Idaho woman remembers her time in Hollywood

Don Nelson, KIVI

EAGLE (KIVI) — An Eagle woman has a lot to say when it comes to Hollywood. Pat Priest played Marilyn Munster on the zany, but popular 1960s television series “The Munsters.”

KIVI News Channel 6 in Boise asked Pat how she got the job.

“Well, it went very well and it went very fast,” Priest said.

How fast? Well, Priest tested for the part on Wednesday, was offered the job on Thursday and went to work on “The Munsters” on Monday.

Priest played the pretty and normal looking Marilyn Munster, who the other characters looked at as odd looking and not normal.

“I guess the one thing people don’t realize is when you showed up for make-up, you’re pretty much ready to go … while the other characters were in the chair for two hours. It was one hour getting out of make-up, three hours of make-up everyday of filming, and very hard on the skin.”

Success followed Priest after “The Munsters” got canceled. She got a part playing opposite Elvis Presley in a movie called “Easy Come, Easy Go.”

One day, Priest mentioned to the rock ‘n roll legend she was in the market for a new car and Elvis said he had one he would sell her.

“Oh Elvis, I could never afford one of your cars,” laughed Priest. “And he said ‘I have a 1965 Cadillac Convertible with black leather interior.’ I said that sounds really nice, and I said how much? He said $3,000, and I said sold. I wrote him a check.”

Her advice for other young aspiring actors — practice your craft and be ready.

“I think a lot of it is when luck and opportunity meet preparation. I laugh and say that’s the story of my life, easy come, easy go.”