Remembering Elizabeth Montgomery on Her Birthday

Actress Elizabeth Montgomery would have been 83 today had she not left us in 1995 due to rectal cancer. She co-starred in several high-profile studio feature films including The Court Martial of Billy Mitchell, Who's Been Sleeping in My Bed, as well as guest starring on many top tv series of the '60s. She is the daughter of actor Robert Montgomery.

Of course, she is best known and loved for her starring role on the hit tv series Bewitched. The sitcom ran for eight years from 1964 - 1972. It was ABC-tv's biggest hit at the time. It seems to have been loosely inspired by the 1942 film classic, I Married a Witch starring Veronica Lake and Fredric March.

The show had an impressive line-up of co-stars and recurring guest roles, first and foremost Agnes Moorehead as Samantha's mischievous mother, Endora.

Paul Lynde, Marion Lorne, Maurice Evans among others popped up on the show from time to time. There were two Darrens (Dick York, then Richard Sargent)  and two Gladys Kravitzes (Aice Pearce and, after her death, Sandra Gould).

My whole family enjoyed tuning into Bewitched every week almost without fail.

After Bewitched, Elizabeth made some great tv-filmms, especially The Legend of Lizzie Bordon and A Case of Rape.

Montgomery was also a tireless political advocate. A liberal Democrat, she was a great friend of the gay community with her work championing equal rights for the LGBT community and being an early AIDS activist. In fact, she and 2nd Darren, the openly gay Dick Sargent, were grand marshals at the L.A. gay pride parade.

Happy birthday in Heaven, Elizabeth Montgomery!

Halloween Countdown 2015: Steve Lawrence Bewitched

Yes, the theme music for tv's Bewitched has lyrics, twitch twitch!

Steve Lawrence ~ of Steve and Eydie ~ crooned this back in the 1950s. The great Lorenz Hart wrote this tune.

The beat goes on. Happy Halloween with this bonus track,

Halloween Countdown 2015 is Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered

Here's a dance mix for our Sunday Halloween Countdown. Glenn Rivera created a video using scenes from the Bewitched movie that starred Nicole Kidman and Will Ferrell.

The singer is Polly Brown who had an international hit with "Up in a Puff of Smoke" in 1975. Well, that's the way some witches go out, isn't it?

Halloween Countdown will continue until All Hallow's Eve this Saturday.

My Halloween Countdown 2013 Gets Bewitched

Let's swing tonight to the sound of Steve Lawrence singing "Bewitched" on my 2013 Halloween Countdown.  You probably know the melody; they used it on that tv sitcom as the show's theme song.