Twitch Upon a Star

by Herbie J. Pilato

  Elizabeth Montgomery may have placed too much emphasis on age, and she may or may not have made the best choices with regard to her health, consciously or subconsciously. Either way, she died much too young and long before her time.

  Instead of expiring at a ripe old age, following the climactic incidents of what, by most accounts (wealth, fame, good looks) was a happy (public and private) life, Elizabeth swiftly withered away, taking with her extraordinary occurrences, circumstances, and situation comedies and dramas. Instead of her death momentously culminating with a massive celebrity funeral that could have easily been monitored by a widespread audience as a spectacular turn of events, she protected with great dignity a personal agony from becoming a three-ring circus (that she would never have invited to town).

  She gave herself little credit for artistic accomplishments that also failed to win the formal acceptance of her peers. Her life had been full, exciting, difficult, short, and then she died, without the usual large-scale Hollywood horns and whistles services that have become popular in recent years.

  Sometime before or after that, Lizzie’s body was cremated, and she departed into a timeless realm, a world of the ageless.

  Beyond the unbreakable bond with her devoted children, Lizzie’s most intimate relationships with husbands and friends were not always the lengthiest. Her link with her parents, particularly her father, wasn’t always the healthiest. Although she never won the coveted TV Emmy amulet and once deemed herself unworthy of any “Mother-of-the-Year” award, the lives of everyone she touched—be they family members, co-workers, peers, recipients of her altruism, once-close friends, or all-too-distant fans—were indelibly changed forever, and for the better.

  For the ever-shy Lizzie, such illumination, by way of her celebrated birth in the limelight to later carving out her own celebrity status, came with a lofty price. The public perception of the fanciful Samantha, coupled with the high expectations of her father and her lack of confidence, was overwhelming, even for someone who was used to the glimmer and clutter of Hollywood. Robert Montgomery, her most influential relative, may have been her severest critic. Rebecca Allen, her most beloved grandmother, may have been her most loving influence. But Lizzie herself was her own worst enemy.

  She lacked certain career ambitions, but still pushed herself too hard. She was raised in a chic environment, but her surroundings were underpinned with a weak foundation. She craved the average life, clamored for it away from what often becomes the false glitter of Hollywood. As an adult, she rejoiced in the simplest of pleasures, whether seeing a movie or sharing a pizza (as she would sometimes do with the crew on any one of her TV sets). Such everyday experiences were foreign and nonexistent in her protected and privileged youth.

  But as she matured, she retained a youthful spirit. She abhorred haughtiness, but at times could be perceived as much too proud. She welcomed routine conversation, but entertained power-lunch types. She reveled in the spectacle of everyday living, but like most TV and film personalities, felt the periodic anguish that was magnified by celebrity status—a status that was placed upon her extremely likable persona. As Bill Asher said on 1999’s Bewitched: The E! True Hollywood Story, it was “hard not to” like Elizabeth.

  Asher met the criteria of the father-figure type that frequently caught her eye, an appeal also evident in her second marriage to Gig Young, whom she wed after divorcing her first husband Fred Cammann, who was her contemporary in age (she was twenty-one, he was twenty-four).

  Her fourth husband Bob Foxworth was eight years her junior and fell outside the confines of the father-figure scenario, although his first name matched that of her dad’s. They had met on the set of Mrs. Sundance in 1973, two years after the original network demise of Bewitched, not one episode of which Foxworth had ever seen and a creative staple that Lizzie wanted to leave behind. She was immediately enchanted with Foxworth who in turn fell expediently under her still potent spell.

  Had she and Cammann met at a later time and place, their marriage may have stood the test of time. Instead they wed too young amidst the sophomoric pretense of high society that left them ill-prepared to meet the responsibilities required to make a mature marriage work.

  Lizzie was a sophisticated and cultured descendent of American royalty, a royalty that may have had a skeleton or two in its closets, but royalty nonetheless. Throughout it all, she was still imbued with a delightful candor and near naiveté that some in even the most economically challenged families may never grasp. Although not metaphysical like Samantha, she was just as heavenly in her appeal. She may have lacked the magical capabilities of her most celebrated role, but that only meant she was a mere mortal like the rest of us, flaws and all. We’re all human. We all make mistakes. To quote the title of Doug Tibbles’ third-season opening Bewitched episode— the show’s first color segment, and one in which we learn that Sam and Darrin’s little daughter Tabitha has supernatural powers just like her mom— “Nobody’s Perfect.”

  Although Lizzie lived a colorful life, textured with various hues, she did not have super powers like Samantha or even Tabitha, but she retained a super spirit. Even in her darkest hour, she shined her bright light, and we all basked in her glow.

  With or without conscious clarity of her mission, she accomplished extraordinary levels of charitable work, via the fame by which she felt sometimes burdened. For her it was the worst of times, the best of times. The fun, enchanting woman that bewitched us all was periodically bothered and bewildered by an era that she helped create. She seemed much too ready and only strong enough to “pop out” one last time, possessing until the end a complex inner glow and beauty that was coupled with an insecurity that at times was publicly perceived as unassuming poise, and yet a legitimate poise, refined in the finishing school of life.

  Overwrought by an underlining thread of sorrow that seeped into, was expressed by, and heralded in her later dramatic TV films, her psyche may have been drained. Pummeled by colorectal cancer, her body had no chance of recovery. Overpowered and racked with emotion, she may not have lost the will to live, but merely succumbed to the difficult decision to die.

  Yet before it was too late, prior to the unbearable pain, there was a break in the black cloud of her turmoil. Knowing Lizzie, she realized it was okay to be remembered and so dearly loved by so many people so many years after she turned the world on with her twitch. She realized that, in the eyes of those who love truly, in the big picture, flaws and blemishes, physical or otherwise, are endearing, identifiable, and ultimately acceptable, leading to growth of the soul.

  From this perspective, and in the eyes of millions, she remains a supernatural presence in the fondest way. Her physical being is no longer here, but her metaphysical spirit remains with countless performances: recorded on television, in film, online, in audio, in print, in word, and in deed.

  Although not especially religious, she was a spiritual person. For as she once said, rather profoundly, in reflecting on the true priorities of her life and career, “I think of God as the beauty of life. It’s loving and being loved.”

  For family members, friends, colleagues, and countless fans, she was and remains both loving and loved. Elizabeth Montgomery may be gone from this world, but Lizzie is nowhere near forgotten by this world. She lives on in her work and in the cherished memories of those who knew her personally and in what has come to be known in certain esoteric circles as the collective subconscious.

  Along this mystical, magical stream of thought, some believe our journey is mostly a spiritual one, with our final destination likened to a rocket soaring into space. The pieces of us that we don’t need, namely, all the negative stuff, melt away as we move closer to what some call the “Light,” until all that is left is the little capsule that holds our soul.

  If true, and why not believe it so, then Lizzie’s capsule is missing her father’s critical voice, her own self-doubt, the failed relationships, the dark performances, the Emmy losses, the political divide, her missteps, an
d any and all disease.

  All that’s left are the positive, productive thoughts—the happy horseback rides, the victories, all of the hugs and kisses she gave and received, her carefree spirit, the countless hours of laughter she instilled by way of her more joyful performances, the generous acts of loving-kindness that she displayed and experienced, and the indelible spark of intelligence that gleamed in her pretty green eyes—all bundled together, magnified, and multiplied somewhere above. It is her good deeds, fine work, and noble heart, mind, and soul which have become her immeasurable, priceless, and immortal legacy on Earth.

  As her friend Bud Baker wrote nearly fifty years ago, using one of her favorite words, “Bad tomorrows don’t exist for her,” from here on in, “they’re all going to be good for her. That’s the great rudder in the turbulent waters of show business, this sense of balance. There is always going to be a dawn and green grass and sun, kids to play with and footballs to kick…. She’s having fun.”

  In this sense, Elizabeth’s … Lizzie’s … Lizbel’s ethereal essence is somewhere beautiful, nose-wriggling the light fantastic, leaving Hollywood to wonder if it will ever again emanate a more luminary … twitch upon a star.

  “We are quicksilver, a fleeting shadow, a distant sound. Our home has no boundaries beyond which we cannot pass. We live in music, a flash of color. We live on the wind and in the sparkle of a star.”

  —The Bewitched witches’ anthem

  APPENDIX

  LIVE ON STAGE

  Brigadoon (summer stock, circa 1952)

  Biography (summer stock, Luise Rainer Company, circa 1952)

  Late Love (National Theatre and the Booth Theatre, Broadway, 1953)

  Opened: 10-13-53 Closed: 1-2-54 Performances: 95

  The Loud Red Patrick (Ambassador Theatre, Broadway, 1956)

  Opened: 10-3-56 Closed: 12-22-56 Performances: 93

  Romanoff and Juliet (summer stock, Plymouth Theatre, 1956)

  Opened: 10-10-56 Closed: unknown Performances: 389

  Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (Bell Theatre, Los Angeles, 1978)

  Opened: 3-5-78 Closed: 3-11-78 Performances: approximately 9

  Love Letters (1989, The Promenade, Off-Broadway/Edison Theatre on Broadway)

  Opened: 10-31-89 Closed: 1-21-90 Performances: 96

  TV GUEST STAR ROLES

  Robert Montgomery Presents (NBC, 1950–57, 60 minutes, twenty-eight episodes):

  “Top Secret” (12-3-51), “The Half-Millionaire a.k.a. The Vise” (7-6-53), “Two of a Kind” (7-13-53), “A Summer Love” (7-20-53), “Anne’s Story” (7-27-53), “Duet for Two Hands” (8-3-53), “Red Robin Rides Again” (8-10-53), “Pierce 3098” a.k.a. “Whom Death Has Joined Together” (8-27-53), “Grass Roots” (8-24-53), “Our Hearts Were Young and Gay” (2-15-54), “Once Upon a Time” (5-31-54), “In His Hands” (6-28-54), “The Expert” a.k.a. “The Marriage Expert” (7-5-54), “Story on Eleventh Street” (7-12-54), “It Happened in Paris” (7-19-54), “Patricia” (7-26-54), “Home Town” (8-2-54), “About Sara Caine” (8-9-54), “Personal Story” (8-23-54), “A Matter of Luck” (8-30-54), “The People You Meet” (9-6-54), “Ten Minute Alibi” (9-13-54), “The Baobab Tree” (4-23-56), “Dream No More” (7-21-56), “Catch a Falling Star” (7-23-56), “Southern Exposure” (7-30-56), “The Company Wife” (8-27-56), “Mr. Parker’s Rhubarb” (9-3-56)

  Armstrong Circle Theatre (NBC/CBS, 1950–63, 30/60 minutes, two episodes):

  “The Right Approach” (6-2-53), “The Millstone” (1-19-54)

  Kraft Television Theatre (NBC, 1947–58, 60 minutes, six episodes):

  “The Light is Cold” (9-22-54), “Patterns” (1-12-55, 2-9-55), “The Diamond as Big as the Ritz” (9-28-55), “The Last Showdown” (4-11-56), “The Long Arm” (7-11-56), “The Duel” (3-6-57)

  Studio One in Hollywood (CBS, 1948–58, 60 minutes, three episodes):

  “Summer Pavilion” (5-2-55), “The Drop of A Hat” (5-7-56), “A Dead Ringer” (3-10-58)

  Appointment with Adventure (CBS, 1955–56, 60 minutes, two episodes):

  “Relative Stranger” (11-20-55), “All Through the Night” (2-5-56)

  Warner Brothers Presents (ABC, 1955–56, 60 minutes): “Siege” (2-14-56)

  Climax! (CBS, 1954–58, 60 minutes): “The Shadow of Evil” (5-24-56)

  Playhouse 90 (CBS, 1956–60, 90 minutes): “Bitter Heritage” (8-7-58)

  Suspicion (NBC, 1957–59, 60 minutes): “The Velvet Vault” (5-19-58)

  The DuPont Show of the Month (CBS, 1957–61, 90 minutes): “Harvey” (9-22-58)

  Cimarron City (NBC, 1958–60, 60 minutes): “Hired Hand” (11-15-58)

  Alfred Hitchcock Presents (CBS, 1955–62, 30 minutes): “Man with a Problem” (11-16-58)

  The Loretta Young Show (NBC, 1953–61, 30 minutes): “Marriage Crisis” (2-15-59)

  The Third Man (BBC, syndicated in U.S., 1959–65, 30 minutes): “A Man Takes a Trip” (4-15-59)

  Riverboat (NBC, 1959–61, 60 minutes): “The Barrier” (9-20-59)

  Johnny Staccato (NBC/ABC, 1959–60, 60 minutes): Tempted (11-19-59)

  Wagon Train (NBC, 1957–65, 60 minutes): “The Vittorio Bottecelli Story” (12-16-59)

  The Tab Hunter Show (NBC, 1960–61, 30 minutes): “For Money or Love” (9-25-60)

  Alcoa Presents: One Step Beyond (ABC, 1959–61, 30 minutes): “The Death Waltz” (10-4-60).

  The Untouchables (ABC, 1959–63, 60 minutes): “The Rusty Heller Story” (10-13-60)

  The Twilight Zone (CBS, 1959–64, 30/60 minutes): “Two” (9-15-61)

  Thriller (NBC, 1960–62, 60 minutes): “Masquerade” (10-30-61)

  Frontier Circus (CBS, 1961–62, 60 minutes): “Karina” (11-9-61)

  Checkmate (CBS, 1960–62, 60 minutes): “The Star System” (1-10-62)

  Alcoa Premiere (ABC, 1961–63, 60/30 minutes): “Mr. Lucifer” (11-1-62)

  Saints and Sinners (NBC, 1962–63, 60 minutes): “The Home-Coming Bit” (1-7-63)

  Boston Terrier (6-11-63, 30 minutes, ABC): “Salem Witch Hunt”

  Burke’s Law (ABC, 1963–66, 60 minutes, two episodes): “Who Killed Mr. X?” (9-27-63), “Who Killed His Royal Highness?” (2-21-64)

  Rawhide (CBS, 1959–66, 60 minutes): “Incident at El Crucero” (10-10-63)

  77 Sunset Strip (ABC, 1958–64, 60 minutes): “White Lie” (10-25-63)

  The Eleventh Hour (NBC, 1962–64, 60 minutes): “The Bronze Locust” (11-6-63)

  Bewitched (ABC, 1964–72)

  Season One (1964–65)

  1) “I Darrin, Take This Witch, Samantha”; 2) “Be It Ever So Mortgaged”; 3) “Mother, Meet What’s His Name?”; 4) “It Shouldn’t Happen to a Dog”; 5) “Help, Help, Don’t Save Me”; 6) “Little Pitchers Have Big Fears”; 7) “The Witches Are Out”; 8) “The Girl Reporter”; 9) “Witch or Wife”; 10) “Just One Happy Family”; 11) “It Takes One to Know One”; 12) “… And Something Makes Three”; 13) “Love is Blind”; 14) “Samantha Meets the Folks”; 15) “A Vision of Sugar Plums”; 16) “It’s Magic”; 17) “A is for Aardvark”; 18) “The Cat’s Meow”; 19) “A Nice Little Dinner Party”; 20) “Your Witch is Showing”; 21) “Ling Ling”; 22) “Eye of the Beholder”; 23) “Red Light, Green Light”; 24) “Which Witch is Which?”; 25) “Pleasure O’Riley”; 26) “Driving is the Only Way to Fly”; 27) “There’s No Witch Like an Old Witch”; 28) “Open the Door, Witchcraft”; 29) “Abner Kadabra”; 30) “George the War-lock”; 31) “That Was My Wife”; 32) “Illegal Separation”; 33) “A Change of Face”; 34) “Remember the Main”; 35) “Eat at Mario’s”; 36) “Cousin Edgar”

  Season Two (1965–66)

  37) “Alias Darrin Stephens”; 38) “A Very Special Delivery”; 39) “We’re in for a Bad Spell”; 40) “My Grandson, the Warlock”; 41) “The Joker is a Card”; 42) “Take Two Aspirins and Half a Pint of Porpoise Milk”; 43) “Trick or Treat”; 44) “The Very Informal Dress”; 45) “And Then I Wrote”; 46) “Junior Executive”; 47) “Aunt Clara’s Old Flame”; 48) “A Strange Little Visi
tor”; 49) “My Boss the Teddy Bear”; 50) “Speak the Truth”; 51) “A Vision of Sugarplums”; 52) “The Magic Cabin”; 53) “Maid to Order”; 54) “And Then There Were Three”; 55) “My Baby the Tycoon”; 56) “Samantha Meets the Folks”; 57) “Fastest Gun on Madison Avenue”; 58) “The Dancing Bear”; 59) “Double Tate”; 60) “Samantha the Dressmaker”; 61) “The Horse’s Mouth”; 62) “Baby’s First Paragraph”; 63) “The Leprechaun”; 64) “Double Split”; 65) “Disappearing Samantha”; 66) “Follow that Witch (Part One)”; 67) “Follow that Witch (Part Two)”; 68) “A Bum Raps”; 69) “Divided He Falls”; 70) “Man’s Best Friend”; 71) “The Catnapper”; 72) “What Every Young Man Should Know”; 73) “The Girl with the Golden Nose”; 74) “Prodigy”

  Season Three (1966–67)

  75) “Nobody’s Perfect”; 76) “The Moment of Truth”; 77) “Witches and Warlocks Are My Favorite Things”; 78) “Accidental Twins”; 79) “A Most Unusual Wood Nymph”; 80) “Endora Moves in for a Spell”; 81) “Twitch or Treat”; 82) “Dangerous Diaper Dan”; 83) “The Short Happy Circuit of Aunt Clara”; 84) “I’d Rather Twitch Than Fight”; 85) “Oedipus Hex”; 86) “Sam’s Spooky Chair”; 87) “My Friend Ben (Part One)”; 88) “Samantha for the Defense (Part Two)”; 89) “A Gazebo Never Forgets”; 90) “Soap Box Derby”; 91) “Sam in the Moon”; 92) “Ho Ho the Clown”; 93) “Super Car”; 94) “The Corn is as High as a Guernsey’s Eye”; 95) “The Trial and Error of Aunt Clara”; 96) “Three Wishes”; 97) “I Remember You … Sometimes”; 98) “Art for Sam’s Sake”; 99) “Charlie Harper, Winner”; 100) “Aunt Clara’s Victoria Victory”; 101) “The Crone of Cawdor”; 102) “No More Mr. Nice Guy”; 103) “It’s Wishcraft”; 104) “How to Fail in Business with All Kinds of Help”; 105) “Bewitched, Bothered and Infuriated”; 106) “Nobody But a Frog Knows How to Live”; 107) “There’s Gold in Them There Pills”

  Season Four (1967–68)

  108) “Long Live the Queen”; 109) “Toys in Babeland”; 110) “Business, Italian Style”; 111) “Double, Double Toil and Trouble”; 112) “Cheap, Cheap”; 113) “No Zip in My Zap”; 114) “Birdies, Bogeys and Baxter”; 115) “The Safe and Sane Halloween”; 116) “Out of Synch, Out of Mind”; 117) “That Was No Chick, That Was My Wife”; 118) “Allergic to Ancient Macedonian Dodo Birds”; 119) “Samantha’s Thanksgiving to Remember”; 120) “Solid Gold Mother-in-Law”; 121) “My, What Big Ears You Have”; 122) “I Get Your Nanny, You Get My Goat”; 123) “Humbug Not Spoken Here”; 124) “Samantha’s Da Vinci Dilemma”; 125) “Once in a Vial”; 126) “Snob in the Grass”; 127)” If They Never Met”; 128) “Hippie, Hippie, Hooray”; 129) “A Prince of a Guy”; 130) “McTavish”; 131) “How Green Was My Grass”; 132) “To Twitch Or Not To Twitch”; 133) “Playmates”; 134) “Tabitha’s Cranky Spell”; 135) “I Confess”; 136) “A Majority of Two”; 137) “Samantha’s Secret Saucer”; 138) “The No-Harm Charm”; 139) “Man of the Year”; 140) “Splitsville”