Lurch is one of the main characters from The Addams Family. The Addams' faithful butler whom they consider as a part of the family. He is a towering mute (usually) and has been shambling around the house forever. He is not a very good butler but a faithful one. One of his eyes is opaque and his scanty hair is damply clinging to his narrow flat head. Depending on the adaptation, Lurch can be his first name, last name, or just a nickname given to him. This usually gentle giant is often seen tickling the ivory on a piano, harpsichord, or organ.
Background[]
Lurch is a tall, ghoulish manservant, serving as a shambling, gravelly-voiced butler, vaguely resembling Frankenstein's Monster although he is a considerable "jack of all trades". In Charles Addams's original cartoons, Lurch is often seen accompanying the rest of the Family, sometimes carrying a feather-duster. In a couple of illustrations, the Family is seen decorating Lurch as they would a Christmas tree. In the original Addams Family television series, Lurch has a deep and resonant voice. Although fully capable of normal speech, Lurch often communicates via simple inarticulate moans, which, much like the dialogue of Cousin Itt, his employers have no trouble understanding. His character often demonstrates signs of frustration towards his employers; however, his continued presence also suggests loyalty. As a result, he appears to be one of the family. 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 appears and responds, "You... rang?", even if wide-angle shots reveal that he was clearly nowhere in the vicinity before; on a few occasions Lurch arrives even before the bell pull is tugged. 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 is 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. As for his father, he was mentioned twice, once in the second animated series, and in an apparent reference to his Frankenstein's monster-like appearance, Lurch said, smiling, "He put me together." And another time in the original series where Lurch mentions his father wanted him to be a jockey (typically short and light people) instead of a butler. The character also appeared in the 1960's series Batman series portrayed by his original television actor, Ted Cassidy.
