-Lurch"You rang?"
Lurch (first or last name is unknown) is the manservant to The Addams Family.
He is portrayed by Ted Cassidy and appears in seasons one and two of the 1964 ABC TV series The Addams Family. He appears again in the 1977 TV special Halloween with the New Addams Family.
Biography[]
Background[]
Much of Lurch's history, including his first name and the nature of his relationship to any other Addamses, was originally unspecified. "Lurch" was revealed during the original TV series to be a surname, as there was a "Mother Lurch" who appeared in one episode. She addressed Lurch as "Sonny", which could either be a parental nickname or his actual first name.
The family summons him with an ever-present bell pull in the form of a hangman's noose. When pulled, it produces a loud gong noise that shakes the house, to which Lurch instantly responds with the line, "You rang?" When the bell is rung, Lurch appears immediately in contrast to his slow demeanor, even if wide-angle shots reveal he was clearly nowhere in the vicinity before; on a few occasions, Lurch arrives even before the bell is tugged.
The Original Addams Family series[]
Season One[]
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Season Two[]
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Halloween with the New Addams Family[]
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Description[]
Lurch is a tall, shambling, lugubrious butler who somewhat resembles Frankenstein's monster and has a deep, resonant voice.
Personality[]
Lurch largely shares the family's macabre standards, although he occasionally looks askance at some of their activities. He has a similar attitude toward visitors, almost a sixth sense. When a plainclothes policeman visits, Lurch pats him down and removes something from inside his suit coat: his service revolver. Lurch groans at the affront of someone other than the Addams Family bringing a weapon into the house. Neise shows Lurch his badge, and Lurch hands the gun back to him.
Although fully capable of normal speech, Lurch sometimes communicates via simple inarticulate moans, which, much like the dialogue of Cousin Itt, his employers have no trouble understanding. In fact, the Addamses often comment that Lurch is eloquent and vivacious.
Lurch helps around the house like any other butler, cleaning, repairing, and helping the children on and off the school bus. Occasionally, his great size and strength cause trouble. He clearly takes pride in his work and is willing to do even the most arduous task. Lurch has a profound loyalty to his employers; in turn, the family treats Lurch like one of their own.
Powers / Abilities / Weaknesses[]
Powers[]
As a human, he does not have powers.
Abilities[]
- Driving: As the family's butler, part of Lurch's job is to chauffeur said members around.
- Cooking: As the family's butler, part of Lurch's job is to cook for said family.
Weaknesses[]
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Relationships[]
The Addams Family[]
Lurch is Wednesday's best friend, besides her beloved headless Marie Antoinette doll. He seems to have a paternal affection for both Wednesday and Pugsley. Although his job title is limited to butler, he seems to be a "jack of all trades" when it comes to the children, doing everything from taking them to school to making them lunch to even keeping an eye on them around the house. He is close friends with the disembodied hand, Thing.
Quotes[]
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Appearances[]
Appears In[]
TV Series[]
TV Special[]
Etymology[]
- Lurch - A nautical term meaning "sudden pitch to one side".
Trivia[]
- Lurch often plays the harpsichord at virtuoso level. The actor played on a dead keyboard; Vic Mizzy, the show's musical director, played the actual tunes.
As originally conceived, Lurch was to have no lines, but in the pilot Ted Cassidy ad-libbed the line "You rang?" in his trademark deep voice, and it was so impressive it led to Lurch getting more dialogue; he ultimately had three lines in the pilot.
External Links[]
Gallery[]
The Addams Family[]
Halloween with the New Addams Family[]
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