Irene Vernon Movies

As a birthday present, Endora grants three wishes to Darrin; the only trouble is, she fails to inform Darrin. Later on, the hero expresses the wish to be "just like" his boss Larry Tate. In an instant, Darrin is transformed into Larry's exact lookalike -- and that's only the beginning, folks. Adding to the confusion is a bikinied beauty named Joyce (Kathy Francis), and an impatient client named Turgeon (Irwin Charone). Written by Paul Wayne, "Double Tate" was first telecast on February 17, 1966. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

At a dinner party, Samantha cannot conceal her contempt for the snobbish daughter (Julie Gregg) of Larry Tate's newest client, Mr. Kabaker (Martin Ashe). As a result of Sam's attitude, Darrin and Larry have a falling out -- and this time it looks like the rift is permanent. How can Sam set things right without resorting to witchcraft? Written by Howard Leeds, "Double Split" (the title makes sense in the long run) first aired on March 24, 1966. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Hoping to force Darrin to get out of the office and spend more time with Samantha, Endora contemplates the notion of turning Darrin's boss, Larry Tate, into a teddy bear. Though she quickly changes her mind through a series of zany complications, Darrin becomes convinced that Endora has carried out her threat. The episode reaches a high point of hilarity when a nervous Darrin purchases a toy store's entire stock of stuffed bears -- 34 in all. Written by Bernard Slade, "My Boss the Teddy Bear" first aired on December 9, 1965. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Hoping to help Darrin locate an exotic model for his latest ad campaign, Samantha transforms a Siamese cat into a gorgeous girl named Ling-Ling (Greta Chi). Unfortunately, Ling-Ling wants to remain in human form, and to that end she begins using her feline wiles on Darrin's handsome photographer, Walter Ames (Jeremy Slate). Now that Sam has (literally) let the cat out of the bag, she has to figure out a way to straighten out the mess. Written by Jerry Davis, "Ling-Ling" originally aired on February 11, 1965. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The big news in season two of Bewitched is the birth of Tabitha Stephens, the daughter of attractive witch Samantha Stephens (Elizabeth Montgomery) and her mortal ad executive husband, Darrin Stevens (Dick York). The big event occurs in the episode titled "And Then There Were Three," originally telecast January 13, 1966. Otherwise, the status of the series' first season remains quo, with Samantha doing her best to avoid resorting to witchcraft at the request of her nervous husband, and Sam's imperious mother, Endora (Agnes Moorehead), casting all manner of spells to make poor Darrin's life miserable. Filmed in black-and-white, the second season of Bewitched marks the first appearance of Sam's funky, fun-loving cousin, Serena (who according to the cast credits is portrayed by one "Pandora Spocks," but who looks an awful lot like Elizabeth Montgomery). On a more somber note, this season marks the final appearance of Alice Pearce in her Emmy-winning role as Darrin and Sam's snoopy, suspicious next-door neighbor Gladys Kravitz; the actress died on March 3, 1966. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

When Larry Tate sees Samantha go into an obstetrician's office, he jumps to the obvious conclusion. Before long, Larry has convinced Darrin that Sam is pregnant. Little does Larry realize that soon he will be hearing that proverbial patter of little feet. Irene Vernon appears as Mrs. Tate, a role later filled by Kasey Rogers. Written by Danny Arnold, "...and Something Makes Three" originally aired on December 3, 1964. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

While Darrin is busy at the office, Samantha joins her mother Endora on a quickie shopping excursion -- to Paris. There, the two ladies meet Darrin's vacationing boss, Larry Tate, who later places a call to Darrin. Upon learning what Sam has been up to, Darrin begins to question the wisdom of wedding a witch. A pre-superstardom Raquel Welch appears as a stewardess. Written by Bernard Slade, "Witch or Wife" originally aired on November 12, 1964. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

An abundance of subplots are expertly woven together by screenwriter/director Richard Brooks in Deadline - USA. Humphrey Bogart stars as crusading editor Ed Hutcheson, whose newspaper is on the verge of closing thanks to the machinations of the mercenary daughter (Audrey Christie) of Mrs. Garrison (Ethel Barrymore), the paper's owner. Though he and his staff will all be out of work within a few days, Hutcheson intends to go out with a bang, exposing the criminal activities of "untouchable" gang boss Rienzi (Martin Gabel). Despite numerous disappointments and setbacks, Hutcheson achieves a pyrrhic victory as the film draws to a close. Throughout the story, the many pressures brought to bear upon a big-city newspaper--political, commercial, etc.--are realistically detailed, as is the relationship between Hutcheson and his ex-wife Nora (Kim Hunter). The cast of Deadline USA is uniformly excellent, from featured players Warren Stevens, Jim Backus, Paul Stewart Fay Baker and Ed Begley to such unbilled performers as Tom Browne Henry, Raymond Greenleaf, Tom Powers, and Kasia Orzazewski (essentially reprising her unforgettable characterization in Call Northside 777). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A Song is Born is a musical remake of the 1941 comedy Ball of Fire, with the same producer (Sam Goldwyn) and director (Howard Hawks) at the helm. It will be recalled that the original film, co-scripted by Billy Wilder, was an amusing spin on "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," wherein seven pedantic professors, working on a dictionary of slang, "adopted" an authority on the subject, breezy burlesque dancer Sugarpuss O'Shea. In the remake, the septet of scholars are working on an encyclopedia of music, but they're held up on the subject of "swing." When nightclub singer Honey Swanson (Virginia Mayo), escaping from her gangster suitor Tony Crow (Steve Cochran), takes refuge in the professors' home, she offers to introduce them to the world of popular music. This proves to be quite a tuneful undertaking, since two of the professors are played by Danny Kaye and Benny Goodman! The tang and zest of original plotline has been muted to the point of harmlessness, but the film is saved by the presence of Goodman, his fellow bandleaders Charlie Barnet, Tommy Dorsey and Mel Powell, and specialty performers Louis Armstrong, Lionel Hampton and Buck & Bubbles. A Song is Born was Danny Kaye's final starring vehicle for Sam Goldwyn. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

MGM's Till the Clouds Roll By is the musicalized, and highly fictionalized, life story of beloved composer Jerome Kern, who gave his blessing to the production shortly before his death in 1946. As played by a gray-templed Robert Walker, Kern is a likeable but none too exciting sort who expresses his emotions through his music. Constructed in the form of an extended flashback, the story proper begins at the turn of the century, as Kern tries to peddle his ditties to disinterested Broadway producers. His efforts to interest impresario Charles Frohman (Harry Hayden) go nowhere because Frohman is convinced that the only good music comes from Europe. Obligingly, Kern moves to London, where he meets and falls in love with his future wife Eva (Dorothy Patrick). On the verge of securing work with Frohman, Kern's hopes are dashed when the producer goes down with the Lusitania in 1915. Fortunately, Kern has developed such powerful U.S. contacts as Victor Herbert (Paul Maxey) and Oscar Hammerstein (Paul Langton), enabling him to find success as the composer of several "intimate" musicals for New York's Princess Theater. The film ends where it begins, with Kern's triumph as composer of the Broadway blockbuster Show Boat. Van Heflin weaves in and out of the proceedings as the obligatory best friend/severest critic, a musical arranger named Jim Hessler (purportedly based on longtime Kern associate Paul Sadler). No one in 1946 really cared about the dramatic passages of Till the Clouds Roll By; the film's biggest drawing card was its lineup of all-star MGM talent, performing Kern's most famous numbers. Judy Garland (as Marilyn Miller) sings "Look for the Silver Lining"; Dinah Shore performs "The Last Time I Saw Paris" before a back-projected "Gay Paree"; Kathryn Grayson does a Rita Hayworth imitation with "Long Ago and Far Away"; Virginia O'Brien deadpans "A Fine Romance"; Tony Martin warbles "All the Things You Are"; June Allyson and Ray McDonald team up for the title number; and Frank Sinatra, incongruously dressed in white tuxedo, runs through "Ol' Man River." In addition, other musical contributions are made by Van Johnson, Angela Lansbury, Cyd Charisse, Gower Champion, and Lucille Bremer (cast as Van Heflin's daughter). The film's high point comes at the very beginning with a Reader's Digest edition of Show Boat, featuring Lena Horne, as Julie (the role she was born to play, but never did again on screen), delivering a powerhouse rendition of "Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man." Since lapsing into public domain in 1974, Till the Clouds Roll By has, along with Royal Wedding, become the most readily accessible of all MGM musicals. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide