September 24, 1964: “The Munsters” Premieres

September 24, 1964: The Munsters premieres on CBS, 6 days after The Addams Family premiered on ABC.

Which was developed first? I can't determine that. Which was better? That's a matter of opinion, but mine is, The Addams Family. Although Yvonne DeCarlo (as Lily Munster) was better-looking than Carolyn Jones (as Morticia Addams). And The Munsters had a better theme song.

The question has often been asked: If Herman Munster (Fred Gwynne) is a Frankenstein Monster, and Lily is a vampire like her father, Grandpa (Al Lewis), how did their son, Eddie (Butch Patrick), come out a werewolf? It was 1960s TV: Don't think about it too hard.

Then there was Marilyn Munster, who appears to be normal. Despite having Herman's surname, she is Lily's niece, the daughter of a never-seen sister. (Although Lewis' character has always been called "Grandpa Munster," the family's name is actually Dracula.) She was played by Beverly Owen, who left the show halfway through the 1st season to get married. Pat Priest played Marilyn the rest of the way.

Neither show never went to color, sticking with black & white, perhaps aiding the spookiness factor. One major difference: While the Addamses were very rich, the Munsters were treated like a typical middle-class family, with people who just happen to be monsters.

Gwynne died in 1993, Lewis in 2006 ("Grandpa" was only 41 when the show began), De Carlo in 2007, Owen in 2019. As of September 24, 2022, Patrick and Priest are still alive.

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September 24, 1964 was a Monday. Disgraced baseball star Rafael Palmeiro was born. This was also the day the Warren Commissioner released its report on the assassination of President John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963. I have a separate entry for that event.

These 4 baseball games were played:

* The Milwaukee Braves beat the Philadelphia Phillies, 5-3 at Connie Mack Stadium in Philadelphia. This was the 6th game of the 10-game "Phillie Phlop" that cost Philadelphia the National League Pennant. Wade Blasingame outpitched Jim Bunnring. Hank Aaron went 2-for-4. Joe Torre went 2-for-4 with 3 RBIs. For the Phillies, Dick Allen went 3-for-4 with an RBI.

* The St. Louis Cardinals swept a doubleheader from the Pittsburgh Pirates, 4-2 and 4-0 at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh. Bob Gibson outpitched Wilbur Wood in the opener. Curt Flood went 4-for-5. Ray Sadecki pitched a 5-hit shutout in the nightcap, striking out 10. Lou Brock and Mike Shannon hit home runs. Over the 2 games, Roberto Clemente went 1-for-8.

* And the Chicago Cubs beat the Los Angeles Dodgers, 4-3 at Wrigley Field in Chicago. Ernie Banks was announced in the starting lineup as playing 1st base and batting 5th, but was scratched, and replaced by John Boccabella. The Dodgers led 3-1 going into the bottom of the 8th, but the Cubs scored a run in the 8th and 2 in the 9th. Ron Santo hit a sacrifice fly to bring Jimmy Stewart (not the actor) home with the winning run.