The Munsters Cast Young: Early Fred Gwynne and Yvonne De Carlo

Ed Gross

September 10, 2024 at 11:50 PM·6 min read

If you were to look back at 1960s sitcoms, you'd see that they were filled with fantasy sitcoms like Bewitched and I Dream of Jeannie, but one of the standouts — despite the fact that it only lasted two seasons — was The Munsters, which was born out of Universal Television's idea of combining its classic movie monsters with a sitcom like The Donna Reed Show. The results were nothing less than brilliant.

The show, of course, stars Fred Gwynne as Herman Munster, patriarch and in essence Frankenstein's monster; Yvonne De Carlo as his wife, Lily, a vampiress; Al Lewis as her father, Grandpa, who is suggested to be Dracula, king of the vampires; Butch Patrick as Herman and Lily's son, Eddie, a wolfboy (that genetic heritage is never really explained); and then there's the "shame" of the family (though loved anyway), niece Marilyn (played first by Beverly Owen and then by Pat Priest), who looks perfectly human. Oh, and pet dragon Spot, who lives under the steps leading upstairs in their mansion.

While Patrick, Owen and Priest were fairly new to the business at the time the series began, Fred Gwynne, Yvonne De Carlo and Al Lewis were already showbiz veterans, and this look at The Munsters cast young focuses on the three of them.

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Fred Gwynne (Herman Munster)

Fred Gwynne with and without makeup in 1964

NAME: Fred Gwynne

CHARACTER: Herman Munster

BORN: July 10, 1926

BEFORE THE MUNSTERS: He served as a radioman on the submarine USS Manville during World War II, later sang with an a cappella group at Harvard and became a cartoonist for the Harvard Lampoon. His acting career really began on Broadway, before scoring a role in the film On the Waterfront and then making television guest appearances. Prior to The Munsters, he starred in the sitcom Car 54, Where Are You? (1961 to 1963).

AFTER THE MUNSTERS: Due to typecasting, film work was hard to come by, though he did find stage work. Later in life, he did start getting cast in characters roles, a standout being his last one in My Cousin Vinny (1992). Additionally, he enjoyed painting and became an author and illustrator of children's books.

PERSONAL: Married twice, he was the father of 5.

DIED: Fred Gwynne died on July 2, 1993 at the age of 66.

1940s

Fred Gwynne when he was a part of the U.S. Navy during World War II. — U.S. Navy

Fred Gwynne when he was a part of the U.S. Navy in World War II.

1954

Fred Gwynne is on the far right, taking photos in this scene from Marlon Brando's On the Waterfront, released in 1954.

1955

Fred Gwynne and Phil Silvers in a 1955 episode of The Phil Silvers Show.

1957

Fred Gwynne and first wife Jean Reynard — Getty

Not just an actor, artist Fred Gwynne with his wife, Jean Reynard, at their home in Bedford, New York, 1957.

Burgess Meredith and Fred Gwynne in a 1957 episode of the anthology series Suspicion. — Press Photo ?NBC

Burgess Meredith (you know him from so many things, but especially the Penguin from Batman and Mickey from the first four Rocky films) and Fred Gwynne in a 1957 episode of the anthology series Suspicion.

1961 to 1963

Joe E. Ross (1914 - 1982) stars with Fred Gwynne (1926 - 1993) in the television sitcom Car 54, Where Are You, circa 1961. — NBC Television/Archive Photos/Getty Images

Joe E. Ross (1914 - 1982) stars with Fred Gwynne in the television sitcom Car 54, Where Are You, circa 1961.

1962

Yvonne De Carlo (Lily Munster)

Al Lewis, Yvonne De Carlo and Fred Gwynne in 1964 to 1966's The Munsters

NAME: Yvonne De Carlo

CHARACTER: Lily Munster

BORN: September 1, 1922

BEFORE THE MUNSTERS: Prior to the series, Yvonne appeared in nearly 60 movies between an uncredited role in 1941's Harvard, Here I Come and 1964's A Global Affair, those films including the acclaimed Salome, Where She Danced (1945); Criss Cross (1949), The Captain's Paradise (1953), La Contessa di Castiglione (1954) and Charlton Heston's The Ten Commandments (1956).

AFTER THE MUNSTERS: Like everyone else associated with the show, Yvonne found it difficult to get meaningful roles following it, but she certainly worked, appearing in a couple of dozen films, the last being 1992's The Naked Truth; and television appearances, culminating with the 1995 TV movie The Barefoot Executive. A personal highlight was starring in Stephen Sondheim's musical Follies on stage from 1971 to 1972, which offered her the very appropriate song "I'm Still Here."

PERSONAL: Yvonne was married to Robert Drew Morgan from 1955 until their divorce in 1973. She had 2 children.

DIED: January 8, 2007 at age 84.

1940

Robert Stack, who would go on to star in The Untouchables, with Yvonne De Carlo in 1940 as they attend an event.

1941

Yvonne De Carlo, Canadian-born American film and television actress as seen in 1941.

1944

Canadian actress Yvonne De Carlo has her hair styled by Carla on the set of the Universal Pictures film Salome, Where She Danced, 1944.

1945

Yvonne De Carlo circa 1945.

1947

1947: Producer of the film Brute Force Mark Hellinger (right) with actors Howard Duff and Yvonne De Carlo, discussing the filming.

1948

Yvonne De Carlo wearing green bikini top and shorts posing on sea wall circa 1948.

1951

1951: Yvonne De Carlo stars with Van Heflin in The Battle Of Powder River, set during the Great Sioux Uprising of the 1860's. Heflin plays legendary frontier scout Jim Bridger.

1955

Actors Yvonne De Carlo and Scott Brady, circa 1955.

1956

Yvonne De Carlo, Charlton Heston and John Derek in a scene from the film The Ten Commandments, 1956.

1957

Clark Gable and Yvonne De Carlo in Band of Angels, 1957.

1960

Yvonne De Carlo striking studio publicity portrait circa 1960.

Al Lewis (Grandpa)

Al Lewis as Grandpa, 1964
?CBS/courtesy MovieStillsDB.com

NAME: Al Lewis (born Abraham Meister)

CHARACTER: Grandpa Munster

BORN: April 30, 1923

BEFORE THE MUNSTERS: He got his start in vaudeville and burlesque before scoring roles in Broadway dramas and the 1962 musical Do Re Mi. There were some television appearances, including six episodes of the police drama Naked City and a regular role as Officer Leo Schnauser on 1961 to 1963's Car 54, Where Are You?. In the latter, he first acted opposite Fred Gwynne, who would, of course, play son-in-law Herman on The Munsters.

AFTER THE MUNSTERS: Of the entire cast, Al Lewis probably stayed the busiest, no part being too small. He was in 20 movies, the last being 2002's Night Terror; multiple TV movies and guest appearances, the final one being, appropriately enough, 1995's Here Come the Munsters. He protested on behalf of radio host Howard Stern for free speech against the FCC, ran as the 1998 Green Party candidate for New York and even ran his own restaurant called Grandpa's.

PERSONAL: Married twice, he had 3 children.

DIED: Al Lewis died on February 3, 2006 at age 82.