Lisa Loring

There was a time when “dark and edgy” on television meant The Addams Family.

It doesn’t look terribly dark or edgy these days, and it wasn’t really back then—except in an industry where huge, fearful discussions took place over whether a character could be (gasp!) divorced. It wasn’t even as dark and edgy as Charles Addams’ panel cartoons that attracted people who relished a macabre and off-beat sense of humour.

When Addams agreed to allow his brainchild to be turned into a television sitcom in 1964, the youngest member of the cast was Lisa Loring, who has been in show biz most of her life.

Loring has passed away four days after a stroke. She was 64.

A cute story about her hit the wire when the series was in first-run. There’s no byline I can find. This is from a paper of November 20, 1964

Wednesday breaks ‘em up
Jesse White, a jocund Hollywood actor who is kept busy in the television arena as a portrayer of con men and cops, was stopped cold during the filming of a scene for "Wednesday Leaves Home," tonight's episode on The Addams Family.
In this instance, White's "competitor" was dainty 6-year-old Lisa Loring. Lisa, in her regular role of Wednesday Addams, had run away from home and innocently walked into the police department's Missing Persons bureau, headed by Sgt. Haley (White).
AT THE OPENING of the scene being rehearsed White is ranting and raving because of all the mothers who are reporting missing children. Suddenly he looks down into the angelic countenance of his little visitor.

"Look Kid," he says, "I've had a rough day. What's your name?"
Lisa's lips tighten, her brown innocent eyes widen, and she says, "I'd like a dead fly for my spider, he's hungry."
Jesse broke up. So did the director Sidney Lanfield.
It wasn't that the lines were so screamingly funny. It was Lisa's detached unconcerned, unaware way of reading them. That's what broke them up.
TO ANY OBSERVER it would be difficult to determine where Lisa leaves off and Wednesday begins. The youngster with the Mona Lisa face is solemn and a bit secretive, like her TV counterpart.
But, caught off-guard, off-camera, Lisa Loring is not a child of woe like Wednesday. She plays with her dolls and dutifully does her school work like any normal child of her age.
Lisa was born in Kwajalein in the Marshal Islands, where her father, James Phillip De Cinces, was serving in the U.S. Navy. Her mother is an actress who goes by the professional name of Judith Callies.

Networks or producers sent out biographical blurbs to newspapers in hope of getting a bit of publicity. This one appeared in a Florida newspaper on Sept. 26, 1964.

Girl in Hurry—Lisa Loring
Dainty little Lisa Loring who, at the age of 6, loves dolls, dismembers them without compunction in her role of Wednesday on ABC-Tv’s new series “The Addams Family."
A professional model since she was two, Lisa has been seen regularly in several TV commercials. She also has appeared on “The Jack Barry Show’ in Hollywood dishing out advice to the younger generation.
Her one big ambition is to marry Richard Beymer, having seen “West Side Story" five times. Another is to be a big movie star by the time she’s 7. "I’m in no hurry for that," she declares.
Lisa's favorite color is yellow and her favorite animals are Yorkshire terriers and Siamese cats.
She was born in Kwajalein, the Marshall Islands, when her father, James Phillip DeCinces, was serving in the U.S. Navy. Her mother, an actress, goes by the professional name of Judith Callies. Lisa is in the first grade at Dixie Elementary School in Sherman Oaks, Calif.

The Addams Family lasted two years on the network and umpteen years in syndication. What happened to her? Soap fans know. Here’s a syndicated column from Oct. 19, 1980.

Lisa Loring graduates into soaps
By JOHN N. GOUDAS
Remember Wednesday, the beautiful little dark-haired daughter of Morticia and Gomez, on the outlandishly ghoulish "The Addams Family" television series of 1964? Lisa Loring, who was only 6 when the series started, has blossomed into an attractive and very feminine young woman with a lot of living packed into her 22 years.
"I grew up in the business," says Lisa, who's currently portraying Cricket Montgomery on "As the World Turns," "so I became tough by learning a lot of things the hard way."
Lisa's sensitivity and candor have indeed been learned from her own personal experiences, which among other things included a marriage at 15 that ended in divorce soon after.

OBVIOUSLY, Lisa took on a great deal of responsibility for a girl of that age. This difficult situation was compounded by the birth of her precocious daughter Vanessa. Then at 19, Lisa had a decision to make. Her "Addams Family" trust fund money ran out, and she knew there was only one thing she could do and that was going back to the business she has left at age 10.
Her return was successful as she landed guest appearances on "Barnaby Jones" and "Fantasy Island," a few TV pilots and numerous commercials until she was cast in her current role on the soap last June. Lisa, living in New York for the first time, is working hard to make a new life for herself and Vanessa. "More than anything," she said, "I really like to see my daughter do well in school. She hasn't had a real good start in more ways than one. So far, everything is going quite well."
Lisa, along with help from the writers, is concentrating on the development of Cricket Montgomery.
"I like Cricket a lot more now," admits Lisa. "She's immature in many ways, but she's determined not to sit back and take second best."
The storyline for Cricket leaves plenty of options open for the beautiful, headstrong teenager who's more innocent than she thinks.
Worldly Lisa Loring, at age 22, is ready for the challenge.

Loring left the series in 1983 for family reasons and acted periodically after that.

She had to have made an impression as Wednesday in 64 episodes over two seasons, considering her character was reborn in a streaming service series that’s, well, darker and edgier than the laugh track-laden sitcom.

Charles Addams, not much of a fan of television, told the Associated Press’ Cynthia Lowry in 1965 the TV version of his cartoon “is less scary than the others—they are sort of cozy monsters. Anyway, children seem to love them and laugh at them.”

And that’s why Lisa Loring is being remembered today.