As anticipation builds for the latest animated rendition of The Addams Family, directed by Conrad Vernon and Greg Tiernan, we take a nostalgic trip back to the 1990s. It was a time when director Barry Sonnenfeld brought the delightfully macabre Addams Family to life in two iconic films, starting with the 1991 classic, The Addams Family. Among the eccentric characters, one stood out for its unique charm and technical challenge: Thing, the disembodied Adams Family Hand.
Thing wasn’t just a prop; it was a character in its own right. It had to crawl, perform stunts, and emote – essentially, act. In today’s CGI-dominated world, a live-action Thing might be effortlessly rendered through computer graphics. But in the early 90s, CG was still in its nascent stages. So, the question loomed: how would they bring this iconic Adams Family hand to life on screen?
To unravel this cinematic mystery, we turned to Alan Munro, the visual effects supervisor for the 1991 Addams Family film. Munro, who landed the job by suggesting a famous dancer as inspiration for Thing and later championed using a real human performer, shared his (and often humorous) account of the process with befores & afters. He detailed everything from the actor’s hand casting to the minimal use of prosthetics and the painstaking rotoscoping techniques employed to create the unforgettable Adams Family hand.
Alan Munro’s Hilarious Breakdown: The Genesis of Thing
“My journey with The Addams Family commenced in the summer of 1990, within the sunny confines of Scott Rudin’s office. Though, to be honest, the day of the week escapes me. I preface with this hazy recollection to remind you that what follows isn’t gospel truth, but rather my perspective, filtered through three decades and perhaps a bit of ‘liquor-stained cellophane’. But back to the point – there I was, basking in the sunlight on Scott Rudin’s brown leather couch, alongside Scott and director Barry Sonnenfeld. My mission? To audition for the role of visual effects supervisor. Unsurprisingly, their burning question was: “How will you create Thing?”
“Truthfully,” I responded, “I haven’t the faintest idea. And frankly, at this moment, it’s not my primary concern. First, we must define Thing’s essence, his purpose within the narrative. Once we grasp that, the ‘how’ of bringing him to life will naturally follow.”
Thing pondering, showcasing the expressive capabilities of the Adams Family hand.
“Alright,” they inquired, taking the bait, “Who is Thing?”
“In the script,” I explained, “Thing is presented as a family pet, akin to a hapless hamster scurrying around the house rather than a loyal dog. But I envision Thing as something more profound – magical. He should embody the spirit of Fred Astaire.”
“Fred Astaire?” they echoed, intrigued.
I elaborated, “Consider it. Fred’s characters, while grounded in reality, transcend the ordinary. His grace, his elegance, his effortless movements defy natural laws. When Fred dances up walls and across ceilings, it appears utterly natural. That’s the essence Thing needs to capture: natural yet unnatural, bound yet unbound.”
And just like that, I secured the job.
A closer look at Thing, highlighting the iconic cuff and the teacup wrist illusion of the Adams Family hand.
While I may have contributed to Thing’s character, the visual design of the Adams Family hand was the brainchild of production designer Richard MacDonald, with a quirky inspiration from a children’s birthday party puppeteer.
To me, Thing’s appearance was quite clear. Aligning with the Fred Astaire concept, Thing should sport a crisp white French cuff, fastened with an Addams family crest cufflink. The wrist itself? Enshrouded in mystery. The deep cuff would cast shadows, concealing its inner workings, creating an illusion of seamlessness and magic.
“Thing in a cuff? Ridiculous!” designer MacD (Barry’s nickname for MacDonald) scoffed. “It’s like putting a hat on a hat.”
“No,” I corrected, “It’s like a cuff on a wrist. But let’s set that aside. How do you envision Thing’s look?”
“The wrist’s interior should resemble a teacup.”
“Huh?” I responded, genuinely puzzled (and yes, I distinctly recall uttering that exact word).
“When you peer into an empty teacup,” MacD elaborated, “you can’t discern the bottom.”
Thing in action, showcasing the puppeteer influence and the teacup wrist design of the Adams Family hand.
MacD was referring to the smooth, porcelain slope of a teacup’s interior, which creates a subtle illusion of infinite depth, perhaps more noticeable after a drink or two.
MacD continued, “As Thing will be a puppet, this design will appear most authentic.”
“Authentic or not, Thing will not be a puppet,” I interjected. “Thing will be a real human hand, with the body optically removed.”
“No,” MacD insisted, “He’ll be a puppet. I’ve already found the puppeteer.”
“This, I have to witness.”
The marionette hand demonstration, a contrasting approach to the real hand performance for the Adams Family hand.
The following day, a pleasant gentleman in green-checkered trousers arrived, carrying a large orange checkered carpet bag. He opened the bag, produced a cassette player, and placed it on my desk. Next, he unveiled two marionette control bars, each with numerous strings attached to an articulated wooden hand. For the next three minutes, the wooden hand gracefully waltzed to The Blue Danube on my office carpet. The hand indeed had a hollowed-out teacup wrist, designed to conceal the string connections. As the waltz concluded, the gentleman, with a thick Czech accent, inquired if I’d like to see a goat dance the polka. I politely declined. Before departing, he crafted a charming balloon dachshund for me.
Fortunately, I had invited everyone – including Barry the director and Scott the producer – to witness this demonstration.
The verdict? Thing would have a teacup wrist, and MacD would have no further say in the effects creation.
Sometimes, you might lose a minor skirmish but ultimately win the war.
Thing playfully interacting, emphasizing the personality imbued into the Adams Family hand.
Next on the agenda: casting the Adams Family hand. My initial choice was Don McLeod, a brilliant mime and former apprentice of Marcel Marceau. He was also renowned as the “American Tourister Gorilla” from those commercials where a gorilla (played by Don) attempted to break open suitcases. Early camera tests with Don were impressive in terms of performance. However, Don’s somewhat stubby hand didn’t quite fit the aesthetic vision. Fred Astaire’s movements, without Fred Astaire’s elegant form, simply aren’t Fred Astaire. So, Don had to step aside.
I compiled a list of alternatives. Besides mimes, magicians seemed like the perfect fit – individuals trained in intricate hand movements. We issued a casting call to two dozen sleight-of-hand artists. The day they all responded was quite something. Never before had I been asked for so many quarters, had so many playing cards divined, or eggs extracted from my ear. Ultimately, one choice stood out.
Christopher Hart, a former assistant to David Copperfield (and remarkably similar in appearance, which was leveraged in some of Copperfield’s famous illusions). Beyond his magical skills, Chris was tall, intelligent, athletic, and possessed beautifully expressive, large hands. Furthermore, Chris seemed…normal, a surprisingly significant attribute after spending an afternoon with two dozen magicians.
Christopher Hart as Thing, showcasing the expressiveness and human element of the Adams Family hand.
We had our Thing, our Adams Family hand performer. But the question remained: how to execute the effect? It seems straightforward now, but back in the pre-digital era, everything relied on practical techniques or optical printers.
I consulted my friend and long-time collaborator, Pete Kuran. We decided on a two-pass shooting method – once with Chris, and once without. For front, top, and profile shots, Chris would lie face-down on a car mechanic’s dolly, arm extended, wearing a black sleeve. A prosthetic wrist was then added, turned upwards, creating the illusion of a body positioned above. For shots from behind (or when Thing turned around), Chris was positioned above the camera, with a prosthetic around his actual wrist to define the edge.
In post-production, Chris’s body would be meticulously removed through rotoscoping – a frame-by-frame animation process. Pete, as the originator of the Star Wars lightsaber effect, was Hollywood’s undisputed rotoscoping master. The second pass, capturing the background without Chris, would then fill in the areas where Chris had been removed. These layers were combined using an optical printer. A simple concept, yet incredibly challenging in practice.
These optical shots of the real Adams Family hand were interspersed with shots of hand puppets. Not marionettes, but mechanical hands covered in lifelike latex, designed for specific actions (like Thing serving as a golf tee). For this, I enlisted Dave Miller, another collaborator from my Nightmare on Elm Street days.
This blend of techniques allowed us to maintain an element of mystery, keeping the audience guessing about the execution of the effect from scene to scene.
David B. Miller working on the mechanical hand puppets, highlighting the blend of techniques used for the Adams Family hand.
David B. Miller works on the mechanical hand puppets. They were part of an auction a few years ago.
On the first day of production, we positioned Chris beneath a table for Thing’s chess game with Gomez. Camera stability was crucial for our two-pass technique. Unfortunately, the chess table wobbled, persistently. Stabilizing it felt like an eternity. The set transformed into a web of guy-wires. Barry nearly reached his breaking point. After that initial chaos, I was granted my own camera unit, effectively directing every shot featuring Thing in the film. This isn’t to claim sole authorship of Thing, as it was a collaborative effort with Barry Sonnenfeld, Chris Hart, Chuck Comisky, and countless other talented crew members. It was simply the logistical necessity of the production.
Explore Alan Munro’s VFX credits at IMDB.
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