I am pretty sure it is Elizabeth Montgomery who has been found in a rare Gem of a cameo in this movie.
She is in a coffee shop, sitting alone at a table reading a book, a coffee cup on table. She is seen at the left of the screen, and standing right beside her are Frank Gorshin and Judy Holliday having a dialogue about a role he wants to get in a play.
Liz is onscreen the whole time during this scene, which although I didn't time it, I would say lasts at least 2 - 3 minutes.
She is wearing dark print slacks and a sky blue pullover sweater. She doesn't move the whole time, just sits there reading a book. She must be a slow reader because she never even turns the page throughout the entire scene. We only see the occasional very slight movement of her head to indicate that it is actually a real person and not a mannequin.
We see her only in 3/4 profile the whole time but I am 99% sure it is Liz. I think she is wearing a wig. In 1960, she had dark brown hair. Here it is Samantha blonde, but she has bangs and her hair flows down her back, sort of Season 8 style, or possibly blonde-Serena style.
I wish she had turned to face us full on, or gotten up, or said something, but she is still the whole time. I'm sure it took a great deal of discipline to do this, knowing the camera was on her throughout this scene.
reply
share
james362001
13 years ago
Yes. Even extras have to obey the director's directions. I was an extra in my youth, but nothing I can brag about. I look so different now. I have always liked Elizabeth Montgomery. Glad it is her in the movie. I'm going to rent the movie and see if I can see her.
Signature: In Heaven you can be any age you want.
reply
share
HarlowMGM
13 years ago
Wow - Elizabeth Montgomery and Donna Douglas both as extras in the same movie!!
I can see Donna being in it given she was doing bits at the time but Elizabeth had been in a number of major television roles by then, I'm surprised she agreed to accept work as an extra in this film.
reply
share
ElizabethMontgomery
13 years ago
Even after Bewitched was a hit Elizabeth Montgomery did movie cameos in two Beach movies her then husband Bill Asher was making, How to stuff a wild Bikini in 1965 & Bikini Beach in 1966 as well as a cameo in the Jan & Dean pilot in 1966.
I just watched her cameo in Bells are ringing and i am positive it is her.
Most likely she was visiting a friend on the set and did the cameo as fun favour to do.
She also did a small bit on the animated Batman series in 1994.
Did you know she made a pilot called The Boston Terrier in mid 1963 six months
before the pilot was made for Bewitched, if it had sold.......................there would have been no Bewitched as we all came to know it.
reply
share
DarkKnight1954
9 years ago
I doubt she was doing it as a favor. At the time this film was made she was no doubt a struggling actor trying to pay the bills and that goes for the Beach movies, both of being made around the time as the TV show was getting off the ground and like any new show it is not a sure thing. Back then they were a little more tolerant about allowing a new show to find its audience, unlike today where a new show can be gone within one or two episodes. So while the show was a smash hit, she or no one would have known it would be and she more than likely had several projects lined up that she had committed to.
reply
share
dmnemaine
8 years ago
By the time of those beach movies, Bewitched was in its 2nd and 3rd seasons, and had been a smash hit show pretty much from day 1.
reply
share
dmnemaine
8 years ago
Actually, Elizabeth Montgomery is not the blonde girl sitting alone to the left of Frank Gorshin. She is the short-haired brunette girl sitting screen right who's smoking while reading a book. Her face is full on to the camera through the entire sequence.
reply
share
gbennett5
8 years ago
This was done as favor, NOT because Montgomery was working as an extra
in 1959. She had a large number of credits, was married to actor
Gig Young, and came from Hollywood royalty. She did NOT need to "pay
her bills" by sitting in bar as an extra, for heaven's sake. (she
was already nominated for an Emmy for her guest Appearance that year
in "The Untouchables").
Most likely, Montgomery was shooting some sort of guest appearance
at MGM that week and simply agreed to sit in the bar for fun. Either
that, or she was friends with a crew member or actor and was
visiting the set. She's only used in ONE camera setup, so it wasn't
as though she was working for days, sitting there for multiple
camera angles.
reply
share