You don’t have to be a “Baby Boomer” to remember them and to commemorate its 50th anniversary on the television scene, this year’s Culver City car show has adopted an all “Munsters” theme. The Grand Marshal for 2015’s show will be Butch “Eddie Munster” Patrick – one of two surviving cast members.
Cruisin’ kicks off its 2015 show at 9 a.m. May 9 in Down-town Culver City and Barris’ “Munster Koach” will also be on hand. In keeping with the macabre motif, the show’s annual pin-up competition will be a Munster-themed fashion homage to Herman’s gruesomely stylish vampire bride Lily. There may even be fan participation Munster costume contest. Neck bolts and wid-ow’s peaks are a must.
It’s been a half century since “The Munsters” first appeared on black & white TV’ sets across America. Though many a schoolyard critic carped that Herman, Lily and their ghoulish parody of the family Cleaver–Beaver not Eldridge-was a goofy rip-off from a competing network-the silly sweetness of this short-lived sitcom (1964- 66) has made The Munsters an enduring fan favorite.
Like most TV shows of its era, cars were integral to the look and feel of The Munsters. Not surprisingly, Cruisin’s own George Barris designed and built The “Munster Koach” and its companion dragster aptly named “Dragula.” By the time the series canned its last episode, the Barris creations were nearly as popular as the family Munster. From the first time they appeared on tiny screen, the “Koach” and “Dragula” were a “must have” holiday gift for boys from nine to ninety.
They also were in demand by event organizers across America including the Hollywood Christmas Parade where they were nearly as big as hit as the big guy in the red suit. Even today, nearly fifty years after they first debuted, scale models of the two cars are still in demand worldwide.