According to Rita Piro, Elizabeth Montgomery may not have liked Dick York

[Monliz]

Rita Piro wrote a book about Elizabeth Montongomery, the book is called "Elizabeth Montgomery: A Bewitching Life"

I have the book, and I'm going to show you the paragraph where Rita Piro talks about how Elizabeth Montgomery hated Dick York.







"While Bewitched fans have almost unanimously embraced Dick York as the definitive Darrin Stephens, Elizabeth Montgomery felt differently. While their onscreen chemistry as Darrin and Samantha was one of the most enchanting elements of Bewitched. Elizabeth commented that Dick York was a "nervous wreck", "irritating", "goofy" and spoke of his "nutty" antics and of his reclusive nature.

She also complained about York's lack of personal hygiene and was turned off by having to get so close to him during their romantic scenes. One Bewitched producer said that he never once saw York and Montgomery engage in any type of verbal exchange except for their lines in the script. Studio heads maintained that York was essential to Bewitched and let him go only after his unreliability due to poor health became a consistent problem"



"While Elizabeth and Bill socialized with Dick Sargent away from Bewitched set, often inviting him over for Sunday tennis and brunch, and while she would later join forces with her former co-star in a public fight for AIDS support, Elizabeth never associated with Dick York outside of the series, nor did she have any contact with him after he left the show, not even as the actor neared death."

[TV Guy]

This isn’t surprising, and it’s not really news - it’s been talked about for years. Not all colleagues become friends. There are people you tolerate because you have to work with them, and once the job is over, you don’t keep in touch.

But I don’t see anything in there that says she “hated” him. She may not have liked working with him, found some of his personal qualities irritating, and didn’t socialize with him off screen. But that’s a far cry from hate.

[MichaelKeith]

Even if she hated him, so what? What’s important is that their onscreen chemistry was fantastic and made the show a huge hit. Dick York is as much responsible for the quality and popularity of this show as Liz Montgomery was. Both were great in their respective parts.

[Monliz]

Originally Posted by TV Guy

This isn’t surprising, and it’s not really news - it’s been talked about for years. Not all colleagues become friends. There are people you tolerate because you have to work with them, and once the job is over, you don’t keep in touch.

But I don’t see anything in there that says she “hated” him. She may not have liked working with him, found some of his personal qualities irritating, and didn’t socialize with him off screen. But that’s a far cry from hate.

It also says that a producer of the show said he never saw Liz and York talking behind the scenes.

You have to be logical, I mean, if Liz didn't like working him with him, complained about York's lack of personal hygiene, and was turned off by getting close to him, and never talked to him after the show, you can't say that deep down Liz liked York.

Liz hated York. It's common sense

[GentlemanJim]

Originally Posted by Monliz

. Elizabeth commented that Dick York was a "nervous wreck", "irritating", "goofy" and spoke of his "nutty" antics and of his reclusive nature.

He likely had concerns that if he "opened up" too much, those around him might try to defame him with their backstabbing ways?

I never particularly cared for York, cared even less for Sargent, the former reminds me of Top Cat, the latter of Garfield. They are both self-centered cartoon characters, IMO.

Thing of it is, the role of Darrin was supposed to be a burden on Sam's special gift, he was a spoiler....sort of a "better feared than loved" sort of thing. Which I believe York did a better job of than Sargent.

[TV Guy]

Originally Posted by Monliz

It also says that a producer of the show said he never saw Liz and York talking behind the scenes.

You have to be logical, I mean, if Liz didn't like working him with him, complained about York's lack of personal hygiene, and was turned off by getting close to him, and never talked to him after the show, you can't say that deep down Liz liked York.

Liz hated York. It's common sense

No, it’s not. I never claimed Liz liked York. But there’s nothing in the passages above that proves she hated him. There are people I don’t like personally and people I don’t like working with (and whom I won’t have contact with after we’re in different jobs), but I don’t hate them. If the thread title said, “Elizabeth didn’t like Dick York”, I’d agree with that. But you’re conflating “don’t like” with “hate” and they are not the same thing.

[Willbo]

Monliz is a troublemaker and troll. Just ignore him/her.

[Schmo]

Originally Posted by Willbo

Monliz is a troublemaker and troll. Just ignore her.

Could be another alias of “Larry Tate”.

[Willbo]

Agree, I think they are one in the same.

[Monliz]

Originally Posted by Willbo

Monliz is a troublemaker and troll. Just ignore her.

We are debating respectfully about Liz and York, now if you don't have anything to say about the subject of this thread, please stay away and don't turn this into a war again.Thanks

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by Willbo

Agree, I think they are one in the same.

Definitely the same person.

[GentlemanJim]

York may have had many flaws, but at least he did not become a cancer to the executive staff, bringing about the series' early demise like Robert Reed did to Brady Bunch.

In fact it wouldn't surprise me if the experiences gained in replacing York with Sargent served as some kind of motivation for Schwartz to simply fold the tent rather than finding a replacement for Reed.

[Schmo]

Originally Posted by GentlemanJim

York may have had many flaws, but at least he did not become a cancer to the executive staff, bringing about the series' early demise like Robert Reed did to Brady Bunch.

In fact it wouldn't surprise me if the experiences gained in replacing York with Sargent served as some kind of motivation for Schwartz to simply fold the tent rather than finding a replacement for Reed.

I think “Bewitched “ and “The Brady Bunch” lasted long enough.

[GentlemanJim]

Originally Posted by Schmo

I think “Bewitched “ and “The Brady Bunch” lasted long enough.

Perhaps, but what does Elizabeth Montgomery think? Afterall, since she is the supreme empress, we can only go by what she thinks.

[Monliz]

Originally Posted by TV Guy

No, it’s not. I never claimed Liz liked York. But there’s nothing in the passages above that proves she hated him. There are people I don’t like personally and people I don’t like working with (and whom I won’t have contact with after we’re in different jobs), but I don’t hate them. If the thread title said, “Elizabeth didn’t like Dick York”, I’d agree with that. But you’re conflating “don’t like” with “hate” and they are not the same thing.

As you can read in the picture I showed, it says that that a producer of Bewitched said Liz and York never talked behind the scenes, the only dialogue between them were the lines of the script while they were filming.

Liz refused to talk with York once they were done filming a scene, this proves that Liz hated him, and I totally understand her.