Eddie Cashes In On The Munsters - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Zoneboy · 07-07-2008, 02:44 AM

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In 1966 Butch Patrick played Eddie Munster in an offbeat sitcom called the Munsters. Eddie was a monster child with a doll called Woof-Woof. He was a strange little fellow who wore funny clothes and had a taste for the macabre. The Munsters were a family of ghouls who thought they were normal, but there was something really campy and endearing about it so that we can still watch it today.

Patrick was only 10 years old when he landed the role, but he'd been working for two years and had an agent. Patrick was a normal kid who happened to act. His family moved to Washington, D.C. and that might have been the end of his career except the producers of Leave it to Beaver were casting for a series about a new family -- of monsters.

The Munsters cranked out shows at the astonishing rate of 35 episodes a year, for two years. Patrick was living on the East Coast, and flying to L.A. on the red eye every week for shooting. "I had a little guitar I would carry with me and try to serenade the girls. I stunk, but it was cute to see a kid getting on in first class."

Less than two years after production began, the Munsters had 70 episodes in the can and shooting ended. So did Patrick's paycheque.

"Unless you were really powerful, the standard (union) contract didn't cover syndication because it didn't exist. And what really hurts is that you see your face on slot machines, you see your face on cars."

By his late teen years Patrick had starred in 16 films and numerous series, including Lidsville, a Saturday morning show by Land of the Lost creators Sid and Marty Krofft. Then he bailed out of Hollywood.

"I went down to Brazil for three months it was the summer of 1969. Charlie Manson was on the loose, the guys were walking on the moon. It was a period for me and my pals. We all went through a little experimentation situation. It killed some of them, some of them wound up in the big house, and some of us survived and I was one of the survivors."

So -- whatever happened to Butch Patrick?

He tried to break away from the Eddie character for many years. He would refuse to talk about his life on the Munsters, but, he's finally realized that this is what people know him for and decided to cash in.

"I get paid a lot of times to go to personal appearances."

He's booking right now for Christmas parties, Halloween. He'll come to bar mitzvahs, he'll go to anniversaries. He'll do anything. He's decided if you can't beat em, join em.

"I'm collecting this cash from people and people are buying autographed photos, I look at it like this is my residual fund that I didn't get from the studio."

Patrick has even made a couple of appearances on The Simpsons.

"I was excited to do The Simpsons because of the fraternity of the people who have been on the show."

Universal has tapped the Wayans Brothers to make a new Munsters feature and Butch would love to be involved. "I'd love to have a cameo and be on there as technical adviser get a little bit of that big money."

Kirstie Mclellan is executive producer of Whatever Happened To, which airs on TVtropolis.

ph1l · 07-07-2008, 02:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zoneboy

He tried to break away from the Eddie character for many years. He would refuse to talk about his life on the Munsters, but, he's finally realized that this is what people know him for and decided to cash in.

"I get paid a lot of times to go to personal appearances."

He's booking right now for Christmas parties, Halloween. He'll come to bar mitzvahs, he'll go to anniversaries. He'll do anything. He's decided if you can't beat em, join em.

"I'm collecting this cash from people and people are buying autographed photos, I look at it like this is my residual fund that I didn't get from the studio."

That's fair enough too.

Quote:

Universal has tapped the Wayans Brothers to make a new Munsters feature and Butch would love to be involved. "I'd love to have a cameo and be on there as technical adviser get a little bit of that big money."

Not so sure about him getting the big money from this though.

ethelmaepotter · 07-11-2008, 11:46 AM

The Wayans Brothers' Munster movie was scrapped a few years ago.

Lodee · 07-11-2008, 12:28 PM

I think a Munsters movie would have been pretty cool. Especially with the Wayan Brothers. I wonder why they scrapped it?

comedyfreak · 07-22-2008, 08:42 AM

Good for Patrick, he might as well cash in on the success of the show.

07-07-2008, 02:44 AM	#1
Zoneboy RIP, I'LL NEVER FORGET YOU :( Moderator Forum Superstar Join Date: Jul 13, 2003 Location: AT HOME WISHING ALL THIS WAS JUST A DREAM AND THAT I'LL WAKE UP FROM THIS NIGHTMARE. Posts: 34,514	Eddie Cashes In On The Munsters Link In 1966 Butch Patrick played Eddie Munster in an offbeat sitcom called the Munsters. Eddie was a monster child with a doll called Woof-Woof. He was a strange little fellow who wore funny clothes and had a taste for the macabre. The Munsters were a family of ghouls who thought they were normal, but there was something really campy and endearing about it so that we can still watch it today. Patrick was only 10 years old when he landed the role, but he'd been working for two years and had an agent. Patrick was a normal kid who happened to act. His family moved to Washington, D.C. and that might have been the end of his career except the producers of Leave it to Beaver were casting for a series about a new family -- of monsters. The Munsters cranked out shows at the astonishing rate of 35 episodes a year, for two years. Patrick was living on the East Coast, and flying to L.A. on the red eye every week for shooting. "I had a little guitar I would carry with me and try to serenade the girls. I stunk, but it was cute to see a kid getting on in first class." Less than two years after production began, the Munsters had 70 episodes in the can and shooting ended. So did Patrick's paycheque. "Unless you were really powerful, the standard (union) contract didn't cover syndication because it didn't exist. And what really hurts is that you see your face on slot machines, you see your face on cars." By his late teen years Patrick had starred in 16 films and numerous series, including Lidsville, a Saturday morning show by Land of the Lost creators Sid and Marty Krofft. Then he bailed out of Hollywood. "I went down to Brazil for three months it was the summer of 1969. Charlie Manson was on the loose, the guys were walking on the moon. It was a period for me and my pals. We all went through a little experimentation situation. It killed some of them, some of them wound up in the big house, and some of us survived and I was one of the survivors." So -- whatever happened to Butch Patrick? He tried to break away from the Eddie character for many years. He would refuse to talk about his life on the Munsters, but, he's finally realized that this is what people know him for and decided to cash in. "I get paid a lot of times to go to personal appearances." He's booking right now for Christmas parties, Halloween. He'll come to bar mitzvahs, he'll go to anniversaries. He'll do anything. He's decided if you can't beat em, join em. "I'm collecting this cash from people and people are buying autographed photos, I look at it like this is my residual fund that I didn't get from the studio." Patrick has even made a couple of appearances on The Simpsons. "I was excited to do The Simpsons because of the fraternity of the people who have been on the show." Universal has tapped the Wayans Brothers to make a new Munsters feature and Butch would love to be involved. "I'd love to have a cameo and be on there as technical adviser get a little bit of that big money." Kirstie Mclellan is executive producer of Whatever Happened To, which airs on TVtropolis.
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07-22-2008, 08:42 AM	#5
comedyfreak Cheers! Forum Star Join Date: Dec 14, 2005 Location: Sunny California Posts: 11,061	Good for Patrick, he might as well cash in on the success of the show.
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07-11-2008, 11:46 AM	#3
ethelmaepotter Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Nov 03, 2005 Posts: 243	The Wayans Brothers' Munster movie was scrapped a few years ago.

07-11-2008, 12:28 PM	#4
Lodee Member Senior Member Join Date: Jun 12, 2003 Posts: 1,562	I think a Munsters movie would have been pretty cool. Especially with the Wayan Brothers. I wonder why they scrapped it?