Fortean Slips: Grandpa Munster for Governor

Grandpa Munster
for Governor

by D. Trull
Enigma Editor
dtrull@parascope.com

Ask the average TV fan what he thinks about The Munsters, and his first thought will be, "Ah, it was just a cheap knock-off of The Addams Family." That's a damn shame. The suspiciously similar series actually both debuted in September of 1964, although the Charles Addams cartoons had of course been around much earlier. And regardless of the answer to this gargoyle-or-the-egg dilemma, I'm among the proud minority who think The Munsters was the better show.

Granted, that finger-snapping Addams tune is hard to beat, but the Munsters' spooky surf guitar rave-up is the most kick-ass instrumental TV theme of all time. Herman Munster was great because he was an archetypal lovable sitcom buffoon until he got pissed off, when he'd go berserk and start smashing down walls and stuff. That French-talking wuss Gomez never did anything nearly as scary. Eddie was cooler than Pugsley, Spot the Dragon was cooler than Cousin It, and the Munsters drove a mean machine designed by the guy who made Adam West's Batmobile. And Marilyn Munster was pretty hot -- both of them, even. But in spite of all this, the Munsters get no respect.

Now, 30 years after the original series ended, TV's #2 horror sitcom family is taking one last well-deserved shot at the big time: Al "Grandpa Munster" Lewis is running for governor of New York, as the Green Party candidate.

This is a proposition that brings numerous questions to mind, not the least of which is, "You mean he's not dead?" Indeed, Al Lewis is alive and kicking at the age of 88, about as undead as a normal human can get. It was skillful makeup artistry that enabled Grandpa Munster to look 378 years old back when Lewis was only in his fifties.

But why is he involved in politics? And why the Green Party? If those folks wanted to nominate an old classic TV star, it looks like they could have found somebody whose image was more in tune with their agenda, like maybe Jim from Wild Kingdom, or that pot-smoking hippie Bob Denver.

The surprising truth is that Lewis has been active in politics all his life, and is just about as qualified to be on a gubernatorial ticket as he is to be on Nick at Nite. During the Great Depression, the young Lewis was a political activist involved in Home Relief demonstrations to oppose unfair evictions. In 1941 he became Dr. Al Lewis, earning a Ph.D. in child psychology from Columbia University at the age of 31. He served in the Merchant Marine in World War II, where he survived close calls on two sunken ships, and also became a union organizer for the National Maritime Union.

After the war, Lewis launched a career in show business, which he had previously dabbled in as a circus clown and a performer in vaudeville shows and radio. He was a top comedic actor in 1950s television, appearing on almost every show that broadcast live from New York. In the early '60s, Lewis starred as Officer Leo Schnauser in Car 54, Where Are You?, alongside fellow future Munster Fred Gwynne. During this time, Lewis was also an active participant in the growing civil rights movement. He became an ally of the Black Panthers, helping them raise funds for their legal battles against the FBI's COINTELPRO operations. Lewis also taught classes on black history for the group's members. Imagine Grandpa Munster teaching Black Panthers about their people's roots... now that's more profoundly inspiring than anything Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder could ever do side by side on their piano keyboard.

After Car 54 went off the air, a TV producer who wanted a new vehicle for Lewis and Gwynne came up with The Munsters. The show was a smash success, forever endearing Lewis to millions as that bumbling, Brooklyn-accented bloodsucker, Grandpa. (The character's real name, incidentally, was Count Sam Dracula. His last name would not have been Munster, since his daughter Lily married Herman Munster, but the inaccurate "Grandpa Munster" has been driven through people's hearts like a wooden stake.) The Munsters was still drawing high ratings upon its untimely cancellation in 1966. CBS had decided to switch to broadcasting only in color, and the pinhead executives felt it wasn't worth the expense to upgrade existing black & white shows.

Following his run on The Munsters, some would say Lewis climbed inside the coffin of a Hollywood has-been... but as a political activist, he was just getting started. He was a fierce opponent of the Vietnam war and often took part in anti-war demonstrations. Lewis has also continued to fight in support of unions and labor issues, and has been a champion of the poor and underprivileged. He currently hosts a weekly public affairs radio program on WBAI 99.5 FM in New York City, where he discusses his opinions on current events -- including his vociferous disapproval of incumbent New York governor George Pataki. He has accused the Pataki administration of institutional racism, citing discriminatory regulations against New York City taxi drivers and street vendors. He also opposes the reinstated death penalty in New York State, as well as the Rockefeller drug laws that require harsh prison terms for drug offenses.

With his comprehensive resume as a liberal activist in mind, it seems rather less ridiculous that Grandpa Munster is running for governor. He's at least as capable of heading up a state government as some cowboy actor who used to star in movies with chimps, you'd have to say. As the dark horse candidate of the Green Party, Lewis is fond of pointing out that his nemesis Pataki was also a no-name longshot at the outset of the 1994 campaign. But a number of wealthy interests gave him their backing, and it was money that put Pataki in office, Lewis has charged.

"You've got to dance with the people who brung you," Lewis said. "Nobody brung me. I paid my own way. I don't have to walk on eggshells." The Green Party can't hope to mount a multi-million-dollar campaign, although Lewis sees this not as a handicap, but as the very reason why Pataki should feel threatened.

"It's because people believe me," Grandpa thundered at a party rally. "They don't believe George Pataki!"

Lewis acknowledges nonetheless that he is a "10,000-to-one underdog," but winning the election is not his true goal. If he can round up at least 50,000 votes in November, the Green Party will earn a permanent ballot spot in all New York state elections for the next four years, which would vastly help the environment-oriented party's chances in contests for lower offices.

In hopes of capitalizing on Lewis's name recognition among voters to the fullest, the Green Party wanted to get him listed on the ballot as "Al Grandpa Munster Lewis." But that exceeded the maximum name length permitted by state law. Instead, party officials are asking the state Board of Elections to list their candidate as "Grandpa Al Lewis." True Munsters fans will be pleased to note that this seeming compromise is actually more technically correct than the first choice.

"It makes no difference to me," Lewis said regarding how he is to be named on the ballot. "They all know me as 'Grandpa' anyway." He added pragmatically that a "$6 million war chest" for his campaign would be a bigger boost.

But even without big money, Grandpa's formidable combination of grit, charm and campy nostalgia might be enough to make a significant impact on Election Day. Plus, he's got a powerful secret weapon hidden up his cape: Howard Stern. Lewis has long been a regular guest on Stern's radio show, and Stern has been enthusiastically showering the campaign with favorable publicity. Stern abandoned his 1994 run for governor, but this time around, if he can mobilize the bulk of his New York audience, he could be the x-factor that helps another kooky candidate finish the race with flying colors.

It'll be a long, hard road from 1313 Mockingbird Lane to the governor's mansion in Albany, but Al Lewis is up for the challenge. "Whatever they ask me to do and my 88-year-old body will allow me to do," he said. "I'm off and running. I'm out of the box." He might not get to turn the Empire State into the Vampire State, but Grandpa's all set to take a bite out of Pataki.

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