Just A Twitch Of The Nose
Despite airing for nearly a decade in the 60s and early 70s, Bewitched continues to capture the imagination—even children that have never seen an episode understand references. Let’s take a quick look behind the scenes of this culture phenomenon.
Inspired By Witches
Unsurprisingly, the inspiration for Bewitched was witches. Show creator Sol Saks drew inspiration for the show from two films, I Married a Witch and Bell, Book, and Candle. Despite these two films having more serious tones, Bewitched became fun, light, and beloved.
Replacing Darrin
After working on the show for five years, Richard York, who played Samantha’s husband Darrin, left the show. York injured himself on a set of a different film years before and never recovered. As the fourth season carried on, York’s pain increased, leading to a dependency on pain pills. After suffering a seizure on set, York decided to quit and was replaced by Richard Sargent.
ABC Television Uploaded by We hope at en.wikipedia, Wikimedia Commons
A Bewitching Marriage
Bewitched starred Elizabeth Montgomery as the charming Samantha. Montgomery was married to the show’s director and producer, Bill Asher. Coincidence? I think not.
Not The First Choice
Montgomery wasn’t the first choice to play Samantha. Tammy Grimes was initially approached to take the role. However, she turned it down to take on another role. Montgomery and Asher had just married, and it seemed the perfect fit for them to work together.
ABC Television, Wikimedia Commons
The Nose Twitch
As it turns out, Montgomery had a lot of influence on the show. Samantha’s famous nose twitch was inspired by Montgomery herself, who reportedly did the twitch when she was annoyed in real life.
Samantha's Nose Twitch Supercut! | Bewitched, Bewitched
Timing The Twitch
Samantha’s nose twitch became so famous that the audience was always waiting for it. However, Asher insists that they always timed it perfectly. Samantha would only twitch her nose when she absolutely couldn’t resist using her magic anymore.
Samantha's Nose Twitch Supercut! | Bewitched, Bewitched
Deep Connections On Set
Agnes Moorehead played Samantha’s mother. She enjoyed working with York so much, that Moorehead’s biographer described the relationship as almost spiritual. Moorehead said she understood him “better than the others”.
ABC Television, Wikimedia Commons
Troubles Brewed On Set
Unfortunately, that connection spelt trouble when York was forced to quit the show due to his pain. Moorehead was so disappointed by this change that she simply could not accept Sargent as the replacement Darrin.
ABC Television, Wikimedia Commons
Tears Were Shed
Moorehead proceeded to act cooly towards Sargent when he joined the cast. Moorehead was so cold towards Sargent that she reportedly made him cry on several occasions. Talk about trouble in paradise.
ABC Television, Wikimedia Commons
Creative Special Effects
Today, shows with magic are so common you hardly even blink. With the aid of technology, just about anything the show creators can imagine can be done. Things were far different when Bewitched was filming in the 60s.
ABC Television, Wikimedia Commons
Creative Special Effects
A common gimmick on the show was Samantha’s magic vacuum cleaner, which ran by itself. To make it work, they replaced the brushes with a reversible motor. The techs controlled the vacuum with switches off-stage.
ABC Television, Wikimedia Commons
Creative Special Effects
Another example of the special effects is when Samantha decides to leave Darrin (temporarily, of course). Her suitcases fly out of the closet. This was done by special effect artists walking on planks above the set, pulling the luggage along like puppets on strings.
Darrin Has To Stop Samantha From Leaving Him | Bewitched, Bewitched
Montgomery’s Magic
As the center of the shows magic, Elizabeth Montgomery often got pulled into the labor that was necessary to make the magic work. In some cases, she had wires running up her sleeve so she could turn on lightbulbs all by herself. Other tricks were more tiring.
ABC Television Uploaded by We hope at en.wikipedia, Wikimedia Commons
Montgomery’s Magic
Another common trick of Samantha’s was cleaning the kitchen without lifting a finger. In order to film those scenes, Montgomery had to hold her arms in the air while the crew came in and cleaned the kitchen, then the camera would roll again.
Bewitched Time Lapse Clip: Samantha Cleaning the Kitchen, getitsoldepi
Montgomery’s Magic
To keep the illusion going, the transition had to be seamless. Therefore, Montgomery couldn’t move her arms. This would take so long that her arms would ache; thankfully, she had some help. She was given crutches so she could rest her arms for a bit.
Samantha’s Kitchen Has A Ghost! I Bewitched, Bewitched
Asher Wasn’t Her First Husband
Bill Asher was Montgomery’s third husband. It seemed Montgomery tended to fall for older and troubled men; these troubles followed her onto the set of Bewitched.
ABC Television Network, Wikimedia Commons
Asher Wasn’t Her First Husband
Montgomery’s first marriage only lasted four years; her second husband, Gig Young, had a drinking problem and was emotionally aggressive towards Montgomery. Montgomery married Asher the same year she divorced her second husband.
Talbot photography, Wikimedia Commons
Asher Wasn’t Her First Husband
Working with your husband can be difficult at the best of times. It seemed as if Montgomery and Asher’s relationship wasn’t the strongest. They would bring their relationship troubles onto set; the pair divorced shortly after the end of the show.
Do You Know The Secret Lyrics?
Few fans realize that the iconic theme song has a version with lyrics. The song is slowed down and sung by Steve Lawrence. Don’t worry, the lyrics are fitting.
Do You Know The Secret Lyrics?
The lyrics to the theme song are fitting for a show all about magic. Sing along: “Bewitched, bewitched, you’ve got me in your spell. Bewitched, bewitched, you know your craft so well”!
ABC Television, Wikimedia Commons
Montgomery And Moorehead Didn’t Get On
Sargent wasn’t the only actor that Moorehead caused problems with when he replaced York. At one point, Moorehead demanded Sargent kiss her hand as he approached her. Montgomery decided to take up Sargent’s defense.
Screen Gems, Wikimedia Commons
Montgomery And Moorehead Didn’t Get On
Montgomery commented on Moorehead’s ridiculous behavior and the incident almost came to blows. They later took the disagreement to Moorehead’s dressing room. Eventually, Moorehead admitted that she had been in the wrong.
Best of Endora's Magic | Bewitched, Bewitched
Bewitching Fashion
Starting in the mid-60s and ending in the early-70s, Bewitched spanned almost a decade. As such, there was a wide range of fashions. Samantha’s wardrobe started with 50s influences and ended with a style that was undeniably 70s.
ABC Television, Wikimedia Commons
Pulling From The Closet
Sometimes, the actors were actually wearing their own clothes. They show didn’t have much of a budget for wardrobe, so all of the actors would bring in pieces of their own wardrobe to supplement their costumes.
Samantha's Magical Outfits | Bewitched, Bewitched
Bewitching Affairs
Montgomery and Asher’s relationship was far from an easy one. Part of this was likely due to the fact that Asher supposedly cheated on Montgomery often. Montgomery eventually had enough.
Screen Gems, Wikimedia Commons
Bewitching Affairs
In the end, Montgomery started a relationship of her own. For two years she had a relationship with Richard Michaels, another director and producer for the show.
Bewitching Affairs
Michaels states that their relationship started as a friendship before eventually becoming more complicated; they moved in together but kept their relationship a secret. This relationship is what, supposedly, ended Montgomery and Asher’s marriage.
Milburn McCarty Associates-publicity agency, Wikimedia Commons
Asher Never Got Over Her
One can say that Montgomery got the last laugh in the end. Biographer Herbie Pilato claims that Asher never got over Montgomery. He supposedly spent the rest of his life pining for Montgomery, “Crying his heart out for her, saying, ‘It was all my fault’”.
The Spin-Off
Attempting to profit off the success of Bewitched, a spin-off hit the television airwaves in the late 1970s. However, few people saw it.
Full Episode | The Pilot | Season 1 Episode 1 | Tabitha, Bewitched
The Spin-Off
The spin-off was called Tabitha and featured the couple’s daughter, Tabitha, who was also a witch. Tabitha was recast to Lisa Hartman to account for the fact that the show aged her up to her early 20s.
ABC Television, Wikimedia Commons
The Spin-Off
Tabitha did not see success. It lasted for only one year and few people watched it. Samantha and Darrin (neither actor) never appeared on Tabitha.
ABC Television, Wikimedia Commons
Sargent Almost Got The Role
Richard Sargent, who eventually played Darrin when Richard York left, almost had the role of Darrin much earlier. When Tammy Grimes was in consideration for the role of Samantha, Sargent had supposedly signed on for the role of Darrin. Things got complicated.
American Broadcasting Company, Wikimedia Commons
Sargent Almost Got The Role
With the status of Bewitched up in the air, Sargent decided to sign on to the same show Tammy Grimes chose over Bewitched. The producers reportedly offered Darrin to Richard Crenna before finally signing on York.
Rogers and Cowan, public relations, Wikimedia Commons
Pearce Gave Her Life To Bewitched
When Alice Pearce got the role of Gladys Kravitz, she had also recently received a cancer diagnosis. Pearce didn’t let that stop her.
ABC Television, Wikimedia Commons
Pearce Gave Her Life To Bewitched
Pearce acted on Bewitched right up until the moment that she passed. She was filming the show on the day that she passed. Once she passed, she was replaced by Sandra Gould.
ABC Network, Wikimedia Commons
Written By High Schoolers
Marcella Saunders, an English teacher from Thomas Jefferson High School, reached out to the show in an effort to get her class engaged in reading and writing through television. In response, Montgomery and Asher invited the entire class to set.
Full Episode | Eye of The Beholder | Season 1 Episode 22 | Bewitched, Bewitched
Written By High Schoolers
The students were so inspired from the day that they spent on set that they got together and wrote a script for an episode—and it was accepted! The episode aired on Christmas Eve 1970.
A Very Special Christmas Episode of BEWITCHED, The David Laman Channel
Written By High Schoolers
The episode revolved around the story of Tabitha befriending a Black student. All 26 students were credited for writing the script and it won an Emmy Governor’s Award in 1971.
A Very Special Christmas Episode of BEWITCHED, The David Laman Channel
Montgomery Stepped Into The Light
Elizabeth Montgomery was the daughter of another famous actor and producer: Robert Montgomery. She spent her life as “Robert Montgomery’s daughter”.
NBC Television, Wikimedia Commons
Montgomery Stepped Into The Light
Montgomery never wanted to build her career on her father’s legacy and constantly tried to make a name for herself. Bewitched finally did that. Eventually, her father became known as “Elizabeth Montgomery’s father”, not the other way around.
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