The Lurch Bench

The Lurch Bench. Theodore Crawford "Ted" Cassidy AKA "Lurch". , Did you know that Ted Cassidy who played the beloved role of "Lurch" the butler on the classic, cult comedy television show "The Addams Family" that aired from 1964-66, used to walk the streets of our Buckhannon as a West Virginia Wesleyan College student?, Born on July 31, 1932 in Pittsburgh, Ted grew up in neighboring Philippi excelling academically, artistically, and athletically. He finished high school at age 16, and moved to Buckhannon where he attended WVWC and was a member of the Alpha Sigma Phi fraternity. the Cassidy family later relocated to Florida, and Cassidy transferred to Stetson where he was the star center on the Stetson University Basketball Team from 1952-55. His six feet nine inch frame aided his 17 point and 10 rebound per game average., Ted Cassidy was a true renaissance gentleman who was very gifted musically playing the organ while being drawn to theatre. While ted became most famous for his lovable role as Lurch, he played many roles during his three decades as an actor including as "Thing" also in the Addams Family; "Creech," an outer space creature; "Injun Joe" on The New Adventures of Huckleberry Finn; the voice of "Balok" in Gene Roddenberry's Star Trek episode "The Carbomite Maneuver"; the android "Ruk" in Star Trek's "What Are Little Girls Made Of?" episode; and the voice of "Gorn" in Star Trek's "Arena" episode. Cassidy also played "Isiah" in Roddenberry's post-apocalyptic dramas "Genesis II" and "Planet Earth." He appeared in dozens of TV shows and movies including roles in The Man From U.N.C.L.E., Lost In Space, Daniel Boone, I Dream Of Jeannie, Bonanza, The Beverly Hillbillies, Tarzan, The Bionic Woman, Flash Gordon, "Bigfoot" in The Six Million Dollar Man, and was narrator of the opening for "The Incredible Hulk." He appeared as "Goliath" in the 1978 mini-series, "Greatest Heroes of the Bible.", Cassidy's many cinematic contributions further included roles as the Martian in 1960's The Angry Red Planet, Mackenna's Gold, The Last Remake of Beau Geste, and the role of "Harvey Logan" in Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid in which Ted uttered his famous line– "Rules?…In a knife fight?…" He co-wrote the screenplay for and appeared in The Harrad Experiment., In 1965, Ted Cassidy released an album featuring the songs "The Lurch" and "Wesley." Also in '65 he introduced the dance and performed the song and dance "The Lurch" on Shivaree, the Los Angeles based Rock and Roll TV show. On Halloween of 1965, Ted appeared on Shindig, another musical, variety show with Boris Karloff performing "The Monster Mash." His deep "Basso Profundo" resulted ini his being featured in dozens of cartoons particularly with Hanna-Barbera studios, including as "Metallus" on "Space Ghost" and "The Thing" on "The Fantastic Four," and "Brainiac" and "The Black Manta" on "Challenge of the Superfriends." Ted Cassidy's distinctive, iconic tone made him one of the most famous and recognizable voices in American history. In a 1978 interview given shortly before his death, Ted Cassidy state:,

"If I'm up for a part if, I'm asked to do something, I really worry what I'm going to be because they always make fellows like me the big dumb galoot, the oaf who doesn't know anything, who trips over himself. We are apparently idiots, all big men. You end up never leading anyone to anything. You end up holding people, while the boss hits them in the face -- scratching your head a lot wondering where all your marbles went. Well that kind of thing doesn't appeal to me at all. I used to think that's how it was and I would do it, but I won't do it anymore. I turn down everything that comes along like that. So, the only thing you can rely on are those who have worked with you and know that you are consistent, talented and reliable, and maybe they're friends of yours and are willing to put you to work so you don't end up in the welfare line."

, In June of 1966, Mr. Cassidy returned to Buckhannon serving as the Grand Marshall of the silver anniversary ofo our WV Strawberry Festival (photo above). He left us way too early dying in Los Angeles on January 16, 1979, survived by his son Sean, and daughter Cameron., We now honor and will forever remember the beloved, gentle giant of a man who preached against bullying before it was fashionable, and who once walked among us here on our streets of Buckhannon.