pulled, it produces a loud gong noise that shakes the house, to which Lurch instantly appears and responds, "You... rang?", even if wide-angle shots reveal that he was clearly nowhere in the vicinity before; on a few occasions Lurch arrives even before the bell pull is tugged.
Lurch largely shares the family's macabre standards, although he occasionally looks askance at some of their activities. He has a similar attitude toward visitors – almost a sixth sense. When a plainclothes policeman named Mr. Hollister (portrayed by George N. Neise) visits in "The Addams Family Meets the Undercover Man," Lurch pats him down and removes his service revolver from inside his suit coat. Although Lurch groans disapprovingly at the idea of someone bringing a weapon into the house, he returns the gun after Hollister shows his badge.
Much of Lurch's history, including his first name and the nature of his relationship to any other Addamses, was originally unspecified. "Lurch" was revealed during the original TV series to be a surname, as there was a "Mother Lurch" who appeared in one episode (portrayed by Ellen Corby). She addressed Lurch as "Sonny", which could either be a parental nickname or his actual first name.
As for his father, he was mentioned twice, once in the second animated series, and in an apparent reference to his Frankenstein's monster-like appearance, Lurch said, smiling, "He put me together." And another time in the original series where Lurch mentions his father wanted him to be a jockey (typically short and light people) instead of a butler.
Lurch's mother appears to be a physically normal, elderly woman, although she does not see anything unusual about the Addams family or their home, with the exception of Thing.
[O'Bservation - I like to think Lurch is a reanimated corpse and Mother Lurch never knew that her son had died and then was brought back to life.]
[O'Bservation - I like to think Lurch is a reanimated corpse and Mother Lurch never knew that her son had died and then was brought back to life.]
Lurch appears in ‘The Addams Family’, portrayed by Ted Cassidy. He is physically imposing and plays a harpsichord that was originally in Cousin Crimp's family for 400 years.
Cassidy made a cameo appearance as Lurch in the ‘Batman’ episode "The Penguin's Nest". As Batman and Robin are climbing the wall of Penguin's restaurant, the Addams Family theme is heard in the background. Lurch pops his head out of the window, sees Batman and Robin, and comments that they gave him quite a start. Batman tells Lurch that he can return to his harpsichord as Robin states that they are on official business.
Ted Cassidy reprised his role of Lurch in ‘The New Scooby-Doo Movies’ episode "Wednesday is Missing". He is the one who finds Mystery Inc.'s Mystery Machine stuck in the mud outside the Addams Family house and takes them inside where Gomez and Morticia hire them to be the housekeepers while they are away at the Okefenokee Swamp. By the end of the episode, Lurch helps the Mystery Machine out of the mud.
Ted Cassidy reprised his role of Lurch in the 1973 cartoon adaption of ‘The Addams Family’ and in the 1977 Halloween reunion special.
- ‘The Addams Family’
- ‘Batman’
- ‘The New Scooby Doo Movies’
- ‘The Addams Family’ [animated]
- "Halloween With The New Addams Family"
Within the original sitcom, Lurch even got to meet another member of the Television Crossover Hall of Fame....
In keeping with the Season....
Five qualifications, more than enough. And Lurch probably has the most unique addition to his tally with that Bat-climb window scene.
Welcome to the Hall, Sonny! Enjoy your Boxing Day being catered to by the Addams Family!
No comments:
Post a Comment