Technical Specs

Director: Joseph Pevney

Writers: Joe Connelly and Bob Mosher

Cast: Fred Gwynne, Yvonne De Carlo, Al Lewis, Pat Priest, Butch Patrick, Billy Mumy, and Russ Conway

Composer: Jack Marshall

Air Date: 3/11/1965

Overview

After finding out that Eddie’s friend Googie (Billy Mumy) will be spending the weekend at their house, the Munster family excitedly prepares for the arrival of their young guest. Things don’t quite go as planned, however, when Googie reveals himself to be an ill-mannered brat. Hoping to teach the boy a lesson, Grandpa decides to transform Googie into a frog, but turns him into a chimp instead.

“Come Back, Little Googie” contains a number of funny moments, but takes a silly twist halfway through. Nevertheless, fans of Billy Mumy will be amused by the nasty pranks that Googie plays on Herman and Grandpa.

Pros

The antithesis of Will Robinson from the original Lost in Space series, Mumy’s Googie character exemplifies all the attributes of a hateful, undisciplined little monster in desperate need of a spanking. While Googie’s foul behavior would’ve quickly grown irritating in most circumstances, the demonic child in question turns out to be a formidable nemesis for Grandpa, whose immaturity often parallels that of his young rival. Especially humorous are Grandpa’s attempts to get revenge on Googie, first by setting up a giant mouse trap (a “harmless little prank” in Grandpa’s opinion) and later by casting a silly magic spell, with disastrous results.

Cons

Though Herman prepares to have a stern talk with Googie’s father, Mr. Miller (Russ Conway), Googie himself is never shown to be punished for his vile deeds.

Analysis

Despite his kooky appearance, Eddie proves himself to be fundamentally more respectful, considerate, and well behaved than his “normal” friend. This character contrast can teach a powerful lesson about making value judgments based on inner qualities as opposed to external traits; however, the impact of this poignant theme diminishes when Eddie is unfairly scolded for failing to explain that Googie blackmailed him into disobeying Lily’s orders.

Concluding Comments

A solid effort, “Come Back, Little Googie” makes good use of a zany premise. Notably, Herman and Grandpa’s “solution” to the Googie/chimp misunderstanding will appeal to The Munsters fans for its absurd elements.

Overall Quality: 7/10

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