The Lurch Files

The Mansion!

Ever wondered just where the actual Addams family Mansion is located? Who decorated it? What happened after the show was canceled?
Well you've come to the right place!

The unedited house on Addams Boulevard The actual house used during filming was located on, coincidentally enough, Addams Boulevard in Los Angeles California. However, missing was the trademark tower, huge gabled roof, arched windows and dead trees. In order to get just the right look, and cut costs of production, the Howard Anderson Company was hired to illustrate a large matte painting which was placed over a photo of the real house. This Matte was then altered whenever a certain mood, lighting change or weather change was needed. The artist, Louis McMannus,
was the designer of "the bumper" (matte). Stock footage of the house on Addams Boulevard was taken, and blown up to poster size. Mr Mcmannus then brushed color oil paint over the photgraph and added details to the home.
This bumper was then modified as different situations were called for. The original house was only filmed one time! Special effects were added in this process. In some scenes you can even catch on of Puglseys rockets lighting up the night sky.
The interior of the house was another detail which needed to be addressed. How do you dress up a house to have an Addams-like quality, yet not look as if it were directly out of the horror films?
Enter the world renowned Ruby Levitt, set 		The Mansion complete with a rocket from Pugsley
designer extrodinare! Ruby, who cut her designing teeth at Universal Studios in the late 40's, devoted much tme and effort into creating just the right amount of scariness and old home comfort. The result was a true masterpiece.
Ruby Levitts' handiwork Her artistic abilities were eventually so well recognized, that Levitt was hired to decorate the homes of well-respected Hollywood clebrities. Ruby recieved eight Academy awards for her set design.

When the show was canceled, a mad scramble ensued during which the Addams Family Set was "swiped". Anything not nailed down was taken off the set. Things boxes are a well-known commodity on the collectors front. The only prop which was still around afterwards was the large Polar

Bear which stood in the foyer. The same bear was used in the1992 Addams Family movie as well.
Fester and the Polar Bear The Polar Bear returns

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