Elizabeth Montgomery
Encyclopedia
Elizabeth Victoria Montgomery (April 15, 1933 – May 18, 1995) was an American film and television actress whose career spanned five decades. She is perhaps best remembered for her roles as Samantha Stephens in Bewitched
, as Ellen Harrod in A Case of Rape
and as Lizzie Borden in The Legend of Lizzie Borden.
, California, Elizabeth Montgomery was the child of actor Robert Montgomery
and his wife, Broadway
actress Elizabeth Bryan Allen. 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., who was born in 1936. After graduating from The Spence School, she attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts
for three years.
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 1954 she lost out on co-starring with Marlon Brando
in the film On the Waterfront
directed by Elia Kazan
.
In 1960 Montgomery was nominated for an Emmy 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
.
She was featured in a role as a socialite with Henry Silva and Sammy Davis, Jr.
in the offbeat 1963 gangster film Johnny Cool and, the same year, with Dean Martin
and Carol Burnett
in the motion picture comedy Who's Been Sleeping in My Bed?
, directed by Daniel Mann
. Nevertheless, 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 owing to her commitment to a new television show: Bewitched.
(and later 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 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). 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 that ran from 1972 to 1973. That would have made the show run nine years, from 1964 to 1973. However, Elizabeth Montgomery, wishing to do other things, backed out. She also provided the voice of Samantha for an episode of The Flintstones
.
Montgomery received five Emmy and four Golden Globe
nominations for her role. At its creative peak, Bewitched was considered one of the most sophisticated sitcoms on the air and it cleverly explored contemporary themes and social issues within a fantasy context.
Corp. These Japanese commercials provided a substantial salary for Montgomery while she remained out of sight of non-Japanese fans and 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, including performances that brought her Emmy Award
nominations for playing a rape victim in A Case of Rape
(1974), for her portrayal of Lizzie Borden in William Bast
's The Legend of Lizzie Borden
(1975), and for her role as a strong 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 made a chilling villain in the 1985 picture Amos, playing a nurse in a state home who terrorized residents portrayed by Kirk Douglas
and Dorothy McGuire
.
One of her last roles was in an episode for Batman: The Animated Series
entitled "Showdown," in which she played a barmaid; this was also her final work to be screened, as 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, only days before she died.
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. In 1971, while filming the eighth season of Bewitched, she fell in love with director Richard Michaels and moved in with him after the season ended. This was another major factor in canceling plans for a ninth season. The relationship lasted for two and a half years.
She entered her fourth and final marriage to actor Robert Foxworth
, on January 28, 1993, after living with him for nearly twenty years. She remained married to Foxworth until her death.
. 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. Montgomery had liberal
political views, being an outspoken champion of women's rights
and gay rights throughout her life, sharply contrasting with her conservative
father, who was once a media advisor to President Dwight Eisenhower.
(RFB&D), 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 RFB&D.
Montgomery's enthusiastic support for RFB&D sparked nationwide interest in the organization's work. Her strong support for RFB&D 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 RFB&D 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.
in the spring of 1995. She had ignored the flu
-like symptoms during the filming of Deadline for Murder: From the Files of Edna Buchanan which was filmed only days before she died. 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 her Beverly Hills home that she shared with Foxworth. She died there, in the company of her children and husband, on May 18, 1995, eight weeks after her diagnosis. Montgomery was 62.
A memorial service was held on June 18, 1995, 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. Other speakers included her husband, Robert Foxworth
, who read out sympathy cards from fans; her nurse; her brother, daughter and stepson. She was cremated at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery
.
of Los Angeles. Erin Murphy
, who played Tabitha on the series, modeled the clothing that was auctioned.
In June 2005, a statue of Montgomery as Samantha Stevens was erected in Salem, Massachusetts
.
A star on The Hollywood Walk of Fame
was presented in honor of Montgomery's work in television on January 4, 2008. The location of the star is 6533 Hollywood Blvd.
Bewitched
Bewitched is an American situation comedy originally broadcast for eight seasons on ABC from 1964 to 1972, starring Elizabeth Montgomery, Dick York and Dick Sargent , Agnes Moorehead, and David White. The show is about a witch who marries a mortal and tries to lead the life of a typical suburban...
, as Ellen Harrod in A Case of Rape
A Case of Rape
A Case of Rape is a 1974 television movie. It premiered on NBC on February 20, 1974. The film tells the story of a wife and mother who is raped twice by the same man and her ordeals dealing with the actual rape and her subsequent dealing with the police and the trial.-Plot:Ellen appears to have a...
and as Lizzie Borden in The Legend of Lizzie Borden.
Early life
Born in Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California, Elizabeth Montgomery was the child of actor Robert Montgomery
Robert Montgomery (actor)
Robert Montgomery was an American actor and director.- Early life :Montgomery was born Henry Montgomery, Jr. in Beacon, New York, then known as "Fishkill Landing", the son of Mary Weed and Henry Montgomery, Sr. His early childhood was one of privilege, since his father was president of the New...
and his wife, Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
actress Elizabeth Bryan Allen. She had an older sister, Martha Bryan Montgomery, who died as an infant (named after her aunt Martha-Bryan Allen
Martha-Bryan Allen
Martha-Bryan Allen was an American actress who was active on the Broadway stage for a brief period during the 1920s.-Early life:Martha-Bryan Allen was born on April 30, 1903, to Bryan H. and Rebecca D. Allen of Louisville, Kentucky...
) and a brother, Robert Montgomery, Jr., who was born in 1936. After graduating from The Spence School, she attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts
American Academy of Dramatic Arts
The American Academy of Dramatic Arts is a fully accredited two-year conservatory with facilities located in Manhattan, New York City – at 120 Madison Avenue, in a landmark building designed by noted architect Stanford White as the original Colony Club – and in Hollywood, California...
for three years.
Early years
Montgomery made her televisionTelevision
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
debut in her father's series Robert Montgomery Presents
Robert Montgomery Presents
Robert Montgomery Presents is an American dramatic television series which was produced by NBC from January 30, 1950 until June 24, 1957. The live show had several sponsors during its seven-year run, and the title was altered to feature the sponsor, usually Lucky Strike cigarettes, for example,...
(later appearing on occasion as a member of his "summer stock
Summer Stock
For the article about the theatre genre, see Summer stock theatre.Summer Stock is a Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer musical made in 1950. The film was directed by Charles Walters and stars Judy Garland, Gene Kelly, Eddie Bracken, Gloria DeHaven, Marjorie Main, and Phil Silvers...
" company of performers), and her film debut in 1955 in The Court Martial of Billy Mitchell
The Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell (film)
The Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell is a 1955 film directed by Otto Preminger. It stars Gary Cooper as Billy Mitchell, Charles Bickford, Ralph Bellamy, Rod Steiger and Elizabeth Montgomery in her film debut.-Plot:...
.
Her early career consisted of starring vehicles and appearances in live television dramas and series, such as Studio One
Studio One (TV series)
Studio One is a long-running American radio–television anthology series, created in 1947 by the 26-year-old Canadian director Fletcher Markle, who came to CBS from the CBC.-Radio:...
, Kraft Television Theater, Johnny Staccato
Johnny Staccato
Johnny Staccato is an American private detective series which ran for 27 episodes on NBC from September 10, 1959 through March 24, 1960.-Synopsis:...
, The Twilight Zone
The Twilight Zone (1959 TV series)
The Twilight Zone is an American anthology television series created by Rod Serling, which ran for five seasons on CBS from 1959 to 1964. The series consisted of unrelated episodes depicting paranormal, futuristic, dystopian, or simply disturbing events; each show typically featured a surprising...
, The Eleventh Hour
The Eleventh Hour (1962 TV series)
The Eleventh Hour is an American medical drama about psychiatry starring Wendell Corey, Jack Ging, and Ralph Bellamy, which aired sixty-two new episodes plus selected rebroadcasts on NBC from October 3, 1962, to September 9, 1964.-Series premise:...
, Boris Karloff's Thriller and Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Alfred Hitchcock Presents is an American television anthology series hosted by Alfred Hitchcock. The series featured dramas, thrillers, and mysteries. By the premiere of the show on October 2, 1955, Hitchcock had been directing films for over three decades...
. In 1954 she lost out on co-starring with Marlon Brando
Marlon Brando
Marlon Brando, Jr. was an American movie star and political activist. "Unchallenged as the most important actor in modern American Cinema" according to the St...
in the film On the Waterfront
On the Waterfront
On the Waterfront is a 1954 American drama film about union violence and corruption among longshoremen. The film was directed by Elia Kazan and written by Budd Schulberg. It stars Marlon Brando, Rod Steiger, Eva Marie Saint, Lee J. Cobb and Karl Malden. The soundtrack score was composed by Leonard...
directed by Elia Kazan
Elia Kazan
Elia Kazan was an American director and actor, described by the New York Times as "one of the most honored and influential directors in Broadway and Hollywood history". Born in Istanbul, the capital of the Ottoman Empire, to Greek parents originally from Kayseri in Anatolia, the family emigrated...
.
In 1960 Montgomery was nominated for an Emmy for her portrayal of southern prostitute Rusty Heller in an episode of The Untouchables
The Untouchables (1959 TV series)
The Untouchables is an American crime drama that ran from 1959 to 1963 on ABC. Based on the memoir of the same name by Eliot Ness and Oscar Fraley, it fictionalized the experiences of Eliot Ness, a real-life Prohibition agent, as he fought crime in Chicago during the 1930s with the help of a...
, playing opposite David White
David White (actor)
David White was an American stage, film and television actor best known for playing Darrin's boss Larry Tate in the 1964-72 sitcom Bewitched.-Early life:...
who later portrayed Darrin's boss Larry Tate in Bewitched
Bewitched
Bewitched is an American situation comedy originally broadcast for eight seasons on ABC from 1964 to 1972, starring Elizabeth Montgomery, Dick York and Dick Sargent , Agnes Moorehead, and David White. The show is about a witch who marries a mortal and tries to lead the life of a typical suburban...
.
She was featured in a role as a socialite with Henry Silva and Sammy Davis, Jr.
Sammy Davis, Jr.
Samuel George "Sammy" Davis Jr. was an American entertainer and was also known for his impersonations of actors and other celebrities....
in the offbeat 1963 gangster film Johnny Cool and, the same year, with Dean Martin
Dean Martin
Dean Martin was an American singer, film actor, television star and comedian. Martin's hit singles included "Memories Are Made of This", "That's Amore", "Everybody Loves Somebody", "You're Nobody till Somebody Loves You", "Sway", "Volare" and "Ain't That a Kick in the Head?"...
and Carol Burnett
Carol Burnett
Carol Creighton Burnett is an American actress, comedian, singer, dancer and writer. Burnett started her career in New York. After becoming a hit on Broadway, she made her television debut...
in the motion picture comedy Who's Been Sleeping in My Bed?
Who's Been Sleeping in My Bed?
Who's Been Sleeping in My Bed? is a 1963 movie comedy starring Dean Martin, Elizabeth Montgomery, and Carol Burnett, and directed by Daniel Mann.-Plot:...
, directed by Daniel Mann
Daniel Mann
Daniel Mann, also known as Daniel Chugerman , was an American film and television director.Daniel Mann was born in Brooklyn, New York. He was a stage actor since childhood, and attended Erasmus Hall High School, New York's Professional Children's School and the Neighborhood Playhouse...
. Nevertheless, Alfred Hitchcock
Alfred Hitchcock
Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock, KBE was a British film director and producer. He pioneered many techniques in the suspense and psychological thriller genres. After a successful career in British cinema in both silent films and early talkies, Hitchcock moved to Hollywood...
had her in mind to play the sister-in-law of Sean Connery
Sean Connery
Sir Thomas Sean Connery , better known as Sean Connery, is a Scottish actor and producer who has won an Academy Award, two BAFTA Awards and three Golden Globes Sir Thomas Sean Connery (born 25 August 1930), better known as Sean Connery, is a Scottish actor and producer who has won an Academy...
, who sees herself as a rival to the troubled heroine in the movie Marnie
Marnie (film)
Marnie is a 1964 psychological thriller directed by Alfred Hitchcock and based on the novel of the same name by Winston Graham. The film stars Tippi Hedren and Sean Connery. The original film score was composed by Bernard Herrmann.-Plot:...
, but Montgomery was unavailable owing to her commitment to a new television show: Bewitched.
Bewitched
Montgomery played the central role of lovable witch Samantha Stephens with Dick YorkDick York
Richard Allen "Dick" York was an American actor. He is best remembered for his role as the first Darrin Stephens on the ABC television fantasy sitcom Bewitched...
(and later Dick Sargent
Dick Sargent
Richard Stanford Cox , known professionally as Dick Sargent, was an American actor, notable as the second actor to portray Darrin Stephens on the television series Bewitched...
) as her husband in the ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
situation comedy
Situation comedy
A situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment, such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue...
Bewitched
Bewitched
Bewitched is an American situation comedy originally broadcast for eight seasons on ABC from 1964 to 1972, starring Elizabeth Montgomery, Dick York and Dick Sargent , Agnes Moorehead, and David White. The show is about a witch who marries a mortal and tries to lead the life of a typical suburban...
. Starting in the second season of the series, she also played the role of Samantha's 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). It enjoyed an eight-year run from 1964 to 1972 and remains popular through syndication
Television syndication
In broadcasting, syndication is the sale of the right to broadcast radio shows and television shows by multiple radio stations and television stations, without going through a broadcast network, though the process of syndication may conjure up structures like those of a network itself, by its very...
and DVD releases. The show had been renewed for a ninth season that ran from 1972 to 1973. That would have made the show run nine years, from 1964 to 1973. However, Elizabeth Montgomery, wishing to do other things, backed out. She also provided the voice of Samantha for an episode of The Flintstones
The Flintstones
The Flintstones is an animated, prime-time American television sitcom that screened from September 30, 1960 to April 1, 1966, on ABC. Produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions, The Flintstones was about a working class Stone Age man's life with his family and his next-door neighbor and best friend. It...
.
Montgomery received five Emmy and four Golden Globe
Golden Globe Award
The Golden Globe Award is an accolade bestowed by the 93 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association recognizing excellence in film and television, both domestic and foreign...
nominations for her role. At its creative peak, Bewitched was considered one of the most sophisticated sitcoms on the air and it cleverly explored contemporary themes and social issues within a fantasy context.
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 LotteLotte (conglomerate)
Lotte Co., Ltd. is a South Korean-Japanese Jaebeol and one of the largest food and shopping groups in South Korea and Japan. Lotte was established in June 1948, in Tokyo, by Japanese-educated, Korean businessman Shin Kyuk-Ho – also known as...
Corp. These Japanese commercials provided a substantial salary for Montgomery while she remained out of sight of non-Japanese fans and 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, including performances that brought her Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
nominations for playing a rape victim in A Case of Rape
A Case of Rape
A Case of Rape is a 1974 television movie. It premiered on NBC on February 20, 1974. The film tells the story of a wife and mother who is raped twice by the same man and her ordeals dealing with the actual rape and her subsequent dealing with the police and the trial.-Plot:Ellen appears to have a...
(1974), for her portrayal of Lizzie Borden in William Bast
William Bast
William Bast is an American screenwriter and author currently living in Los Angeles. In addition to writing scripts for motion pictures and television, he is the author of two biographies of the screen actor James Dean.-Early life:...
's The Legend of Lizzie Borden
The Legend of Lizzie Borden
The Legend of Lizzie Borden is a 1975 American television movie. It premiered on ABC on February 10, 1975.-Plot:The film, although based on fact, is a stylish retelling of the events of August 4, 1892 when the parents of New England spinster Lizzie Andrew Borden were found brutally murdered in...
(1975), and for her role as a strong woman facing hardship in 1820s Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
in the mini-series The Awakening Land
The Awakening Land
The Awakening Land is 1978 television miniseries based on Conrad Richter's trilogy of novels: The Trees; The Fields; and The Town...
(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 made a chilling villain in the 1985 picture Amos, playing a nurse in a state home who terrorized residents portrayed by Kirk Douglas
Kirk Douglas
Kirk Douglas is an American stage and film actor, film producer and author. His popular films include Out of the Past , Champion , Ace in the Hole , The Bad and the Beautiful , Lust for Life , Paths of Glory , Gunfight at the O.K...
and Dorothy McGuire
Dorothy McGuire
Dorothy Hackett McGuire was an American actress.-Career:Born in Omaha, Nebraska, she began her acting career on the stage at the Omaha Community Playhouse...
.
One of her last roles was in an episode for Batman: The Animated Series
Batman: The Animated Series
Batman: The Animated Series is an American animated series based on the DC Comics character Batman. The series featured an ensemble cast of many voice-actors including Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill, Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., Arleen Sorkin, and Loren Lester. The series won four Emmy Awards and was nominated...
entitled "Showdown," in which she played a barmaid; this was also her final work to be screened, as the episode aired posthumously. Her last television movies were the highly-rated Edna Buchanan
Edna Buchanan
Edna Buchanan is an American journalist and author best known for her crime mystery novels.She was born in Paterson, New Jersey and attended Montclair State College. As one of the first female crime journalists in Miami, she wrote for the Miami Beach Daily Sun and the Miami Herald as a general...
detective series - the second and final film of the series received its first airing on May 9, 1995, only days before she died.
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 YoungGig Young
Gig Young was an American film, stage, and television actor. Known mainly for second leads and supporting roles, Young won an Academy Award for his performance as a dance-marathon emcee in the 1969 film, They Shoot Horses, Don't They?.-Early life and career:Born Byron Elsworth Barr in St...
from 1956 to 1963, and then to director-producer William Asher
William Asher
William Asher is an American television and film producer, film director, and screenwriter. He was one of the most prolific early directors in the budding television industry, producing or directing over two dozen of the leading television series.With television in its infancy, he introduced the...
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
Erin Murphy
Erin Margaret Murphy is an American actress who is best known for her role as young Tabitha Stephens on the top-ten television sitcom Bewitched, which ran from 1964 to 1972. For the first season, she shared this role with her sister, Diane, as they were of similar appearance and stature...
, with twin Diane
Diane Murphy
Diane Murphy is a former child actor, best known for sharing the role of "Tabitha" with her fraternal twin sister Erin in the 1960s television series Bewitched for one season. Erin then took over the part for the remaining 6 seasons. Diane left the entertainment industry at age thirteen and never...
) and Adam Stephens. In 1971, while filming the eighth season of Bewitched, she fell in love with director Richard Michaels and moved in with him after the season ended. This was another major factor in canceling plans for a ninth season. The relationship lasted for two and a half years.
She entered her fourth and final marriage to actor Robert Foxworth
Robert Foxworth
Robert Heath Foxworth is an American film, stage and television actor.-Early life and career:Foxworth was born in Houston, Texas, the son of Erna Beth , a writer, and John Howard Foxworth, a roofing contractor...
, on January 28, 1993, after living with him for nearly twenty years. She remained married to Foxworth until her death.
Political activism
During Bewitched's run, she was a vocal critic of the Vietnam WarVietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. 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
The Panama Deception
The Panama Deception is a 1992 documentary film that won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. The film is critical of the actions of the US military during the 1989 invasion of Panama by the United States, covering the conflicting reasons for the invasion and the depicting of the US...
(1992).
In June 1992, Montgomery and her former Bewitched co-star Dick Sargent
Dick Sargent
Richard Stanford Cox , known professionally as Dick Sargent, was an American actor, notable as the second actor to portray Darrin Stephens on the television series Bewitched...
, who had remained good friends, were Grand Marshals at the Los Angeles Gay Pride Parade. Montgomery had liberal
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
political views, being an outspoken champion of women's rights
Women's rights
Women's rights are entitlements and freedoms claimed for women and girls of all ages in many societies.In some places these rights are institutionalized or supported by law, local custom, and behaviour, whereas in others they may be ignored or suppressed...
and gay rights throughout her life, sharply contrasting with her conservative
Conservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
father, who was once a media advisor to President Dwight Eisenhower.
Charity work
Throughout the last year of her life, Montgomery was a volunteer for the Los Angeles Unit of Recording for the Blind & DyslexicRecording for the Blind & Dyslexic
-Learning Ally:Learning Ally, which was previously named Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic or RFB&D, is a non-profit volunteer organization operating nationwide in the United States...
(RFB&D), 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
When We Were Very Young
When We Were Very Young is a best-selling book of poetry by A. A. Milne. It was first published in 1924, and was illustrated by E. H. Shepard. Several of the verses were set to music by Harold Fraser-Simson...
for RFB&D.
Montgomery's enthusiastic support for RFB&D sparked nationwide interest in the organization's work. Her strong support for RFB&D 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 RFB&D 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
Chicken Soup for the Soul
Chicken Soup for the Soul is a series of books, usually featuring a collection of short and dense inspirational stories and motivational essays. The 101 stories in the first book of the series were compiled by motivational speakers Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen.There have been over 200 titles...
, which was also dedicated to her memory.
Illness and death
Montgomery was diagnosed with colorectal cancerColorectal cancer
Colorectal cancer, commonly known as bowel cancer, is a cancer caused by uncontrolled cell growth , in the colon, rectum, or vermiform appendix. Colorectal cancer is clinically distinct from anal cancer, which affects the anus....
in the spring of 1995. She had ignored the flu
Influenza
Influenza, commonly referred to as the flu, is an infectious disease caused by RNA viruses of the family Orthomyxoviridae , that affects birds and mammals...
-like symptoms during the filming of Deadline for Murder: From the Files of Edna Buchanan which was filmed only days before she died. 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 her Beverly Hills home that she shared with Foxworth. She died there, in the company of her children and husband, on May 18, 1995, eight weeks after her diagnosis. Montgomery was 62.
A memorial service was held on June 18, 1995, at the Canon Theatre in Beverly Hills. Herbie Hancock
Herbie Hancock
Herbert Jeffrey "Herbie" Hancock is an American pianist, bandleader and composer. As part of Miles Davis's "second great quintet," Hancock helped to redefine the role of a jazz rhythm section and was one of the primary architects of the "post-bop" sound...
provided the music, and Dominick Dunne
Dominick Dunne
Dominick John Dunne was an American writer and investigative journalist, whose subjects frequently hinged on the ways in which high society interacts with the judicial system...
spoke about their early days as friends in New York. Other speakers included her husband, Robert Foxworth
Robert Foxworth
Robert Heath Foxworth is an American film, stage and television actor.-Early life and career:Foxworth was born in Houston, Texas, the son of Erna Beth , a writer, and John Howard Foxworth, a roofing contractor...
, who read out sympathy cards from fans; her nurse; her brother, daughter and stepson. She was cremated at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery
Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery
The Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery is a cemetery in the Westwood Village area of Los Angeles, California. It is located at 1218 Glendon Avenue in Westwood....
.
Posthumous
On April 19, 1998, an event auction/sale of her clothing was held by her family to benefit the AIDS Healthcare FoundationAIDS Healthcare Foundation
AIDS Healthcare Foundation , the largest global AIDS organization, currently provides medical care and/or services to more than 152,000 individuals in 26 countries worldwide in the US, Africa, Latin America/Caribbean, the Asia-Pacific Region and Eastern Europe...
of Los Angeles. Erin Murphy
Erin Murphy
Erin Margaret Murphy is an American actress who is best known for her role as young Tabitha Stephens on the top-ten television sitcom Bewitched, which ran from 1964 to 1972. For the first season, she shared this role with her sister, Diane, as they were of similar appearance and stature...
, who played Tabitha on the series, modeled the clothing that was auctioned.
In June 2005, a statue of Montgomery as Samantha Stevens was erected in Salem, Massachusetts
Salem, Massachusetts
Salem is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 40,407 at the 2000 census. It and Lawrence are the county seats of Essex County...
.
A star on The Hollywood Walk of Fame
Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame consists of more than 2,400 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along fifteen blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, California...
was presented in honor of Montgomery's work in television on January 4, 2008. The location of the star is 6533 Hollywood Blvd.
Selected filmography
| Year 19- | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 51–56 | Robert Montgomery Presents Robert Montgomery Presents Robert Montgomery Presents is an American dramatic television series which was produced by NBC from January 30, 1950 until June 24, 1957. The live show had several sponsors during its seven-year run, and the title was altered to feature the sponsor, usually Lucky Strike cigarettes, for example,... |
Various roles | 27 episodes |
| 53–54 | Armstrong Circle Theatre Armstrong Circle Theatre Armstrong Circle Theatre is an American anthology drama television series which ran from 1950 to 1957 on NBC, and then until 1963 on CBS. It alternated weekly with The U.S. Steel Hour.-Synopsis:... |
Ellen Craig | 2 episodes |
| 54–57 | Kraft Television Theatre Kraft Television Theatre Kraft Television Theatre is an American drama/anthology television series that began May 7, 1947 on NBC, airing at 7:30pm on Wednesday evenings until December of that year. In January 1948, it moved to 9pm on Wednesdays, continuing in that timeslot until 1958. Initially produced by the J... |
Various roles | 7 episodes |
| 55 | The Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell The Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell (film) The Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell is a 1955 film directed by Otto Preminger. It stars Gary Cooper as Billy Mitchell, Charles Bickford, Ralph Bellamy, Rod Steiger and Elizabeth Montgomery in her film debut.-Plot:... |
Margaret Lansdowne | |
| 55–58 | Studio One Studio One (TV series) Studio One is a long-running American radio–television anthology series, created in 1947 by the 26-year-old Canadian director Fletcher Markle, who came to CBS from the CBC.-Radio:... |
Various roles | 3 episodes |
| 56 | Warner Bros. Presents Warner Bros. Presents Warner Bros. Presents is the umbrella title for three series telecast as part of the 1955-56 season on ABC: Cheyenne, a new Western series that originated on Presents, and two based on classic Warner Bros. films, Casablanca and Kings Row.... |
Laura Woodruff | Episode: "Siege" |
| 56 | Climax! | Betsy | Episode: "The Shadow of Evil" |
| 58 | Playhouse 90 Playhouse 90 Playhouse 90 is an American television anthology series that was telecast on CBS from 1956 to 1960 for a total of 133 episodes. It originated from CBS Television City in Los Angeles, California... |
Mary Brecker | Episode: "Bitter Heritage" |
| 58 | DuPont Show of the Month DuPont Show of the Month DuPont Show of the Month, an acclaimed 90-minute television anthology series, aired monthly on CBS from 1957 to 1961. The DuPont Company also sponsored a weekly half-hour anthology drama series hosted by June Allyson, The DuPont Show with June Allyson .During the Golden Age of Television, DuPont... |
Miss Kelly | Episode: "Harvey" |
| 58 | Cimmarron City Cimarron City (TV series) Cimarron City is an American Western television series starring George Montgomery and John Smith that aired on NBC from October 11, 1958 until April 4, 1959... |
Ellen Wilson | Episode: "Hired Hand" |
| 58 | Alfred Hitchcock Presents Alfred Hitchcock Presents Alfred Hitchcock Presents is an American television anthology series hosted by Alfred Hitchcock. The series featured dramas, thrillers, and mysteries. By the premiere of the show on October 2, 1955, Hitchcock had been directing films for over three decades... |
Karen | Episode: "Man with a Problem" |
| 60 | One Step Beyond | Lillie Clarke | Episode: "The Death Waltz" |
| 60 | The Untouchables The Untouchables (1959 TV series) The Untouchables is an American crime drama that ran from 1959 to 1963 on ABC. Based on the memoir of the same name by Eliot Ness and Oscar Fraley, it fictionalized the experiences of Eliot Ness, a real-life Prohibition agent, as he fought crime in Chicago during the 1930s with the help of a... |
Rusty Heller | Episode: "The Rusty Heller Story" |
| 61 | The Twilight Zone The Twilight Zone (1959 TV series) The Twilight Zone is an American anthology television series created by Rod Serling, which ran for five seasons on CBS from 1959 to 1964. The series consisted of unrelated episodes depicting paranormal, futuristic, dystopian, or simply disturbing events; each show typically featured a surprising... |
The Woman | Episode: "Two Two (The Twilight Zone) "Two" is the season 3 premiere of the American television anthology series The Twilight Zone.-Synopsis:Few details are given about the war that preceded the events of the episode. The voice-over suggests the time could be hundreds of years in the future or millions of years in the past... " |
| 63 | Johnny Cool Johnny Cool Johnny Cool is an offbeat 1963 crime film directed by William Asher. It stars Henry Silva and Elizabeth Montgomery.Johnny Colini, an exiled American gangster living in Sicily, rescues Salvatore Giordano, a young Sicilian outlaw, from the police... |
Darien "Dare" Guinness | |
| 63 | Who's Been Sleeping in My Bed? Who's Been Sleeping in My Bed? Who's Been Sleeping in My Bed? is a 1963 movie comedy starring Dean Martin, Elizabeth Montgomery, and Carol Burnett, and directed by Daniel Mann.-Plot:... |
Mellisa Morris | |
| 63–64 | Burke's Law Burke's Law Burke's Law is a detective series that ran on ABC from 1963 to 1965 and was revived on CBS in the 1990s. The show starred Gene Barry as Amos Burke, millionaire captain of Los Angeles police homicide division, who was chauffeured around to solve crimes in his Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud... |
Stacy Evans Smitty |
2 episodes |
| 64–72 | Bewitched Bewitched Bewitched is an American situation comedy originally broadcast for eight seasons on ABC from 1964 to 1972, starring Elizabeth Montgomery, Dick York and Dick Sargent , Agnes Moorehead, and David White. The show is about a witch who marries a mortal and tries to lead the life of a typical suburban... |
Samantha Stephens | 254 episodes |
| 65 | How to Stuff a Wild Bikini How to Stuff a Wild Bikini How to Stuff a Wild Bikini is a 1965 beach party film from American International Pictures. The sixth entry in a seven-film series, the movie features Mickey Rooney, Annette Funicello, Dwayne Hickman, Brian Donlevy, and Beverly Adams... |
Bwana's Daughter, The Witches Witch | Uncredited |
| 65 | The Flintstones The Flintstones The Flintstones is an animated, prime-time American television sitcom that screened from September 30, 1960 to April 1, 1966, on ABC. Produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions, The Flintstones was about a working class Stone Age man's life with his family and his next-door neighbor and best friend. It... |
Samantha Stephens (Voice) | Episode: "Samantha" |
| 72 | The Victim | Kate Wainwright | Television movie Television movie A television film is a feature film that is a television program produced for and originally distributed by a television network, in contrast to... |
| 73 | Mrs. Sundance | Etta Place Etta Place Etta Place was a companion of the American outlaws Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid , both members of the outlaw gang known as the Wild Bunch. Principally the companion of Longabaugh, little is known about her; both her origins and her fate remain mysterious... |
Television movie |
| 74 | A Case of Rape A Case of Rape A Case of Rape is a 1974 television movie. It premiered on NBC on February 20, 1974. The film tells the story of a wife and mother who is raped twice by the same man and her ordeals dealing with the actual rape and her subsequent dealing with the police and the trial.-Plot:Ellen appears to have a... |
Ellen Harrod | Television movie |
| 75 | The Legend of Lizzie Borden | Lizzie Borden | Television movie |
| 76 | Dark Victory | Katherine Merrill | Television movie |
| 77 | A Killing Affair | Vikki Eaton | Television movie |
| 78 | The Awakening Land The Awakening Land The Awakening Land is 1978 television miniseries based on Conrad Richter's trilogy of novels: The Trees; The Fields; and The Town... |
Sayward Luckett Wheeler | Miniseries Miniseries A miniseries , in a serial storytelling medium, is a television show production which tells a story in a limited number of episodes. The exact number is open to interpretation; however, they are usually limited to fewer than a whole season. The term "miniseries" is generally a North American term... |
| 79 | Jennifer: A Woman's Story | Jennifer Prince | Television movie |
| 79 | Act of Violence | Catherine McSweeney | Television movie |
| 80 | Belle Starr | Belle Starr Belle Starr Myra Maybelle Shirley Reed Starr , better known as Belle Starr, was a notorious American outlaw.-Early life:... |
Television movie |
| 81 | When the Circus Came to Town When the Circus Came to Town When the Circus Came to Town is an American television movie that originally aired on CBS as a "movie of the week" on January 20, 1981. Directed by Boris Sagal, the film stars Elizabeth Montgomery, Christopher Plummer, and Eileen Brennan.-Story:... |
Mary Flynn | Television movie |
| 82 | The Rules of Marriage | Joan Hagen | Television movie |
| 83 | Missing Pieces | Sara Scott | Television movie |
| 84 | Second Sight: A Love Story Second Sight: A Love Story Second Sight: A Love Story is a 1984 television film starring Elizabeth Montgomery and Barry Newman. The film is based on the book Emma and I, by Sheila Hocken.- Plot :... |
Alaxandra McKay | Television movie |
| 85 | Amos | Daisy Daws | Television movie |
| 86 | Between the Darkness and the Dawn | Abigail Foster | Television movie |
| 88 | Coverup: Behind the Iran Contra Affair | Narrator | Documentary film Documentary film Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record... |
| 90 | Face to Face | Dr. Diana Firestone | Television movie |
| 91 | Sins of the Mother | Ruth Coe | Television movie |
| 92 | With Murder in Mind | Gayle Wolfer | Television movie |
| 92 | The Panama Deception The Panama Deception The Panama Deception is a 1992 documentary film that won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. The film is critical of the actions of the US military during the 1989 invasion of Panama by the United States, covering the conflicting reasons for the invasion and the depicting of the US... |
Narrator | Documentary film |
| 93 | The Black Widow Murders: The Blanche Taylor Moore Story | Blanche Taylor Moore Blanche Taylor Moore Blanche Kiser Taylor Moore is a convicted murderer and probable serial killer from Alamance County, North Carolina. She was convicted of killing her boyfriend by slipping arsenic into his food, and is suspected of killing three other people and nearly killing another in the same manner.-Early... |
Television movie |
| 94 | The Corpse Had a Familiar Face | Edna Buchanan | Television movie |
| 95 | Deadline for Murder: From the Files of Edna Buchanan | Edna Buchanan | Television movie |
| 95 | Batman: The Animated Series Batman: The Animated Series Batman: The Animated Series is an American animated series based on the DC Comics character Batman. The series featured an ensemble cast of many voice-actors including Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill, Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., Arleen Sorkin, and Loren Lester. The series won four Emmy Awards and was nominated... |
Barmaid (Voice) | Episode: "Showdown" |
Award nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Title of work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | Emmy Award Emmy Award An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various... |
Outstanding Single Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role | The Untouchables The Untouchables (1959 TV series) The Untouchables is an American crime drama that ran from 1959 to 1963 on ABC. Based on the memoir of the same name by Eliot Ness and Oscar Fraley, it fictionalized the experiences of Eliot Ness, a real-life Prohibition agent, as he fought crime in Chicago during the 1930s with the help of a... |
Nominated |
| 1966 | Emmy Award | Outstanding Lead Actress - Comedy Series Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress - Comedy Series This is a list of winners of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series. The award was first presented in 1953, but was not awarded again until 1959... |
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 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress - Drama Series This is a list of winners of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress – a Drama Series.-Superlatives:-1950s:*1952: Helen Hayes*1953: no award*1954: Loretta Young – The Loretta Young Show*1955: no award... |
A Case of Rape A Case of Rape A Case of Rape is a 1974 television movie. It premiered on NBC on February 20, 1974. The film tells the story of a wife and mother who is raped twice by the same man and her ordeals dealing with the actual rape and her subsequent dealing with the police and the trial.-Plot:Ellen appears to have a... |
Nominated |
| 1975 | Emmy Award | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Special Program - Drama or Comedy | The Legend of Lizzie Borden The Legend of Lizzie Borden The Legend of Lizzie Borden is a 1975 American television movie. It premiered on ABC on February 10, 1975.-Plot:The film, although based on fact, is a stylish retelling of the events of August 4, 1892 when the parents of New England spinster Lizzie Andrew Borden were found brutally murdered in... |
Nominated |
| 1978 | Emmy Award | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series | The Awakening Land | Nominated |
| 1965 | Golden Globe Award Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Award is an accolade bestowed by the 93 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association recognizing excellence in film and television, both domestic and foreign... |
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 Women in Film Crystal + Lucy Awards First presented in 1977, Women in Film Crystal + Lucy Awards are presented to honor women in communications and media. The awards include the Crystal Award, the Lucy Award, the Dorothy Arzner Directors Award, the MaxMara Face of the Future Award, and the Kodak Vision 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. | Recipient posthumously |
Audio
- Craven Street: Ben Franklin in LondonCraven Street: Ben Franklin in LondonCraven Street: Ben Franklin in London is a five-part radio play dramatizing Benjamin Franklin's career as a colonial lobbyist in London before the American Revolution. It starred Elizabeth Montgomery, George Grizzard and Sir Nigel Hawthorne. It was written, produced and directed by Yuri Rasovsky,...
, a five-part radio drama (1993, narrator) - Beauty's Punishment (1994, narrator)
- Beauty's Release (1994, narrator)
- Two audio bookAudio bookAn audiobook or audio book is a recording of a text being read. It is not necessarily an exact audio version of a book or magazine.Spoken audio has been available in schools and public libraries and to a lesser extent in music shops since the 1930s. Many spoken word albums were made prior to the...
s in which Montgomery narrates the work of Anne RiceAnne RiceAnne Rice is a best-selling Southern American author of metaphysical gothic fiction, Christian literature and erotica from New Orleans, Louisiana. Her books have sold nearly 100 million copies, making her one of the most widely read authors in modern history...
(writing as A.N. Roquelaure) are available .