Elizabeth Victoria Montgomery (April 15, 1933 – May 18, 1995)[2] was an American actress whose career spanned five decades in film, stage, and television. She portrayed the good witch Samantha Stephens on the popular television series Bewitched, which earned her five Primetime Emmy Award nominations and four Golden Globe Award nominations.
The daughter of actor, director and producer Robert Montgomery, she began her career in the 1950s with a role on her father's television series Robert Montgomery Presents, and she won a Theater World Award for her 1956 Broadway debut in the production Late Love. After Bewitched ended in 1972, Montgomery continued her career with roles in many television films, including A Case of Rape (1974) and The Legend of Lizzie Borden (1975), as Lizzie Borden. Both performances earned her additional Emmy Award nominations.
Throughout her career, Montgomery was involved in various forms of political activism and charitable work.
Early life
Montgomery was born on April 15, 1933, in Los Angeles, California, to Broadway actress Elizabeth Daniel Bryan Allen and film star Robert Montgomery. Montgomery's mother was a native of Kentucky and her father was a native of New York. She had an elder sister, Martha Bryan Montgomery (named after her aunt Martha-Bryan Allen), who was born in 1931 and died in infancy, and a younger brother, Robert B. Montgomery Jr.[3] Montgomery was of Irish and Scottish descent. Her great-grandfather, Archibald Montgomery, was born in Belfast and he emigrated to the United States in 1849. Genealogical research which was conducted after her death revealed that she and Lizzie Borden, acquitted of the murder of her father and stepmother in 1893, were sixth cousins once removed; both of them were descended from 17th-century Massachusetts resident John Luther. Montgomery portrayed Borden in the television film The Legend of Lizzie Borden (1975), unaware that Borden was her distant cousin.[3]
Montgomery made her television debut in her father's series Robert Montgomery Presents and on later occasions, she appeared as a member of his "summer stock" company of performers. In October 1953, Montgomery made her Broadway debut, starring in Late Love,[6] for which she won a Theater World Award for her performance.[5] She then made her film debut in Otto Preminger's The Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell (1955). Montgomery returned to Broadway in 1956, appearing in The Loud Red Patrick.[6]
In the ABC situation comedyBewitched, Montgomery played the central role of lovable witch Samantha Stephens, with Dick York (and later with Dick Sargent) as her husband. Starting in the second season of the series, she also played the role of Samantha's mischievous cousin, Serena, under the pseudonym Pandora Spocks (a pun on Pandora's Box).
Bewitched became a ratings success (it was, at the time, the highest-rated series ever for the network).[10] The series aired for eight seasons, from 1964 to 1972, and Montgomery received five Emmy[11] and four Golden Globe nominations for her role on Bewitched. Despite low ratings late in the series run, it was renewed for a ninth season to run from fall of 1972. However, Montgomery's marriage to Bewitched director William Asher was failing and the couple had separated by the end of the eighth season.[citation needed]
This situation caused severe friction in their professional relationship and it also ended any possibility of another season.[citation needed] As a consolation to ABC, Montgomery and Asher (under their company name Ashmont, which produced Bewitched) offered a half-hour sitcom, The Paul Lynde Show, to the network for the 1972–1973 season. Lynde's series only lasted one year.
In a parody of her Samantha Stephens role, she made a cameo appearance as a witch at the end of the beach party filmHow to Stuff a Wild Bikini (1965). The film was directed by 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.
1973–1995: Later career
Montgomery returned to Samantha-like twitching of her nose and on-screen magic in a series of Japanese television commercials (1980–1983) for "Mother" chocolate biscuits and cookies which were produced by the 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), and the accused (but acquitted) murderer Lizzie Borden in William Bast's The Legend of Lizzie Borden (1975). After the actress died, Rhonda McClure, a genealogist, discovered that Montgomery and Borden were distant cousins.[3]
Montgomery made many appearances on the game show Password. Allen Ludden, the show's longtime host, called her the "Queen of Password".[12] Montgomery later played a pioneer woman facing hardship in 1820s Ohio in the miniseries The Awakening Land (1978), for which she earned her ninth Emmy nomination.
In A Killing Affair (1977), Montgomery played the role of a police detective who has an affair with her married partner, played by O. J. Simpson. In the television film Amos (1985), she played a rare villainous role, as a vicious nurse who abuses her wards in a home for senior citizens. The wards are played by Kirk Douglas and Dorothy McGuire, among others. In 1989, Montgomery returned to Broadway one last time in a production of Love Letters, opposite Robert Foxworth.[6] She played one of her last roles 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 series was the highly rated Edna Buchanan detective series – the second and final film of the series received its first airing on May 9, 1995,[13] only nine days before Montgomery died.
Personal life
In 1954, Montgomery married New York City socialite Frederick Gallatin Cammann;[14] the couple divorced less than a year later. She was married to Academy Award winning actor Gig Young from 1956 to 1963 and then she was married to director-producer William Asher from 1963 until their divorce in 1973.[14] They had three children: William, Robert and Rebecca. The latter two pregnancies were incorporated into Bewitched as Samantha's pregnancies. During the eighth year of the show, Montgomery fell in love with director Richard Michaels. Their resulting affair led to the end of both of their marriages, as well as the end of the series. They moved in together when shooting ended in 1972; the relationship lasted two and a half years. On January 28, 1993, she married actor Robert Foxworth, after living with him for nearly twenty years. They remained married until her death in 1995.[2]
According to author Herbie J Pilato, Montgomery had an affair with Alexander Godunov while she was living with Foxworth but was not yet married to him.[15][16] Godunov was found dead on May 18, 1995, the day Montgomery died,[17] but it is believed that he died several days before Montgomery.[18]
Throughout the run of Bewitched, many references to Patterson, New York, were made on the series. The Putnam County town was the site of the Montgomery homestead,[19] and it was also the place where she spent her childhood summers. In later years, her mother lived in the family farmhouse on Cushman Road.[20]
Political activism
Montgomery was personally devoted to liberal political causes, and in accordance with her political views, she lent her name, along with a large amount of her time, her money, and her energy to a wide variety of charitable and political causes.[21] She was a champion of women's rights, AIDS activism, and gay rights.[22] She was also an ardent critic of the Vietnam War, supporting Robert F. Kennedy's presidential campaign in 1968,[23] and in later years, she was an active advocate for AIDS research and outreach to the disabled community.[21] In 1988, Montgomery and her partner Robert Foxworth supported Jesse Jackson's 1988 presidential campaign.[24] Professionally, she lent her voice as the narrator of two political documentaries which were critical of U.S. foreign policy, Cover Up: Behind the Iran Contra Affair (1988) and its Academy Award-winning sequel The Panama Deception (1992).[25] In June 1992, Montgomery and Dick Sargent, her former Bewitched co-star as well as her good friend, were grand marshals at the Los Angeles Gay Pride Parade.[11]
Charitable work
During the last year of her life, Montgomery volunteered at the Los Angeles Unit of Learning Ally, a nonprofit organization which records educational audio books for disabled people.[26] In 1994, Montgomery produced radio and television public-service announcements for Learning Ally's Los Angeles unit. The following January, Montgomery recorded the 1952 edition of When We Were Very Young by A. A. Milne.
On June 3, 1995, sixteen days after her death, Learning Ally's Los Angeles unit dedicated its 1995 Record-A-Thon to Montgomery. Twenty-one other celebrities lent their talents to a recorded version of Chicken Soup for the Soul, which was dedicated to her memory.[27]
Illness and death
Montgomery suffered from colon cancer.[28] She ignored the influenza-like symptoms during the filming of Deadline for Murder: From the Files of Edna Buchanan, which she finished filming in late March 1995. Due to the late diagnosis, the cancer metastasized from her colon to her liver.[29]
With no hope of recovery and unwilling to die in a hospital, Montgomery chose to return to her Beverly Hills home that she shared[11] with Foxworth. She died on the morning of May 18, 1995, at the age of 62, surrounded by Foxworth and her three children from her previous marriage to William Asher.[30] Her body was cremated.[31]
On June 18, 1995, one month after her death, a memorial service was held at the Canon Theatre in Beverly Hills. Herbie Hancock played music, Amanda McBroom sang, and Dominick Dunne spoke about the early years of their friendship when both of them lived in New York City, while Foxworth read many of the sympathy cards sent by fans. Other speakers included her nurse, her brother, her daughter, and her stepson.[32]
On April 19, 1998, Montgomery's family held an auction and a sale of her clothing in order to benefit the AIDS Healthcare Foundation of Los Angeles. Erin Murphy, who played Tabitha on the Bewitched television series, modeled the clothing that was auctioned.[34]
In June 2005, a bronze statue of Montgomery as Samantha Stephens was erected in Salem, Massachusetts.[35]
A star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame was presented in honor of Montgomery's work on television on January 4, 2008.[36] The location of the star is 6533 Hollywood Blvd.
In 1998, 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 on February 15, 1999.
In 1999, the E! cable channel produced a documentary for its E! The True Hollywood Story series titled "Bewitched: The E! True Hollywood Story." The documentary first aired on E! on August 22, 1999.
^Levitt, Shelley (June 5, 1995). "Fallen from Grace". People. Archived from the original on September 19, 2015. He had probably been dead for at least a couple of days before his body was discovered.
^Folkart, Burt A. (May 19, 1995). "Elizabeth Montgomery Dies of Cancer". Los Angeles Times. p. 1. ProQuest293213089. Elizabeth Montgomery, the mischievous witch with the nasal twitch who brought her enchanting whimsy into America's living rooms for eight years, died Thursday morning. The star of "Bewitched," who later forsook her single-dimensional character and became one of the best known and diverse actors in made-for-TV movies, was 57, according to her family, but several film anthologies list her birth year as 1933. With her when she died at home in Beverly Hills was her husband, actor Robert Foxworth, and her three children from a previous marriage.
^Risinit, Michael (January 24, 2005). "Leibell's Careers Lead to New Country Home". The Journal News. p. A1. ProQuest442702798. PATTERSON - Elizabeth Allen Montgomery, the mother of the "Bewitched" television series actress, died at home early on a cool, late-June morning in 1992. [...] Six years after her death, the state bought almost 1,000 acres from her family and created Wonder Lake State Park.
^Dulin, Dann. "Witchful Thinking". Aumag.org. A&U Magazine. Archived from the original on December 21, 2014. Retrieved December 3, 2015.
American baseball player (born 1983) Baseball player Brandon LeagueLeague with the Los Angeles DodgersPitcherBorn: (1983-03-16) March 16, 1983 (age 41)Sacramento, California, U.S.Batted: RightThrew: RightMLB debutSeptember 21, 2004, for the Toronto Blue JaysLast MLB appearanceSeptember 27, 2014, for the Los Angeles DodgersMLB statisticsWin–loss record27–35Earned run average3.65Strikeouts375Saves74 Teams Toronto Blue Jays (2004–2009) Seattle Mariners (2010…
National volleyball team AlgeriaAssociationAlgerian Volleyball FederationConfederationCAVBHead coachKrimo BernaouiFIVB ranking52 (as of 2 December 2023)Uniforms Home Away Summer OlympicsAppearances1 (First in 1992)Best result12th (1992)World ChampionshipAppearances2 (First in 1994)Best result13th (1994)World CupAppearances1 (First in 1991)Best result9th (1991)African ChampionshipAppearances17 (First in 1967)Best result (1991, 1993)www.afvb.org Algeria men's national volleyball team Medal rec…
Franco-Russian ice dancer In this name that follows Eastern Slavic naming customs, the patronymic is Vyacheslavovna and the family name is Anissina. Marina AnissinaAnissina and partner Gwendal Peizerat compete in 2001.Full nameMarina Vyacheslavovna AnissinaOther namesMarina Anisinaw Marina Viatcheslavovna AnicinaBorn (1975-08-30) 30 August 1975 (age 48)Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet UnionHeight1.63 m (5 ft 4 in)Figure skating careerCountry FrancePartnerGwendal Peizerat…
German conductor and pianist (1830–1894) For the general, see Hans von Bülow (general). Hans von Bülow Freiherr[a] Hans Guido von Bülow (8 January 1830 – 12 February 1894)[1] was a German conductor, virtuoso pianist, and composer of the Romantic era. As one of the most distinguished conductors of the 19th century, his activity was critical for establishing the successes of several major composers of the time, especially Richard Wagner and Johannes Brahms. Alongside Carl Ta…
Hong Kong actor This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these template messages) This article uses bare URLs, which are uninformative and vulnerable to link rot. Please consider converting them to full citations to ensure the article remains verifiable and maintains a consistent citation style. Several templates and tools are available to assist in formatting, such as reFill (documentation) and Citation bot …
Национальное аэрокосмическое агентство Азербайджана Штаб-квартира Баку, ул. С. Ахундова, AZ 1115 Локация Азербайджан Тип организации Космическое агентство Руководители Директор: Натиг Джавадов Первый заместитель генерального директора Тофик Сулейманов Основание Основ…
Mozzarella in carrozza Carrozza (dibaca karoza) atau mozzarella in carrozza (Italia: mozzarella in carrozza, Inggris: mozzarella in a carriage, Indonesia: mozzarella dalam kereta)[1][2] adalah sejenis roti lapis keju goreng dalam masakan Italia dan masakan Italia Selatan. Ini disiapkan dengan menggoreng keju mozzarella yang ada di dalam irisan roti. Ini adalah hidangan populer di wilayah Campania di Italia Selatan dan di daerah New York City. Mozzarella fritta adalah variasi dari…
1ª Divisão 1995-1996 Competizione 1ª Divisão Sport hockey su pista Edizione 56ª Organizzatore FPP Date dal 28 ottobre 1995al 22 maggio 1996 Luogo Portogallo Partecipanti 12 Risultati Vincitore Barcelos(2º titolo) Retrocessioni Valongo Turquel Infante de Sagres Cronologia della competizione 1994-1995 1996-1997 Manuale La 1ª Divisão 1995-1996 è stata la 56ª edizione del torneo di primo livello del campionato portoghese di hockey su pista. La competizio…
Pour un article plus général, voir Championnats d'Europe d'athlétisme. 1 500 mètres aux championnats d'Europe d'athlétisme Le Britannique Steve Cram remporte le titre européen du 1 500 m en 1982 et 1986.Généralités Sport Athlétisme1 500 mètres Organisateur(s) AEA Éditions 25e en 2022 Catégorie Championnats d'Europe Palmarès Tenant du titre Jakob Ingebrigtsen (2022)Laura Muir (2022) Plus titré(s) Steve Cram, Mehdi Baala et Jakob Ingebrigtsen (2) Nuria Fernández et Laura …
королевствоАрморикабрет. Arvorig ← → 395 — 800 Столица Кемпер Язык(и) Бретонский язык Религия христианство Форма правления монархия король Арморики • до 395 года Конан Мериадок • до 800 Виомарк Бретань (внизу) в 500 году Исторические провинции Бретани Королевс…
Valley in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States This article is about the geographic feature. For other uses, see Willamette Valley (disambiguation). Willamette ValleyFarmscape in northern Polk CountyThe Willamette Valley contains most of Oregon's population; it extends from the Portland metro area in the north to Eugene in the south.GeographyLocationUnited States, OregonBorders onCascade Range (East)Oregon Coast Range (West)Calapooya Mountains (South)Coordinates44°54′N 123°06′…
Canadian-born American politician from Washington Vandana SlatterMember of the Washington House of Representativesfrom the 48th districtIncumbentAssumed office January 5, 2017Serving with Amy WalenPreceded byPatty Kuderer Personal detailsBorn1964 (age 59–60)[1]Vanderhoof, British Columbia, CanadaPolitical partyDemocraticChildren1Alma materUniversity of British Columbia (BS)University of Washington (DPharm, MPA) Vandana Slatter (born 1964) is a Canadian-…
Religion in Uganda (2014 census)[1][2] Catholicism (39.3%) Anglicanism (32.0%) Pentecostalism (11.1%) Other Christian (2.0%) Islam (13.7%) No religion (1.2%) Others (0.7%) St. Paul's Anglican Cathedral in the capital Kampala Christianity is the predominant religion in Uganda. According to the 2014 census, over 84 percent of the population was Christian, while about 14 percent of the population adhered t…
United States historic placeMaurice and Thelma Rothman HouseU.S. National Register of Historic Places Show map of FloridaShow map of the United StatesLocationSt. Petersburg, FloridaCoordinates27°46′54″N 82°44′57″W / 27.78167°N 82.74917°W / 27.78167; -82.74917NRHP reference No.13000034[1]Added to NRHPFebruary 27, 2013 Maurice and Thelma Rothman House is a national historic site located at 1018 Park Street North, St. Petersburg, Florida in Pine…
Hill in Uruguay For the mountain in Argentina, see Cerro Catedral. Cerro CatedralThe summit of Cerro Catedral, near a dirt road (Ruta 109).Highest pointElevation513.66 m (1,685.2 ft)Prominence373 m (1,224 ft)ListingCountry high pointCoordinates34°22′55.9″S 54°40′27.7″W / 34.382194°S 54.674361°W / -34.382194; -54.674361NamingEnglish translationCathedral HillLanguage of nameSpanishPronunciationSpanish: [ˈsero kateˈðɾal]Geogra…
Disambiguazione – Se stai cercando altri significati, vedi Abbazia (disambigua). L'abbazia di Melk in Austria. L'abbazia (detta anche abazia o badia) è un particolare tipo di monastero con a capo un abate; per il diritto canonico è un ente autonomo.[1] Il nome deriva dal tardo latino abbatīa, ossia ciò che appartiene all'abate: il termine inizialmente si riferiva solo alla carica della persona che reggeva la comunità monastica (appunto un abate o una badessa), ma ben presto as…
Parts, service and customer care organization within Stellantis AutoPar redirects here. For the automatic parallelization tool in computer science, see Automatic parallelization tool § AutoPar. MoparCompany typeDivisionIndustryAutomotiveFounded1937; 87 years ago (1937)HeadquartersUnited StatesArea servedNorth AmericaProductsAutomotive partsBrandsChrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram and formerly Plymouth, Imperial, DeSoto, Fargo, AMC, Eagle (Defunct)OwnerStellantisParentStellantis N…
Aero California IATA ICAO Kode panggil JR SER AEROCALIFORNIA Didirikan1960[1]Berhenti beroperasi2008PenghubungBandar Udara Internasional Mexico CityKota fokusDon Miguel Hidalgo Int'l AirportGen. Abelardo L. R. Int'l AirportProgram penumpang setiaNoneArmada22 (upon closure)Tujuan17 (upon closure)Kantor pusatLa Paz, MeksikoSitus web[1] Aero California adalah nama maskapai penerbangan Meksiko. Dengan kode IATA JR dan kode ICAO SER. Maskapai ini berdiri tahun 1960. Referensi ^ Norwood, Tom (…