I encountered Ted Cassidy in a Sears department store candy line in Glendale, California. I lived "next door" in Eagle Rock. It was in 1970. My good friend "John" (who was just ahead of me in line) had excitedly whispered over to me, "Hey Marty, look how tall that guy that who just walked up behind you in line is, he's a giant!" I didn't want to just turn around and disrespectfully stare right up at the big guy, so I decided I'd turn around and pretend to 'just be looking for a wall clock to see what time it was getting to be(stores still had helpful wall clocks back then!). When I glanced up, I right away saw "Lurch" without any makeup on or wearing his costume! I recognized him right away, who wouldn't? Well, I suppose my friend didn't, he just said some "giant guy", ha! I wanted to say something to "Lurch", but I couldn't think of a single thing to say that wouldn't sound kind of stupid. Well, Sears always gave out free bags of popcorn to kids just so their mouths were full and they wouldn't be able to pester their parents to buy buy buy them things, so I just threw a "fun-knee" joke up to him by saying, "HEY KID... YOU HERE TO GET FREE POPCORN TOO?!" Mr. Cassidy's eyes grew a sparkle in them, letting me know that he thought what I had asked him was humorous, TINY me calling GIANT him a "kid" and all. Then he humored me kindly by slowly groaning out, in true Lurch fashion, " UUUUUUH....PEEEEENUUUUUT.... MMMMMM & MMMMMMS!". I laughed innocently to let him know that I thought what he had just said and done for me was "really cool". Then we talked for a couple of minutes more. I told him I was there with my mother and two sisters just to get new school clothes, he told me he was just browsing, but that he might pick up some new tools while he was there, and maybe buy a new washing machine because his old one was giving him trouble all the time now. That was on a Sunday afternoon. So on Monday I had the best "bragging rights" story to share before school, during short breaks between classes, at lunch and after school let out. And I had a good friend to back up my story when other kids tried calling me a liar! I was only 13, and just starting 7th grade, and I was going to a school in Eagle Rock that was both Junior and Senior high, grades 7-12. Even the big kids wanted to hear every detail of what me and Lurch talked about, and specially where we had met and at what time so maybe they might visit there and encounter him later on just like I had. The Addams Family show had already ended production by then, 1970. But they still showed reruns at the time, every afternoon even.
The world is truly full of talented people. While it amazes me how people are physically talented, I am equally amazed by those that are vocally talented. The range of artistic ability is vast ,and not simply limited to what can be put on a canvas. Sadly, some talent is never discovered. In Ted's case, he was a gem that left the world much too early.
Thanks for this ! Ted Cassidy was a multi-talented actor, Disk Jockey & Voice-Over Artist … seemed to do well with whatever gig he took … ! He's up there with Mel Blanc & Daws Butler IMHO.
Ted Cassidy did the role as Lurch in The Addams Family and he did the narration for the intro for The Incredible Hulk tv series with Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno until he died in 1979
Charles Addams’ original butler character (named Lurch for the TV series by creator David Levy) was originally envisioned as mute. Upon hearing Ted Cassidy’s monumental vocal talents, I’m guessing the character immediately gained his very distinctive growl and ubiquitous “You rang?,’” which Ted undoubtedly got sick of repeating at parties. Oddly, the ABC execs who gave The Addams Family the green light wanted actor John Astin to play the butler character (with lifts in his shoes). Levy took Astin to lunch, and over drinks, explained that he actually wanted the actor to play the role of Gomez, patriarch of the family, which Levy envisioned as a slightly twisted version of TV’s then-popular Father Knows Best series. The latter, of course, turned out to be the correct approach.
Gomez in the 1936 Addam's family comic stripes was chubby so did not exactly look like John Astin there was a cartoon version where he was chubby though.
@@hydrolito I remember seeing the cartoon version on Sat. mornings before the sitcom, and I was surprised to hear John Astin as Gomez on a Scooby-Doo episode. The Sat. morning cartoon had Gomez sounding somewhat like Johnny Carson's Art Fern character.
The story I've heard is that Cassidy himself ad-libbed Lurch's "You rang?", and the producers and writers were so delighted with it that they began to write lines for Cassidy to growl out in his Lurch voice.
@@InformationIsTheEdge Well Ted Cassidy will always be favorite, but I also love Chuck Connors. They are both are my favorites, but I rank Chuck first because both of my grandpa.
@@nicolekuhn8420 Chuck Connors! The Rifleman himself! I also liked him in the Airplane movie. How about Denny Miller? He kind of reminds me of Chuck Connors a bit. He also played Tarzan which is gets a gold star in my book. Thanks for the reply!
ABC billed Ted Cassidy's height at 6'10" which wasn't true. We were both at one time disc jockeys in Dallas (not at the same station). Since I am also tall, one time we were at a gathering together and fans asked us to stand together to see who was the tallest. We were the same height. I am (and obvious Ted was) 6'7". In no way was Ted 6'10" tall.
Dave Mitchell lee majors said he,was,taller than,6'7 and,many,other,legends that,worked with,Ted,for,years,plus,there is a,video on,RU-vid Cassidy,tells,the,reporter his,height,taller than,what,you,claim
Wiki and other sources say he was 6'9" No thats not 10 but really fucking close, dont you think? And if he was 6'9" and you were as you wrote, 6'7" he was taller than you wasnt he?
Hell, he had a great voice! It would have been awesome for him to have been able to replace John Facenda for NFL films. NFL films have never been the same since Facenda's death in '84.
