It must be love

In which G.M. Norton celebrates one of cinema's finest couples.

Valentine's Day is a funny old thing. While some pull out all the stops with a dozen red roses, chocolates, poems, balloons and wining and dining, others refuse to even buy a card for their special someone. 

I have somewhat mixed feelings on something that feels forced, but this most romantic of days did get the old Norton brain whirring. 

As the photo at the top may have suggested, I was thinking about Gomez and Morticia Addams. 

In 1991, my parents took my brother and me to the pictures to see The Addams Family, starring Anjelica Huston as the willowy witch and the late Raul Julia as the poetic madman. Raul Julia's portrayal of Gomez Addams is majestic - to quote the Gummi Bear's theme tune from the same era, he's "dashing and daring, courageous and caring". Along with Dogtanian and Sir Didymus from The Labyrinth, my desire to be a gentleman may well be a result of watching Raul on the big screen. Pencil moustache and all.

Re-watching it in more recent years with my eldest daughter and the relationship between Gomez and Morticia really does strike me as perfect. 

They adore, support and trust each other implicitly. It is a joy to watch. 

There are a few articles dotted around the world wide web that cover their relationship much better than I ever will, with all manner of quotes and gifs that showcase the couple goals from cinema's most gothic of intertwined twosomes. I recommend this one from Buzzed. 

The only other couple that I think comes close to The Addams are Nick and Nora from The Thin Man.

G.M. Norton

Protagonist of 'Norton of Morton'