The other day here, I linked to some photos of actors auditioning for roles on the 1964-1966 TV series, The Addams Family. The article, which was from photos shot then for Life magazine, did not identify the auditioners so some of us have been trying to. This message from John Glenn Taylor covers all the answers that sound credible to me…
I did a little research into the Addams Family matter. The photos have been circulating a while, at least since 2009. Someone found them in the online Life archive and started a speculation thread at this forum.
Several sharp-eyed commenters on that thread positively identified several of the actors, although the Morticias proved more difficult. I've arranged their findings to match the numbering of the photos in the current slideshow.
The Uncle Fester in Photos #2 and #15 is probably Stanley Adams, the character actor probably best known for playing Cyrano Jones in the Star Trek episode, "The Trouble With Tribbles."
The Morticia on the far right of Photo #3 seems to be Eileen O'Neill, known for her work on the series, Burke's Law.
Photo #5 is almost definitely Paul Wexler, the longtime character actor.
Tracy Stratford is the Wednesday on the far right of Photo #6. Tracy appeared on The Loretta Young Show, the "Living Doll" episode of The Twilight Zone, and was Lucy Van Pelt's voice for A Charlie Brown Christmas.
The older gentleman playing lurch in Photo #9 is none other than John Dierkes, who can also be seen in the films The Alamo and Shane.
In photo #10, we have three Lurches. From left to right, it's John Dierkes, Paul Wexler, and Josip Elic, who would go on to play the part of Bancini in One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest.
In Photo #14, one of the Pugsleys is Jimmy Garrett from The Lucy Show. Another may or may not be Kim Tyler, who was one of the kids in the television series, Please Don't Eat The Daisies.
The Grandmama in Photo #19 is almost certainly Minerva Urecal.
There were several guesses as to the identities of the actresses trying out for the role of Morticia. Some of the names mentioned were Debra Paget, Charlene Holt and Jan Harrison.
Curiously, this new Life article does not present all the photos that exist in the Life archives of the Addams Family alternates. There are other photos, including some showing actor Percy Helton as Lurch, and others showing actress Joan Huntington as Morticia.
Hope this info is helpful.
Very helpful…though I think you meant Percy Helton as Uncle Fester.
I decided to just list the other guesses made by two or more people who wrote in. Two of them guessed Carol Lynley as one of the Morticias and quite a few thought one of the men trying out for Lurch was James Cromwell. I'm not saying they're right or wrong. Among those who sent in guesses, many of whom agreed with the above were John Nelson, Suzanne Stone, Bob Casinelli, David Simmons, Anthony Tollin, Roger Green, Ed O'Toole, Kevin Blackford, Bruce Hannum, Brad Ferguson, Sid Friedfertig, Michael Kirby, Jack Lechner, John Graham, Gary Rafferty and Lee Spilberg. Thank you all.