Carmen Miranda is Not Hispanic

I had not seen Turner Classic Movies' promo for Hispanic Heritage Month when my friend Beth, who is Portuguese in descent, noted that they included Carmen Miranda. Now that is a bit problematic, as the term "Hispanic" refers to people and cultures related to Spanish speaking countries.Carmen Miranda was Portuguese in descent and spoke Portuguese. She was not from a Spanish speaking country and did not speak Spanish.

Indeed, Carmen Miranda was born on February 9 1909 in Marco de Canaveses, Kingdom of Portugal. Her father had moved to Brazil, which had been a Portuguese colony, in 1909. Her mother followed her father in 1910 after Carmen Miranda's birth when the child was less than a year old, along with Carmen's older sister (who would have been around two at the time). Carmen Miranda then grew up in a former Portuguese colony speaking Portuguese, not a Spanish speaking country speaking Spanish. Quite simply, she was not Hispanic.

I can only assume that TCM's error in including Carmen Miranda in their 2024 promo for Hispanic Heritage Month may have been due to confusion between the terms "Hispanic" and "Latino." Many people think the terms are synonymous when in fact there are differences between the two. While Hispanic refers to people and cultures related to Spanish speaking countries, Latino refers to the people and cultures of Latin America. Even though the national language of Brazil is Portuguese, they are still Latin as they are part of Latin America, but they are not Hispanic because they don't speak Spanish.

While Carmen Miranda grew up in Brazil and was fully immersed in Brazilian culture, there are those who would debate whether she was Latina or not. While some use the term "Latino" to refer to anyone from Latin America, there are those who use the term to refer only to those of Indigenous descent. If one uses the term "Latino" to refer to anyone from a Latin country, regardless of ethnicity, then Carmen Miranda would most certainly be a Latina. If one uses the term "Latino" to refer only to those of Indigenous descent, then Carmen Miranda, as a European born woman of Portuguese descent, would not be a Latina.

In addition to individuals confusing the terms "Hispanic" and "Latino," much of the confusion may be due to Carmen Miranda's career itself. She not only played Brazilians, but in Week-End in Havana (1941) she even played a Cuban. In most of her roles Carmen Miranda her character's nationality might be unclear beyond that the roles were supposed to be some sort of Latin American. Her performances were often a mishmash of Latin cultures, from Argentina to Cuba to Mexico. Of course, failing to recognize the distinctions between various Latin cultures was par for the course for Hollywood during its Golden Age, and actresses of Latin American descent could often find themselves playing a variety of Latin American ethnicities. Estelita Rodriguez was a Cuban born in Cuba, but over the years she played everything from Cubans to Mexicans.

As to why it is important to realize that Carmen Miranda was Lusitanic and not Hispanic, it seems to me that, at least in the United States, the Portuguese are an under-recognized ethnicity. In fact, to this day Carmen Miranda may be the most famous person of Portuguese descent in the U.S.. Labelling her as "Hispanic" when she was actually a Brazilian born in Portugal who was thoroughly immersed in Brazilian culture, erases her actual identity to a degree. I have no doubt that many of Portuguese descent take great pride in Carmen Miranda, and they deserve to have her recognized as one of them, not something she was not and never had been.

The Late Great Dame Maggie Smith

Dame Maggie Smith, who the title role in the film The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969), starred in the movie Travels with My Aunt (1972), played Professor McGonagall in the "Harry Potter" movies, and Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham, on the TV series Downton Abbey, died this morning, September 27 2024, at the age of 89. 

Margaret Natalie Smith was born on December 28 1934 in Ilford, Essex. Her father was a medical laboratory technician. She had two older twin brothers, both of who became architects. She attended the Oxford Playhouse School. She was 17 when she made her stage debut in Twelfth Night at the Oxford Playhouse in 1952.

It was in 1952 that she also appeared on stage in He Who Gets Slapped at Clarendon Press and Rookery Nook at the Oxford Playhouse. In the Fifties she appeared on stage at various venues in the United Kingdom in productions of  The Stepmother, The Double Dealer, As You Like It, Richard II, The Merry Wives of Windsor, What Every Woman Knows, Rhinoceros, and Strip the Willow. She made her Broadway debut in New Faces of 1956. She made her movie debut 1956 in Child in the House. She appeared in the movie Nowhere to Go (1958). Maggie Smith made her television debut an episode of BBC Sunday-Night Theatre in 1955. In the late Fifties she guest starred on the shows Theatre Royal, The Adventures of Aggie, Kraft Television Theatre, and ITV Play of the Week.

In the Sixties Maggie Smith appeared in the movies Go to the Blazes (1962), The V.I.P.s (1963), The Pumpkin Eater (1964), Young Cassidy (1965), Othello (1965), The Honey Pot (1967), Hot Millions (1968), The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969), and Oh! What a Lovely War (1969). She was nominated for the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for Othello and won the Oscar for Best Actress for The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie. She guest starred on the TV show ITV Play of the Week, Play of the Month, and ITV Playhouse. She appeared on stage in The Rehearsal; The Private Ear & Public Eye; Mary, Mary; The Recruiting Officer; Othello; The Music Builder; Hay Fever; Much Ado About Nothing; Trelawny of the 'Wells', Miss Julie; Black Comedy; A Bond Honored; The Country Wife; The Beaux' Stratagem; Hedda Gaber; and Three Sisters.

In the Seventies Maggie Smith appeared in the movies Travels with My Aunt (1972), Love and Pain and the Whole Damn Thing (1973), Murder by Death (1976), Death on the Nile (1978), and California Suite (1978). She won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for California Suite. She was nominated for Best Actress for Travels with My Aunt. On television she guest starred on Play of he Month andThe Carol Burnett Show. She appeared on Broadway in Private Lives and Night and Day. In the United Kingdom she appeared on stage in Design for Living, Private Lives, Peter Pan, Snap, The Way of the World, Antony and Cleopatra, Three Sisters, Measure for Measure, The Guardsman, A Midsummer's Night Dream, Richard III, As You Like It, Hay Fever, Macbeth, Night and Day, Much Ado About Nothing, The Seagull, and Virginia.

In the Eighties Maggie Smith appeared in the movies Quartet (1981), Clash of  the Titans (1981), Evil Under the Sun (1982), The Missionary (1982), Better Late Than Never (1983), Lily in Love (1984), A Private Function (1984), A Room with a View (1985), and The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne (1987).  She guest starred on the shows All for Love and Talking Heads. She appeared on Broadway in Lettice and Lovage. In the UK she appeared in the plays The Way of the World, Interpreters, The Infernal Machine, Coming into Land, and Lettice and Lovage.

In the Nineties she appeared in the movies Hook (1991), Sister Act (1992), The Secret Garden (1993), Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (1993), Richard III (1995), The First Wives Club (1996), Washington Square (1997), Curtain Call (1999), Tea with Mussolini (1999), and The Last September (1999). On television she guest starred in Screen Two and Great Performances. She played Betsey Trotwood in the mini-series David Copperfield. On stage she appeared in The Importance of Being Ernest, Three Tall Women, Talking Heads, A Delicate Balance, and The Lady in the Van.

It was in 2001 that she first appeared as Professor Minerva McGonagall in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. She appeared as Professor McGonagall in all of the subsequent "Harry Potter" movies, as well as the video game Harry Potter; Hogwart's Mystery. She also appeared in the movies Gosford Park (2001), Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood (2002), Ladies in Lavender (2004), Keeping Mum (2005), Becoming Jane (2007), From Time to Time (2009), and Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang (2010). It was in 2010 that she began playing Violet Crawley, Dowager Duchess of Grantham on Downton Abbey. She appeared on Broadway in The Breath of Life, Talking Heads, and The Lady form Dubuque

In the Teens Dame Maggie Smith reprised her role as Professor McGonagall in the final "Harry Potter" movie  Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallow--Part 2 (2011),. She appeared in the movies The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel 2012), Quartet (2012), My Old Lady (2014), The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2015), The Lady in the Van (2015), and Downton Abbey (2019). She provided a voice for the animated movie Sherlock Gnomes (2018). She continued to appear on the TV series Downton Abbey. She appeared on stage in A German Life.

In th Twenties she appeared in the movies Downton Abbey: A New Era (2022) and The Miracle Club (2023).

Words are not adequate to describe the talent of Dame Maggie Smith. She was genuine in every role and she played, and she was nothing if not versatile. Younger people may be most familiar with her in two somewhat different roles: the firm, yet sympathetic Minerva McGonagall in the "Harry Potter" movies and the witty, strong-willed Violet Crawley on Downton Abbey. The title character in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, another one of her most famous roles, is still more different. Jean Brodie was a passionate,independent teacher. In Travels with My Aunt she played Augusta Bertram, the eccentric aunt of the title. In Death on the Nile she played Miss Bowers, the dutiful nurse of Marie Van Schuyler. She was Desdemona in Othello, an Oscar nominated actress with no hope of winning in California Suite, the sophisticated wife of a detective in Murder by Death, and the sea goddess Thetis in Clash of the Titans (1981). Dame Maggie Smith leaves behind a wealth of great performances, so many that it is impossible to list them all briefly.

The 60th Anniversary of The Munsters

It was sixty years ago today, on September 24 1964, that The Munsters debuted on CBS. While it only ran two seasons, The Munsters would see more success than many longer running sitcoms. A hit as a syndicated rerun, since it ended its original run there have been two feature films, multiple TV movies, and several revivals and reboots. Even today, it remains well-known.

The Munsters centred on the family of that name, most of who resembled the classic Universal monsters. The father, Herman (Fred Gwynne) resembled Frankenstein's monster, but was actually good-natured, if none too bright. The mother, Lily (Yvonne De Carlo), was a vampire, as was her father, Grandpa (Al Lewis). Lily was the head of the family, sensible and the peacemaker in the family, although she does have a temper. Grandpa was cranky and sarcastic, although he doted on his daughter. Lily and Herman's son was Eddie (Butch Patrick), who was a werewolf. Despite his appearance, he was a typical boy. Living with the Munsters is Lily's niece Marilyn (initially played by Beverly Owen and then Pat Priest). While the rest of the family look like monsters, Marilyn not only looks normal, but she is also beautiful. The Munsetrs also had a pet dragon named Spot, who lived beneath the stairs of their home. While the Munsters looked like monsters, they thought they were a typical American family.

In many respects it should not be surprising that The Munsters debuted when it did. In 1957 Screen Gems, the television division of Columbia Pictures, released Shock!, a package of old Universal horror movies, for television syndication. The success of Shock! and its follow-up, Son of Shock!, not only proved successful, but resulted in a "monster craze" that lasted for years. Indeed, it was also during the 1964-1965 season that another sitcom about a macabre family, The Addams Family (based on Charles Addams's cartoons), debuted. Both shows were part of a cycle towards fantastic comedies that had emerged in the wake of the previous season's hit My Favorite Martian. Also debuting that season were  Bewitched and My Living Doll.

Of course, the idea of a family of monsters was not particularly new when The Addams Family and The Munsters debuted. Charles Addams introduced the macabre family that would become known as the Addams Family in 1938. From 1943 to 1945 legendary animator Bob Clampett developed an idea for a series of theatrical cartoons centred on family of monsters, which he submitted to Universal. Ultimately, nothing came of his idea. It was in mid-1963 that Allan Burns and Chris Hayward developed an idea along similar lines. Messrs. Burns and Hayward had worked for Jay Ward Productions, and were periodically laid off between the company's shows. Growing tired of this, the two decided to collaborate on a show. Chris Hayward had come up with two ideas for shows, one about a family of criminals and the other about a family of monsters. They decided to go forward to the idea of a family of monsters and wrote a pilot script called The Munsters. Both Allan Burns and Chris Hayward have admitted that Charles Addams' "Addams Family" cartoons in The New Yorker were a possible source of inspiration.

Allan Burns and Charles Hayward pitched their idea to Les Colodny at the Ashley-Steiner Agency. While the agency liked the idea, they had little faith in Allan Burns and Charles Hayward's ability to write it. They then brought in Bob Mosher and Joe Connelly, now best known as the creators of Leave It to Beaver. Bob Mosher and Joe Connelly were both tied to Universal. Ultimately, a new pilot script would be written by Norm Liebmann and Ed Haas, who were both under contract to Universal. The two of them had earlier written episodes of Father of the Bride and The Dick Van Dyke Show. At Universal Allan Burns and Chris Hayward's idea was also changed. In the book The Munsters: A Trip Down Mockingbird Lane by Stephen Cox, Allan Burns said, "What we had written  was closed to the Addams Family or what became The Addams Family. We were basing this show on these kinds of characters and we thought it might make an interesting series. Strange, macabre, offbeat characters. Not what The Munsters became." Neither Allan Burns nor Chris Hayward ever knew who came up with the idea or patterning the Munster family after the Universal Monsters, although presumably it had a lot to do with the fact that Universal owned the rights to those characters.

As hard as it might be believed today, Fred Gwynne and Al Lewis were not the first choices for the roles of Herman and Grandpa. Bert Lahr, then as now most famous as the Cowardly Lion in the classic The Wizard of Oz (1939), was initially considered for the role of Grandpa. John Caradine, who had played Dracula in House of Frankenstein (1944) and House of Dracula (1945), was the first to be considered for Herman. As to Fred Gwynne and Al Lewis, they were both veterans of the now classic sitcom, Car 54, Where Are You?, Fred Gwynne having played series lead Francis Muldoon and Al Lewis as supporting character Leo Schnauser. Beverly Owen was cast as Marilyn. Miss Owen was a natural brunette, so she wore a blonde wig to play Marilyn. Other than these three roles, the cast would change from the presentation to the regular series.

Indeed, not only was the presentation different from Allan Burns and Chris Hayward's initial concept, but it was also different from the series, and in more way than its cast. In the original, 15-minute presentation titled "My Fair Munster" by Norm Leibmann and Ed Hass. As Herman's wife, Joan Marshall played Phoebe. Ultimately, the role of Herman's wife was recast with Yvonne De Carlo and her name changed to Lily. It was thought that Joan Marshall looked too much like Morticia Adams from Charles Addams's cartoons. Not only did Nate Derman play Eddie in the pilot, but Eddie's characterization was entirely different. Quite simply, it was much more monstrous, complete with clawing and growling. "My Fair Munster" was also shot in colour, whereas the regular series would be shot in black-and-white.

The presentation "My Fair Munster" would successfully sell The Munsters to CBS, although the network did demand changes, including the recasting of the roles of Eddie and Herman's wife. The role of Eddie was offered to Billy Mumy, who had already guest starred on several shows (including the classic Twilight Zone episode "It's a Good Life." As it turned out, young Mr. Mumy's parents didn't want him to have to go though the extensive makeup the role would require, and so he turned it down. Butch Patrick, who had already guest starred on several shows and appeared in a few movies, was ultimately cast as Eddie. The role of Lily Munster would go to screen legend Yvonne De Carlo, who was look for a steady role on television to help pay for the medical expenses of her husband, stuntman Bob Morgan, who had been seriously injured while making How the West Was Won (1963). Then as now, Yvonne De Carlo's best known movie role may have been as Moses's wife Sephora in The Ten Commandments (1956). Interestingly enough, Al Lewis, who played Grandpa, was a year younger than Yvonne De Carlo.

In order to sell The Munsters to advertisers, a second version of the pilot was shot. This version of "My Fair Munster" included the changes CBS had wanted, and featured Yvonne Craig as Lily and Butch Patrick as Lily. Like the first pilot, it was never aired, although much of the second pilot was used for the second episode of the series (which was also named "My Fair Munster).

Among the stars of The Munsters was the family car, the Munster Koach. The producers had contacted car designer and builder George Barris to create the Koach. In turn, George Barris paid $200 to car desinger Tom Daniel to design the car. The Munster Koach was made from three Ford Model T bodies. The Munster Koach would not be the only custom car featured on The Munsters. Grandpa's hot rod DRAG-U-LA was featured in the 36th episode of the show, "Hot Rod Herman." In the episode Herman lost the Munster Koach in a drag race, so Grandpa built his own hot rod to win it back. Like the Munster Koach, it was designed by Tom Danel of George Barris Kustom Industries. The body of DRAG-U-LA used an actual coffin, which took pains to get. Richard "Korky" Korkes, the project manager for George Barris, bought the coffin from a North Hollywood funeral home. Since it was illegal in California at the time to sell a coffin without a death certificate, Mr. Korkes made a deal with the funeral home to pay for the coffin in cash and they would leave the coffin outside the back door of the funeral home so they could pick it up after dark.

While many broad comedies of the Sixties were raked over the coals by the critics, several critics liked The Munsters. In his review of the show from Friday, September 25, 1964, Rick Du Brow of UPI wrote, "One shouldn't expect too much form situation comedies. They are natural traps of deadly commercialism and light-weight humour. But I like the idea of a monster series. And though the Munsters are perhaps wiser than the Addamses in playing heir abnormality with more absolute normality, both shows are worth a look." In his review in The New York Times, also from September 25 1964, Jack Gould wrote of The Munsters, "The filmed series is inspired offbeat nonsense that will disarm everyone who thought an era of horror might be descending on TV; The Munsters is designed for fun and offers classic spooks in a new dimension. As to audiences, they apparently loved The Munsters. It beat both Daniel Boone on NBC and The Flintstones on ABC in the ratings.

The cast of The Munsters would change even in its first few months. When Beverly Owen had been cast as Marilyn Munster, she was in a relationship with Jon Stone (a future writer and director on Sesame Street), who lived in New York City. Unfortunately, Miss Owen had to leave New York City to film the series in Los Angles. This created a strain on Beverly Owen's relationship with Jon Stone). She would even break down crying on the set at times. Sympathetic to Beverly Owens's plight, both Fred Gwynne and Al Lewis asked that Universal let her go.

According to the book Street Gang: The Complete History of Sesame Street by Michael Davis, in actuality Beverly Owen and Jon Stone had gone to agent Marvin Josephson with their problem. He reasoned that if she cost them money, they would get rid of her. A plan was then concocted whereby Beverly Owen would miss Jon Stone so much that she would throw up in her dressing room and breaking down crying on the set. It was then after 13 episodes that Beverly Owen left the show to marry Jon Stone. She was replaced by Pat Priest, who had worked on local television and appeared in uncredited roles in the movies Looking for Love (1964) and Quick Before It Melts (1964).

The popularity of The Munsters resulted in a good deal of Munsters merchandise. King-Seeley Thermos Co. put out a Munsters lunch box. Gold Key Comics published 16 issues of a Munsters comic book from 1965 to 1968. In 1964 Leaf issued a set of 72 trading cards. AMT issued model kits of both the Munster Koach and DRAG-U-LA. Aurora issued a model kit of the Munsters' living room. There were also a Colorforms Cartoon Kit, a Herman Munster hand puppet manufactured by Mattel, a Herman Munster talking doll also manufactured by Mattel, a Munsters drag race game, Munsters Halloween costumes made by Ben Cooper, a Munsters card game, and much more.

It was due to the popularity of The Munsters that the Munsters appeared in the TV special Marineland Carnival: The Munsters Visit Marineland. Marineland Carnival: The Munsters Visit Marineland aired only once, on April 18 1965. It was long feared lost, until a copy of the special surfaced and was donated to the Paley Centre in New York City in 1997.  This was not the first time CBS stars had appeared in a special shot at Marineland. An earlier special, simply titled Marineland Carnival aired, on CBS on March 29 1964. It guest starred the cast of The Beverly Hillbillies and the Smothers Brothers. Marineland was also featured in the Beverly Hillbillies episodes "Back to Marineland," which aired on November 4 1964.

Ultimately, for the 1964-1965 season The Munsters ranked at no. 18 for the year in the Nielsen ratings, tied with another new show, Gilligan's Island. Unfortunately, The Munsters would see less success in its second season. For the 1965-1966 ABC moved Shindig! into The Flinstones' old Thursday night time slot opposite The Munsters on CBS and Daniel Boone on NBC. The end result was that The Munsters still did well, while Daniel Boone rapidly rose in the Nielsen ratings. As to Shindig!, both its Thursday and Saturday night editions were at the bottom of the ratings. Ultimately, ABC cancelled Shindig! and in its old Thursday night time slot scheduled the second half of a new show called Batman.

Batman would turn out to be an outright phenomenon, quite possibly the biggest American television fad in the history of the medium. To make matters worse, while there were adults who watched Daniel Boone on NBC, The Munsters largely had an audience of children, the same audience that would be drawn to Batman. After the January 12 1965 debut of Batman, Daniel Boone continued to do well, but The Munsters plummeted in the ratings. In the end, the Thursday night edition of Batman finished the season at no. 5 in the Nielsen ratings for the year, while Daniel Boone came in at 26. As to The Munsters, it came in at a lowly no. 70 for the 1965-1966 season. CBS then cancelled the series.

While The Munsters had been cancelled, the Munster family was hardly gone. What become the feature film Munster, Go Home! (1966) was conceived before the show was cancelled as a means that producers Bob Mosher and Joe Connelly could recoup the costs in producing the TV show The Munsters. It was originally planned to be a made-for-TV movie, but ultimately the decision was made for it to be a theatrical release. While Munster. Go Home (1966) would be a feature film shot in Technicolor, its budget remained modest. It cost $500,000. While Fred Gwynne, Yvonne De Carlo, Al Lewis, and Butch Patrick reprised their roles from the TV show, Pat Priest would not play Marilyn in Munster, Go Home!. She was replaced by Debbie Watson, who was under contract to Universal. Producers Joe Connelly and Bob Mosher felt that Pat Preist, who was 29, was too old to play Marilyn in the film, while Universal was trying to promote Debbie Watson's career. Pat Priest was heartbroken at not getting to do the film, Fred Gwynne and Al Lewis both took up for Pat Priest, but to no avail. Reportedly, many fans were angered by Pat Priest being replaced at the time and ever since. Following Munster, Go Home!, Debbie Watson appeared in the movie The Cool Ones (1967) and guest starred on The Virginian and Love, American Style.

The screenplay for Munster, Go Home! was written by George Tibbles, who had written two episodes of the TV series, as well as Joe Connelly and Bob Mosher. Gene Reynolds, who had directed two episodes of The Munsters, was originally set to direct Munster, Go Home!. It was after only a few days that Gene Reynolds was replaced by Earl Bellamy, who had directed seven episodes of the show.

Munster, Go Home! premiered in New York City on June 15 1966 and was released in the United States on August 6 1966. It played on a double bill with The Ghost and Mr. Chicken, starring Don Knotts, in some markets. It was not a success at the box office in its initial release, although it would be shown frequently on television over the years. It has since been released on DVD and Blu-ray.

Despite having only run two seasons, The Munsters proved to be a hit in syndication, so that Munster, Go Home! would not be the last  audiences would see of The Munsters. The first revival of the show was the animated TV movie The Mini-Munsters, which aired on The ABC Saturday Superstar Movie on October 27 1973. Of the original cast, only Al Lewis returned as the voice of Grandpa. Richard Long (known for the TV Western The Big Valley) voiced Herman, while Cynthia voiced Lily and Bobby Diamond voiced Eddie. Marilyn was absent from The Mini-Munsters, but it introduced two new characters. Igor and Lucretia were the Munsters' young cousins. The Mini-Munsters was a pilot for a Saturday morning cartoon based on The Munsters, but it did not sell.

Most of the original cast would return for the television reunion movie The Munsters' Revenge, which aired on February 27 1981 on NBC. Jo McDonnell played the role of Marilyn, while K.C. Martel played Eddie. The Munsters' Revenge would be the last film to feature Fred Gwynne as Herman, Yvonne De Carlo as Lily, and Al Lewis as Grandpa.

While the original cast would never again appear in a TV show or movie, the sitcom was revived in 1988 with the syndicated series The Munsters Today. On The Munsters Today it was in 1966 that one of Grandpa's inventions accidentally puts the entire family into suspended animation. Herman Munster was played by John Schuck (s best known for his role as Sergeant Charles Enright on McMillan & Wife), while  Lee Meriwether played Lily. Howard Morton, who played supporting characters on sitcoms, played Grandpa. Jason Marsden, who has gone onto become a voice actor on several animated projects, played Eddie. Marilyn was played by Hilary Van Dyke. The Munsters Today ran for three years in syndication.

The Munster family was revived yet again in the TV movie Here Come the Munsters, which aired on October 31 1995 on Fox. In Here Come the Munsters, Herman was played by Edward Hermann, now perhaps best known as Richard Gilmore on The Gilmore Girls. Veronica Hamel, Hill Street Blues fame, played Lily. Screen and stage legend Robert Morse played Grandpa. Christine Taylor played Marilyn, having played another sitcom character, Marcia Brady, in the movie Brady Bunch (1995), the same year. Yvonne De Carlo, Al Lewis, Butch Patrick and Pat Priest had cameos as customers in restaurants.

Here Come the Munsters would be followed by another TV movie which also aired on Fox, although it would have a different cast. The Munsters Scary Little Christmas aired on Fox on December 16 1996. It starred Sam McMurray as Herman, Ann Magnuson as Lily, Sandy Baron as Grandpa, and Elaine Hendrix as Marilyn.

While the Munster family would be absent from the small screen in the Naughts, in the Teens an attempt was made at a reimagining of The Munsters. Mockingbird Lane was developed by Bryan Fuller, the creator of the cult TV series Pushing Daisies. It was in November 2011 that NBC confirmed that a pilot had been ordered and in January 2012 that it was announced the prospective new show's title would be Mockingbird Lane. Jerry O'Connell, known for the movie Stand by Me (1986) and the TV series Crossing Jordan. Portia de Rossi, who had appeared in the shows Ally McBeal and Nip/Tuck, was cast as Lily. British comedian Eddie Izzard played Grandpa. Marilyn was played by Charity Wakefield, who had been a regular on the British show Casualty 19000s. Mason Cook played Eddie.

Mockingbird Lane differed from prior versions of The Munsters in that the Munster family looked more human and even their clothing was not as outre as in previous versions. Its tone was also much darker than previous versions, with Grandpa actively seeks to feed on humans and manipulate them as well. Sadly, NBC passed on the pilot in September 2012, although they decided to air it as a Halloween special in October. NBC executives felt that the show's premise did not work. The pilot for Mockingbird Lane aired on October 26 2012 where it received respectable ratings for a show aired on a Friday night. It also received reviews that were mixed to positive. This gave fans some hope that NBC might yet pick up Mockingbird Lane. Unfortunately, in December 2012 Bryan Fuller announced on Twitter that NBC was not moving forward with Mockingbird Lane.

The latest revival of The Munsters came nearly ten years after Mockingbird Lane. The Munsters (2022) was a prequel to the TV series, centred on Herman Munster's courtship of Lily. The cast included Sheri Moon Zombie as Lily, Jeff Daniels as Herman, Daniel Roebuck as The Count (later to become Grandpa). As the movie was a prequel to the show, neither Eddie nor Marilyn appeared in the film. The Munsters was released on Netflix and on DVD on September 27 2022. It received mixed to average reviews.

The Munsters continues to be popular to this day. The first season of the show was released to DVD in 2004, while the second season was released in 2005. Since then there have been three releases of  the complete series. It is currently available to watch on the streaming services Peacock and the Roku Channel, and individual episodes can be rented from Apple TV, Fandango at Home, and Prime Video. Merchandise for The Munsters is still being made, from T-shirts to action figures to model kits. While The Munsters may have only lasted two seasons, it has proven to be a lasting success.

Thank You for a Sucessful Blogathon

I want to thank everyone who took part in the 11th Annual Rule, Britannia Blogathon for making it a success. This year we had posts on a wide variety of movies, from the Forties to the Naughts. And there were posts in a wide variety of genres, from biopics to horror to heist films. Barring unforeseen circumstances, there will be a 12th Annual Rule, Britannia Blogathon next year.

Kathryn Crosby Passes On

Kathryn Crosby, the widow of Bing Crosby who under her stage name Kathryn Grant appeared in such movies as The Brothers Rico (1957) and The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958), died on September 20 2024 at the age of 90.

Kathryn Crosby was born Olive Kathryn Grandstaff on November 25 1933 in Houston. She grew up in West Columbia, Texas. She was the first runner-up in the Miss Texas pageant. Afterwards Roy Roger's agent Art Rush helped her go to Hollywood. She did a screen test with William Holden for Paramount and was signed to the studio.She took the stage name Kathryn Grant.

Kathryn Crosby made her film debut in an uncredited part in So This is Love in 1953. Over the next couple of years she had uncredited roles in the movies Arrowhead (1953), Forever Female (1953), Casanova's Big Night (1954), Living It Up (1954), Rear Window (1954), Unchained (1955), and Tight Spot (1955). Her first credited role was as Jo-Anne in Cell 2455, Death Row (1955). Over the next few years she appeared in the movies 5 Against the House (1955), The Phenix City Story (1955), Storm Center (1956), Reprisal! (1956), The Wild Party (1956), Mister Cory (1957), The Guns of Fort Petticoat (1957), The Night the World Exploded (1957), Operation Mad Ball (1957), The Brothers Rico (1957), Gunman's Walk (1958), The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958), Anatomy of a Murder (1959), and The Big Circus (1959). She was a the voice of Princess Yasminda in the animated movie 1001 Arabian Nights (1959). On television she guest starred on the shows Damon Runyon Theatre, My Sister Eileen, Father Knows Beat, Celebrity Playhouse, The Ford Television Theatre, and The George Sanders Mystery Theatre.

During her acting career Kathryn Crosby wrote a weekly column called Texas Girl for newspapers i Texas. In 1953 she also worked temporarily in Paramount's wardrobe department. It was there she first met Bing Crosby. It was a few months later that she would meet him again when she was escorting guests around the set of White Christmas (1954). They married in 1957, after which she retired from acting.

Kathryn Crosby would continue to appear with Bing Crosby when he hosted the Christmas editions of The Hollywood Palace as well as on his Christmas specials. In the Sixties she guest starred on Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre, an episode of The Bing Crosby Show, and an episode of Ben Casey (produced by Bing Crosby Productions). She also appeared on Broadway in 1976 in Bing Crosby on Broadway. In 1971 she appeared on Great Performances in a performance of Cyrano de Bergerac,

Following Bing Crosby's death in 1977, Kathryn Crosby appeared in the 1978 TV movie The Initiation of Sarah. an episode of This is the Life, and Queen of the Lot (2010). She appeared on Broadway in State Fair in 1996.

Many probably best remembered Kathryn Crosby best as Bing Crosby's wife who appeared in his many TV specials, although many others may remember her best for playing Princess Parisa in The 7th Voyage of Sinbad. She was a talented actress capable of playing  a wide variety of roles, from Johnny Rico's long-suffering wife Norah in The Brothers Rico to hostess and informant Ellie Rhodes in The Phenix City Story to Mary Plaint in Anatomy of a Murder. While her career was not very long, she left an impression with her many fine performances.

A Very British Film Called The Italian Job (1969)

(This post is part of the 11th Annual Rule, Britannia Blogathon hosted by A Shroud of Thoughts)

If ever there was a Golden Age for caper movies, it had to be the Sixties. The decade saw the release of such classic caper films as Topkapi (1964), Gambi (1966), and How to Steal a Million (1966). Among the greatest of the caper movies of the Sixties was The Italian Job (1969). And while the United Kingdom produced a number of caper films during the Sixties, arguably The Italian Job was the most British of them all.

The Italian Job centres on professional thief Charlie Croker (Michael Caine). Newly released from prison, Charlie goes to meet fellow thief Roger Beckerman (Rosano Brazzi) about a job Beckerman had planned in Italy. Charlie instead finds himself meeting with Beckerman's widow (Lelia Goldoni), Beckerman having been killed by the Mafia. Beckerman's widow insists that Charlie go forward with Beckerman's plan, which involves stealing $4 million in gold bullion from a convoy as a payment to Fiat by the Chinese for a car factory. Charlie has to go for financial backing of the heist to crime lord Mr. Bridger (Noël Coward), as well as gather a crew to pull off the heist. Of course, as might be expected, not everything goes off as planned.

The origins of The Italian Job go back to a teleplay that Ian Kennedy Martin had submitted to the BBC. The play centred on a heist that would be pulled off in central London during a traffic jam. The BBC never turned Ian Kennedy Martin's teleplay into a television movie, his brother Troy Kennedy Martin thinks because the BBC thought it would be too expensive to do. Troy Kennedy Martin then bought the teleplay from his brother and changed the location of the heist from central London to Turin, Italy. As to the Martins, Ian Kennedy Martin had been the story editor on the police drama Redcap and had written for such British TV shows as The Saint, The Protectors, and The Troubleshooters. Troy Kennedy Martin was then best known as the creator of the TV Show Z-Cars and written for such shows as Redcap and ITV Play of the Week, and did some uncredited rewriting on the feature film Darling (1965).

From the beginning Troy Kennedy Martin wanted Michael Caine for the role of Charlie Croker. It was after several attempts that he finally caught up with Mr. Caine when dense fog had resulted in all flights being diverted from Los Angeles International Airport to a small airstrip near San Diego. Troy Kennedy Martin was able to interest Paramount in the project, but then head of Paramount Robert Evans wanted Robert Redford for the lead. Troy Kennedy Martin stood his ground and Robert Evans accepted Michael Caine in the role of Charlie Croker.

As to the rest of the cast, the all-important role of Mr. Bridger was offered to Noël Coward almost immediately. Several well-known British actors filled many of the roles, including comedian Benny Hill as Professor Peach, character actress Irene Hnadl as his sister, Fred Emney as Birkinshaw, and actor and author John Clive as a garage owner. Charlie's crew included such actors as Tony Beckley (who had done a good deal of work with director Peter Collinson), George Innes (who had appeared in Billy Liar), Harry Baird (who had already appeared in many films and would appear in The Oblong Box, also from 1969), and Robert Powell (who would go onto appear in Jesus of Nazareth), among others. One notable member of the cast is Stanley Caine, who was the brother of Michael Caine and had also appeared in his brother's movie Billion Dollar Brain (1967).

Four endings were written for The Italian Job, but producer Michael Deeley was not satisfied with any of them. He then came up with the idea of the movie's now famous cliffhanger ending. Over the years many have guessed at how the cliffhanger would have been resolved.

The Italian Job was shot a t a number of different locations. The prison where Charlie had stayed was actually a combination of two different prisons. The interior was Kilmainham Gaol in Dublin, Ireland. The exterior was sHM Prison Wormwood Scrubs in west London. The famous chase scene was shot mostly in Turin, with the portion  through a sewer shot in the Sowe Valley Sewer Duplication system in the Stoke Aldermoor district of Coventry. Other locations included the Royal Lancaster Hotel  in London, the Crystal Palace race track, and the Dover Ferry Terminal on the Easter Docks in Dover, Kent. Filming was also done at Isleworth studios in Isleworth, Middlesexand  Twickenham Film Studios in Twickenham, Middlesex.

Of course, as mentioned earlier, The Italian Job is a very British film, despite the fact that much of its action is set in Italy. Indeed, it is hard to get more British than a cast including Michael Caine, Noël Coward, Benny Hill, and Irene Handl, among others. Much of the Britishness of the film comes in the form of Mr. Bridger, who is openly nationalistic. His room is filled with pictures of the Queen and magazines about the Queen, and "Rule, Britannia" or "God Save the Queen" is often playing when he is on screen. In addition to Mr. Bridger, there is also the fact that the heist itself unfolds towards the end of a football match between England and Italy. The escape vehicles of much of Charlie's crew are also very British. They are Mini Coopes in the national colours of the United Kingdom: red, white, and blue. Of course, in many ways the British iconography of The Italian Job should not prove surprising, given to a large degree the movie plays out as the British versus the Mafia.

The Italian Job opened at the Plaza Cinema on June 5 1969. Given its status as a classic today, it might come as a surprise that some critics were not impressed by the film upon its release. In Today's Cinema, Marjorie Bilbow wrote, "Without the super car chase that forms the thrilling climax, this would be little more than a run-of-the-mill comedy thriller...."  In The New York Times, Vincent Canby who reviewed the Spaghetti Western Ace High (1968) and The Italian Job as a double feature, commented, "Both Giuseppe Colizzi's Ace High, an Italian Western, and Peter Collinson's The Italian Job, a British caper comedy set mostly in Italy, are types of movies that have been made before—very often and much better—by other people."

While some critics might not have been impressed by The Italian Job, British audiences loved the film, and it did well at the box office in the United Kingdom. It also performed well in Europe. For whatever reason it did not perform as well in the United States, although it would achieve cult status in the Colonies.  It made its American television debut on June 9 1974 on ABC, and has been gathering American fans ever since.

While critics may have been unimpressed with The Italian Job in 1969 and it may have had an underwhelming box office performance in the United States, it has since become very highly regarded. In 1999 the British Film Institute ranked The Italian Job at no. 35 in its list of  the BFI Top 100 British films. In 2004 Total Film listed it as the 27th greatest British film of all time. In 2011 movie fans voted The Italian Job the greatest British film of all time in a poll conducted by Sky Movies HD. The film currently boasts a rating of 82% on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. The Italian Job has also permeated popular culture throughout the Anglosphere, with Michael Caine's line,  "You're only supposed to blow the bloody doors off!" often quoted. Indeed, Michael Caine even titled his memoir, Blowing the Bloody Doors Off: And Other Life Lessons. Critics in 1969 and American audiences in 1969 may not have been impressed by this very British film, but The Italian Job has become an undisputed classic.

The 11th Annual Rule, Britannia Blogathon

The 11th Annual Rule, Britannia Blogathon has arrived! The Rule, Britannia Blogathon is a celebration of classic, British films. While many think of Hollywood when they think of movies, the fact is that many classic films originated in the United Kingdom. From the Gainsborough melodramas to the Ealing comedies to the Hammer Horrors, the United Kingdom has made many contributions to classic film. The Rule, Britannia Blogathon will run from Friday, September 20 to Sunday, September 23 2024.

Without further ado, here are this year's entries.

Realweegiemidget Reviews: "FILMS: Nicholas and Alexandra (1971)

Nitrateglow: "Corridor of Mirrors (dir. Terence Young, 1948)"

The Spirochaete Trail: "Under the Skin (The Other from Another Planet)"

John V's Eclectic Avenue: "Moore Is Haunted"

Smoke in the Library: Get Carter

Liberal England: "Last Resort (2000) Paddy Considine, Margate, and magic"

A Shroud of Thoughts: "A Very British Film Called The Italian Job (1969)"

Crítica Retrô: "O Marido (1947)/An Ideal Husband (1947)"

Moon in Gemini: "Shallow Grave (1994): A British Twist on Neo-Noir"

Taking Up Room: "My British Buddy"