Among the many fantasy sitcoms that graced television in the 1960s, few captured the hearts of viewers like Bewitched and its star, Elizabeth Montgomery. Born Elizabeth Victoria Montgomery on April 15, 1933, in Los Angeles, her showbiz roots made her rise to fame almost inevitable, but the lasting impact she would have was truly unexpected.
Like many actors, Elizabeth faced challenges in gaining attention, but once she did, the roles poured in, both on the big and small screens. This continued even after Bewitched wrapped its eight-season run in 1972, proving that typecasting was not an issue for her remarkable talent.
In Bewitched, Elizabeth Montgomery played the enchanting witch Samantha Stephens, while Dick York (later replaced by Dick Sargent) portrayed her mortal husband, Darrin. At first glance, it seemed like a standard domestic comedy. However, with Samantha’s magical abilities and the couple’s interactions with her quirky family of witches and warlocks, it quickly became clear that the show was anything but ordinary.
To discover more about the fascinating life of Elizabeth Montgomery, dive into these 15 intriguing facts about her.
#1. Elizabeth Montgomery’s parents were both actors
Elizabeth Montgomery’s mother, Elizabeth Bryan Allen, was a talented stage actress who graced Broadway with her performances in productions like Dawn (1924), The Hand Man (1925), A Holy Terror (1925), and Revolt (1928).
It was during her time in Dawn that she met fellow actor Robert Montgomery, who would go on to have a celebrated film career, appearing in over 60 movies from 1929’s Three Live Ghosts to 1960’s The Gallant Hours.
Robert also hosted and starred in his own anthology television series, Robert Montgomery Presents, from 1950 to 1957. Allen and Montgomery married in 1928, welcomed three children—Martha, Elizabeth, and Robert Jr.—but ultimately divorced in 1950.
#2. The relationship between Elizabeth and her father was a difficult one
Herbie J. Pilato, author of Twitch Upon a Star: The Bewitched Life and Career of Elizabeth Montgomery, The Essential Elizabeth Montgomery: A Guide to Her Magical Performances, and Bewitched Forever—all available for direct order from him—highlights the complicated relationship between Elizabeth and her father.
Despite their love for one another, tensions often arose. “They were diametrically opposed on several levels,” he explains. “That starts with their political views. He was a conservative, she was a liberal. And even though she made her television debut on his anthology series, he never really wanted her to be an actress. In fact, he wanted her to settle down and get married and have a nice ‘regular’ life.”
In a 1955 interview with the Elmira Advertiser, Elizabeth Montgomery shared, “My father hasn’t always encouraged my acting. For years I announced to him that I was going to be an actress and that I would eventually do pictures. I’m not sure he was in favor of a screen career for me, but then I don’t believe I can develop in just one medium. He always just told me to go ahead if acting was what I wanted.”
#3. Marriages and divorces impacted father and daughter
In 1950, Robert Montgomery divorced Elizabeth Allen and went on to marry another Elizabeth—Elizabeth Buffy Herkness. According to Herbie J. Pilato, Elizabeth, the daughter, never truly forgave her father for this decision, raising the question of whether her first marriage was a reaction to that betrayal.
In 1954, she married Fred Cammann, a so-called New York “high-roller” and actor she had met while working on her father’s television show.
However, their union quickly proved problematic; Elizabeth aspired to have a career while Cammann envisioned her as a housewife, leading to their divorce just a year later.
Pilato notes, “Her divorce put a wedge between her and her dad because Cammann was high society.”
#4. The ‘wedge’ between them ran deep
In exploring the “complicated” relationship between Robert and Elizabeth, pop culture historian Geoffrey Mark observes, “Part of it was being the child of a big celebrity, part of it was getting her first acting experience with daddy on his show, and part of it was seeing that daddy was not a very good husband to mommy.
Elizabeth resented her father. As a married woman, regardless of which of her four marriages we’re discussing, she did not like having her father visit and did not want her children to be exposed to him. She was searching for a man who wouldn’t be the cold, withdrawn person that Robert had been with her.”
#5. Her second marriage was to actor Gig Young
Divorced in 1955, Elizabeth Montgomery married actor Gig Young in 1956. Young would go on to win the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his role in the 1969 film They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?, and he remained with Elizabeth until 1963.
While Robert Montgomery had been pleased with Elizabeth’s previous marriage to Fred Cammann, he was deeply frustrated by her relationship with Young. “She cared about her father,” says Herbie J. Pilato, “but she definitely zinged him a couple of times.
If she knew something bothered him, she would do it. The thing is, Gig Young was an older actor, pretty much Robert’s age. Robert Montgomery wigs out, and she loved it. She also became friends with Bette Davis, who Robert did not get along with, and she loved his reaction.”
Geoffrey Mark adds, “I’m not sure if he was diagnosed as being bipolar, but what I’ve heard about Gig Young’s behavior sure sounds like it. This meant that Elizabeth was riding an emotional roller coaster in her marriage.
Up and down, up and down. She didn’t want that. She lived that as a child. And sometimes, even though we don’t want to, we repeat previous family relationships. Many of us end up with people who remind us of our own parents.”
Tragically, in 1978, just three weeks after marrying his fourth wife, Gig Young took her life and then his own, leaving behind a mystery that was never fully explained.
#6. Throughout her school years, Elizabeth Montgomery thought of nothing but acting
Elizabeth Montgomery’s education included attending the Westlake School for Girls in Holmby Hills, California, followed by the Spence School in New York. This path ultimately led her to the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, where she studied for three years.
In a 1954 interview with The Los Angeles Times, she reflected on her time at Westlake, stating, “I’m sure I gave many of my Westlake teachers gray hairs because the only things I could concentrate on were studies relating to dramatics. Acting is my main objective in life.”
#7. Elizabeth Montgomery made her debut on Robert Montgomery Presents
Despite the complexities in her relationship with her father, Elizabeth Montgomery made her acting debut in the first of 30 appearances on his television series, Robert Montgomery Presents, where she played his daughter.
At the time, she expressed her excitement to the media, saying, “It was the chance I had been waiting for. I figured it was tailor-made for me because who could put more into the role than a real-life daughter?”
She recalled, “I had to audition with about a dozen other people, but I won the part. Everyone was on pins and needles as the hour for the show approached. Dad called me into his dressing room for an old-fashioned, last-minute pep talk. I assured him everything was under control so far as I was concerned.
I don’t know whether he could tell that I was shaking all over. But when the camera came alive for the show, I had no trouble concentrating on my part, and the program went off without a hitch.”
#8. She had an extensive career prior to Bewitched
In addition to her 30 episodes on Robert Montgomery Presents from 1951 to 1956, Elizabeth Montgomery made around 40 appearances on various television shows, even earning an Emmy nomination for her performance in The Untouchables in 1960.
She made her big-screen debut in the 1955 film The Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell and went on to star in a total of seven movies, including three theatrical releases and four television films.
#9. Johnny Cool changed her life
Elizabeth Montgomery starred in the 1963 film Johnny Cool, directed by William Asher, with whom she had a rocky start. “In fact,” laughs author Herbie J. Pilato, “it was hate at first sight because she was late for the audition. But they eventually fell in love.” The couple married in 1963 and welcomed three children together.
Geoffrey Mark elaborates, “Bill Asher had a very complicated personal life when he met Liz. He was separated from his first wife, the mother of his children, and was juggling affairs with three women at the same time while directing her in Johnny Cool.
To his credit, Bill eventually chose to commit to Liz and let go of the other relationships. He returned to work on the Beach Blanket movies featuring Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello before they received the script for Bewitched.”
#10. Love Led to Bewitched
According to Herbie J. Pilato, Bewitched was an ideal project for Elizabeth Montgomery and William Asher. “After they fell in love, they wanted to work together,” he explains. “A regular series would allow them to collaborate daily, creating a more consistent routine than working on separate films.”
Geoffrey Mark adds that much of what we recognize about Bewitched was influenced by Asher. “The original concept, created by Sol Saks, was quite different. Bill introduced changes in perspective, renamed the characters, and refined their relationships, shaping the show into what we know today.”
#11. Elizabeth Montgomery came up with Samantha Stephens’ nose-twitch
On Bewitched, Samantha’s signature move was twitching her nose to work her magic. In an interview with The Journal News, Elizabeth Montgomery shared how the iconic gesture came to be. “Before I ever did Bewitched, Bill told me, ‘You do a funny thing with your nose whenever you get impatient.’ He asked me to do it for him, but I couldn’t; I didn’t know what he meant. Then one night, my nose twitched, and Bill exclaimed, ‘That’s it!’ Suddenly, I understood.
She recounted a memorable moment at a Dodgers game: “The bases were loaded, there were two outs, and Sandy Koufax was up to bat — he couldn’t hit! Bill urged me, ‘C’mon, Liz, twitch,’ so I did. Sandy walked, and the winning run scored. Later, at a Chicago Cubs game, I twitched my nose for Ernie Banks, who hadn’t hit anything all day. As soon as I twitched, Ernie hit the ball right out of the park!”
#12. Eight seasons in, the magic was gone in front of and behind the camera
Bewitched concluded in 1972 after eight successful seasons and a total of 254 episodes. While ABC was eager to continue the series, Elizabeth Montgomery decided against it, primarily to pursue new opportunities and because her marriage to Bill Asher was deteriorating.
Geoffrey Mark explains, “With the success of Bewitched and the films he was directing and producing, Bill became incredibly busy, and sometimes people fail to notice what’s right in front of them. Liz was becoming unhappy. Although she appreciated the immense success of Bewitched, she saw herself as a versatile actor capable of tackling diverse roles. She felt confined by the show and was creatively dissatisfied.”
Herbie J. Pilato adds, “If you look at that last season, you can see she’s dragging her feet. She’s just not there; she’s bored out of her mind. Many people believe ABC canceled the show due to low ratings, but in reality, Elizabeth Montgomery made the decision to end it.”
#13. Elizabeth Montgomery became the ‘Queen of the TV Movies’
Between The Victim in 1972 and Deadline for Murder: From the Files of Edna Buchanan in 1995, Elizabeth Montgomery starred in two dozen TV movies.
Among these, two stand out for their significance. In 1973, she appeared in Mrs. Sundance, a loose sequel to the classic film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.
It was here that she met and worked alongside actor Robert Foxworth. The two quickly fell in love and remained together until her death, although they didn’t marry until 1993. Their relationship was the love story Elizabeth had been waiting for her entire life.
In the 1975 film The Legend of Lizzie Borden, Elizabeth Montgomery took on the title role of the woman accused of murdering her parents in 1892. This marked a significant departure from her previous character in Bewitched, capturing the attention of both critics and viewers. With this performance and others during her career, Montgomery showcased her versatility as an actress, proving she could tackle dramatically different roles.
#14. Activism was an important part of Elizabeth Montgomery’s life
#15. The end came for Elizabeth Montgomery in 1995
Although Elizabeth Montgomery rarely spoke about it, she battled colon cancer for many years, believing she had overcome the illness. In the spring of 1995, while filming Deadline for Murder, she thought she was suffering from influenza and delayed seeing a doctor until after shooting wrapped.
Tragically, it was revealed that the cancer had returned, spreading to her liver and becoming inoperable. Choosing to return home to Robert Foxworth instead of staying in the hospital, she passed away on May 18, 1995, at the age of 62, leaving generations of fans heartbroken.
