Welcome back, ghouls and ghosts, to the third annual installment of SpookyJawn! It’s our horror takeover of MovieJawn, and this year we are wall to wall with monsters!

by Rosalie Kicks, Old Sport & Editor in Chief

Frequently I ponder: What it would be like if Frankenstein’s Monster was my neighbor.

Before my best pal in the entire world of existence, Li’l Foxie left this planet, we were knee deep in watching the TV series, The Munsters. While viewing this INCREDIBLE series, I could not help but mull over the idea of living next door to America’s favorite spooky family. As an actual living creature myself (proof here), I know what it is like to not fit within the social norms. Being able to celebrate and embrace our peculiarities together would be fangtastic. It would be an absolute thrill to sit at the dinner table with Grandpa Munster and ask him to pass me the plasma while requesting the ketchup. Heck, to just step inside their cozy manor would be grand. Maybe I could obtain beauty and fashion tips from Lily or ride bikes with Eddie. What a dream it would be!

If you are looking to take a waltz by 1313 Mockingbird Lane allow me to be your guiding spirit. After making it through season one in its entirety, I compiled a listicle of my favorite episodes.

Season One, Episode 04
Rock-a-Bye Munster

I love how absolutely sweet Herman Munster (Fred Gwynne) is. This episode showcases not only his kindhearted nature but his adoration for his wife, Lily (Yvonne De Carlo). As I got further along in the series I often thought back to this specific episode when witnessing the horrific treatment fellow citizens often show Herman and his family. The guy may not be the brightest bulb in the box, but one can’t deny his friendliness. Many of the townsfolk are rude to The Munsters despite them being such kind souls.

In this episode, Herman is duped into thinking that Lily is expecting after he overhears her chatting with their niece Marilyn about a playmate for Eddie. Seeing Herman play with a miniature toy of himself and believing that it is his son is truly something to behold.

Season One, Episode 07
Tin Can Man

Hands down, my favorite character on The Munsters is our little Eddie (Butch Patrick). He is simply precious. Eddie’s schemes with Grandpa Munster (Al Lewis) in his laboratory are some of my favorite Munsters moments. I feel these lab sessions are akin to the antics (aka makin’ mishief) Li’l Foxie and I would get up to in my lab. This statement will most probably definitely come as no surprise: I love Grandpa and find his laboratory to be superb. In this particular installment, Grandpa tries to keep Eddie from being expelled from school by assisting him in creating a world class robot for the science fair. Even when an unfortunate catastrophe strikes the Robot due to a sleaze merchant, Herman is there to lend a hand. It pleases me how much the Munsters family has one another’s backs through thick and thin. For those that have viewed the excellent The Munsters film (it made my best of list in 2022 here) from Robert Zombie, Tin Can Man may seem familiar as he makes an appearance in the film played by none other than our little Eddie, Butch Patrick.

Season One, Episode 09
Knock Wood, Here Comes Charlie

When Herman’s twin brother Charlie waltzes through the door, chaos ensues. Described as the white sheep of the family, Charlie is the opposite of Herman in practically every way. Donning a monocle, bowler hat, and plaid jacket he is a suave swindler with an accent. When he rolls into town no elderly widow is safe from his charlatan ways. Fred Gwynne does a most excellent job of playing both Charlie and Herman. There is nothing like a set of twins to stir up some trouble. Don’t believe me? Well, I invite you to listen to my most recent Cinematic Crypt pod series on the subject. Available for your ears now wherever you catch pods or download here on MovieJawn.

Season One, Episode 15
Herman’s Rival

After Lily suspects that Herman made a bad investment with her werewolf brother, Lester Dracula, she believes that their life savings are gone. Due to this she decides to get a job unbeknownst to Herman who then suspects she is cheating on him. The plot is kinda lukewarm. However, the true showstopper here is the introduction of Lester. His mug hitting the screen is truly a memorable experience. Despite Grandpa Munster describing Lester (his SON) as a born loser, I have a soft spot for this tweed suit wearing wolfie.

Season One, Episode 19
Eddie’s Nickname

This episode came at a time when I didn’t think The Munsters could get any better. Oh how wrong I was (typical problem for me). When I witnessed our little Eddie with an Amish style beard… well I can now die knowing I have seen it all.

After Eddie regales his family with the tales of his school bully calling him “shortie”, Grandpa Munster decides to mix up a “magical milkshake” to help him grow six inches overnight. Unfortunately for Eddie, he instead grows a six inch beard. This episode is marked with hilarity and includes a guest appearance from Paul Lynde as the befuddled Munsters doctor. I loved every moment of this and have no further notes other than that you must watch it immediately.

Season One, Episode 28
Movie Star Munster

This specific yarn had me questioning if I was a writer on The Munsters in a past life as the plotline not only had a cinematic focus but also involved INSURANCE!

I have quite the fondness for motion pictures that involve wills ‘n thrills, murder and insurance scams. Many flicks from the noir period (primarily considered films made during the 1940s and 1950s) involve these sorts of topics. In this occurrence of The Munsters, Herman finds himself swindled by a couple of con artists posing as movie producers. They convince Herman that they are shooting a movie when, in reality, they are attempting to write the story of his death and swindle an insurance company. Herman’s movie star garb had me knee slapping. The ascot, the cigarette holder, and beret were fangtastic. However, someone will need to talk to him about the whole “method acting” thing.

Season One, Episode 31
Love Comes to Mockingbird Heights

This is a fine and good episode, entertaining even. Nevertheless the real reason to watch this is Uncle Gilbert. Seeing Uncle Gilbert on screen made me realize that I was not alone in this cruel world. There truly are other creatures just like me. The only complaint about this episode is that I wanted more Gilbert, I need to know everything about him and his former life as a Transylvanian politician.