Happy Birthday, Charles Addams

Born on this day in 1912. Happy birthday to the macabre New Yorker cartoonist Charles Addams. 

Charles Addams with wife Barbara, an attorney, in 1955, AP Photo. "He was married three times, and in between marriages dated the likes of Greta Garbo, Jackie Kennedy and Joan Fontaine," so says the Mental Floss blog.

Happy 110th birthday to cartoonist Charles Addams, whose new animated ADDAMS FAMILY 2 movie came out a few months ago. Tim Burton's Addams Family-inspired Netflix series titled Wednesday is now in production. 

"Well, Kendrick, still think I'm just an alarmist?"

 

Addams' childhood nickname was "Chill."

During World War II, Addams made animated training films for the Army while serving served in the Signal Corps Photographic Center in New York.

He sold his first cartoon to The New Yorker at the age of 21 for $7.50. He would sell over 1,300 drawings to the magazine until his death in 1988.

In the tradition of cartoonists Sidney Smith and Sam Cobean, Addams loved cars.

Addams was a lady's man and was married three times.

Janet Maslin writes in the NY Times:

"The second Barbara [photo above], whom he married in 1954, combined Morticia-like looks with diabolical legal scheming. Ms. Davis [in her biography CHARLES ADDAMS: A CARTOONIST'S LIFE] describes the remarkable tug of war that began once Mr. Addams’s second wife, a practicing lawyer, began persuading him to sign away rights to much of what he owned. She wound up in control of the 'Addams Family' television and movie franchises and even bewitched Mr. Addams into taking out a $100,000 life insurance policy.

"'I told him the last time I had word of such a move was in a picture called ‘Double Indemnity’ starring Barbara Stanwyck, which I called to his attention,' wrote Mr. Addams’s lawyer, whom he dared to consult only on the sly. In the film, Ms. Stanwyck’s character plotted to murder her husband for insurance money."

 

 

"We won't be late, Miss Weems. Get the children to be around eight, and keep your back to the wall at all times."

 

Maslin further notes, "Addams's persona sounds cooked up for the benefit of feature writers ... was at least partly a character contrived for the public eye."

Links to all things Addams.

Michael Maslin provides even more links, including the video bit below -- it's from William Castle's THE OLD DARK HOUSE (1963). Charles Addams is credited with "specially designing" the title house in this B-picture starring Tom Poston.

 

 

 Via Wikipedia:

"On September 29, 1988, Addams, a sports car enthusiast, had just driven back to his apartment in Manhattan from a visit to friends in Connecticut when he parked his Audi 4000 in front of the apartment building. He was struck by a fatal heart attack while still behind the wheel."

 

 

The "Morticia doll," from the early 1960s. For sale for $19.95. I believe this is before the TV series.

Jean-Marie Bertin also has an amazing bibliography of Addams's books. Below is a portion of it: his comprehensive list of Addams's solo books.

Auteur(s)		Titre		Editeur	Lieu		Date	n°
Addams, Chas		Drawn and Quartered		Random House	New York		1942
Addams, Chas		Addams and Evil		Simon & Schuster	New York		1947
Addams, Chas		Monster Rally		Simon & Schuster	New York		1950
Addams, Chas		Homebodies		Simon & Schuster	New York		1954
Addams, Chas		Nightcrawlers		Simon & Schuster	New York		1957
Addams, Chas		Dear Dead Days. A Family Album		G.P. Putnam’s Sons	New York		1959
Addams, Chas		Chas Addams’ Black Maria		Simon & Schuster	New York		1960
Addams, Charles		The Penguin Charles Addams. Penguin 1845.	{1962}	Penguin	Harmondworth		1965
Addams, Chas		The Groaning Board		Simon & Schuster	New York		1964
Addams, Chas		My Crowd		Simon & Schuster	New York		1970
Addams, Chas		Le monde de Chas Addams. [édition française incomplète de My Crowd ]		Hachette	Paris		1973
Addams, Chas		Favorite Haunts		Simon & Schuster	New York		1976
Addams, Chas		Creature Comforts		Simon & Schuster	New York		1981
Addams, Charles		The World of Charles Addams		Alfred A. Knopf	New York		1991
Addams, Charles		La famille Addams. Presses Pocket 4580.		Presses Pocket	s. l.		1992
Addams, Charles		Chas Addams Half-Baked Book		Simon & Schuster	New York		2005

My thanks to Jean-Marie Bertin for the scan of Morticia, as well as the MY CROWD and CREATURE COMFORTS covers. 

"Death ray, fiddlesticks! Why it doesn't even slow them up."

 "Just the kind of day that makes you feel good to be alive!"

 

 And this one is a personal favorite:

"George! George! Drop the keys!" 

 

Related:

Video: The Compleat Charles Addams Gallery Show 1994