Elizabeth Montgomery
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Elizabeth Montgomery | |
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Born | Elizabeth Victoria Montgomery April 15, 1933 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
Died | May 18, 1995 | (aged 62)
Cause of death | Colorectal cancer |
Occupation | Actress |
Years active | 1951–1995 |
Spouse(s) |
Frederick Gallatin Cammann
(m. 1954–1955)(divorced) (divorced) (her death) |
Children | William Asher, Jr.(b.1964) Robert Asher (b.1965) Rebecca Asher (b.1969) |
Elizabeth Victoria Montgomery (April 15, 1933 – May 18, 1995)[1] was an American film and television actress whose career spanned five decades, best known as Samantha Stephens on Bewitched. She also notably portrayed Ellen Harrod in A Case of Rape and Lizzie Borden in The Legend of Lizzie Borden.
Early life
Born in Los Angeles, California, Elizabeth Montgomery was the child of actor Robert Montgomery and his wife, Broadway actress Elizabeth Bryan (Allen).[2] She had an older sister, Martha Bryan Montgomery, who died as an infant (named after her aunt Martha-Bryan Allen) and a brother, Robert Montgomery, Jr. (1936 - 2000).[3] She attended Westlake School For Girls (now Harvard-Westlake School in Holmby Hills).[4] After graduating from The Spence School, she attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts for three years.[5]
Career
Early years
Montgomery made her television debut in her father's series Robert Montgomery Presents (later appearing on occasion as a member of his "summer stock" company of performers), and her film debut in 1955 in The Court Martial of Billy Mitchell.
Her early career consisted of starring vehicles and appearances in live television dramas and series, such as Studio One, Kraft Television Theater, Johnny Staccato, The Twilight Zone, The Eleventh Hour, Boris Karloff's Thriller and Alfred Hitchcock Presents. In 1960 Montgomery was nominated for an Emmy Award for her portrayal of southern prostitute Rusty Heller in an episode of The Untouchables, playing opposite David White who later portrayed Darrin's boss Larry Tate in Bewitched.[6]
She was featured in a role as a socialite who falls for a gangster (Henry Silva) in Johnny Cool. The same year, with Dean Martin and Carol Burnett, she appeared in the film comedy Who's Been Sleeping in My Bed?, directed by Daniel Mann. Alfred Hitchcock had her in mind to play the sister-in-law of Sean Connery, who sees herself as a rival to the troubled heroine in the movie Marnie, but Montgomery was unavailable.
Bewitched
Montgomery played the central role of lovable witch Samantha Stephens with Dick York (and later with Dick Sargent) as her husband in the ABC situation comedy Bewitched. Starting in the second season of the series, she also played the role of Samantha's increasingly mischievous, sexy cousin, Serena, under the pseudonym of Pandora Spocks.
The show became a rating success (it was, at the time, the highest rated series ever for the network[7]). It enjoyed an eight-year run from 1964 to 1972 and remains popular through syndication and DVD releases. The show had been renewed for a ninth season to run from 1972 to 1973. Montgomery, however, wished to move on and backed out.
In a parody of her Samantha Stephens role, she did a cameo appearance as a witch at the end of the beach party film How to Stuff a Wild Bikini (1965). This was directed by William Asher, her husband at the time. That same year she also provided the voice of Samantha for an episode of the animated series The Flintstones.
Montgomery received five Emmy[8] and four Golden Globe nominations for her role on Bewitched.[9]
After Bewitched
Montgomery returned to Samantha-like twitching of her nose and on-screen magic in a series of Japanese television commercials (1980–83) for "Mother" chocolate biscuits and cookies by confectionery conglomerate Lotte Corp. These Japanese commercials provided a substantial salary for Montgomery while she remained out of sight of non-Japanese fans and the Hollywood industry.
In the United States, Montgomery spent much of her later career pursuing dramatic roles that took her as far away from the good-natured Samantha as possible. Among her later roles were performances that brought her Emmy Award nominations: a rape victim in A Case of Rape (1974); the accused (but later acquitted) murderess Lizzie Borden in William Bast's The Legend of Lizzie Borden (1975); and a pioneer woman facing hardship in 1820s Ohio in the mini-series The Awakening Land (1978).
In 1977, Montgomery played a police detective having an interracial affair with her partner, played by O.J. Simpson, in A Killing Affair. She played a rare villainous role in the 1985 television movie Amos, as a vicious nurse in a home for senior citizens who abuses her wards, played by, among others, Kirk Douglas and Dorothy McGuire. One of her last roles was in an episode of Batman: The Animated Series entitled "Showdown," in which she played a barmaid; this was also her final work to be screened, since the episode aired posthumously. Her last television movies were the highly-rated Edna Buchanan detective series - the second and final film of the series received its first airing on May 9, 1995,[10] only nine days before her death.
Personal life
Montgomery was first married to New York socialite Frederick Gallatin Cammann in 1954; the marriage lasted for barely a year. She was married to actor Gig Young from 1956 to 1963, and then to director-producer William Asher from 1963 until their 1973 divorce. They had three children: William Asher Jr (July 24, 1964), Robert Asher (October 5, 1965) and Rebecca Asher (June 17, 1969). The last two pregnancies were incorporated into Bewitched as Samantha's pregnancies with Tabitha (primarily Erin Murphy, with twin Diane) and Adam Stephens. [11]
She entered her fourth and final marriage to actor Robert Foxworth (they appeared as guests on Password Plus in 1979), on January 28, 1993, after living with him for nearly twenty years. She remained married to Foxworth until her death.[12]
Political activism
During Bewitched's run, she was a vocal critic of the Vietnam War. In the late 1980s and early 1990s she narrated a series of political documentaries, including Coverup: Behind the Iran Contra Affair (1988) and the Academy Award winning The Panama Deception (1992).
In June 1992, Montgomery and her former Bewitched co-star Dick Sargent, who had remained good friends, were Grand Marshals at the Los Angeles Gay Pride Parade.[8] Montgomery had liberal political views, being an outspoken champion of women's rights and gay rights throughout her life.
Charity work
Throughout the last year of her life, Montgomery was a volunteer for the Los Angeles Unit of Learning Ally, a non-profit organization which records educational books on specially formatted CDs and in downloadable formats for disabled people. In 1994, Montgomery produced several radio and television public service announcements for the organization's Los Angeles Unit. In January 1995, she recorded the 1952 edition of When We Were Very Young for Learning Ally.
Montgomery's enthusiastic support for Learning Ally sparked nationwide interest in the organization's work. Her strong support for Learning Ally ultimately led her to enthusiastically agree to be the honorary chairman for its Los Angeles Unit's third annual Record-A-Thon, slated for June 3, 1995. She lent her name to all letters of appeal for the event and was planning to be one of its celebrity readers for the day.
After her death, the Los Angeles Unit of Learning Ally dedicated the 1995 Record-A-Thon to Montgomery and secured 21 celebrities to assist in the reading of the book Chicken Soup for the Soul, which was also dedicated to her memory.
Illness and death
In the spring of 1995, Montgomery was diagnosed with colorectal cancer. She had ignored the flu-like symptoms during the filming of Deadline for Murder: From the Files of Edna Buchanan, which she finished filming in late March 1995.[13] By the time the cancer was diagnosed, it was too late for medical intervention. With no hope of recovery and unwilling to die in a hospital, she chose to return to the Beverly Hills home that she shared with Foxworth.
On May 18, 1995, Montgomery died at home in the company of her children and husband just eight weeks after her diagnosis.[8] She was 62.
On June 18, 1995, a memorial service was held at the Canon Theatre in Beverly Hills. Herbie Hancock provided the music, and Dominick Dunne spoke about their early days as friends in New York City. Other speakers included her husband, Robert Foxworth, who read out sympathy cards from fans; her nurse; her brother; her daughter; and her stepson. She was cremated at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery.
Posthumous
An event auction/sale of Montgomery's clothing was held by her family to benefit the AIDS Healthcare Foundation of Los Angeles. Erin Murphy, who played Tabitha on the series, modeled the clothing that was auctioned.[14]
In June 2005, a statue of Montgomery as Samantha Stephens was erected in Salem, Massachusetts.[15]
A star on The Hollywood Walk of Fame was presented in honor of Montgomery's work in television on January 4, 2008.[16] The location of the star is 6533 Hollywood Blvd.
Biographies
In 1999 the A&E Television Network produced a documentary for its Biography television series about the life and career of Elizabeth Montgomery. The documentary first aired on A&E in 2000.
On November 5, 2012, a biography of Elizabeth Montgomery entitled Twitch Upon a Star: The Bewitched Life & Career of Elizabeth Montgomery was published. The book's author was Herbie J. Pilato, a close friend of Elizabeth Montgomery from 1989 until her death. Much of the information for Twitch Upon a Star was obtained from many hours of interviews that Herbie Pilato conducted with Elizabeth Montgomery during the last years of her life. Herbie Pilato's book was the result of twenty years of research which makes it the first full-length biography of Elizabeth Montgomery ever to be published. A second edition of Twitch Upon a Star is pending.
Selected filmography
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1951–56 | Robert Montgomery Presents | Various roles | 27 episodes |
1953–54 | Armstrong Circle Theatre | Ellen Craig | 2 episodes |
1954–57 | Kraft Television Theatre | Various roles | 7 episodes |
1955 | The Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell | Margaret Lansdowne | |
1955–58 | Studio One | Various roles | 3 episodes |
1956 | Warner Bros. Presents | Laura Woodruff | Episode: "Siege" |
1956 | Climax! | Betsy | Episode: "The Shadow of Evil" |
1958 | Playhouse 90 | Mary Brecker | Episode: "Bitter Heritage" |
1958 | DuPont Show of the Month | Miss Kelly | Episode: "Harvey" |
1958 | Cimmarron City | Ellen Wilson | Episode: "Hired Hand" |
1958 | Alfred Hitchcock Presents | Karen | Episode: "Man with a Problem" |
1960 | One Step Beyond | Lillie Clarke | Episode: "The Death Waltz" |
1960 | The Untouchables | Rusty Heller | Episode: "The Rusty Heller Story" |
1961 | The Twilight Zone | The Woman | Episode: "Two" |
1963 | Johnny Cool | Darien "Dare" Guinness | |
1963 | Who's Been Sleeping in My Bed? | Mellisa Morris | |
1963–64 | Burke's Law | Stacy Evans Smitty |
2 episodes |
1964–72 | Bewitched | Samantha Stephens | 254 episodes |
1965 | How to Stuff a Wild Bikini | Bwana's Daughter, The Witches Witch | Uncredited |
1965 | The Flintstones | Samantha Stephens (Voice) | Episode: "Samantha" |
1972 | The Victim | Kate Wainwright | Television movie |
1973 | Mrs. Sundance | Etta Place | Television movie |
1974 | A Case of Rape | Ellen Harrod | Television movie |
1975 | The Legend of Lizzie Borden | Lizzie Borden | Television movie |
1976 | Dark Victory | Katherine Merrill | Television movie |
1977 | A Killing Affair | Vikki Eaton | Television movie |
1978 | The Awakening Land | Sayward Luckett Wheeler | Miniseries |
1979 | Jennifer: A Woman's Story | Jennifer Prince | Television movie |
1979 | Act of Violence | Catherine McSweeney | Television movie |
1980 | Belle Starr | Belle Starr | Television movie |
1981 | When the Circus Came to Town | Mary Flynn | Television movie |
1982 | The Rules of Marriage | Joan Hagen | Television movie |
1983 | Missing Pieces | Sara Scott | Television movie |
1984 | Second Sight: A Love Story | Alaxandra McKay | Television movie |
1985 | Amos | Daisy Daws | Television movie |
1986 | Between the Darkness and the Dawn | Abigail Foster | Television movie |
1988 | Coverup: Behind the Iran Contra Affair | Narrator | Documentary film |
1990 | Face to Face | Dr. Diana Firestone | Television movie |
1991 | Sins of the Mother | Ruth Coe | Television movie |
1992 | With Murder in Mind | Gayle Wolfer | Television movie |
1992 | The Panama Deception | Narrator | Documentary film |
1993 | The Black Widow Murders: The Blanche Taylor Moore Story | Blanche Taylor Moore | Television movie |
1994 | The Corpse Had a Familiar Face | Edna Buchanan | Television movie |
1995 | Deadline for Murder: From the Files of Edna Buchanan | Edna Buchanan | Television movie |
1995 | Batman: The Animated Series | Barmaid (Voice) | Episode: "Showdown" |
Award nominations
Year | Award | Category | Title of work | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
1961 | Emmy Award | Outstanding Single Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role | The Untouchables | Nominated |
1966 | Emmy Award | Outstanding Lead Actress - Comedy Series | Bewitched | Nominated |
1967 | Emmy Award | Outstanding Lead Actress - Comedy Series | Bewitched | Nominated |
1968 | Emmy Award | Outstanding Lead Actress - Comedy Series | Bewitched | Nominated |
1969 | Emmy Award | Outstanding Lead Actress - Comedy Series | Bewitched | Nominated |
1970 | Emmy Award | Outstanding Lead Actress - Comedy Series | Bewitched | Nominated |
1974 | Emmy Award | Outstanding Lead Actress - Drama Series | A Case of Rape | Nominated |
1975 | Emmy Award | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Special Program - Drama or Comedy | The Legend of Lizzie Borden | Nominated |
1978 | Emmy Award | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series | The Awakening Land | Nominated |
1965 | Golden Globe Award | Best TV Star (Female) | Bewitched | Nominated |
1967 | Golden Globe Award | Best TV Star (Female) | Bewitched | Nominated |
1969 | Golden Globe Award | Best TV Star (Female) | Bewitched | Nominated |
1995 | Women in Film Crystal + Lucy Award | Lucy Award | In recognition of her excellence and innovation in her creative works that have enhanced the perception of women through the medium of television.[17] | Recipient posthumously |
Audio
- Craven Street: Ben Franklin in London, a five-part radio drama (1993, narrator)
- Beauty's Punishment (1994, narrator)
- Beauty's Release (1994, narrator)
- Two audio books in which Montgomery narrates the work of Anne Rice (writing as A.N. Roquelaure) are available as of 2005[update].
References
- ^ "NY Times Obituary – May 18, 1995".
- ^ "Elizabeth Montgomery Biography (1933-1995)". filmreference.com. Retrieved November 27, 2009.
- ^ Pylant, James. "The Bewitching Family Tree of Elizabeth Montgomery". genealogymagazine.com. Retrieved November 27, 2009.
- ^ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvard-Westlake_School#Notable_alumni
- ^ "Elizabeth Montgomery Biography". thebiographychannel.co.uk. Retrieved November 27, 2009.
- ^ R.E. Lee. "The Rusty Heller Story". Bob's Bewitching Daughter. Retrieved 2010-07-29.
- ^ Mansour, David (2005). From Abba to Zoom: A Pop Culture Encyclopedia of the Late 20th Century. Andrews McMeel Publishing. p. 38. ISBN 0-7407-5118-2.
- ^ a b c Gliatto, Tom (1995-06-05). "That Magic Feeling". People. Retrieved 2008-05-13.
- ^ Larkin, Mike (December 15, 2011). "A Bewitching property: Elizabeth Montgomery's spellbinding California house is put on the market for $1.2million". London: dailymail.co.uk. Retrieved 2011-12-15.
- ^ Cotter, Bill (1997). The Wonderful Words of Disney Television: A Complete History. Hyperion. p. 18. ISBN 0-7868-6359-5.
- ^ Rochman Sue, "A Touch of Magic", Cancer Today magazine, Summer 2012
- ^ R. E. Lee. There were many references to Patterson, New York made on "Bewitched" throughout the run of the series. The %5b%5bPutnam County, New York%5d%5d town was the site of the Montgomery homestead and it was also where Elizabeth spent her childhood summers. In later years, her mother lived in the family farmhouse on Cushman Road where Elizabeth visited her on frequent trips East. "Elizabeth Montgomery Biography". Retrieved 2007-07-18.
{{cite web}}
: Check|url=
value (help) - ^ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112821/
- ^ Dulin, Dann. "Witchful Thinking". aumag.org.
- ^ "A Pictorial Tale of the 'Bewitched' statue of Salem, Massachusetts". palachi.com. 2005.
- ^ "Hollywood star is unveiled posthumously for TV's 'Bewitched' star Elizabeth Montgomery". Associated Press. 2008-01-05. Retrieved 2008-03-21.
- ^ http://wif.org/past-recipients
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- 1933 births
- 1995 deaths
- 20th-century actors
- Actors from Los Angeles, California
- American Academy of Dramatic Arts alumni
- American film actors
- American television actors
- American voice actors
- LGBT rights activists from the United States
- American women's rights activists
- Cancer deaths in California
- Deaths from colorectal cancer