Figure 2.--Eddie always wore his velvet suit with a broad Peter Pan collar.
|
Figure 2.--Eddie always wore his velvet suit with a broad Peter Pan collar. |
Butch Patrick played Eddie in the TV series The Munsters (1964-66). He always appeared in a dark blue (or black) velvet short pants suit with a wide collar and worn with knee socks. He appeared in most episodes, but unfortunately there were few episodes where he had big parts. Curiously no one ever said anything about his outfit, even the other kids at the Mockingbird Heights Elementary School, where the boys all wore long pants. (There were comments aboit his relatives' costumes.) There were a few episodes where Ediie had a prominent part. In one episode the other boys teased teased him for being so short. There was another episode where Eddie eats some of a love potion made by Grand Pa. The girls at his school wound up chasing him home from school. In another there was robot purchased to keep him company, it also wore velvet shorts. I rather enjoyed the series, even though it was rather inane. Curiously it has become one of the most popular reruns on television. It only ran a couple of years, but I noted in the last episodes, Eddie was growing a bit, but must have kept the same costume as the shorts looked a bit shorter than at first. Apparently he was a bit embarrassed about his outfit. I noticed comments he made about a tour bus which the studio instituted. He hated to be seen while he was in costume, assume because the visitors must have thought he looked so sweet in his velvet suit. He recalls once having to rush to the bathroom when the bus was driving by. Apparently this delayed him and he had an accident. His velvet shorts did not have a fly.
Butch's step dad is Ken Hunt, who played for the Yankees and for the Washington Senators briefly.
Butch Patrick is a stage name. His real name is Patrick Lilley. He was born August 2, 1953, in Los Angeles, California. He also lived in Illinois. Aside from acting, Butch has played and enjoyed baseball throughout his life.
Butch's first acting job was a Kellogg's commercial in 1960. Regular on TV's
between, he appeared in numerous commercials and guest spots on many situation
comedies throughout the 1960s. Butch made his acting debut in 1961, at age eight, opposite Eddie Albert in the film The Two Bears. He also appeared in a number of TV programs, although not as a regular. They included, The Real McCoys, General Hospital, The Monkees, Gunsmoke, I Dream of Jeannie, My Three Sons and Marcus Welby, M.D.
Butch's entertainment career will always be associated with the hit TV series "The Munsters" (1964-66) and of green eared and fanged Edward Wolfgang von Munster.
While living in Illinois with his grandmother, Butch was flown to Los Angeles to test for the role of Eddie Munster at CBS Studios. "I went in and an hour later I came out with the
job," he recalls.
The Munsters was popular at the time it first appeared, but it has proven to be a continuing winner on cable channels carrying old TV shows. Its campy humor and fine cast has not aged. There were only a few episodes where Eddie had a prominent part. In one episode the other boys teased teased him for being so short. There was another episode where Eddie eats some of a love potion made by Grandpa. The girls at his school wound up chasing him home from school. In another there was robot purchased to keep him company, it also wore velvet shorts. I rather enjoyed the series, even though it was rather inane.
The Munsters set appears to have been a friendly one. Butch told the viewers on one of his talk show appearances that he and Al Lewis loved to play catch in between takes.
Eddie always appeared in a dark blue (or black) velvet short pants suit with a wide collar and worn with knee socks. He appeared in most episodes, but unfortunately there were few episodes where he had big parts. Curiously no one ever said anything about his outfit, even the other kids at the Mockingbird Heights Elementary School, where the boys all wore long pants. (There were comments about his relatives' costumes.) Curiously it has become one of the most popular reruns on television. It only ran a couple of years, but I noted in the last episodes, Eddie was growing a bit, but must have kept the same costume as the shorts looked a bit shorter than at first. Apparently he was a bit embarrassed about his outfit. I noticed comments he made about a tour bus which the studio instituted. He hated to be seen while he was in costume, assume because the visitors must have thought he looked so sweet in his velvet suit. He recalls once having to rush to the bathroom when the bus was driving by. Apparently this delayed him and he had an accident. His velvet shorts did not have a fly.
There was a movie based on the Munster sitcom, Munsters Go Home with the TV cast, including Eddie, and same costumes.
Butch was a competent child actor. Although a cute little kid, he could play brat parts easily. His role in The Munsters was not especially demanding, but he fit right it with the rest of a talented cast.
After The Munsters, Butch had only limited film or TV success. He appeared quite a number of TV programs, including Family Band, The Phantom Tollbooth, The Untouchables, Divorce Court, Gunsmoke, Rawhide, Daniel Boone, and The Monkees (Christmas show). none of the appearances were especially notable and there was nothing approaching the sucess of the Munsters.
As a teenager, he did star in the 1971 Saturday morning Krofft series, Lidsville, opposite popular commedian Charles Nelson Reilly. This show lasted until 1973. Butch was transported into teen-idol heart-throb status and his face, no longer green or with pointed ears, appeared on the covers of several teen magazines of the early 1970s. All the teen publicity, however, did not lead to any important film or TV roles. Butch is one of those actors who will always be associated in the public mind with one single role--in his case Eddie Munster.
Butch quit show business in the mid 1970s. to as he put it, "grow up" he. He reports, "... because my first twenty years were spent working in an adult world. I made up for it by being a hell raiser for the next 10 years." Soon after, the money ran short, and Butch was working working odd jobs around the country.
Butch formed a band in 1983--Eddie and the Monsters. They put out one notable single,
"Whatever Happened to Eddie?". This brought him some notoriety for his role in the show. It was because of that single in 1983 Butch is proud that MTV created the `Basement Tapes', which gave exposure to unsigned bands.
Butch appeared on several talk shows including Oprah Winfrey, Geraldo, Pat Sajak, Jane Whitney, Good Morning America, Solid Gold, the Today Show and MTV, but is not one of those child stars that looks back on his career with venom. In fact on some shows, cast members delighted each other with good-natured surrise appearances.
Butch doesn't mind talking about being Eddie Munster anymore, but at one time he was bothered by it. He even boasts that he has saved the original Woof-Woof doll after all these years, and now sells therm. Around Halloween Patrick is usually booked solid for events that toast the Munsters and proudly welcome little Eddie-now all grown up. Although Butch lives in St. Petersburg Beach, Florida, he is constantly on the go and often off to Hollywood and then Los Angeles, where his immediate family remains. He maintains the official Munsters website.
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