MovieChat Forums > Bewitched (1964) Discussion > Happy 55th Birthday!

Happy 55th Birthday!

posted 5 years ago by [email protected] (1732)
18 replies | jump to latest

September 17th marks the 55th birthday of this classic show.

What's interesting, is that MOST TV pilots, even in the best of shows, are not always very
good. ("I Love Lucy's" was so weak, it didn't air, I think, until eight weeks after the series
debuted. "Seinfeld", "All in the Family" and the black-and-white pilot for "Get Smart" are
not particularly good either). Actually many classic shows took months to find their groove.

"Bewitched" is an exception. Not only is the pilot one of the all-time classics of the series,
the entire first year is so strong. The producers and writers took their time to slowly get
Darrin and Sam to know each other, as both were from such different worlds. And they
slowly brought in relatives from both sides of the family.

I've been a fan for nearly fifty years, and even I can't believe how beautifully the show
still holds up. Like all shows, it has a fair number of clunkers, but even a bad episode
of BW is still fun. Yes, it suffered way too many cast changes (there must've been, what,
38 different "Bettys!"), but as long as Liz and Moorehead were there, the show still
rocked.

So, happy birthday, "Bewitched!!" And here's a sincere TWITCH from a longtime fan.

[–] [email protected] (5497) 5 years ago

I remember watching the series debut. My mom was probably relieved because I spent the entire summer pestering her about "WHEN is that new show coming on??" I had no idea that new shows premiered in the fall!

The first episode is so charming. The characters have clearly defined personalities right from the start. All the magical stuff was so much fun to watch. I was "enchanted" right from the beginning.

I know I mentioned this before, but I just loved the voiceovers by Jose Ferrer. He had such a beautiful voice. They only did voiceovers in a few shows. Wish they had done more but I guess they weren't needed after the show was established.
I read that Elizabeth Montgomery had wanted her father to do them. But he declined.

[–] [email protected] (1732) 5 years ago

Oh dear, PJ...I was only TWO in September of '64, and didn't see the pilot or black-and-white seasons until they
were syndicated in '73 (When Asher and Montgomery were divorcing, part of their settlement was selling their
50% ownership back to Columbia. Kind of sad, considering how romantic everything was for them ten years
earlier).

[–] [email protected] (5497) 5 years ago

Only TWO? Ha ha, I'm older than you! Why does that make me happy? geez!!! Well you just have to listen to me since I'm older and have more experience! lol

My sisters and I always watched the first few seasons in black and white during summer vacation. The show was syndicated very early in its run. So it was b&w in the morning and color for the Thursday night episode.

Thursday was MUST SEE TV for girls. The line-up was Bewitched, That Girl and The Flying Nun.

[–] [email protected] (1732) 5 years ago

I can no longer sit through "That Girl" (although I love Earle Hagen's theme, and the cast). I just find it silly.
And if I had a choice between root canal and watching "The Flying Nun", I'd choose the former without
hesitation. (I have NEVER been able to sit through an entire episode of "I Dream of Jeannie' either).

You are correct that Bewitched began airing in reruns LONG before the series ended, but I only saw the color
shows in reruns first (ABC would air the York color eps of BW at noon, and "That Girl" at 12:30).

As a kid, I never knew the show had two black-and-white seasons, so when it went into general syndication
(meaning no longer aired on ABC, but local stations every night), I was shocked at age 11 to see the pilot
and those first two seasons!! To my great disappointment, they pulled the black-and-white seasons out
of reruns here in L.A. in the late '70's, because even local advertisers thought color drew more viewers.

Can you imagine if they did that with "The Andy Griffith Show??"

[–] [email protected] (5497) 5 years ago

"That Girl" was such a girl show. I think we watched it for Ann Marie's hair, clothes, make-up and boyfriend! We couldn't even miss the reruns. I remember a summer evening when my friend Phyllis and I were walking across town. We suddenly realized that it was time for the show and we'd never make it home in time. Her uncle lived in the neighborhood, so we knocked on his door and asked if we could watch "That Girl".

A few years ago there was a marathon of episodes on some channel. I watched a few and realized that I had outgrown it.

"The Flying Nun" is shown on Saturday afternoon. I've watched a few minutes here and there but it's torture.

"I Dream of Jeannie"? That last guy I told you that I was dating has the whole series on DVD. He also has Gilligan's Island. (gives you some idea of HIS taste in television!). He would go on and on about how hilarious Dr. Bellows was.

I used to tell him that he was the only straight guy who watched 'Jeannie' for Dr. Bellows and not Barbara Eden.

It was kind of funny (in a weird way). He was such a raging homophobe and when I finally told him that Dr. Bellows portrayer, Hayden Roarke, was gay, he mostly shut up about the topic. ha!

As for b&w, I thought ALL shows were in black and white until we got a color TV! I read that Bonanza debuted in 1959 in color in order to entice viewers to buy color TV. It had no effect on MY dad. I didn't know that the Ponderosa was so colorful for years.

But we did have color TV when Elizabeth Montgomery used to say, "Stay tuned for Bewitched, next, in color"

It is a shame that people dismiss b&w. I actually love the old Andy Griffith episodes in black and white. I can hardly watch the color ones. Part of it is because Barney is gone. But the COLORS in Mayberry? Sheesh. It looks like there was a sale on that gaudy blue/green paint. The courthouse looks like a circus. The show loses all its quaint charm in color.
And colorizing episodes. I know that's a horror we've discussed before.

[–] [email protected] (1732) 5 years ago

I didn't know Hayden Roarke was gay. I actually enjoy him in that "I Love Lucy" episode, even though
the gun finale is almost unwatchable (especially in today's climate). And just last weekend, I watched
the Gene Kelly classic "An American in Paris." Roarke has a small part, but an effective one. I always
enjoyed him. I love Larry Hagman on "Dallas" and I thought the other guy (can't think of his name)
was hilarious as the neighbor on "The Bob Newhart Show." Barbara Eden is cute, although I never
thought she was a particularly great talent (especially compared to Elizabeth Montgomery).

You think YOU were odd stopping by your Uncle's to catch "That Girl?" I have TWO stories that are
far worse.

When I was child, I would hunt the TV Guide every week to see if a Judy Garland movie would be on.
Well, one Saturday morning, the 1940 Rooney/Garland musical "Strike up the Band" was on. Our TV
was broken, so I went across the street to a middle-aged male neighbor, and asked if I could watch
it on THEIR TV. He stared at me for a long moment and said, "Sorry, Gary, I'm watching sports."
(later, his daughter, my childhood playmate, confessed that he referred to me as the "neighborhood
sissy." And how right he was!!).

When I was 20, and rapidly videotaping favorite old movies off TV, I bought a video tape to record
a movie that was going to be broadcast at 8:00 in the morning. When I woke up to an alarm at
6:30 to watch and record, I noticed my TV was broken. So, I took the tape, hopped into my car,
and drove to my stepsister's apartment. When I got there, I knocked on her door (about 7:15)
and her VERY NEW boyfriend opened the door (I had no idea she was sleeping with anyone yet!!)
When my (very embarrassed) stepsister came to the door, I asked her if she would tape a classic movie
for me..."Ma and Pa Kettle Go to the Fair." She was furious!

[–] [email protected] (5497) 5 years ago

Ma and Pa Kettle...you sure go for the highbrow stuff. LOL (of course I always liked The Three Stooges) Did your sister let you in?

It was my friend's uncle, but I've asked relatives if I could watch their TV. Many years ago my mom and I really got into the miniseries "Shogun" starring Richard Chamberlain.

We saw most of the episodes and then the TV went out so we couldn't see the finale. What had happened was that the guys who worked for the cable company staged a sort of strike and shot out the transmitters so no one in the area had TV. They didn't want to repair the transmitters until their demands were met.

Fortunately my grandmother lived in another town with a different cable company. We called her and asked her if we could come over that night and watch it. She lived about 20 miles away. We were very serious about seeing that show!

I loved The Wizard of Oz but I never got into any of Judy Garland's other musicals. For one thing, my mom absolutely hates musicals and would never want them on TV. She could barely stand it when we watched OZ. I loved Judy Garland's role in "Judgement at Nuremberg". But that was a non-singing role.

[–] [email protected] (1732) 5 years ago

I've loved Judy Garland since I first saw "Oz", and heard her incredible 1961 album "Judy! Live at
Carnegie Hall." To me, she had the most thrilling voice I've ever heard, although that's a matter
of personal taste. I also thought she was quite pretty when she was a young woman.

Since you liked "Nuremberg", I highly recommend a 1945 drama Judy did called "The Clock." She
doesn't sing a note, and simply plays a young secretary in New York who, while walking through
Penn Station, trips over a young soldier (Robert Walker), who's sitting on a step, stretching his legs.
She breaks a heel off her shoe, and he earnestly escorts her to a shoe repair shop to get it fixed.
She's annoyed by him at first, but then recognizes his loneliness, as he only has 48 hours leave,
and has never been in NY before. She hesitantly accepts a date with him, and the rest is a
charming, and truly touching film. She's also very beautiful in the film. If you haven't seen it, I'd
wager you'd enjoy it. It's one of my favorites, and I watch it every Valentine's Day. It's 90
minutes of pure heaven.

[–] [email protected] (5497) 5 years ago

I actually have the CD of her Carnegie Hall performance. I've only listened to part of it. The only DVD/CD player I have is on my TV and it broke (the player, not the TV). I only have a little portable player and the sound quality isn't so great. I usually just play my CDs in the car.

I have a biography of Judy Garland and "The Clock" is regarded as one of her better non-singing roles. It always sounded interesting. But I never came across it on TV. I may just have to buy a copy.

Judy didn't just have a technically great voice. She really made you feel that SHE was feeling every single emotion in her songs. It was like she painted an emotional picture with music.

[–] [email protected] (1732) 5 years ago

I don't agree. True, she never had a singing lesson, but her voice was so rich and pure when
she was young, and so powerful, say, in "A Star is Born." Her voice, like Whitney Houston's,
was pretty destroyed by her 40's, but, as you wrote, she made you feel her emotions. I
enjoy the sound of her voice the best in "Meet Me in St. Louis." Her "Have Yourself a Merry
Little Christmas" remains unmatched and is sung about loss, not having a great Christmas.

I, too, enjoyed the Three Stooges when I was young, but now, they're a bit too silly for me.
My favorites are the ones in which they ruin someone's dinner party, and those uppity women
get a pie in the face.

There's one (can't remember the name of it) where a society woman has a watch (!) in
her dinner, and she keeps taking bites of it, grimacing over what she's chewing, because
it's crunchy! Yet she keeps EATING it! One of the funniest scenes ever, and that's saying
a lot.

Oh, to answer your question, NO, they didn't tape "Ma and Pa Kettle." The boyfriend
said something like, "Oh, our TV is broken, too." (right).

[–] [email protected] (5497) 5 years ago

Just curious, what don't you agree with? I think Judy Garland had a naturally beautiful voice. I didn't think she had formal training since she started out so young as one of the "Gumm Sisters".

i just saw a biography about her. It's part of that TV series "The Last Hours of..." where they take the audience through the last days of celebrities who have passed away. It said that Judy's voice was really ruined by the end of her life. It's so sad how a great voice was destroyed by drink and drugs.

The Stooges! Sometimes I am surprised at how lowbrow my sense of humor can be! Whenever I see that pie throwing episode, I crack up.
Larry (laughingly) says to Moe who just got hit with a pie: You forgot to duck!

Moe: So did you! (bam)

So they didn't let you in to tape Ma and Pa Kettle? I'm surprised! lol

[–] [email protected] (1732) 5 years ago

Well, you wrote Garland didn't have a "technically great" voice, and to me, only Sinatra
and Streisand are in her ilk. She had a natural vibrato, and a stunning POWER. I think
what hurts her reputation is too many hoarse, croaky recordings by the 1960's. I think
her NOT having a singing lesson was great. Because she didn't allow a "technique"
to interfere with the lack of boundary between her feelings and singing. But I get that
many don't enjoy her, as she wasn't one to hold "straight" notes, like Barbra. Her
vibrato resonates on virtually every note. She was a "slider", a singer whose voice
trembles over notes, rather than going up and down "straight", sans vibrato. That kind
of singing is no longer "fashionable", even though so-called fashionable singers can't
hold a candle to Garland's singing. I enjoy Liza as a performer, but she really never had
a great voice.

Yes, I, too, can get silly with my humor. If I'm punchy and tired, I will laugh harder at
a "Bewitched" episode than normal, as it's really not a "belly laugh" show. But if I'm
tired, Endora, Aunt Clara, Larry Tate, and York's Darrin can give me the giggles.

Just recently, I watched the popcorn ep from season three, where Endora makes
everyone get lazy if they eat from a hexed bowl of popcorn. When an incensed Larry
calls Darrin at home to find out why he's not at work, the milkman - now lazy! - tells
Larry to chill out. When a befuddled Larry puts down the phone, his secretary says,
"Is there anything wrong, sir?" Larry just stares into space with, "His milkman just
chewed me out." I was tired that night, so it hit me with a big laugh, even though
I've seen the episode countless times. Bizarre.

[–] [email protected] (5497) 5 years ago

Oh you silly guy! LOL You have to reread the sentence. I wrote, "she didn't JUST have a technically great voice." Admittedly, I worded it awkwardly. Her technique was brilliant. I was going to include Sinatra too with his phrasing and the way he told a story in song.

Some of these pop singers today are impossible for me to listen to. Either I'm getting old or they are just lousy singers! They sing in such cutesy little girl voices and all their crap sounds the same to me.

Interesting that one of your favorites with the hexed popcorn aired right after (or right before) the memory episode.

When I'm tired everything is funny! It's embarrassing when I am the only one in the room laughing at a sitcom.

There's a line that really hits me that's spoken by Serena pretending to be Sam to try to get Darrin to leave.. She acts really hostile and when Darrin calls out to her, she says so nastily, "WHAT is it?"
The way Elizabeth Montgomery delivers that line cracks me up. Darrin should have realized it wasn't Sam. She never spoke to him like that.

[–] [email protected] (1732) 5 years ago

Yes, that Serena line is very funny.

There is talk Reneel Zellweger is going to get an Oscar playing Garland in next
month's release, "Judy." Check out the trailer - Zellweger is amazing!

[–] [email protected] (5497) 5 years ago

I've seen the previews on TV> It does look good.

Did you ever see the TV movie, Me and My Shadows based on the book by Judy's daughter Lorna Luft? Some people didn't like it. I thought it was pretty good for a TV movie.

No biopic of Garland would be complete without a scene from OZ. I taped the movie and when they showed a close-up of the ruby slippers, I knew something was off. It was the socks! I got out my copy of OZ and saw that Dorothy's socks in the film are light blue. In the TV movie, they were dark blue. How could they mess up a detail like that?

The worst Judy movie i ever saw was a TV film with Annie star Andrea McArdle, "Rainbow". She had a great voice but she did not even have a passing resemblance to Judy. It was hard to imagine that it was supposed to be Judy Garland that she was playing.

[–] [email protected] (1732) 5 years ago

When I was about 27, my female friend became good friends with a
STRAIGHT, long-haired, motorcycle-riding bartender who LOVED Judy
Garland's voice. He just had zero interest in her movies or her TV shows.
Just the SOUND of her voice, from age 14 until her death at age 47. He
would go home from the bar, and just listen to audio tapes of her, have
a few brewskis and unwind.

I finally got a chance to meet him, but he was very uncomfortable around me.
Garland's singing was the only thing we had in common.

[–] Galactus03 (4287) 5 years ago

Yup. Totally agree. Love the show. Had a charm all it's own. May not have been gut busting funny but it didn't need to be. I need to start watching my DVDs again. It's been awhile ..

[–] mikwalen63 (6) 5 years ago

That's excellent GB!! I can actually (dimly) recall seeing the show on ABC prime time on the 60s (I was only a toddler though) and I watched it almost every day when it came to ABC daytime in - 68? - until I started going to school. I *do* recall clearly seeing the last few seasons on prime time, along with BRADY BUNCH and PARTRIDGE FAMILY. Then it came to syndication reruns on our local station, and it's been with me constantly ever since via tv, cable, and now DVD. I so.love it :)