Dick York and Elizabeth Montgomery on Set

[tcr1701]

In Dick York's biography he has only nice things to say about Elizabeth Montgomery and their working relationship. He states that they were close certainly early on in the show. He mentioned that they would often sit between filming working on word puzzles together. Here is a photo of them doing just that.



https://i.postimg.cc/02Rszmmc/dyem.jpg

[Larry Tate]

They got along fine in the first two seasons, but in season three the worm turned and it simply was no longer the case.

The fact is that in the spring of 1969 when he asked to return to the show after leaving, was denied & then said about Liz & the show in an interview about the unpleasant atmosphere on the set, how he was unhappy with how he was being used in the show as in underused & how he wanted to go onto other & better things.

In the 1988 book "Whatever became of?", York stated: "I left in an ambulance and never returned. The atmosphere on the set of Bewitched was extremely unpleasant. I never missed that show."

You have to understand that they were real people who were actors playing roles that were not them, they were not Samantha & Darrin in real life, sometimes people get that reality confused.

This is not unusual as one could say the same thing about any cast member & the majority of the cast & as well about anyone & most of those that they work with her their never having any contact again after his leaving the show is perfectly natural in my view.

This doesn't mean they liked or disliked each other, they merely worked with each other & had the same working experience that any actor or actress has with 95% of all those they work with.

It was a job & they had a job to do & they did it, then they went their own way, as you must recall that they both had spouses & large young families to tend too, this along with the full time job of carrying a weekly series left little or no time for any other interaction between the two, they both already had a full plate to deal with.

I have heard it said that she strongly disliked Dick York and that she thought he was all wet and kind of creepy & weird.

After DY left the show there was simply no reason for them to have any contact with each other as is the case with all actors pretty much once they finish a project, they just move on with their lives.

Originally Posted by tcr1701

In Dick York's biography he has only nice things to say about Elizabeth Montgomery and their working relationship. He states that they were close certainly early on in the show. He mentioned that they would often sit between filming working on word puzzles together. Here is a photo of them doing just that.



https://i.postimg.cc/02Rszmmc/dyem.jpg

[tcr1701]

Why do I keep being drawn into this nonsense...You push this same narrative over and over and over when you actually have no idea about them at all. Which is fine. Believe whatever you need to. "All wet and kind of creepy & weird" is the DUMBEST thing I've ever read and a total biased opinion if not downright fabrication. You do realize that when a certain producer stated his opinion that York was "in love with Montgomery and it irritated her" his point was a dig at Montgomery as a hard-hearted woman who did not want to be loved by anyone. He wasn't insulting Dick York. He was insulting Montgomery. Now that contradicts what most other cast members have said about her - so his statements are more bad-mouthing and self-serving than gospel fact. You need to believe in the fantasy and that's fine. Have at it.

You have to understand that they were real people who were actors playing roles that were not them, they were not Samantha & Darrin in real life, sometimes people get that reality confused.

And others have an unnatural obsession with Montgomery lusting after her and thinking she was a goddess who was "just like Samantha." She herself was more fond of Lizzie Bordon (the character) than Samantha.

[Larry Tate]

It is not a narrative but rather a recounting of the truth directly from the horses mouth or in this case the witch's mouth as this came directly from Elizabeth Montgomery.

If these truths and facts escape you due to your delusional nonsense and sick DY fantasy's that is your issue.

It is Elizabeth who believed and recounted that he was "All wet and kind of creepy & weird" and she knew him YOU did not, so she is the one whose viewpoint is credible, yours is not!

Your the one who over and over and over again pushes the same DY propaganda that he & Liz were in effect Sam & Darrin, i have news for you.....they were not!

About Yorks infatuation with Liz and the fact that it bothered her has been corroborated by other members of the crew and cast who were there day after day on the set.

It is widely known that York was a little sideways and weird and had some odd ideas about things.

Liz didn't like him, deal with it.
The Asher's were repeatedly asked to dinner by the York's right from the start and the Asher's never went, it is all too obvious now why.

Originally Posted by tcr1701

Why do I keep being drawn into this nonsense...You push this same narrative over and over and over when you actually have no idea about them at all. Which is fine. Believe whatever you need to. "All wet and kind of creepy & weird" is the DUMBEST thing I've ever read and a total biased opinion if not downright fabrication. You do realize that when a certain producer stated his opinion that York was "in love with Montgomery and it irritated her" his point was a dig at Montgomery as a hard-hearted woman who did not want to be loved by anyone. He wasn't insulting Dick York. He was insulting Montgomery. Now that contradicts what most other cast members have said about her - so his statements are more bad-mouthing and self-serving than gospel fact. You need to believe in the fantasy and that's fine. Have at it.

You have to understand that they were real people who were actors playing roles that were not them, they were not Samantha & Darrin in real life, sometimes people get that reality confused.

And others have an unnatural obsession with Montgomery lusting after her and thinking she was a goddess who was "just like Samantha." She herself was more fond of Lizzie Bordon (the character) than Samantha.

[tcr1701]

I really enjoyed part 2 of "Samantha for the Defense" when the prosecuting attorney just rambled on and on and on and Samantha finally just said "Oh hush up."

[Larry Tate]

Was Dick York Fired or did he resign?
Although i think Dick York would have been fired by both Screen Gems and ABC after his initial 5 year contract expired, i do believe Bill Asher when he said on the day of his collapse that Dick York simply resigned from the show that day.

The delays caused by his absences and the uncertainty of his being able to work any given week due to his back condition cost both ABC & Screen Gems a fair bit of money, so i think they would have been inclined to cut their loses at that point.

Later the following year in late spring Dick York did re-approach Screen Gems and ABC about returning to the cast as Darrin.

He had asked to be allowed a sabbatical till that September to allow his back to heal at which point filming of his scenes would have recommenced.

By that point though Screen Gems had recast Darrin and signed Dick Sargent for the role, in fact 3 or 4 episodes had already been filmed by that point in time and were in the can so to speak.

As well Liz & Bill and Screen Gems did not believe that the time off would make any difference knowing full well the extent of Dick Yorks back problems and how difficult it had been for him all those years.

They correctly believed that he would still be incapacitated after his time off and would be unable to work.

This would have left Bewitched in the Lurch without a Darrin and with most likely all the best candidates no longer available forcing them to take whatever they could get.

They proved to be right as after Dick York's collapse in early December, 1968 he was bedridden and only semi lucid for for more then a year so obviously would have been unable to film scenes for Bewitched in September, 1969.

He was never again able to physically work for any sustained period of time, so the time off would have accomplished nothing.

That summer after he had been rebuffed by the Ashers and Screen Gems he said in an article that he was glad to have left the show and wanted to play other roles, that he felt he was improperly and underused as Darrin and that the atmosphere on the set was very unpleasant.

Talk about burning your bridges, that alone made any further expectation of any contact between Elizabeth Montgomery and Dick York in the future unrealistic and not rational.

Why would anyone rush to that aid of someone who in your last interaction with them had slapped you in the face.

Interestingly Dick York in interviews near the end of his life in the 1990's still claimed if they had just given him that summer off he could have finished the run of the show.

So he was clearly in denial on that matter all of his life.

It is sad he was not able to finish the run of the series, it would have been great and preferable if he could have, but it simply was not possible.

At least we do have his wonderful performances of the first 4 2/3 seasons of the show to enjoy over and over, they are all timeless those episodes and never get old.

[tcr1701]

I love the huge diatribes you write when no one asked the question - pushing your version of reality over and over again.

Dick York resigned - Mrs. York in particular really wanted him to. Asher and ABC wanted him to continue - ABC execs visited the York's home as he recuperated to check on him hoping he could return - as Mrs. York stated a few years before she died. York was flat on his back for 18 months per his own biography - him giving an interview about how "unpleasant" the show had become is complete fiction. The rest you write is pure speculative fantasy.

York did mention hoping to have the summer off to recuperate - 20 years later remembering his time on the show! At the time he fell ill he was under no illusion that he could continue or return to the show.

[Larry Tate]

No what it was and is are Dick Yorks actual words and thoughts given in a live interview to a reporter which were then used verbatim in a book about celebrities, he said it, he owns it, deal with it.

The fact is that the Ashers and ABC wanted him out and if he had not quit he would have been fired and replaced.

It was Asher who visited him not ABC executives and it was in the hospital right after he collapsed not in his home.

They were being gracious to him but he was done and they both knew it as well as the fact he would never be coming back to Bewitched.

20 years later the delusional York was still spouting the fantasy that if only he had the summer off he could have still made it back which of course was pure fantasy.

Your the one that spouts delusional fantasy's over and over again, trying to make others believe your nonsense about Liz & DY living a idealistic Samantha/Darrin like relationship that never existed on or off the set.

You have now been educated, you can leave now, you are dismissed!!!!!

Originally Posted by tcr1701

I love the huge diatribes you write when no one asked the question - pushing your version of reality over and over again.

Dick York resigned - Mrs. York in particular really wanted him to. Asher and ABC wanted him to continue - ABC execs visited the York's home as he recuperated to check on him hoping he could return - as Mrs. York stated a few years before she died. York was flat on his back for 18 months per his own biography - him giving an interview about how "unpleasant" the show had become is complete fiction. The rest you write is pure speculative fantasy.

York did mention hoping to have the summer off to recuperate - 20 years later remembering his time on the show! At the time he fell ill he was under no illusion that he could continue or return to the show.

[tcr1701]

I didn't read all that. But, you know best...as usual.

[Larry Tate]

So true,You are wise beyond your years, the truth and facts always know best.

Originally Posted by tcr1701

I didn't read all that. But, you know best...as usual.

[Hazel Anyday]

This self-delusional Bewitched "expert" Larry sounds a lot like the same, well, shall we say, gentleman (I hate to have to call a Jack Ass a Jack Ass, oop, guess I just did) back to my pernt, the same guy who was BANNED off this sitcom site years ago for his over zealous to the point of insanity defense of the fake Dick over the real Darrin, Dick York.

Everyone knows Dick York was the real Darrin. ([whispering] Now watch this guy explode.)

Maybe they'll even ban him again. There's always hope. By the way, how do you get "banned" and then keep returning again and again. Give it up "Larry" the only one convinced of your wild opinions is you. Face it, ain't nobody buyin'. Wake up and smell that lovely java!

[Larry Tate]

It is not a narrative but rather a recounting of the truth directly from the horses mouth or in this case the witch's mouth as this came directly from Elizabeth Montgomery.

If these truths and facts escape you due to your delusional nonsense and sick DY fantasy's that is your issue.

It is Elizabeth who believed and recounted that he was "All wet and kind of creepy & weird" and she knew him YOU did not, so she is the one whose viewpoint is credible, yours is not!

Your the one who over and over and over again pushes the same DY propaganda that he & Liz were in effect Sam & Darrin, i have news for you.....they were not!

About Yorks infatuation with Liz and the fact that it bothered her has been corroborated by other members of the crew and cast who were there day after day on the set.

It is widely known that York was a little sideways and weird and had some odd ideas about things.

Liz didn't like him, deal with it.
The Asher's were repeatedly asked to dinner by the York's right from the start and the Asher's never went, it is all too obvious now why.

No what it was and is are Dick Yorks actual words and thoughts given in a live interview to a reporter which were then used verbatim in a book about celebrities, he said it, he owns it, deal with it.

The fact is that the Ashers and ABC wanted him out and if he had not quit he would have been fired and replaced.

It was Asher who visited him not ABC executives and it was in the hospital right after he collapsed not in his home.

They were being gracious to him but he was done and they both knew it as well as the fact he would never be coming back to Bewitched.

20 years later the delusional York was still spouting the fantasy that if only he had the summer off he could have still made it back which of course was pure fantasy.

Your the one that spouts delusional fantasy's over and over again, trying to make others believe your nonsense about Liz & DY living a idealistic Samantha/Darrin like relationship that never existed on or off the set.

You have now been educated, you can leave now, you are dismissed!!!!!

It is sad that some delusional fools can not differentiate between reality and fiction, real people and sitcom characters.

There is NO real Darrin Stephens, there is only a fictional character played by two fine actors who both did a superb job in the role, with the latter DS being better and more appropriate for where the show and the premis was in the last 3 seasons of the show.

Needless to say nobody was ever banned from this site due to giving factual truths about Elizabeth Montgomery and DY and how well they did or didn't get along.

It is sad but some people are a waste of space and a walking justification for birth control.

She has my sympathy and sincere wish that she get help as soon as possible, perhaps more & stronger meds then currently in use by her?

[Monliz]

There's always been rumors of DY and EM not getting along, I think it could be true because I noticed that in some interviews of Lizz when she was asked about the success of Bewitched, she always answers that it was mainly because of the incredible cast they had, then she mentions Agnes Moorehead, Maurice Evans, Paul Lynde, David White but she never mentions Dick York.

Not mentioning Dick York who was the costar of the show is very strange, that makes me think that something happened between them.

Anyways, they had a good chemistry on TV and that's what matters.

[Larry Tate]

Yes very true on all counts.
Most co-stars are merely work acquaintance's who are only ok with each other but that is all.
It has not been uncommon for them to hate each other such as Bill Farley and Vivian Vance on ILL, everyone hated Gary Burgoff (Radar) on MASH and so on, so Liz and DY not getting along is no shock or in anyway unusual.

As you say the only thing that matters is that in character the two had brilliant chemistry and were fantastic in their respective roles and made the show a great sitcom, the rest is really immaterial.

Originally Posted by Monliz

There's always been rumors of DY and EM not getting along, I think it could be true because I noticed that in some interviews of Lizz when she was asked about the success of Bewitched, she always answers that it was mainly because of the incredible cast they had, then she mentions Agnes Moorehead, Maurice Evans, Paul Lynde, David White but she never mentions Dick York.

Not mentioning Dick York who was the costar of the show is very strange, that makes me thing that something happened between them.

Anyways, they had a good chemistry on TV and that's what matters.

[Schmo]

It’s too bad all of the scuttlebutt emerges after the actors are dead and unable to respond.