Plans for an “Addams Family” feature film were first announced in 1965, when the 16 Jun HR suggested that The Addams Family (ABC, 18 Sep 1964—2 Sep 1966) television creator David Levy had received approval from cartoonist Charles Addams. Series production company, Filmways, Inc., agreed to produce the project through their motion picture division. A 5 Oct 1987 People magazine news item suggested that a motion picture was still in development following the success of that year’s other television-to-film adaptations, Dragnet and The Untouchables (see entries).
       By 1989, Orion Pictures had acquired ownership of the Filmways library, and executives Marc Platt and Mike Medavoy included The Addams Family among the properties they might potentially adapt into a motion picture. According to a 31 Mar 1991 LAT article, producer Scott Rudin, then head of production at Twentieth Century Fox, also hoped to make an “Addams Family” film, but was unable to obtain rights from the Charles Addams estate. Lady Barbara Colyton, the cartoonist’s second wife and executor, eventually decided to sell the motion picture rights to Orion on condition that Rudin serve as producer. A 31 Oct 1991 DV news story estimated the deal at $14.5 million.
       Despite numerous reports that Anjelica Huston was the only actress considered to play “Morticia,” the 18 Nov 1989 Screen International announced that Ivan Reitman was initially hired to direct Cher opposite Kevin Kline as “Gomez,” with production set to begin in the spring of 1990. The following summer, the 11 Aug 1990 Screen International suggested Robin Williams was rumored to star opposite Huston. A 23 Jan 1991 HR item also included Matt Marfoglia among the cast, but he is not credited onscreen.
       The 18-24 Nov 1993 edition of Drama-Logue claimed that producers considered using a puppeteer and mechanical voice for “Cousin Itt” before John Franklin was selected for the role. To portray “Thing,” the hand of magician-actor Christopher Hart was chosen from various magicians, puppeteers, mimes, and models. Since Hart was physically present to perform in scenes with the other actors, producers ensured he received an onscreen acting credit by appealing to the Screen Actors Guild (SAG).
       According to the 31 Mar 1991 LAT, Rudin hired his friend, novelist Paul Rudnick, to rewrite the script. In the 9 Jan 1992 issue of Rolling Stone, Larry Wilson disputed previous claims that the original script was “devoid of laughs,” and revealed that Rudnick did not receive onscreen credit due to an arbitration with the Writers Guild of America (WGA). With several scenes added to the new draft, the film’s budget escalated from $25 million to nearly $30 million.
       The article also indicated that cinematographer-turned-first-time director Barry Sonnenfeld was not Rudin’s first choice for The Addams Family. The producer frequently joked with Sonnenfeld about the other directors considered for the job, including: Tim Burton, Joe Dante, Terry Gilliam, Richard Benjamin, David Lynch, Arthur Hiller, and Rob Reiner. Sonnenfeld reportedly struggled with stress on the project, and once fainted on set while speaking with Orion employee Ron Lynch, who monitored production costs.
       An 8 Feb 1991 DV story stated that rehearsals began in Oct 1990. A 26 Mar 1991 HR production chart confirmed a start date of 26 Nov 1990, in Los Angeles, CA. According to production notes in AMPAS library files, filming took place at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre and the Brentwood Theatre at the Veteran’s Affairs Medical Center. Motel scenes were shot at the Wampum Court Motel in Sylmar, CA. The Oct 1991 issue of Theatre Crafts stated that production designer Richard MacDonald created sketches of the Addams mansion as a reference for location scouts, but was unable to find a suitable location and opted to build a seventy-five foot façade in the Burbank mountains. Interiors for the ballroom, upstairs bedrooms, and master bedroom were constructed on four stages at Hollywood Center Studios, while additional sets were built at CBS Studio Center in Studio City, CA, Ren-Mar Studio in Hollywood, CA, and Stage 15 at the Paramount studio. The picture marked the ninth feature film collaboration of MacDonald with his wife, costume designer Ruth Myers.
       The Oct 1991 issue of Los Angeles Magazine stated that food stylist and caterer Nina Solomon created various “vile” meals the characters ate onscreen using food coloring and objects such as goat heads, hooves, brains, cow’s liver, and tripe. Solomon is not credited onscreen.
       A 25 Feb 1991 DV brief reported that Owen Roizman left the project earlier that month to fulfill a prior commitment on Grand Canyon (1991, see entry). LAT stated that his replacement, assistant photographer Gale Tattersall, was hospitalized with a sinus infection in late Feb 1991, causing production to shut down for several days. Filming was delayed again in early Mar 1991, when Sonnenfeld went east to attend his wife’s surgery in NY.
       Around this time, financially strained Orion decided to sell domestic rights to The Addams Family in an attempt to repay interest on nearly $500 million in debt. The film was part of a multi-picture package on which Orion hoped to earn a combined $70-$90 million. However, the company was unable to attract sufficient investors after “underselling” foreign distribution rights to Columbia Pictures for $3.5 million in order to acquire a $175 million advance. After weeks of bidding against Universal Pictures, the 15 Mar 1991 DV announced that Paramount Pictures had acquired the property for $21-$23 million. The deal would reimburse Orion for the $11 million already spent on production, as well as the remaining $10-$11 million expected to complete the remaining twenty days of filming. With $800,000 in cost overruns, Rudin gave up his $400,000 salary in order to get the project set up at Paramount, where his production company was based.
       Production notes and the 17 Apr 1991 DV suggested that the 100-day shooting schedule concluded mid-Apr 1991.
       Although the 11 Feb 1991 Newsweek indicated that release was originally scheduled for Christmas 1991, the 15 Mar 1991 DV indicated that the film’s move from Orion to Paramount did not give the new studio enough time to capitalize on the desired marketing opportunities leading up to the holiday season. With the opening rescheduled for 17 Nov 1991, the 30 Oct 1991 HR announced Paramount’s plans to attract child and teenage audiences by producing a three-minute promotional music video with Capitol Records and Fragile Films, featuring Huston, Julia, and rap artist, Hammer, who wrote several songs for the film. In addition, the Nickelodeon cable television network scheduled a 13 Nov 1991 TV segment hosted by Christina Ricci, titled, “Wednesday’s Wednesday.” The 31 Oct 1991 DV reported that Paramount also obtained exclusive global merchandising rights to Hanna-Barbera’s animated television series, The Addams Family (ABC, 12 Sep 1992—6 Nov 1993). While the show was not scheduled to air until after the release of the film, the acquisition gave the studio complete merchandising rights to the “Addams Family” characters.
       The 15 Aug 1991 HR stated that the feature was first screened 24 Oct 1991, at ShowEast in Atlantic City, NJ. According to a 9 Oct 1991 DV brief, the West Coast premiere was scheduled to take place 19 Nov 1991 at the AMPAS Samuel Goldwyn Theater, with proceeds contributing to the American Cinematheqeue Program Fund. A 28 Oct 1991 New York magazine item indicated that Sonnenfeld chose to host a 16 Nov 1991 East Coast premiere in East Hampton, NY, to benefit his stepdaughter’s school, Hampton Day School, in Bridgehampton, NY.
       According to a 26 Nov 1991 DV article, the film was a commercial success, earning $24.2 million during its opening weekend. The 13 Jan 1992 LAT announced that the picture had surpassed a $100 million domestic box-office gross, to date.
       As a result, Sonnenfeld, Rudin, the principal cast, and many of the crew returned for Addams Family Values (1993, see entry). Carel Struycken and Christopher Hart reprised their roles for the 1998 direct-to-video Warner Bros. film, Addams Family Reunion, which was created as a pilot for the Fox Family television series, The New Addams Family (1998—1999). In addition to a successful Broadway production, the 31 Oct 2013 DV announced that Charles Addams’ characters were set to appear in a Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer animated feature, following the dissolution of Illumination Entertainment’s plans for a stop-motion animated picture directed by Tim Burton.
       After The Addams Family’s release, David Levy filed a $50 million lawsuit against Paramount, Orion, Rudin, and Colyton, alleging that he created several “creative elements” specially for the television series, such as character names, character traits, and Vic Mizzy’s theme music, which appeared in the film series without his permission. Levy requested an injunction against the continued use of his ideas. The outcome of the case could not be determined.
      End credits misspell the name of John Franklin’s character, Cousin Itt, as “Cousin It,” and include the following statements: “The Producer and Director wish to gratefully acknowledge the consulting services and assistance of The Lady Colyton in the making of this film,” and, “Special Thanks to Bill Bernstein, Marc Platt, Ron Lynch, William Sherak, Susan Ringo.”
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