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‘The Munsters’ Star Butch Patrick Opens Up About How He Landed Iconic Role of Eddie

In a recent interview, Butch Patrick spoke about his role as Eddie Munster on the 1964 sitcom “The Munsters.” He commented on his bonds with the cast, the great comedy teamwork of Al Lewis and Fred Gwynne, and his favorite memories on set. But how did he get his role in the first place?

Patrick spoke about that as well. “They had cast another kid and another Lily Munster,” he started. At that time, Lily Munster was actually Phoebe Munster. Actress Joan Marshall was originally cast as Phoebe, but producers thought she looked too much like Morticia Addams, as “The Addams Family” had premiered already. The show replaced Marshall with Yvonne de Carlo, who was already a big Hollywood name.

“Happy Derman, who was originally cast as Eddie, was also let go,” Patrick went on. “Then, my agent got them to fly me in from Illinois where I was living at the time. I went directly from the airport to the studio where I got my screen test. And next thing you know, I had to report to work.”

So, just like that, the casting directors loved Butch Patrick as Eddie. From there, Patrick spent the next 2 seasons running around in little shorts and heavy green makeup. “I didn’t particularly care for the outfit. I don’t think any kid would,” Patrick said of his costume. “But it grew on me. It was very easy to pick out your outfit for the day.”

‘The Munsters’: Grandpa’s Drag-U-La Drag Racer Going To Auction

Time to queue up the song “Dragula” and play it on repeat for the rest of the day, because Grandpa Munster’s Drag-U-La drag racer is going to auction in January.

The replica, signed by designer and fabricator George Barris, will be up for auction in Kissimmee. Barris also designed the classic Munster Koach for the show, as well as so many other recognizable television vehicles.

The car was featured in the “Hot Rod Herman” episode. Eddie tries to convince his father to challenge his friend’s father to a drag race. Herman does, but loses and has to give up the Munster Koach. In retaliation, Grandpa builds the Drag-U-La and races goes in for a rematch. He wins, and the family gets their car and their dignity back.

Drag-U-La is flashy and slick, built out of a gold-painted 𝕔𝕠𝕗𝕗𝕚𝕟 as the body. It features a 350 HP Ford Mustang V-8 engine, and 10.5-inch Firestone racing slicks with hubcaps decorated with silver spiders. Out of the sides, Barris replaced standard exhaust pipes with organ pipes, and affixed old-time lanterns on the back. On the front of the car was a headstone that read “Drag-U-La” and underneath “Born: 1367, Died: ?” If you have the money to spend and you love “The Munsters,” this is a once-in-a-lifetime buy.

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