Do you remember Wednesday Addams' first boyfriend?

Often-forgotten child star Kevin Tate played Robespierre Courtney on The Addams Family.

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"Feud in the Addams Family" marks a milestone in The Addams Family lore, because it’s the episode where little Wednesday Addams experiences her first crush, on a boy named Robespierre Courtney.

In the episode, we watched Morticia give Wednesday dating advice as the little Addams girl donned a replica of her mother’s signature black dress, which she had to confess was difficult to curtsy in.

Wednesday suspected Robespierre would be much more impressed to see her spiders than her curtsy.

Playing Robespierre in this episode was a child star named Kevin Tate, an actor who only appeared on TV for a short time in the Sixties and is often forgotten today.

In his brief career, Tate appeared on hit shows like The Andy Griffith Show, The Fugitive, The Donna Reed Show, Bewitched and three times on My Three Sons.

His biggest role wasn’t on the small screen, but in a film starring TV stars Tony Randall and Barbara Eden called 7 Faces of Dr. Lao.

In 1964, when the movie was released, The Los Angeles Times did a short write-up on Tate, reporting that the child star of 8 years old was discovered by the movie’s director George Pal.

According to the Times, Pal spotted Tate in a commercial when he was only 2 years old. Recognizing talent in the toddler, Pal hooked Tate up with an MGM contract after suggesting Tate do a screen test.

For his role in 7 Faces of Dr. Lao, Tate had to perform magic tricks, which he learned just for the movie.

Count among those delighted by Tate’s tricks the gossip columnist and actor Hedda Hopper. She wrote in 1964, "the young boy, Kevin Tate, is adorable. George Pal has done it again."

Despite Tate’s early start as an actor, Pal’s help catching the eye of producers like Jack Webb and prominent movie roles where he even got a chance to play James Stewart’s son, Tate stopped acting in 1973 and dropped out of the public eye at the age of 19.

Not much is known about what he did professionally after quitting acting, but according to IMDb, he died in 1999 when he was 44.

His final role was in the Clint Eastwood movie Breezy. He played a hitchhiker.

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13 Comments

vinman63 25 months ago
When Morticia asked Wednsday to curtsey and Wednsday replied you kidding me. Morticia then says You got a point.
Jon 25 months ago
Kevin Tate also played the boy that the Kravitzes took home from the orphanage for Christmas Eve on the first BEWITCHED Christmas episode. His character fought with Billy Mumy's, whom Sam & Darrin took home for the same Christmas.
Steve2021 25 months ago
Robespierre. I have heard that name used before on another sitcom besides Adams Family show. Does Anyone know ?
Lantern Steve2021 25 months ago
There was a character by that name on the Fanny Brice radio program "Baby Snooks" in the 1940's, but I don't recall a later TV character with that name.
harlow1313 25 months ago
I truly wish my parents had the taste to have named me Robespierre. Robespierre Garfunkel has a wonderful ring to it.

"Paging Mr. Garfunkel, Mr. Robespierre Garfunkel."
To which I would proudly proclaim, "I am he."
JPC 25 months ago
How did Kevin Tate die and why did he die so young at only 44 years old? I tried to ask Google and it got me to a Kevin Tate in New Zealand that was a chemist before he died.
LoveMETV22 JPC 25 months ago
The actor was Kevin Marshall Tate, the chemist was Kevin Russel Tate, but true not a lot of info. available
Pacificsun LoveMETV22 25 months ago
Unless a child actor has very special parents (like Rance Howard) or a very responsible guardian, it must be a very touch transition to go from the young, impressionable age of receiving all that attention, through the difficult teen years in trying to find yourself, and then with any hope at all of developing into a qualified adult actor for which there is a demand.


Many of these actors we've appreciated in classic TV favorites go at such a young age. Of course we're unaware of the success stories about adults who go on with a happy life because they're out of the public eye.
LoveMETV22 Pacificsun 25 months ago
Yes. It's unfortunate those actors (also anyone at a young age)that leave us far to early. Kudos to the actors that if they chose were able to keep their info out of the "public eye".
MrsPhilHarris 25 months ago
Can’t find much on him. Just info on shows he appeared.
justjeff 25 months ago
Robespierre??? That sounds almost like the two main buildings of the 1939 World's Fair... The Trilon and the Robespierre--er--Perisphere!
sputnik_57 25 months ago
I love the octopus style dress Morticia and Wednesday wear.
Runeshaper 25 months ago
This story is informative, but kind of sad. I wonder if he chose to leave acting for a while or if there were other circumstances? Either way, 44 is too young.
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