Eddie Munster

Eddie Munster is a fictional character on the CBS sitcom The Munsters. He was portrayed by Butch Patrick in all episodes of the original series except for the pilot, where he was portrayed by Happy Derman. The only child of Herman and Lily Munster, Eddie is a werewolf.[1] The role was later played by Jason Marsden in The Munsters Today.

Eddie Munster
The Munsters character
Butch Patrick as Eddie Munster with his doll Woof-Woof
First appearance"Munster Masquerade"
Last appearanceMunster, Go Home! (by Butch Patrick)
Mockingbird Lane (final)
Portrayed by
In-universe information
SpeciesHuman / Werewolf
GenderMale
RelativesHerman Munster (father)
Lily Munster (mother)
Vladimir Dracula (grandfather)
Marilyn Munster (cousin)
Charlie Munster (uncle)

Description

Eddie is a typical all-American boy apart from being a werewolf and, in some episodes, showing some signs of being part vampire. Most noticeable is the fact that he sleeps in a chest of drawers. He has a stuffed toy werewolf named Woof-Woof, which bears an uncanny resemblance to Lon Chaney, Jr.'s portrayal of Larry Talbot in the 1941 feature film, The Wolfman. He attends elementary school, and aside from his pointed ears, severe widow's peak, and Fauntleroy suit, he is a normal kid.[2]

Eddie is very proud of his father, to the point of bragging about Herman's abilities and deeds to his friends... although these boasts are often outright fabrications. In fact, Eddie volunteering Herman for a heroic deed (which is clearly beyond Herman's capabilities, but one Herman nonetheless undertakes for Eddie's sake) is a central theme in many episodes.


Production

In the unaired pilot episode, the part was played by Nate "Happy" Derman, who played a more aggressively wolfish boy. Butch Patrick was reportedly cast out of over 500 boys in March 1964, and would appear in all episodes broadcast on CBS.

When asked how he was selected to portray the role of Eddie, Patrick recalled, "I had a lot of experience. But maybe it was because my fangs were my own teeth. My teeth were so bad, that even when I closed my mouth they stuck out. I was about a head smaller than the other kids, and they liked that because it played off Herman's height."[3]

By the time The Munsters ended its run, Patrick was 13 years old, which coincidentally was Jason Marsden's age when he took over the role for The Munsters Today . In the first season of the sequel series, Eddie was depicted as being 10 years old and in the fourth grade. He wore the same outfit that Butch Patrick wore. In seasons two and three, Eddie was now depicted as being high-school aged and his wardrobe became increasingly modernized. Marsden would likewise appear in all episodes produced for first-run syndication.

References
  1. "Old Munsters Never Die". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2010-10-10.
  2. "Meet The Munsters – Eddie Munster". Munsters.com. Retrieved September 12, 2012.
  3. Jerry Resler (October 28, 1983). "Being a little 'Munster' wasn't so horrible". The Milwaukee Sentinel.
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