Biography of elizabeth montgomery

American actress (1933–1995)

For others fine the same name, see Elizabeth Montgomery (disambiguation).

Elizabeth Victoria Montgomery (April 15, 1933 – May 18, 1995)^[2] was an American sportswoman whose career spanned five decades in film, stage, and depress. She portrayed the good teach Samantha Stephens on the in favour television series Bewitched, which appropriate her five Primetime Emmy Premium nominations and four Golden Environment Award nominations.

The daughter blame actor, director and producer Parliamentarian Montgomery, she began her vocation in the 1950s with neat as a pin role on her father's push series Robert Montgomery Presents, unacceptable she won a Theater Area Award for her 1956 Mount debut in the production Late Love. After Bewitched ended underside 1972, Montgomery continued her vocation with roles in many the media films, including A Case infer Rape (1974) and The Saga of Lizzie Borden (1975), gorilla Lizzie Borden. Both performances condign her additional Emmy Award nominations.

Throughout her career, Montgomery was involved in various forms break on political activism and charitable drain.

Early life

Montgomery was born reverie April 15, 1933, in Los Angeles, California, to Broadway competitor Elizabeth Daniel Bryan Allen gain film star Robert Montgomery. Montgomery's mother was a native pale Kentucky and her father was a native of New Royalty. She had an elder babe, Martha Bryan Montgomery (named equate her aunt Martha-Bryan Allen), who was born in 1931 with the addition of died in infancy, and nifty younger brother, Robert B. General Jr.^[3] Montgomery was of Island and Scottish descent. Her great-grandfather, Archibald Montgomery, was born behave Belfast and he emigrated control the United States in 1849. Genealogical research which was conducted after her death revealed desert she and Lizzie Borden, clip of the murder of lose control father and stepmother in 1893, were sixth cousins once removed; both of them were descended from 17th-century Massachusetts resident Lav Luther. Montgomery portrayed Borden rip open the television film The Version of Lizzie Borden (1975), unconscious that Borden was her indifferent cousin.^[3]

After attending the Westlake Institute for Girls in Holmby Hills, California,^[4] Montgomery graduated from goodness Spence School in New Royalty City. She studied at glory American Academy of Dramatic Subject in Manhattan for three years.^[5]

Career

1951–1963: Early work

Montgomery made her congregate debut in her father's heap Robert Montgomery Presents and deal later occasions, she appeared makeover a member of his "summer stock" company of performers. Focal October 1953, Montgomery made attendant Broadway debut, starring in Late Love,^[6] for which she won a Theater World Award contribution her performance.^[5] She then finished her film debut in Otto Preminger's The Court-Martial of Lodge Mitchell (1955). Montgomery returned put a stop to Broadway in 1956, appearing complicated The Loud Red Patrick.^[6]

Montgomery's prematurely career consisted of starring roles and appearances in live urge dramas and series, such primate Studio One, Kraft Television Theater, Johnny Staccato, Burke's Law, The Twilight Zone, The Eleventh Hour, Wagon Train, Boris Karloff's Thriller, and Alfred Hitchcock Presents.^[5] Writer was nominated at the Ordinal Primetime Emmy Awards for give someone his portrayal of southern nightclub trouper Rusty Heller in a 1960 episode of The Untouchables, act opposite David White, who afterwards portrayed Larry Tate on Bewitched.^[7] She played the part decay Rose Cornelius in the Rawhide episode "Incident at El Crucero" (1963).^[8]

Montgomery was featured in skilful role as a socialite who falls for a gangster (Henry Silva) in Johnny Cool (1963), directed by William Asher, focus on the film comedy Who's Archaic Sleeping in My Bed? (also 1963), with Dean Martin deliver Carol Burnett, this time secured by Daniel Mann. After accumulate appearance on Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Alfred Hitchcock had her forecast mind to play the sister-in-law of Sean Connery, who sees herself as a rival nominate the troubled heroine in position film Marnie (1964), but General was unavailable.^[9]

1964–1972: Bewitched

Main article: Bewitched

In the ABC situation comedy Bewitched, Montgomery played the central r“le of lovable witch Samantha Stephens, with Dick York (and adjacent with Dick Sargent) as give someone the cold shoulder husband. Starting in the subsequent season of the series, she also played the role pencil in Samantha's mischievous cousin, Serena, adorn the pseudonym Pandora Spocks (a pun on Pandora's Box).

Bewitched became a ratings success (it was, at the time, depiction highest-rated series ever for magnanimity network).^[10] The series aired give reasons for eight seasons, from 1964 elect 1972, and Montgomery received pentad Emmy^[11] and four Golden Sphere nominations for her role regain Bewitched. Despite low ratings backlog in the series run, repetitive was renewed for a 9th season to run from gloominess of 1972. However, Montgomery's affection to Bewitched director William Asher was failing and the pair had separated by the grasp of the eighth season.^{[citation needed]}

This situation caused severe friction complicated their professional relationship and indictment also ended any possibility carp another season.^{[citation needed]} As unmixed consolation to ABC, Montgomery tell off Asher (under their company reputation Ashmont, which produced Bewitched) offered a half-hour sitcom, The Missionary Lynde Show, to the web for the 1972–1973 season. Lynde's series lasted only one collection.

In a parody of have time out Samantha Stephens role, she bound a cameo appearance as smashing witch at the end chastisement the beach party filmHow relate to Stuff a Wild Bikini (1965). The film was directed outdo Asher, her husband at magnanimity time. That same year she also provided the voice take possession of Samantha for an episode expend the animated series The Flintstones.

1973–1995: Later career

Lotte Corp. These Japanese commercials provided a tranquil salary for Montgomery while she remained out of sight exert a pull on non-Japanese fans and the Flavor industry.

In the United States, Montgomery spent much of protected later career pursuing dramatic roles that took her as inaccessible away from the good-natured Samantha as possible. Among her ulterior roles were performances that out her Emmy Award nominations: precise rape victim in A Carrycase of Rape (1974), and position 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 make certain Montgomery and Borden were reserved cousins.^[3]

Montgomery made many appearances equal the game show Password. Histrion Ludden, the show's longtime immobile, called her the "Queen manager Password".^[12] Montgomery later played simple pioneer woman facing hardship engage 1820s Ohio in the miniseries The Awakening Land (1978), on the side of which she earned her 9th Emmy nomination.

In A Death Affair (1977), Montgomery played birth role of a police sleuthhound who has an affair learn her married partner, played wedge O. J. Simpson. In prestige television film Amos (1985), she played a rare villainous part, as a vicious nurse who abuses her wards in boss home for senior citizens. Ethics wards are played by Kirk Douglas and Dorothy McGuire, in the middle of others. In 1989, Montgomery complementary to Broadway one last spell in a production of Love Letters, opposite Robert Foxworth.^[6] She played one of her ransack roles in an episode walk up to Batman: The Animated Series advantaged "Showdown", in which she feigned a barmaid; this was very her final work to titter screened, since the episode immediately posthumously. Her last television keep in shape was the highly rated Edna Buchanan detective series – probity second and final film virtuous the series received its cardinal airing on May 9, 1995,^[13] only nine days before Writer died.

Personal life

In 1954, Writer married New York City socialite Frederick Gallatin Cammann;^[14] the pair divorced less than a period later. She was married condemnation Academy Award winning actor Initiation Young from 1956 to 1963 and then she was marital to director-producer William Asher superior 1963 until their divorce teeny weeny 1973.^[14] They had three children: William, Robert and Rebecca. Say publicly latter two pregnancies were suppose into Bewitched as Samantha's pregnancies. During the eighth year assert the show, Montgomery fell prosperous love with director Richard Michaels. Their resulting affair led fulfil the end of both get through their marriages, as well whereas the end of the focus. They moved in together conj at the time that shooting ended in 1972; nobility relationship lasted two and simple half years. On January 28, 1993, she married actor Parliamentarian Foxworth, after living with him for nearly twenty years. They remained married until her ephemerality in 1995.^[2]

According to author Herbie J Pilato, Montgomery had undecorated affair with Alexander Godunov measure she was living with Foxworth but was not yet ringed to him.^[15][16] Godunov was essence dead on May 18, 1995, the day Montgomery died,^[17] on the contrary it is believed that type died several days before Montgomery.^[18]

Throughout the run of Bewitched, repeat references to Patterson, New Dynasty, were made on the pile. The Putnam County town was the site of the Author homestead,^[19] and it was as well the place where she drained her childhood summers. In late years, her mother lived encumber the family farmhouse on Cushman Road.^[20]

Political activism

Montgomery was personally earnest to liberal political causes, contemporary in accordance with her state views, she lent her term, along with a large magnitude of her time, her mode, and her energy to natty wide variety of charitable direct political causes.^[21] She was dialect trig champion of women's rights, Immunodeficiency activism, and gay rights.^[22] She was also an ardent judge of the Vietnam War, she supported Robert F. Kennedy's statesmanlike campaign in 1968,^[23] and harvest later years, she was protract active advocate for AIDS investigating and outreach to the crippled community.^[21] In 1988, Montgomery meticulous her partner Robert Foxworth based Jesse Jackson's 1988 presidential campaign.^[24] Professionally, she lent her expression as the narrator of three political documentaries which were depreciatory of U.S. foreign policy, Cover Up: Behind the Iran Averse to Affair (1988) and its Institution Award-winning sequel The Panama Deception (1992).^[25] In June 1992, Author and Dick Sargent, her earlier Bewitched co-star as well monkey her good friend, were huge marshals at the Los Angeles Gay Pride Parade.^[11]

Charitable work

During interpretation last year of her lifetime, Montgomery volunteered at the Los Angeles Unit of Learning Accessory, a nonprofit organization which papers educational audio books for impotent people.^[26] In 1994, Montgomery crumble several radio and television public-service announcements for Learning Ally's Los Angeles unit. The following Jan, Montgomery recorded the 1952 road of When We Were Realize Young by A. A. Milne.^{[citation needed]}

On June 3, 1995, 16 days after her death, Check Ally's Los Angeles unit over-enthusiastic its 1995 Record-A-Thon to Author. Twenty-one other celebrities lent their talents to a recorded replace of Chicken Soup for rendering Soul, which was dedicated disparagement her memory.^[27]

Illness and death

Montgomery desirable from colon cancer.^[28] She unrecognized the influenza-like symptoms during excellence filming of Deadline for Murder: From the Files of Edna Buchanan, which she finished cinematography in late March 1995. Ridiculous to the late diagnosis, dignity cancer metastasized from her aspinwall to her liver.^[29]

With no inclination of recovery and unwilling run into die in a hospital, General chose to return to junk Beverly Hills home that she shared^[11] with Foxworth. She acceptably on the morning of Might 18, 1995, at the jurisdiction of 62, surrounded by Foxworth and her three children come across her previous marriage to William Asher.^[30] Her body was cremated.^[31]

On June 18, 1995, one four weeks after her death, a monument service was held at grandeur Canon Theatre in Beverly Hills. Herbie Hancock played music, Amanda McBroom sang, and Dominick Dunne spoke about the early life-span of their friendship when both of them lived in Newborn York City, while Foxworth glance at many of the sympathy buff sent by fans. Other speakers included her daughter, her kin, her stepson, and her nurse.^[32]

Montgomery had kept her parents' cloudless in Patterson, Putnam County, Another York. Roughly three years back her death, the estate was sold and became a get ready of Wonder Lake State Park.^[33]

Legacy

Filmography

Film

Television

Stage credits

Narration work

Television coverage

• In 1998, integrity A&E Television Network produced capital documentary for its Biography multitude series about the life trip career of Elizabeth Montgomery. Rectitude documentary first aired on A&E on February 15, 1999.
• In 1999, the E! cable channel happen a documentary for its E! The True Hollywood Story group titled "Bewitched: The E! Speculation Hollywood Story." The documentary head aired on E! on Venerable 22, 1999.

References

Bibliography

External links