Elizabeth Montgomery Movies
The daughter of film star Robert Montgomery, Elizabeth Montgomery made her television bow on her father's popular 1950s anthology series. Her first film was 1955's The Court Martial of Billy Mitchell, for which she was generously reviewed as one of the most dynamic young actresses of her time. Often cast in hypertense roles, Montgomery won an Emmy for her portrayal of a conniving gun moll on a 1959 episode of TV's The Untouchables. She shifted to domestic comedy with ease in the role of Samantha Stephens, the attractive witch heroine of the long-running (1964-1973) TV sitcom Bewitched. After this project folded, Montgomery returned to dramatic roles with a vengeance, spending the next two decades starring as abused, beleaguered women in such TV movies as A Case of Rape (1974) and The Legend of Lizzie Borden (1975). In her last made-for-TV project, Montgomery portrayed real-life reporter Edna Buchanan. Among Elizabeth Montgomery's husbands were actors Gig Young, producer/director William Asher, and Robert Foxworth. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 1972
Darrin blows his top again, when he thinks that Samantha has used witchcraft to create a winning ad slogan. As it turns out, Sam does help Darrin, albeit in the time-honored "trial and error" fashion preferred by those irksome mortals. J. Edward McKinley, one of the series' stable of recurring character actors, is once more cast as Darrin's client, this time a man named Benson. First broadcast on March 11, 1972, "A Good Turn Never Goes Unpunished" was written by Bernie Kahn. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Elizabeth Montgomery, Dick Sargent, (more)
- 1972
Endora casts a spell on a unicorn-shaped pin, causing all mortals who come within the pin's vicinity to speak nothing but the truth. Not unexpectedly, this hex wreaks havoc on Samantha and Darrin's dinner party for Darrin's new client, Ed Franklin (Parley Baer) and Ed's wife, Cora Mae (Sara Seegar). Written by Ed Jurist, "The Truth, Nothing but the Truth, So Help Me" was originally telecast on March 25, 1972, as the 252nd and final episode of Bewitched. Even if this once-popular series had not fallen victim to the usual attrition of eight seasons on the air, it would have been killed by ABC's boneheaded decision to reschedule Bewitched opposite CBS' Saturday-night blockbuster All in the Family. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Elizabeth Montgomery, Dick Sargent, (more)
- 1972
Bumbling Esmerelda is pressed into service to babysit young Ralph (Ricky Powell), the son of Darrin's new client, Mr. Norton (Richard X. Slattery). In the course of the evening, Esmerelda takes it upon herself to tell Ralph that she's a witch, performing several disastrous acts of witchcraft to prove her point. It is up to Samantha to run damage control by claiming that Esmerelda is really a professional magician. Written by Philip Sharp and Henry Sharp, "Samantha's Magic Sitter" first aired on January 5, 1972. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Elizabeth Montgomery, Dick Sargent, (more)
- 1972
Given Elizabeth Montgomery's usual choice of TV-movie roles, it's no surprise that she's the star of Victim. Montgomery plays a wealthy woman who is isolated in her home when a fierce storm knocks out the electricity. Repairing to the cellar, she stumbles across the body of her sister. It logically follows that the killer is still in the house and that you-know-who is next on her list. Victim made its TV debut on November 14, 1972, not long after Montgomery's Bewitched series breathed its last breath. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Elizabeth Montgomery
- 1972
The board of education insists that Tabitha can no longer be home taught; thus, the girl is enrolled in Miss Vogel's second grade class. Annoyed by class bully Charlton Rollnick (Michael Hughes), Tabitha transforms the troublesome youngster into a frog, then "adopts" him as a pet. Maudie Prickett, who played Tabitha's harried nursery-school teacher in the fourth-season Bewitched episode "I Don't Want to Be a Toad," is here seen as Miss Vogel. Others in the cast are Nita Talbot as Charlton's mother and Allen Jenkins as the janitor. First telecast February 12, 1972, "Tabitha's First Day at School" was written by Ed Jurist. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Elizabeth Montgomery, Dick Sargent, (more)
- 1972
Will Geer guest stars as George Washington, who has been accidentally zapped into the 20th century by bumbling Esmerelda. Impressed at the progress made by the country which he fathered, Washington decides to exercise his right of free speech in a local park. As a result, he is arrested for creating a public disturbance and threatening a policeman, forcing Samantha to do some quick witchery. Thad Geer, son of Will Geer, appears as a hippie. The first episode of a two-part story, "George Washington Zapped Here" was written by Michael Morris and originally aired on February 19, 1972. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Elizabeth Montgomery, Dick Sargent, (more)
- 1972
In the second episode of a two-part story, Esmerelda again accidentally causes George Washington (Will Geer) to materialize in the Stephens living room -- and this time George has brought along his wife, Martha (Jane Connell). As Mrs. Washington drinks in the wonders of Samantha's modern kitchen, George insists upon defending himself in court from the public disturbance and assault charges he'd accrued in the previous week's episode. To top it off, Larry and Darrin lose an account thanks to Washington's inability to tell a lie. Written by Michael Morris, "Father of Our Country" first aired on February 26, 1972. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Elizabeth Montgomery, Dick Sargent, (more)
- 1972
Doting grandmother Endora transforms little Tabitha into a seven-year-old genius. Long-suffering Samantha and Darrin convince Tabitha's teacher, Mrs. Peabody (Maudie Prickett), and principal, Mr. Roland (Charles Lane), not to give the girl preferential treatment, but how will Sam handle the fact that Mrs. Peabody has seen Tabitha perform witchcraft in front of the classroom? Apparently, there is only one solution: Tell the whole truth, and reveal to the world that Sam, Tabitha, and Endora are all genuine witches! Written by Michael Morris, "School Daze, School Daze" originally aired on March 4, 1972. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Elizabeth Montgomery, Dick Sargent, (more)
- 1972
Darrin is perplexed when Samantha suddenly gains weight -- several tons, in fact -- while outwardly remaining her usual thin self. Dr. Bombay diagnoses the ailment as "Gravititis Inflammitis," then helpfully prescribes an antidote. As usual, the cure is worse than the disease; now Sam is so light of weight that she literally floats away. And also as usual, the entire situation serves to benefit the ad firm of McMann and Tate. Written by Michael Morris, "Samantha Is Earthbound" originally aired on January 15, 1972, the same day that Bewitched moved from its Wednesday-night timeslot to a Saturday berth opposite CBS' All in the Family. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Elizabeth Montgomery, Dick Sargent, (more)
- 1972
Worried that she's losing her powers, Samantha's lookalike cousin, Serena, decides to settle down to mortal-hood. So that she won't have to bother herself with such exigencies as finding honest work, Serena aims to wed Darrin's wealthiest client, Harrison Woolcott (Peter Lawford). Realizing that such a union would be disastrous, Sam tries to break up the romance, only to be beaten to the punch by one Contessa Piranha (Ellen Weston). Written by Michael Morris, "Serena's Richcraft" first aired on January 22, 1972. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Elizabeth Montgomery, Dick Sargent, (more)
- 1972
Impatient with the slowness of "mortal" skating lessons, Endora cuts to the chase by transforming her granddaughter into a world-class figure skater. Almost immediately, the legendary Billy "Blades" Bookoltzer wants to audition Tabitha for the Olympics, forcing Samantha to take drastic action. Real-life Olympic skating champ Bob Paul appears as Tabitha's nonplussed instructor. Written by Richard Baer, "Samantha on Thin Ice" originally aired on January 29, 1972. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Elizabeth Montgomery, Dick Sargent, (more)
- 1972
Smitten by Larry Tate, Samantha's lookalike cousin Serena slips Larry a pill which makes him progressively younger. Astonished at his rejuvenation, Larry tries to talk Darrin into marketing the pill, little realizing that the side effects would transform the nation's male population into children. Ted Foulkes and David Hayward play the younger versions of Larry Tate (David White). Written by Michael Morris, "Serena's Youth Pill" first aired on February 5, 1972. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Elizabeth Montgomery, Dick Sargent, (more)
- 1971
Endora's latest spell causes Darrin to crack bad jokes at the most inappropriate times. When he begins laughing hysterically at the misfortunes of his humorless client, Jameson (Charles Lane), and Jameson's equally taciturn wife (Ysabel MacCloskey), it looks as though Darrin is once more headed for the unemployment line. But with Samantha's help, Darrin has the last laugh on Endora. A pre-Bob Newhart Show Marcia Wallace appears as Betty. Written by Ed Jurist, "Laugh, Clown, Laugh" first aired on April 15, 1971. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Elizabeth Montgomery, Dick Sargent, (more)
- 1971
Esmerelda is in another funk and Samantha takes it upon herself to restore the maid/witch's confidence. To this end, Sam creates a magic mirror that makes Esmerelda seem younger and more attractive -- but only to herself. Even so, the results are quite surprising when Esmerelda is reunited with her 400-year-old warlock boyfriend, Ferdy (Tom Bosley). Originally telecast on April 8, 1971, "Samantha's Magic Mirror" was written by Ed Jurist. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Elizabeth Montgomery, Dick Sargent, (more)
- 1971
Samantha suffers guilt feelings when she uses witchcraft to do her housework, and her guilt is compounded when Darrin refuses to get mad. As a result, Sam comes down with a bad case of the hiccups, causing expensive gifts to magically appear in the Stephens household. A blessing in disguise? Not quite: All of the "gifts" have been zapped from a local department store, and before long, a team of detectives comes a-knocking at the Stephenses' door. Dr. Bombay finally reveals that Sam's current dilemma is merely a matter of semantics -- or more specifically, bad spelling. Written by John L. Greene, "Samantha's Psychic Pslip" first aired on April 1, 1971. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Elizabeth Montgomery, Dick Sargent, (more)
- 1971
Up to her usual mischief, Endora transforms Darrin into a ten-year-old boy (Gene Andrusco). So as to avoid embarrassing questions, Samantha passes off little Darrin as his own nephew Marvin. While in his "reduced" state, Darrin gets into a stew-literally-with his new client, food manufacturer "Mother" Flanagan (David Huddleston). Written by Michael Morris, "Out of the Mouths of Babes" originally aired on March 25, 1971. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Elizabeth Montgomery, Dick Sargent, (more)
- 1971
Darrin blows his stack at Endora for magically creating unaffordable luxuries for her grandchildren. Later on, Darrin finds an envelope full of money in a taxi. Assuming that the money was Endora's handiwork, Darrin launches into an argument with Samantha, which ends with Sam "zapping" the cash out of existence. Only one trouble: The money really belonged to a bookie named Rudolph Kosko (Arch Johnson), who has a habit of breaking the bones of those who renege on their debts. Allen Jenkins, who appeared in the previous week's episode as a crooked hunter, is here cast as the cab driver. Written by Milt Rosen, "Money Happy Returns" first aired on March 18, 1971. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Elizabeth Montgomery, Dick Sargent, (more)
- 1971
This time around, Endora has turned Darrin into a gorilla. As Samantha struggles to undo the spell, the now-hirsute Darrin is forced to evade a pair of crooked hunters named Alex (Allen Jenkins) and Pete (Milton Selzer), who are seeking a mate for their 400-pound female ape. Herb Vigran appears in his standard characterization as a flustered police sergeant. Written by Leo Townsend and Pauline Townsend, "Darrin Goes Ape" originally aired on March 11, 1971. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Elizabeth Montgomery, Dick Sargent, (more)
- 1971
Thanks to a molecular mix-up, Samantha and her friend, Louise Tate, exchange personalities. As Dr. Bombay seeks out a remedy (involving the marrow from a tiger's tooth), Sam endeavors to save Louise and Larry's marriage. The brief scene in which Elizabeth Montgomery (Sam) chastely shares a bed with David White (Larry) should amuse those viewers who can recall that 1960 episode of The Untouchables, wherein Montgomery played White's flashy mistress. First telecast on March 4, 1971, "Mixed Doubles" was written by Richard Baer. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Elizabeth Montgomery, Dick Sargent, (more)
- 1971
Endora's latest spell transforms Darrin into an indecisive clod. Once this bit has been squeezed dry, Endora endeavors to prove that Darrin is quite literally pig-headed. The results: Neighbor Gladys Kravitz is all shook up and another ad campaign is placed in jeopardy until Samantha can bring the situation under control. Herbert Edelman guest stars as a Colonel Sanders-ish fast food tycoon. Written by Ed Jurist, "This Little Piggy" was originally slated to air on February 18, 1971, but was seen instead on February 25. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Elizabeth Montgomery, Dick Sargent, (more)
- 1971
In the seventh episode of a seven-part story arc, Samantha and Darrin conclude their vacation abroad with a visit to an ancient British castle hotel. Like most such structures, the castle is haunted by a ghost, namely Henry, Eighth Duke of Whitset (Patrick Horgan), who falls madly in love with Sam. When she refuses to return his affections, the persistent Henry possesses the body of Darrin, who of course gets into a passel of trouble as a consequence. Written by Ed Jurist, "The Ghost Who Made a Spectre of Himself" originally aired on October 27, 1971. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Elizabeth Montgomery, Dick Sargent, (more)
- 1971
In the sixth episode of a seven-part story arc, Samantha and Darrin arrive in Paris, only to face the wrath of Sam's father, Maurice. Incensed that the Stephenses did not pay him a visit in London, Maurice gets his revenge by sending Darrin to the top of the Eiffel Tower. Want to bet that this rash act will prove beneficial to Darrin's new client, European tour packager Henri Sagan (Maurice Marsac)? Written by Michael Morris, "Paris Witch's Style" first aired on October 20, 1971. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Elizabeth Montgomery, Dick Sargent, (more)
- 1971
In the fifth episode of a seven-part story arc, the Stephenses arrive in Rome, where Endora immediately makes her mark by bringing a statue of Venus to life. In her human state, the irresistible Venus (Francine York) causes trouble for Darrin by causing his client, Mr. Baldoni (Lou Krugman), to stray from his marital vows. There is nothing for Samantha to do but deflect Venus by "enlivening" a statue of Adonis. First telecast on October 13, 1971, "Bewitched, Bothered and Baldoni" was written by Michael Morris. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Elizabeth Montgomery, Dick Sargent, (more)
- 1971
In the fourth episode of a seven-part story arc, Samantha and Darrin are vacationing in Italy when Sam discovers that Esmerelda was the one who caused the tower of Pisa to lean way back in the 15th century. In endeavoring to make up for her past blunders, Esmerelda succeeds only in ruining the Pisa tourist trade. Everything is resolved by yet another "blast into the past," courtesy of Sam. Originally seen on October 6, 1971, "Samantha's Not So Leaning Tower of Pisa" was written by Ed Jurist. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Elizabeth Montgomery, Dick Sargent, (more)
- 1971
While visiting the Scottish village of Inverness, Samantha discovers that the legendary Loch Ness monster is actually a warlock named Bruce (Steve Franken), who was transformed into his present beastly state by his jealous girlfriend -- none other than Sam's lookalike cousin, Serena. In attempting to restore "Nessie" to human form, Sam must evade Baron Von Hauser (Bernie Kopell), who is determined to capture the monster and claim a three-million-dollar reward. But when all is said and done, it turns out that Sam should have left well enough alone. The third episode of a seven-part story arc, "Samantha and the Loch Ness Monster" was written by Michael Morris, and originally broadcast on September 29, 1971. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Elizabeth Montgomery, Dick Sargent, (more)
