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February 06, 2006
R.I.P. Grandpa Munster (1910 - 2006? Or 1923 - 2006?)
I don't know why (perhaps it's riot fatigue), but I'm fascinated by the controversy over Al "Grandpa" Lewis's date of birth. I'm very sad to see that the actor who played Grandpa Munster in the 1964-1966 TV series has died, but what really surprised me was to read that he was only 82. He played an old man in the show, but in 1964 he'd have only been 41. I grew up watching that show, and he sure as hell didn't look or act 41. It's possible that he was, but they'd have had to use a lot of makeup, and they could have, but in those days, why waste time? Why not just get an actor of the right age for the part? Here he is in a studio still from the mid 1960s: 
Anyway, both Wikipedia and the IMDB go with 95, listing his DOB as April 30, 1910. So does the New York Times, the BBC, and NPR. But CNN, along with the Philadelphia Inquirer, the NY Daily News, and the AP go with 82 -- information which comes from his son: The actor was widely reported to have been born in 1910, but his son Ted Lewis said Saturday that his father was born in 1923.You'd think a little thing like this wouldn't be too tough to figure out. Surely there's a birth certificate somewhere. Well, according to Dead or Alive and "Who's alive and who's dead," there is, and he's been lying about his age for decades: Q. Wasn't Al Lewis really born in 1910?Fascinating. I think he's done such a good job of lying that he ought to be allowed to officially change his age. Well, they change sexes, don't they? MORE: I really should stop making off the cuff remarks like that last one, as there are many people who don't believe there is such a thing as a "sex change" -- to the point where there's a lot of pressure on Wikipedia to remove its entry on the subject. Reason? Sex Change is an inaccurate term often used for gender reassignment therapy, that is all medical procedures transgendered people can have, or specifically to sexual reassignment surgery, which usually refers to genital surgery only.Gee. I thought the idea was that "gender" was to be used as a synonym for "sex." I guess I was wrong. Or maybe I'm just not supposed to talk about it. posted by Eric on 02.06.06 at 07:28 AM
Comments
My late father was born on Feb 17,1923 and passed away 10 years ago. Many years ago he told me that Al Lewis was a classmate of his in Brownsville Brooklyn (everyone in school hated him). Joel · February 6, 2006 11:37 AM Thanks Joel. That's a perfect example of why I love the blogosphere! Eric Scheie · February 6, 2006 12:10 PM I remember Al Lewis when he ran "Grampa's" which was an Italian restaurant in Greenwich Village. What I was most surprsised about was his height. he was over six feet tall. Fred Gwynne towered over him on television with his herman costume on. Rich T. · February 6, 2006 06:38 PM So Grandpa was actually younger than his daughter Lily!!! (Check out Dead or Alive, above.) Charles · February 7, 2006 01:19 PM In the midst of all this furor over Al Lewis' age why don't we just remember him as the lovable Grampa Munster and be done with it? 82 or 95? Who cares.. Except some pedantic?(definition: someone who takes all the fun out of everything). Alan Wright · February 7, 2006 06:13 PM Well, I don't know much about the controversy, and I don't know that it matters all that much. All I know is he was a real big influence on me as a kid, I was lucky enough to meet him once, and he was the warmest, kindest person of celebrity I had ever met. He proved to me that not all "big shots" are, ahem, turds. Michael Ratt · February 9, 2006 09:31 PM "Who cares.. Except some pedantic?" You mean some pedant? :) kcom · February 10, 2006 03:16 PM Pedantphile! Eric Scheie · February 10, 2006 03:48 PM Al probably lied about his age to get the part of Granpa Munster Anonymous · February 10, 2006 05:14 PM al lewis rocked he was awesome as grangpa and he also did a great job as a judge on the howard stern show, his legend lives on. joe · February 26, 2006 01:16 PM I met Grandpa Al Lewis at a New Jersey Car Show (Lead East). I couldn't believe he was as tall as me 6'2" Jim Baldwin · February 28, 2006 08:40 PM |
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Well, he was in 'Car 54, Where Are You' in the 1950s with the guy who played Herman Munster, so maybe you can run down a publicity still from that show and see what he looked like then. He was, I think, a police sergeant in the show.