After her parents divorced in 1950, Elizabeth lived in New York where her father had begun his successful television series "Robert Montgomery Presents", and it was here that she made her TV debut playing opposite her father in an episode entitled 'Top Secret'.
Elizabeth quickly became a prolific and
She made her big screen debut in 1955 in "The Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell" and although she would make two more feature films, it would be television that would make her a star.
In December 1963, Elizabeth starred in the pilot episode of Bewitched as the beautiful, good-hearted witch 'Samantha'. The first episode aired in 1964 and the show was an immediate success. By the end of the season, Bewitched was ABC's biggest hit ever and made "industry laughing stock ABC" the #1 television network in the top 50 urban markets nationwide. Bewitched was still ABC's top show at the end of the decade. Unfortunately, ABC's success demanded the show create nearly 40 episodes a year, placing a tremendous work load on the cast, writers, and crew. Near the show's end, Bewitched had to rewrite previous episodes just to keep up. By the final season, the show was burned out. ABC moved the show to Saturday night opposite All in the Family as a stop-gag measure to prevent further ratings erosion of that time slot. Bewitched held steady and the network requested 3 more years, but Elizabeth decided it was time to move on to other projects.
Miss Montgomery continued to work in television, becoming the first and foremost "TV Movie Queen" . She created a string of c TV films, including Mrs. Sundance, A Case of Rape, The Legend of Lizzie Borden., and The Awakening Land. Elizabeth worked steady in television, always garnering high ratings. Her final film Deadline for Murder was one of the highest rated movies of 1995.
She married four times, her first husband was Frederic Gallatin Cammann, a stage manager on her father's show, their marriage lasted a brief year. Next she wed actor Gig Young, they were divorced in 1963. Also the same year she wed I Love Lucy director & TV producer William Asher, who would be one of the driving forces behind "Bewitched". Together they had three children; William, Robert and Rebecca (all 3 born during the original run of Bewitched.) They were divorced in 1973 after "Bewitched" had ended. Her fourth and final husband was actor Robert Foxworth whom she married in 1993. They had been a couple since the early 1970's.
Elizabeth received the "Lucy Award" in 1995 for Innovation in Television.
In 1995, after a short bout with cancer, Elizabeth passed away in the home she shared with her family.
With less than a week until Halloween, you've got plenty of viewing to do.
The '60s sitcom featuring Elizabeth Montgomery as a suburban witch is getting redone, but which blonde actress should play the nose-twitching hottie?
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TV Land has erected a statue of Bewitched's Samantha Stephens in Salem, Massachusetts, a town famous for its 17th century witch trials. Many locals are in opposition to the statue and believe it is a mockery of the deadly trials.
I grew up watching 'Bewitched'. That, along with the original 'Mickey Mouse Club', was my favourite show as a child. I never missed an episode if I could help it and, although I was obviously too young to realise it at the time, it was mainly the amazing talents of 'the witches' in the show that made it so enjoyable for me.
'Bewitched' made the ABC Network number 1 in the ratings during a large part of its 8-year run. Elizabeth, as the good witch Samantha Stephens, was wonderful. She was witty, attractive and exactly what a 1960s housewife and mother was supposed to be, wholesome and loyal etc., with the one difference being that she just happened to have magical powers!
As I grew older, I watched Elizabeth give a chilling display as Lizzie Borden and play a rape victim who was not believed and how courageously her character coped with that trauma.
Her off-screen life as an adult tended to be turbulent at times. She had four husbands, one of whom was extremely violent, but found several years of happiness and had three children with William Asher, the brains behind 'Bewitched'. In later life, she lived with, then later married, 'Falcon Crest' actor, Robert Foxworth, with whom she remained until her death. A truly amazing lady who was loved by all who watched her work.
I am a big fan of yours. I have watched and taped every episode with you as Samantha Stephens in Bewitched.
I am living in a residential house because I have Aspergers Syndrome, which means I get stuck on magpies, I have been watching Bewitched with family and friends.
I would like to meet you for a cake and a hot chocolate one day.
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