I loved him so much what a sweet guy. I ran into him when I was 11 years old at a restaurant during a Star Trek Convention. I asked for an autograph while waiting for a seat at the lunch counter and he invited me to have lunch with him. He even picked up the check. Just the nicest, biggest man I'd ever met.
Thanks for sharing that sweet story. In a world where too many celebrities are selfish, unapproachable and condescending it's nice to read the opposite
You wouldn't think that someone of Ted Cassidy's stature could move so effortlessly, fluidly, like a ballerina, would you, but Ted was the man in his heyday, a very gentle giant.
You know, I just can't stop watching this. There's good weird, bad weird, and weird weird. And, I think this is the very best of weird weird. Mesmerizing!!
He lived a amazing life. He was pretty smart too. He was in Dallas as radio reporter when JFK got blown away. He did bunch interviews. Yes he was a WV boy.
Well that’s something!! Is there a tape of that? First time I’ve ever heard of that. Didn’t know that this existed either, and I used to watch it on ABC. And just a few years ago it was on t.v. Again as a afternoon or mid morning series. Thanks so much for posting.
Ted Cassidy accomplished so much during his life. And as cool as Lurch is, my favorite Cassidy character is Frankenstein Jr. I could've listened to that marvelous voice of his all day.
Oh, I.almost forgot! I'm crap at posting links, but if you enter Wesley by Ted Cassidy on Hollywood a Go Go in the search bar, you'll find something very pleasant, something I highly recommend. You'll be glad you did!😃
I never made the Frankenstein Jr. connection but thinking back now I do recall that deep voice. Ted did so many cartoon voices back then, even Star Trek, that people have simply not thought of.
@@marknesselhaus4376 Frankenstein, Jr. is a great role for him because he can be both that deep, full voice while ALSO being dynamic & booming! I still think of it as really the first Giant Robo anime
I'm young and I don't like most modern music either. I love old music, but I just don't like this song in particular. The problem is especially his low voice the whole time talking slowly; it's just hard on my ears. But anyway to each their own; if you guys like it, that's fine. :) ~:~
Ted Cassidy was, as has been noted in the comments, a High School athlete who played both basketball and football, fitting for someone who had reached 6 feet at the young age of 11. But, he was also HIGHLY intelligent and academically gifted, attending Third grade at age 6. He later attended Stetson University, playing basketball for the Hatters and was notably active in student government. He graduated with degrees in Speech and Drama(and during his university years played what is likely to ever have been a 6-foot 9 Falstaff in history). Other than Lurch, he was a steady actor on television series of the time, appearing in such varied shows as The Man From UNCLE, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and The Six Million Dollar Man. With his deep voice, he was also a frequent voice-over actor, and is the introduction voice on the old Incredible Hulk show. "Doctor David Banner. Physician. Scientist." Unfortunately, the movie roles were far fewer and far between, but he did star as Harvey Logan in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid with Paul Newman and Robert Redford and as Hachita in Mackennas Gold along Omar Sharif and Telly Savalas. Ted Cassidy died in January 1979 due to complications from open-heart surgery, following the removal of a non-malignant tumor from the heart. He was 46 years old.
Ted Cassidy rocked!! Lurch was my favorite character on "The Addams Family", He must have enjoyed playing the role, because of this appearance on "Shindig" and his cameo on "Batman".
He did for the first season,but he stated he had a love/hate relationship with Lurch. On one hand,the character established his career as an actor. Unfortunately,the role also led to typecasting. The big man is casted as slow,dumb,and clumsy. In action and westerns,the big guy gets killed. He had so much versatility and could have done many types of roles. Sadly,it was never given to him
Terri Garr on his right. She's been through an amazing timeline. Danced with lurch, Elvis, , beach movies...sit coms....serious film roles...got nominated for an academy award...and on and on. Is there anything this woman couldn't do? Anyway...back to the lurch dance video Thanks for this in 6-19 Cheers mate!
Ted Cassidy was also in the classic Star Trek episode "What Are Little Girls Made Of" as this big hulking android named Ruk, and the way he was made up as the android,looked like his Lurch character,white skin makeup,bald head,darkened eyes, wearing a huge white robe, but he was great at it,did the monotone computer voice of a robot to a T.
WOW !!!...GROOVY !!!...FAROUT !!!...NEATOO !!!....I loved watrching the Adams Family as a kid. Didn't know Lurch did any Singing? albums...looks like he has a few moves up those looong sleaves to. WOW !!!!....Love the video, it's FANTASTIC!!!
Wow! Really? Lurch rules! That was the coolest dance flick I've ever seen from back in those dayz. Lurch had some groove in him! That shit looks like its was made in these dayz..... timeless!
Wow .... I had no idea he had a dance ... look at Lurch gettin' in!!! Go 'head, Lurch; do the darn thing!!! #TeamLurch Actors back then REALLY knew how to maximize their talents. This is just too cute!!! I always thought he was the coolest thing and this just confirms it!!
I can't believe I never made the connection that the character was Lurch! I think it's because Lurch had that heavy makeup & very few lines in the t.v. show. He was a handsome dude, au natural.
He was tall but there are others a lot taller. The one thing that stands out to me was that voice. It seemed to resonate from the very bowels of the earth!
The guy had so much talent but the statement he said about the only rolls a person of his height were big dumb rolls. If you look at the history of Hollywood it is so very true. He said he had lot of acting gigs line up for him after the Adams Family was over but the majority of the rolls were for a big dumb guy that he refused to be stereotyped like that so he turned them down. Which he was right to do so. He was a celeb who didn't mind giving away his autograph. If you just talked to him and not always talk about his roll as Lurch that you see him open himself up and let you in. He was a highly intelligent, extremely funny, and a gentle sole that it was Hollywood's loss for not seeing his true potential.
Ted Cassidy was actually a decent radio personality before acting. He was in Dallas the day Kennedy was shot and was the first person to announce the shooting of the president. Only now you know.....The rest of the story!
This was amazing as big as Ted Cassidy was that he could move that way...Although Rosie Grier all pro football player took ballet and became very graceful in the field,so anything is possible.Love to see creativity without judgement...all good!!!!!
There was an episode of Addams Family where he wore a tutu and did ballet steps for comic effect. They had to reshoot because the first take he did was too graceful and not funny enough! You can believe it by watching him move here.
CLASSIC!!! It kind of graceful version of a zombie walk, like the way I might have expected to see the original Frankenstine monster move. Its kinda thrashie.
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.
Ranks right up there with all of the other weird dances of the early 1960s. The Jerk, the Monkey, the Watusi, the Swim, and lets not forget, the Bat-tusi ! Ba-Ba-Ba-Ba-Batman ! 🚬👓