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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)
Casey Adams (Charles Barlow)
Cliff Norton (Various roles in 6 episodes)
A. Paul Smith (Policeman, etc. in 9 episodes)
Dick Wilson (Mr. Potter, etc. in 18 episodes)
Erin Murphy (Tabitha Stephens)
Diane Murphy (Tabitha Stephens, Raggedy Ann)
Tags: Agnes, Bewitched, Dick, Elizabeth, Lynde, Montgomery, Moorehead, Paul, York
DICK YORK (1928-1992) best known as Darren Stephens in the hit comedy Bewitched began his career in mostly dramatic roles. He was a schoolteacher on trial for teaching evolution in the Spencer Tracy and Frederic March movie Inherit the Wind. His autograph is scarce. This again is part of the John Verzi Collection.
ah I love Bewitched, I still watch it now. Thanks for the blog Scott
Hi there michelle good to hear from you. Thank you very much for your interest. I will be posting most of the major players. I am missing a few such as Irene Vernon (the first Louise Tate), Alice Pearce (the first Gladys Kravitz), Robert F. Simon (the first Mr. Stephens) and George Tobias (Mr. Kravitz). Hopefully others will have some of those and add them here. Bewitched had so many wonderful character actors over the years. I was lucky enough to meet Johnny Whittaker (Jack and the Beanstalk) a couple years ago.
me too! Elizabeth has a really cool signature
I always thought Elizabeth Montgomery and Bernard Fox had almost Elizabethan signatures. Both are really nice and display great.
DICK SARGENT (1930-1994) was a fine dramatic actor. He appeared in the Don Knott's movie The Ghost and Mr. Chicken about three years before taking up the unenviable task of replacing Dick York as Darren Stephens. I personally like Dick Sargent's Darren although I admit I preferred Dick York. Dick York played the part far more broadly than Sargent. Elizabeth Montgomery disliked Dick York (who was in love with her) and she enjoyed working with Dick Sargent. Agnes Moorehead on the other hand did not like Dick Sargent for some reason. Dick Sargent 's autograph while easier to find than Dick York is still not a common one.
Dick Sargent apparently did not suffer fools well and there are letters and notes on eBay of him calling out people taking advantage of TTM autographs. In one he tells the person he has already signed two photographs for him. He told him to quit trying and write someone else. Another letter he sees through the person who pretended to be a group of young people starting their collection. He told them one thing they should never lie to try to butter up the celebrity. They had sent photographs for him to sign since they were big fans. He told them he was returning their photographs since they were of Dick York not him. He suggested they write to York. He generously enclosed a signed photograph of himself. Ironically, in both cases he signed his full name to the letters!
AGNES MOOREHEAD (1900-1974) a distinguished actress she was a founding member of Orson Welles' Mercury Theatre and starred as his mother in the classic Citizen Kane. Moorehead was also involved with Welles in his infamous War of the Worlds radio broadcast just before World War II. She was adept at both dramatic and comedic roles as showcased in the Jerry Lewis comedy Whose Minding the Store. Moorehead had an exotic look and manner that fit her Bewitched character of Endora the mother of Samantha. Because of her many film roles she is very sought after in autographs. This is another from the John Verzi Collection signed in my favorite fountain pen color.
Hi Scott,
Great article. I really liked Moorehead in Hush, Hush Sweet Charlotte. I understand hers is a tough autograph to acquire. Yours is in our favorite color!
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