Elizabeth Montgomery

'Elizabeth Montgomery' (qv) was born into show business. Her parents were screen actor 'Robert Montgomery' (qv) and Broadway actress 'Elizabeth Allen' (qv). Elizabeth graduated from the Spence School in New York City and attended the Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York. After three years' intensive training, she made her TV debut in her father's 1950s playhouse series 'Robert Montgomery' (qv) Presents (1950) and appeared in more than 200 live programs over the next decade. She once remarked, "I guess you could say I'm a TV baby." Notable early film roles included _The Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell (1955)_ (qv) and _Johnny Cool (1963)_ (qv). However, she is best remembered for her leading role as the witch Samantha in the top-rated ABC sitcom _Bewitched (1964)_ (qv). Her family - mother Endora ('Agnes Moorehead' (qv)), look-alike cousin (Montgomery) and advertising executive husband Darrin (first 'Dick York' (qv) then 'Dick Sargent' (qv)) - tried to suppress her supernatural skills but often turned to her tricks to solve problems. The signal of impending witchcraft was a twitch of Samantha's nose. After her first and only TV series ended she turned to made-for-TV movies, many of which won critical praise: _A Case of Rape (1974)_ (qv), _The Legend of Lizzie Borden (1975)_ (qv), _Black Widow Murders: The Blanche Taylor Moore Story (1993)_ (qv). She narrated the movie _The Panama Deception (1992)_ (qv) which won an Academy Award in 1993. Reference works showed her as 62 when she died though the family said she was 57. The family did not disclose the type of cancer which caused her death.::Ed Stephan < stephan@cc.wwu.edu>