15 Rare ‘The Munsters’ Behind-the-Scenes Photos Featuring Fred Gwynne, Yvonne De Carlo and More

Before they were America’s spookiest (and most lovable) family, the cast of The Munsters were just a group of talented actors doing their best to make it through long shooting days, heavy makeup and the unpredictable world of 1960s television. While they played monsters on-screen, behind the scenes they were cracking jokes, sweating under studio lights and—after a time—bonding like a real family. And these rare behind-the-scenes photos give us a peek into the wonderfully weird world that brought 1313 Mockingbird Lane to life for two seasons between 1964 and 1966.

Whether it’s Fred Gwynne towering in his Herman boots, Al Lewis (Grandpa) goofing around with the crew or Yvonne De Carlo sitting gracefully in full Lily regalia between takes, these moments pull back the curtain on the day-to-day grind and magic of making a monster sitcom.

It’s easy to forget, watching reruns today, just how much work went into making the Munster mansion come to life — the prosthetics, the costumes, the elaborate set pieces—and how physically demanding it was, especially for Fred Gwynne. But in these candid shots, we see the human side of these iconic characters. The actors were often hot, tired, and occasionally annoyed—but also clearly committed to the show and enjoying the creative ride.

1. Have turtle, will travel

Lily Munster, played by Yvonne De Carlo, rides a giant turtle in a publicity still for the comedy-horror TV series The Munsters, circa 1965. With her are Al Lewis as Grandpa and Fred Gwynne as Herman Munster.

2. That’s a ‘munstrous’ neckline!

Each day, Fred Gwynne underwent a three-hour application to transform into the character of Herman Munster. This transformation involved wearing 40 to 50 pounds of padding, makeup and 5-inch asphalt-spreader boots. His face was painted a bright violet to optimize lighting for the black-and-white filming. Yet despite the physical challenges, Gwynne retained fond memories of his character, stating, “I love old Herman Munster. Much as I try not to, I can’t stop liking that fellow.”

3-4. They’re in love!

As bizarre as situations in The Munsters could be, there was never any question that Lily and Herman were very much in love with each other.

Lily (Yvonne De Carlo) getting all swooney over Herman (Fred Gwynne).

5. Where’s the fire?

Al Lewis as Grandpa, Fred Gwynne as Herman and an unidentified person as a fireman, though admittedly the lantern has confused us a bit.

6. Now that’s a safe bet!

Preparations are made for a stunt in which a false safe is dropped on top of Fred Gwynne. The episode is “John Doe Munster,” which is the ninth episode of season 2. In this storyline, while shopping for a kite for Eddie, Herman is struck on the head by a falling 300-pound safe, leading to amnesia.

7. A light behind-the-scenes moment at 1313 Mockingbird Lane

During the production of The Munsters, Yvonne De Carlo and Fred Gwynne developed a strong professional relationship. Initially, Gwynne and co-star Al Lewis were apprehensive about De Carlo joining the cast, expressing concerns to the producers that, as a movie star, she might not fit in. However, De Carlo quickly dispelled these doubts with her professionalism and dedication. She embraced her role wholeheartedly, noting, “There’s a good rapport between Al Lewis, Fred Gwynne and myself.”

8. ‘You okay, Grandpa?’

The expression on Butch Patrick’s (Eddie Munster) face is priceless as he reacts to Al Lewis’ (Grandpa) cackle over his “Wolfie” doll.

9. Is this the Munsters’ sultry look?

One thing that both The Munsters and The Addams Family (which also aired from 1964 to 1966) had in common is that the lead couple on both shows genuinely loved each other.

10. Marilyn Munster the first

Beverley Owen appeared as Marilyn Munster in the first 13 episodes of The Munsters before leaving the show in December 1964 to marry writer/producer Jon Stone. She was replaced by Pat Priest, who would portray Marilyn for the remainder of the series.

11. Herman Munster, director?

Fred Gwynne, in full costume and makeup as Herman Munster, takes a moment to step behind the camera. He never expressed aspirations to actually direct.

12. Hanging out

Al Lewis and Butch Patrick, who portrayed Grandpa and Eddie Munster respectively on The Munsters, shared a close friendship beyond their on-screen roles. In a 2019 interview, Butch Patrick reflected on his relationship with the cast, stating, “It was a very good relationship. It was a wonderful experience. Everybody on the show was very kid-friendly. They all had children my age, luckily for me… I was also very professional and acted wisely beyond my years, which I think helped. But we all got along great.”

13. The challenges of being Herman Munster

Portraying Herman Munster wasn’t always easy for Fred Gwynne. Beyond the makeup and costuming described earlier, after the show he had to cope with typecasting that derailed his career for many years. On top of that, he could lose up to 10 pounds a day during filming due to the heat trapped inside his suit. As he noted to the media, “You try doing comedy in all this, with lights blazing and sweat pouring down your neck.”

14. Lily and Herman’s chemistry took time to develop

Early episodes of The Munsters show a slightly different dynamic between Lily and Herman—less affectionate and more like bickering partners. As De Carlo and Gwynne grew more comfortable with each other off-screen, their on-screen chemistry softened, becoming more loving and humorous.

15. A different look for Eddie Munster

An early publicity photo of The Munsters cast, and probably the most interesting aspect of this image is how actor Butch Patrick looks so different from the Eddie Munster that we would ultimately get to see.