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Authenticity is Everything
BEWITCHED AUTOGRAPHS
BEWITCHED was a long running television series about a man who falls in love and marries a witch. There had been a Frederic March and Veronica Lake movie called I Married a Witch (1942) although the success of the Jimmy Stewart movie Bell, Book and Candle (1958) played a role in the TV series.
Bewitched starred Elizabeth Montgomery as Samantha and Dick York as her husband Darren Stephens. York was later replaced by Dick Sargent. Star of stage and film, Agnes Moorehead, played Samantha's mother Endora. David White played Larry Tate Darren's hot-headed boss. William Asher was the producer and director of much of the series he was the husband of Elizabeth Montgomery. It was Asher who also cast most of the players. If people were easy to work with, he would often use them over and over.
Elizabeth Montgomery after the series ended starred in many dramatic roles far different than her Samantha Stephens role. She played Lizzie Borden in a mini-series. Her autograph is uncommon, and often forged. This is an example of her autograph at the time Bewitched was first on the air. It is part of the famed John Verzi collection that Tom Kramer purchased.
I will list the autographs as I put them on in order below :
Elizabeth Montgomery (Samantha Stephens)
Dick York (Darren Stephens #1)
Dick Sargent (Darren Stephens #2)
Agnes Moorhead (Endora)
David White (Larry Tate)
Marion Lorne (Aunt Clara)
Mabel Albertson (Phyllis "Mother" Stephens)
Maurice Evans (Maurice the father of Samantha)
Paul Lynde (Uncle Arthur the younger brother of Endora)
Alice Ghostley (Esmeralda)
George Tobias (Abner Kravitz)
Alice Pearce (Gladys Kravitz #1)
Sandra Gould (Gladys Kravitz #2)
Bernard Fox (Dr. Bombay)
Reta Shaw (Aunt Hagatha/Bertha)
Roy Roberts (Frank Stephens the father of Darrin)
Maudie Prickett (Mrs. Peabody and others)
Renzo Cesana (Mr. Arcarius)
Gerald Edwards (Mathew Williams, piano prodigy)
Mala Powers (Adrienne Sebastian and Mary Jane Nilesmunster)
Tags: Agnes, Bewitched, Dick, Elizabeth, Lynde, Montgomery, Moorehead, Paul, York
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Eric Keith Longo on
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That is a really good question. I started with my first Gleason back in 1978.
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Permalink Reply by Scott Paul on
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I was primarily collecting Civil War and Revolutionary War with a few Worlds War I and II figures. The one that got away was a Thomas Edison ALS in pencil in his distinctive style. It was at a place that sold mostly antiques but also documents as they would get them in. I was a young teenage so probably 1972 or 73. They wanted $50 for that. Well, that was a fortune to me. Every time I went there, I looked at it. Then one day it wasn't there. I can still picture it in my mind.
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Thanks Eddy. My interest in Bewitched was always there but I did not start collecting the show seriously until I bought an Elizabeth Montgomery check about 15 years ago. I then bought a Dick York check. I looked for a Dick Sargent one but did not find one. So, I bought an index card of his. I had intended on that being the end of it. The problem with me is my Gunsmoke, Andy Griffith Show, Rosemary's Baby Collections have so many crossovers to other shows. Mabel Albertson, Bernard Fox, Reta Shaw, Maudie Prickett, Parley Baer, and several others I already had since they were on TAGS. I already had Maurice Evans from my Rosemary's Baby collection. So, it kind of grew like Topsy. When Tom Kramer started selling his Verzi collection I got a really good deal on 10 Bewitched cards in a collection. Some of my autographs do double or triple or quadruple duty for my various collections. I actually began autograph collecting about 1971 or 1972 I think it was mostly TTM political figures. I have it written down somewhere. The first autographs I bought were historical ones. I then bought a bunch of entertainment ones including a Ray Bolger. I would add as I found them. Started getting catalogs from dealers through the old Antique Trader newspaper. The internet in the 1990s opened up a whole new world of collecting for better or worse.
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Permalink Reply by Eddy on
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Thanks for sharing that, Scott. I enjoy hearing your 'autograph journey....and I love how the collection grew in such an organic way!
Themed collections are the best. I've toyed off and on going a bit further into my "actors who played Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson collection". I have some of the major players in character but here have been a slew over what is now 13 decades. That's without mentioning villains, clients of Holmes, police inspectors, Mrs. Hudsons etc. etc.. Not sure I want to go further down that rabbit hole than I already am!
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Permalink Reply by meggs on
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Me too. I don't just enjoy reading the show history, I also enjoy reading Scott's history with collecting the shows. So many grade A character actors and rare autographs that weren't widely collected.
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Thank you meggs I appreciate it. I love character actors and my collections reflect that. Those of us who collect The Andy Griffith Show in particular are always trying to find very obscure people. My weakness is collecting multiples of actors and actresses like Reta Shaw. I suffer from the "Grass is always Greener" syndrome if I see an autograph that I like better no matter if I have 20 others, I go for it. I never can bring myself to sell the extras.
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Thank you Eddy. I talked myself out of Sherlock Holmes collection although do have Jeremy Brett who is very tricky in authentic form. I have a fairly large Charlie Chan collection with Warner Oland, Sidney Toler and Roland Winters. I had a Ross Martin check and will pick up a J. Carroll Naish if I find one I like. I consider Peter Ustinov's Charlie Chan as more of a parody so likely will not try for him unless I find one by accident. I do find it difficult to stop with just the main characters. Of the classic television shows Gilligan's Island is the easiest main cast (not counting the original unaired pilot) to get at a reasonable price. When you start trying for guests then it gets expensive and challenging.
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Permalink Reply by michelle on
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I know exactly what you mean. Am still trying to find the minor characters from Inn of Sixth Happiness, It has been a long search. Only one Sherlock imo, and that is Rathbone altho I know I am in the minority
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You are in complete agreement about Rathbone and Bruce being the ultimate Holmes and Watson. I enjoyed Jeremy Brett but it is Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce I keep watching multiple times. Inn of Sixth Happiness would be challenging I think for the minor characters.
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yes it because i have the original shooting script from the 1950s , so I am trying to get everyone and what a nightmare it has been. Ah yes I watch the Rathbone and Bruce ones multiple times. I cant find anything negative to say about the writing, the acting , the tension between the characters, - its just superb. Unfortunately I didnt like J B as Holmes, however hard I tried. Neither Rathbone or Bruce liked playing their characters and a signed photo with both their sigs on it in their character roles costs a fortune, you would need to rob a bank
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Here they are in signed photos. I had to trade off some heavy hitters from my collection to acquire them. I don't regret that because I searched literally for decades for them in signed photos in character as Holmes and Watson. That they are a true set inscribed to one individual still thrills me!
...sorry for leading your BEWITCHED thread off on a detour!
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That is an amazing set to have, and I also love the personalization. I firmly believe that in the future collectors will covet personalized items more than just a name only. I have a lot of names only but prefer personalization especially if it adds detail. I have couple index cards that drive me crazy because the previous owner decided it they would sell better if he air-brushed the name out leaving "Best Wishes" etc. You can something was there to me it makes no sense whatsoever. I look at photographs like yours as historical relics of a golden age. If someone was able to remove everything except the names of Bruce and Rathbone it would be a desecration in my humble opinion.
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