History Trivia / TheAddamsfamily

** Creator/TimBurton was offered the chance to direct. However, despite wanting to make an Addams Family movie, he felt that the script was too reliant on visual effects, and turned it down. Other candidates included Creator/JoeDante, Creator/TerryGilliam and Creator/DavidLynch. Burton would have to wait three decades before [[Series/{{Wednesday}} his vision for the Addams Family]] made it to screens.

* CutSong: Music/MichaelJackson's "Is It Scary" was originally written for ''Addams Family Values'' and had most of a corresponding video shot that featured clips from the film and a closing cameo by Wednesday and Pugsley. However, contractual disputes between Paramount Pictures and Creator/EpicRecords led to the song being dropped in favor of Tag Team's "Addams Family (Whoomp!)". "Is It Scary" was released four years later on Jackson's album ''[[Music/HIStoryPastPresentAndFutureBookI Blood on the Dance Floor: History in the Mix]]'' and served as a basis for the song "Ghosts" on the same album; the video was reshot and reedited into ''Film/MichaelJacksonsGhosts''.

** Creator/TimBurton was originally set to direct. Other candidates included Creator/JoeDante, Creator/TerryGilliam and Creator/DavidLynch. Burton would have to wait three decades before [[Series/{{Wednesday}} his vision for the Addams Family]] made it to screens.

** Jimmy Workman's real life sister Shanelle auditioned for Wednesday. In fact, Workman being present at her audition by sheer happenstance led to him being discovered and cast as Pugsley.

* TheProductionCurse: Tragically, almost all the lead actors died relatively young: Ted Cassidy at 46 from surgical complications, Carolyn Jones at 53 from cancer, Ken Weatherwax at 59 from a heart attack, and Lisa Loring at 64 from a stroke. The only exception is nonagenarian John Astin, who is the only surviving lead cast member as of 2024.

* TheProductionCurse: Tragically, almost all the lead actors have died relatively young: Ted Cassidy at 46 from surgical complications, Carolyn Jones at 53 from cancer, Ken Weatherwax at 59 from a heart attack, and Lisa Lorning at 64 from a stroke. As of 2024, John Astin is the only surviving lead cast member.

** Jimmy Workman's real life sister Shanelle auditioned for Wednesday.

* AdaptationSequence: Newspaper Comic —> TV show —> Cartoon —> Video Game —> Movie —> TV show loosely based on movie —> Video Game —> Sequel to movie —> Broadway Musical —> Animated Movie —> Netflix show

** Music/{{Cher}} wanted to play Morticia. This would have provided a nice CastingGag, as Cher and Creator/ChristinaRicci had previously played mother and daughter in ''Film/{{Mermaids}}''. Huston herself has said that it would have been an apt casting, although she liked it herself.

* TheProductionCurse: Tragically, almost all the lead actors have died relatively young: Ted Cassidy at 46 from surgical complications, Carolyn Jones at 53 from cancer, Ken Weatherwax at 59 from a heart attack, and Lisa Lorning at 64 from a stroke. As of 2023, John Astin is the only surviving lead cast member.

* DisownedAdaptation: Though he visited the set a few times, Charles Addams considered the original series a travesty. One must wonder how he would've felt about the film adaptations had he lived long enough to see them (he died in 1988).

* NoExportForYou: Legal issues between Paramount and MGM (successor to Orion) explains why it took until 2013 for the first film from being reissued on video outside North America following its initial VHS release. A year before Orion sold the film to Paramount, they sold a package of 50 films, included ''The Addams Family'', to Columbia Pictures for foreign distribution, which is why Paramount only distributed the film in North America. After Columbia's license to the film expired, neither Paramount nor MGM could determine where the foreign rights reverted to. Ultimately, it was learned that the foreign rights ended up at MGM, and the film was finally released on DVD and Blu-Ray worldwide in 2013.

** A sort-of example from the series: the man playing Thing occasionally used his left hand just to see if anybody would notice.

* WrittenInInfirmity: In the 1964 series episode "Wednesday Leaves Home" Wednesday is missing her front teeth because Lisa Loring lost her front baby teeth before filming. Morticia mentions Wednesday losing her teeth in the opening scene.

* CutSong: Music/MichaelJackson's "Is It Scary" was originally written for ''Addams Family Values'' and had most of a corresponding video shot that featured clips from the film and a closing cameo by Wednesday and Pugsley. However, contractual disputes between Paramount Pictures and Creator/EpicRecords led to the song being dropped in favor of Tag Team's "Addams Family (Whoomp!)". "Is It Scary" would was released four years later on Jackson's album ''[[Music/HIStoryPastPresentAndFutureBookI Blood on the Dance Floor: History in the Mix]]'' and served as a basis for the song "Ghosts" on the same album; the video was reshot and reedited into ''Film/MichaelJacksonsGhosts''.

** Gomez's actor Creator/RaulJulia saw his career die in the most literal sense possible: he died of cancer shortly after the second film's release.

** For unknown reasons, Creator/CarolKane replaced Judith Malina as Grandmama for ''Addams Family Values''.

** Creator/TimBurton was originally set to direct. Other candidates included Creator/JoeDante, Creator/TerryGilliam and Creator/DavidLynch.

* TheWikiRule: [[http://addamsfamily.wikia.com/wiki/Addams_Family_Wiki The Addams Family Wiki]].

* KeepCirculatingTheTapes: To this day, there has never been a [=DVD=] release for the following Addams Family films and shows: ''The Addams Family Fun-House'', ''Halloween with the New Addams Family'', the 1992 animated series, ''Addams Family Reunion'', and -- at least in America -- ''The New Addams Family'' (the latter being caught between Saban and Disney- what else would you expect from a Fox Kids/Fox Family show?). Also, the crossover episode on ''WestrnAnimation/TheNewScoobyDooMovies'', "Wednesday is Missing," is unavailable on DVD or Blu-ray due to licensing issues.

* KeepCirculatingTheTapes: To this day, there has never been a [=DVD=] release for the following Addams Family films and shows: ''The Addams Family Fun-House'', ''Halloween with the New Addams Family'', the 1992 animated series, ''Addams Family Reunion'', and -- at least in America -- ''The New Addams Family'' (the latter being caught between Saban and Disney- what else would you expect from a Fox Kids/Fox Family show?).

* TropeNamers
** MadeFromRealGirlScouts: From an exchange in the first movie, where Wednesday and Pugsley are selling lemonade and dealing with an obnoxious girl scout inquiring if they're made of real lemons. Once the girl proposes an "I'll buy yours if you buy mine" deal, Wednesday retorts with that line.
** OneNormalNight: From the song of the same name in the 2010 Broadway musical, where Wednesday, hoping to set a good impression with her fiance and his family, requests that the Addams clan try to behave like average human beings. At the same time, Wednesday's fiance Lucas is requesting they don't embarrass him in front of ''her'' family, [[NotSoSimilar albeit for different reasons]]. As expected, [[spoiler: the two families eventually clash]], and HilarityEnsues.
** TheyLookJustLikeEveryoneElse: From the ending scene of the first movie, where Wednesday justifies not having a halloween costume with the line "This ''is'' my costume. I'm a homicidal maniac. They look just like everyone else."

** Creator/RebeccaDeMornay was originally offered the role of Debbi Jellinsky, the idea being a parody of her role in ''Film/TheHandThatRocksTheCradle''. She declined, feeling it was too similar. Creator/MarisaTomei was also considered.

* RelationshipVoiceActor: A meta cross-language one between the original English version and the Latin American Spanish dub: Wednesday is played and dubbed by an actress named "C(h)ristina": Creator/ChristinaRicci and Creator/CristinaHernandez respectively.