Before they landed two of the show’s major roles, Fred Gwynne and Al Lewis co-starred together in the American sitcom “Car 54, Where are You?,” which aired on NBC from 1961 to 1963. The chemistry that Gwynne and Lewis built during their previous work on that show was truly evident later on the set of “The Munsters.”
In 1962, “Car 54, Where are You?” was awarded an Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy and received a nomination for Outstanding Program Achievement in the Field of Comedy and at the same time an Outstanding Writing Achievement in Comedy. Both Fred Gwynne and Al Lewis were instrumental to the show’s success.
The Munsters and Leave It To Beaver Were Neighbors
The house in which the Munster family called home was situated just down the street where the first home of America’s most wholesome family, the Cleavers, resided in the TV show "Leave It to Beaver." As a matter of fact, the Munster house still appears on TV up until today, being featured in various episodes of the TV series "Desperate Housewives" and "Coach."
The production team had to spend nearly $1,000,000 to turn the ordinary house into the Munster Mansion and is currently on exhibit on Universal City, California, at the Universal Studios theme park. The house also has a precise replica at Waxahachie, Texas.
How Do You Bark In German?
"The Munsters" wasn't only a hit in the United States. As it turns out, "The Munsters" movie was also aired in Germany. Granted, some adjustments had to be made when dubbing the show into a different language.
One such adjustment was changing Woof-Woof's name. For those of you who don't remember, Woof-Woof was Eddie's toy wolf. In the German version of the film, however, the stuffed wolf was named Wumpy Pumpy.
Fred Gwynne's Diverse Characters
Frederick Hubbard Gwynne, or Fred Gwynne as he is widely known on TV, was a prominent American actor, artist, and author during the 60s. Gwynne was widely acclaimed for his performances in "Car 54, Where Are You?" and, of course, Herman Munster in "The Munsters."
The famous 1960’s sitcom actor was also merited for three different roles throughout the complete 70 episodes of "The Munsters." Together with his title role as Herman Munster, Gwynne also depicted Herman’s twin brother, Charlie, as well as a scorned creation of Doctor Frankenstein called Johann. The choice certainly highlighted Fred Gwynne’s exceptional skills in acting.
Grandpa Munster's Restaurant
Prior to becoming a political activist, Al Lewis pursued a different path – food. Lewis started a restaurant called Grampa’s Bella Gente in Greenwich Village in 1987, which served Italian dishes for a total of six years until 1993. Grampa’s Bella Gente drew in a flock of customers, the majority of whom were real fans of "The Munsters."
Fans of the show would gather around on the Italian restaurant in Greenwich Village with the hopes of seeing Al Lewis in person, even just for a glimpse. Fred Gwynne supported his Munsters’ co-star and friend in real life on his new project and even volunteered to draw the logo of his restaurant. Gwynne eventually came up with a drawing that featured Lewis’s side profile wearing his iconic Grandpa costume.