Marilyn Munster
Encyclopedia
Marilyn Munster is a fictional character
in the CBS
sitcom The Munsters
, originally played by Beverley Owen
with actress Pat Priest later assuming the role. In the original series she is the daughter of Lily Munster
's sister, with Herman alluding to her "plain" looks coming from Lily's side of the family. In a revamped mid 1980s version, the role was played by Hilary Van Dyke
in The Munsters Today
.
and then by Pat Priest
, Marilyn lives with the Munsters throughout the series run. It is never made clear why Marilyn lives with the Munsters, rather than with her parents, who are said to be still in Transylvania
. It is noted that the Munsters had raised Marilyn since she was fairly young. Although she is Lily's niece, (according to Herman, the daughter of Lily's sister), she is always referred to as "Marilyn Munster" (while the character was being developed, her name was Marilyn Mundane). The fractured familial ties were never explained (perhaps she escaped Hungarian tyranny, while her folks remained). Although Lily and her father the Count (AKA Grandpa) are vampire/ghouls, Lily's brother Lester is a werewolf. One can only guess at the nature of Grandpa's late wife/ Lily's mother. A photograph of a woman in European peasant
garb was seen faintly in Marilyn's bedroom, suggesting it may be Marilyn's mother.
Marilyn is a fetching young blonde resembling Marilyn Monroe
, and the only family member who is not ghoulish in appearance; by the Munsters' aesthetic standards, she is distressingly unattractive. The family views Marilyn's appearance as an affliction, but still treat her with kindness and love. Marilyn herself is all too aware of her "homeliness" and bemoans that she keeps scaring off potential boyfriends, having no clue that the young men are in fact frightened away by her monstrous family.
She attends Westbury College in Mockingbird Heights. She is devoted to her family, and the surest way for a suitor to alienate Marilyn (rather than vice versa) is to disparage them. She considers her Uncle Herman and Grandpa the "two [finest] men [who ever] walked this earth."
Despite being a platinum-blonde beauty, the Munsters' queer subculture of vampires, werewolves, zombies, sorcerers, mad scientists, et al., have made her a ghoul at-heart (she regularly assists Lily in cooking rodents, & festooning the house with cobwebs). Like the rest of her family, she believes that the Munster lifestyle is normal, and dissenters are out-of-step. In one episode, Herman was temporarily transformed into a normal, clean-cut man. The family, including Marilyn, was appalled and physically repelled by the tragic event.
Despite standing out amongst the cast more than any other character, Marilyn was the least developed character in the series. She usually served as an ear for Lily's expeditions, or a subject for Grandpa's foiled potions.
, who was 27 years old at the time and had to wear a blonde wig to resemble Marilyn Monroe. Convinced that the show would never succeed, she accepted the role of Marilyn, but her problems started when she had to move out of New York. On occasions, she was seen depressed and even crying in the studios. The role was taken over in episode 14 by Pat Priest
after Owen left to marry (future Sesame Street
writer and director) Jon Stone
. According to Al Lewis in a 2001 interview with Pittsburgh radio's Doug Hoerth, Beverley Owen was troubled by the separation from her boyfriend, who stayed in New York City, and on petitions from Al Lewis and Fred Gwynne was let go by the studio. Pat Priest's resemblance to Owen was so uncanny that few people noticed that the role was played by another actress. It also helped the studio that Priest was Owen's size and so fit into her wardrobe. In Munster, Go Home, she is portrayed by Debbie Watson
. In The Munsters' Revenge
, she is portrayed by Jo McDonnell.
, Marilyn is the daughter of Herman's sister (Elsa). In this version her name is said to be Marilyn Hyde. The role was played by Christine Taylor
.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
in the CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
sitcom The Munsters
The Munsters
The Munsters is a 1960s American family television sitcom depicting the home life of a family of monsters. It starred Fred Gwynne as Herman Munster and Yvonne De Carlo as his wife, Lily Munster. The series was a satire of both traditional monster movies and popular family entertainment of the era,...
, originally played by Beverley Owen
Beverley Owen
Beverley Owen is a classically-trained American actress perhaps most widely known for having played the role of Marilyn Munster during the first season of The Munsters...
with actress Pat Priest later assuming the role. In the original series she is the daughter of Lily Munster
Lily Munster
Lily Munster, Countess of Shroudshire , is a fictional character in the CBS sitcom The Munsters, originally played by Yvonne De Carlo. The matriarch of the Munster household, Lily is an undead vampire. Her character resembles Vampira...
's sister, with Herman alluding to her "plain" looks coming from Lily's side of the family. In a revamped mid 1980s version, the role was played by Hilary Van Dyke
Hilary Van Dyke
Hilary Van Dyke is an American actress and singer who began her career in TV advertisements before landing the role of Marilyn Munster in The Munsters Today, replacing the actress in the original pilot episodes, Mary Ellen Dunbar.-Acting:...
in The Munsters Today
The Munsters Today
The Munsters Today is an American sitcom that aired in syndication from 1988 to 1991. The series served as a sequel to the 1960s sitcom The Munsters.-Production:...
.
Description
Played first by Beverley OwenBeverley Owen
Beverley Owen is a classically-trained American actress perhaps most widely known for having played the role of Marilyn Munster during the first season of The Munsters...
and then by Pat Priest
Patricia Ann Priest
Patricia Ann Priest is an American actress who is best known for portraying Marilyn Munster on the television show, The Munsters .-Show business career:...
, Marilyn lives with the Munsters throughout the series run. It is never made clear why Marilyn lives with the Munsters, rather than with her parents, who are said to be still in Transylvania
Transylvania
Transylvania is a historical region in the central part of Romania. Bounded on the east and south by the Carpathian mountain range, historical Transylvania extended in the west to the Apuseni Mountains; however, the term sometimes encompasses not only Transylvania proper, but also the historical...
. It is noted that the Munsters had raised Marilyn since she was fairly young. Although she is Lily's niece, (according to Herman, the daughter of Lily's sister), she is always referred to as "Marilyn Munster" (while the character was being developed, her name was Marilyn Mundane). The fractured familial ties were never explained (perhaps she escaped Hungarian tyranny, while her folks remained). Although Lily and her father the Count (AKA Grandpa) are vampire/ghouls, Lily's brother Lester is a werewolf. One can only guess at the nature of Grandpa's late wife/ Lily's mother. A photograph of a woman in European peasant
Peasant
A peasant is an agricultural worker who generally tend to be poor and homeless-Etymology:The word is derived from 15th century French païsant meaning one from the pays, or countryside, ultimately from the Latin pagus, or outlying administrative district.- Position in society :Peasants typically...
garb was seen faintly in Marilyn's bedroom, suggesting it may be Marilyn's mother.
Marilyn is a fetching young blonde resembling Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe was an American actress, singer, model and showgirl who became a major sex symbol, starring in a number of commercially successful motion pictures during the 1950s....
, and the only family member who is not ghoulish in appearance; by the Munsters' aesthetic standards, she is distressingly unattractive. The family views Marilyn's appearance as an affliction, but still treat her with kindness and love. Marilyn herself is all too aware of her "homeliness" and bemoans that she keeps scaring off potential boyfriends, having no clue that the young men are in fact frightened away by her monstrous family.
She attends Westbury College in Mockingbird Heights. She is devoted to her family, and the surest way for a suitor to alienate Marilyn (rather than vice versa) is to disparage them. She considers her Uncle Herman and Grandpa the "two [finest] men [who ever] walked this earth."
Despite being a platinum-blonde beauty, the Munsters' queer subculture of vampires, werewolves, zombies, sorcerers, mad scientists, et al., have made her a ghoul at-heart (she regularly assists Lily in cooking rodents, & festooning the house with cobwebs). Like the rest of her family, she believes that the Munster lifestyle is normal, and dissenters are out-of-step. In one episode, Herman was temporarily transformed into a normal, clean-cut man. The family, including Marilyn, was appalled and physically repelled by the tragic event.
Despite standing out amongst the cast more than any other character, Marilyn was the least developed character in the series. She usually served as an ear for Lily's expeditions, or a subject for Grandpa's foiled potions.
Production
Marilyn was originally played by Beverley OwenBeverley Owen
Beverley Owen is a classically-trained American actress perhaps most widely known for having played the role of Marilyn Munster during the first season of The Munsters...
, who was 27 years old at the time and had to wear a blonde wig to resemble Marilyn Monroe. Convinced that the show would never succeed, she accepted the role of Marilyn, but her problems started when she had to move out of New York. On occasions, she was seen depressed and even crying in the studios. The role was taken over in episode 14 by Pat Priest
Patricia Ann Priest
Patricia Ann Priest is an American actress who is best known for portraying Marilyn Munster on the television show, The Munsters .-Show business career:...
after Owen left to marry (future Sesame Street
Sesame Street
Sesame Street has undergone significant changes in its history. According to writer Michael Davis, by the mid-1970s the show had become "an American institution". The cast and crew expanded during this time, including the hiring of women in the crew and additional minorities in the cast. The...
writer and director) Jon Stone
Jon Stone
Jon Stone is best known for writing and producing Sesame Street, and is credited with helping develop characters such as Big Bird, Cookie Monster and Oscar the Grouch. He is regarded by many as one of the best children's television writers. He started working for children's programs in 1955...
. According to Al Lewis in a 2001 interview with Pittsburgh radio's Doug Hoerth, Beverley Owen was troubled by the separation from her boyfriend, who stayed in New York City, and on petitions from Al Lewis and Fred Gwynne was let go by the studio. Pat Priest's resemblance to Owen was so uncanny that few people noticed that the role was played by another actress. It also helped the studio that Priest was Owen's size and so fit into her wardrobe. In Munster, Go Home, she is portrayed by Debbie Watson
Debbie Watson (actor)
Debbie Watson, is an American movie and television actress.-Career:Born in Culver City, Los Angeles County, California, Watson got her start on television, starring as the boy-struck teenage girl Karen Scott in the 1964 sitcom TV series Karen, the only portion of the largely unsuccessful "90...
. In The Munsters' Revenge
The Munsters' Revenge
The Munsters' Revenge is a 1981 telefilm produced by Universal Studios. It reunited Munsters cast members Fred Gwynne, Yvonne De Carlo and Al Lewis. Marilyn Munster was portrayed by newcomer Jo McDonnell and Eddie Munster by child actor K. C. Martel rather than Butch Patrick. The film was produced...
, she is portrayed by Jo McDonnell.
In other media
In Here Come the MunstersHere Come the Munsters
Here Come the Munsters is a telefilm that aired on Fox October 31, 1995. It starred Edward Herrmann, Christine Taylor and Veronica Hamel. It included cameos from original Munsters surviving cast members Yvonne De Carlo, Al Lewis, Butch Patrick, and Pat Priest...
, Marilyn is the daughter of Herman's sister (Elsa). In this version her name is said to be Marilyn Hyde. The role was played by Christine Taylor
Christine Taylor
Christine Taylor-Stiller is an American actress.- Early life :Taylor was born in Allentown, Pennsylvania, the daughter of Joan, a homemaker, and Skip Taylor, an owner of a security company. She grew up in neighboring Wescosville, Pennsylvania...
.