Charles Addams Art Grant Maintains Memory of Toon's Creator
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Page 20 Thursday, August 31, 2000 The Westfield Leader and THE TIMES of Scotch Plains – Fanwood A WATCHUNG COMMUNICATIONS, INC. PUBLICATION Arts & Entertainment Charles Addams Art Grant Westfield-Born Pen and Ink Maintains Memory Addams Spooked By MICHELLE H. LePOIDEVIN Fans for Years Hail the Creative Mind Which Often By STEVEN KRAKAUER Of Toons Creator Specially Written for The Westfield Leader and The Times WESTFIELD -- Dah-dah- Comes From Bizarre, Unexplainable By MICHELLE H. LePOIDEVIN Addams, who was a 1929 gradu- dah-dah; neat. Dah-dah-dah- Some Saturday afternoons I may be seen traipsing around St. Specially Written for The Westfield Leader and The Times ate of WHS, was almost a hop, dah; sweet. Dah-dah-dah-dah, Gertrude’s Cemetery in Colonia, visiting friends and family who ARTIST OF THE WEEK WESTFIELD – You can take the skip and jump from the school dah-dah-dah-dah, dah-dah- were called ahead before their time. It’s a fascinating place, but cartoonist out of Westfield, but dah-dah; petite. which was at that time situated certainly not everyone’s idea of a good time. Cartoonist and you can’t take Westfield out of on the current site of the Elm Sound familiar? Of course! Raul Julia Charles Addams. The memory of Street Administration Building. “The Addams Family” has de- Westfield’s own the legendary man who often The cartoonist, who later in- lighted and frightened audi- Charles Addams honored Westfield in his famous spired the NBC hit “The Addams ences ever since it’s premiere would disagree. etchings continues to endure with (1940-1994) Family” from 1973-1975 and the on television in 1964. Con- Known for his the Charles Addams Art Scholar- movies The Addams Family and tinuing on TV and then going ship. wanderings By MICHELLE H. LePOIDEVIN Addams Family Values, was the into the theaters in 1991, the Specially Written for The Westfield Leader and The Times Established in 1991, the grant art director for the WHS supple- show has brought along quite through the Who knew playing the devil has been bestowed upon gradu- ment Weather Vane. a following. But the roots of Revolutionary would be such great motivation? ating Westfield this odd family originated High School Cemetery on Certainly not actor Raul Julia who long before it’s release in Mountain Av- got bit by the acting bug at age five (WHS) pupils 1964. As a matter of fact, it when he stole the show at a Catho- who are seeking all began in a little town in enue, Addams lic elementary school play. While to further educate Central New Jersey — had an uncanny his parents had hopes that little themselves by pursuing a major Westfield. penchant and cu- Raul would pursue a career in law, Charles Addams, the cre- the call of the theater was louder. in art. The first riosity about the Born March 9, 1940 in San Juan, scholarship was ator of the Addams Family, Great Beyond was born on January 7, 1912 Puerto Rico, Julia moved to New awarded in 1992 and where York City at the age of 24 to chase to Seth R. Piezas, in Westfield. The spookiness of his child- people go when his dreams. A bit part in La Vida es according to Michelle H. LePoidevin for The Westfield Leader and The Times Sueno earned Julia his Actors Eq- Betsy Chance of hood is actually quite they die. Appar- Revolutionary Cemetery in Westfield uity Card which affirmed his tal- the Westfield sparse. There were sup- ently, Addam’s ent. Foundation. posed brief stints of mis- morbid side was never spurred on by any one experience or Julia joined Big Bird, Oscar the chievous behavior, includ- Some of the re- tragedy. He was just a bit bizarre that way and it paid off big time Grouch and Cookie Monster on cent recipients of ing sneaking into a “Sesame Street” playing the role of the Addams neighbor’s garage and when he conjured up the likes of Lurch, Thing, Morticia, Rafael. With a powerful, thunder- Scholarship in- drawing a skeleton. Also, Wednesday, Pugsley, Uncle Fester and the beloved Gomez. ous voice that commanded atten- clude Craig Long the young man was ru- tion, Julia moved onto bigger and Creative minds always have an interesting origin. Often, when (1998), Elizabeth mored to stroll through I interview artists I discover that they’ve either been influenced by better roles before coming upon graveyards at night. For the Kiss of the Spider Women. Julia’s Kinahan (1999) and Michael most part, however, someone else in their family who had an artistic bent. Then there star was rising. are those who developed the flair all alone. Either way, the “artsy” The husband of Merel Poloway Danskin and Addams had a calm and and father of Raul Sigmund and Scott Danskin “normal” childhood. folk of the universe have a gift of seeing the world through three- Benjamin Rafael, Julia’s career (2000). “Chas” Addam’s lived on dimensional glasses of varied color and perspective. And, al- peaked when he the role of Gomez Ronald C. David B. Corbin for The Westfield Leader and The Times 522 Elm Street and went to though we are ribbed often for our quirkiness, we make the world Addams came along in The Addams MacCloskey, The Addams Family abode was modeled after this high school at Westfield Family and Addams Family Values. Westfield native home at 411 Elm Street. High. As a matter of fact, go ‘round differently than our more mathematical/technical/ His portrayal of father Gomez su- and Addams en- Addams drew cartoons for scientific counterparts. perseded the ooky and the spooky thusiast ex- the Hi’s Eye, Westfield High Westfielders should never forget the celebrity of Addams who and became debonair, suave and plained to The Westfield Leader According to Mr. MacCloskey, School’s school newspaper. once lived among us. The young boy who peered at the electric. and The Times of Scotch Plains- Addams was not motivated by The school was situated in headstone inscriptions, the young man who walked from his Elm The world of Hollywood halted Fanwood that the art director at any particular outside artistic in- what is now the Westfield dramatically when Julia suffered a the school (who was at one time fluence when his creative juices Board of Education Building Street home to attend Westfield High School which was then stroke on October 24, 1994, slipped Art Silvera), decides the “quality began to flow. He became a mas- located on 302 Elm Street. housed at the current Elm Street Administration Building. We into a coma and passed away at the of work, desire of the person” ter all on his own, drawing over North Shore University Hospital at Somewhere between those should never forget the artist who made his hometown proud 1,300 cartoons. two locations Addams saw the the young age of 54. It seems clear, with his drawings in The New Yorker or the lovable spooks he house which was his inspira- brought to life in the creepy Addams mansion. however, that the tion for the creepy residency cartoonist who that we saw for TV’s Addams Artsy Addams is as much a Westfield treasure as the War etched for The New family. 411 Elm Street is the Memorial, Miller-Cory or the statuesque Presbyterian Church in Yorker, Colliers supposed basis for the house, Westfield. Lest we forget the man who brought us the all together and T.V. Guide and it shows. Although much ooky. would be intensely less eerie, the design of the proud of the schol- arship and the stu- houses resemble each other dents who have greatly. Purchase of Mansion Model gratefully received Currently residing in the 411 it. location are the Diddells. They The Addams were unable to be reached for Family Collection, comment. To Aid Addams Scholarship which is main- The Addams house at 522 Elm Street is currently 93 years tained by Mr. By MICHELLE H. LePOIDEVIN mold of the mansion from Aurora MacCloskey, has old. Now living in it is Earl Specially Written for The Westfield Leader and The Times Frawley, who’s lived there for eight years ago when The Addams Steven Krakauer for The Westfield Leader and The Times also been instru- WESTFIELD – If charity begins Family film hit the silver screen. The boyhood home of Addams at 522 Elm Street. mental in raising 29 years. Although it is the funds for the schol- original house, Frawley has at home, it certainly originates in The real estate offices of Coldwell arship. Mr. spent over $100,000 to reno- the hometown of one of the most Banker, Prudential, Weichert, and interest in art before nomi- MacCloskey noted that he has been vate the house. There is now notable cartoonists of our time – Burgdoff ERA and Century 21, all nating someone for the scholar- asked by 4-H and Women’s Clubs a new porch, a deck, new Westfield native Charles Addams. in Westfield, have agreed to par- ship. to attend meetings and discuss his kitchen, and new flooring, For a mere $20, the proceeds of ticipate in the sale of the kit which Parker Greenhouses “Someone who is really seri- collections of Addams memora- among other changes to which will go toward the Charles will help a pupil further his or her ous” about art is also a prerequi- bilia as well as the life and elan of Addams residency. Addams Arts Scholarship, an in- education in art. site. When the scholarship was Addams. Mr. MacCloskey’s collec- Says Mums the Word Besides creating the Addams valuable piece of first offered, Mr.