William Froug disliked Elizabeth Montgomery

[Arfies]

There are certain posters here who portray William Froug's account of Dick York and Elizabeth Montgomery as gospel, using it to "prove" York was somehow "inappropriate" with her or something (yes, York had a crush on her, but there's also no evidence of him pursuing anything beyond looking longingly at her while on his back board).

Well, in William Froug's memoir "How I Escaped Gilligan's Island," he also portrays Elizabeth Montgomery as pretty bitchy and controlling. It's not very nice, and I personally would prefer not to believe it.

Either Froug was an accurate witness or he wasn't. (He does get the timeline wrong at the end; York wasn't replaced until season 5; Dick Sargent carried on for 3 more seasons after that and not 2 as Froug claims).

Personally, I like both Montgomery AND York. I'm not privy to what happened backstage, and I won't pretend to be. People are complicated. Froug was only there one season, so I don't think he got the full picture. I still like the show, they had great onscreen chemistry, and I'm not going to pick sides and trash people who have been dead for decades now.

If you're going to take Froug's word as gospel, you're going to need to take the whole thing. I'll post screenshots of the chapter in the comments.

[Arfies]

Here are the first few pages of the chapter dealing with Froug's time on "Bewitched."

[Arfies]

And here's the end of the chapter.

[Arfies]

If that's too small to read, the entire book is here. If you create an account, you can borrow it for an hour and read that chapter. Search "Bewitched."

[Monliz]

That video of York saying he was in love with Liz, proves that what Froug said is true.


York not only admitted he was in love with Liz, he talked in a lecherous way about her, he talked about Liz like she was a sexual object, he sounded like a guy who would make Liz feel uncomfortable on the set.


Everybody agrees that York sounded creepy while talking about Liz, and that proves Frough was right.

[Arfies]

If Froug was "right" about that, wouldn't he also be "right" about what's written in the text?

You can't pick and choose here.

[Monliz]

Originally Posted by Arfies

If Froug was "right" about that, wouldn't he also be "right" about what's written in the text?

You can't pick and choose here.

There are videos of interviews with Liz where she praises Dick Sargent and the rest of the Bewitched cast, however there isn't a single video where Liz praises York, why do you think Liz never praised York in interviews?

It's not only about about what Froug said, it's also about Liz never talking to York once Bewitched ended, which is something York himself admitted, and Liz never mentioning York in interviews, it all makes sense now.

[Arfies]

You’re wrong. There ARE interviews where she praises York. For example:

“In 1964, the Alton Evening Telegraph was on set, reporting, “After every take, the actress steps from the set into the tender embrace of director William Asher, her husband. ‘We have a rather unusual triangle here,’ smiled Elizabeth. ‘The funniest part of it, though, was when we made the pilot. Dick didn’t know we were married. And he’s so sweet and gentle that it bothered him to have a director tell him, ‘You have to be strong with her in this scene. Boss her around. Don’t be afraid to raise your voice.’

“York,” the newspaper elaborated, “walked in and she waved him over with a ‘Let Dick tell it!’ and mentioned the subject to him. ‘When Asher wanted me to snarl a bit, I complained, ‘I hate to yell at Elizabeth, because there’s something about her that reminds me of my own wife, Joan. I was feeling protective toward Elizabeth and had no idea that it was her own husband who was directing me to stop being so tender with her. It was a big joke on me when everybody found out … especially to Agnes Moorehead. Her sense of humor rivals her acting talent, both fantastic.’”

Why would Montgomery call someone who was “lecherous” “sweet and gentle”?

They got along originally, as this suggests, and York says in his autobiography that they used to play word games in between takes. It wasn’t until later that Montgomery became annoyed with him. Yes, York had a crush on her; duh. But there’s also no evidence he ever did anything more than look at her.

I was in a similar situation in a community theater production with a costar, and that was WAY worse. I WISH it had just been looking. I could’ve tolerated that.

[Monliz]

Originally Posted by Arfies

You’re wrong. There ARE interviews where she praises York. For example:

“In 1964, the Alton Evening Telegraph was on set, reporting, “After every take, the actress steps from the set into the tender embrace of director William Asher, her husband. ‘We have a rather unusual triangle here,’ smiled Elizabeth. ‘The funniest part of it, though, was when we made the pilot. Dick didn’t know we were married. And he’s so sweet and gentle that it bothered him to have a director tell him, ‘You have to be strong with her in this scene. Boss her around. Don’t be afraid to raise your voice.’

“York,” the newspaper elaborated, “walked in and she waved him over with a ‘Let Dick tell it!’ and mentioned the subject to him. ‘When Asher wanted me to snarl a bit, I complained, ‘I hate to yell at Elizabeth, because there’s something about her that reminds me of my own wife, Joan. I was feeling protective toward Elizabeth and had no idea that it was her own husband who was directing me to stop being so tender with her. It was a big joke on me when everybody found out … especially to Agnes Moorehead. Her sense of humor rivals her acting talent, both fantastic.’”

Why would Montgomery call someone who was “lecherous” “sweet and gentle”?

They got along originally, as this suggests, and York says in his autobiography that they used to play word games in between takes. It wasn’t until later that Montgomery became annoyed with him. Yes, York had a crush on her; duh. But there’s also no evidence he ever did anything more than look at her.

I was in a similar situation in a community theater production with a costar, and that was WAY worse. I WISH it had just been looking. I could’ve tolerated that.

Those are print interviews so it could be fake, plus Liz once said sometimes she would open a magazine and read interviews of her that never really happened, which means people used to make up fake interviews with Liz and publish it in magazines.

That's why those quotes you posted could very well be fake, according to Liz herself.

I want you to post a video or an audio where Liz praises York, if I don't hear it from her mouth I won't believe anything.

In youtube there are video where we can hear Liz praising Dick Sargent, not fake print interviews, we can hear it from her mouth.

One more thing, of course Liz and York got along in the beginning because there was no reason for them to not get along, but then York got infatuated by Liz, made her feel uncomfortable and she wanted him fired. Froug was the producer of Bewitched in the third season, so that means in the third season Liz couldn't stand York, not in the latter seasons as you suggested.

[Monliz]

In his memoir Dick York said he and Liz got along in the beginning, but he also said that Liz grew tired of him.

Dick York also said he and Liz never talked to each other after Bewitched ended, he said it shortly before he died.

[Arfies]

Sure; I'll just go back in time to 1964 and ask them to whip out a camcorder...

Let's face it. I could pull out all the sources in the world and it wouldn't change your mind, so why bother? You'd just move the goalposts.

[Arfies]

Originally Posted by Monliz

Froug was the producer of Bewitched in the third season, so that means in the third season Liz couldn't stand York, not in the latter seasons as you suggested.

And what part of me saying "they got along originally" sounds like "latter seasons" to you?

[Monliz]

Originally Posted by Arfies

Sure; I'll just go back in time to 1964 and ask them to whip out a camcorder...

Let's face it. I could pull out all the sources in the world and it wouldn't change your mind, so why bother? You'd just move the goalposts.

I told you that if you post a video or an audio where I can hear Liz praising York, I would change my mind and admit I was wrong, I have no problem in admitting my mistakes.

You on the other hand, seems like it doesn't matter how many proofs we show you that proves Liz hated York, you're in denial and nothing will change your mind.

York himself said he and Liz never talked to each other after Bewitched ended, but that doesn't matter to you.

York talked about Liz in a lecherous way, proving that Froug was right when he said York was madly in love with her, but that doesn't matter to you.

A producer of Bewitched, who was there on the set, said Liz wanted York fired, but you said he's a liar, you pretend to make us believe you know more about what happend on the Bewitched set, than the people who were actually there.

There are videos of Liz praising Sargent and the rest of the Bewitched cast, but there isn't any single video of Liz praising York, but that doesn't matter to you either.

You're in denial, you want to ignore that facts and live in a fantasy world where Liz and York are good friends and even lovers? you want to live in a fantasy world where York is a saint? ok then, good for you, but don't criticize people who want to live in the real world, don't criticize people who don't ignore the facts and believe Liz hated York because of his inapropiate behavior towards her.

[Monliz]

Originally Posted by Arfies

Sure; I'll just go back in time to 1964 and ask them to whip out a camcorder...

Let's face it. I could pull out all the sources in the world and it wouldn't change your mind, so why bother? You'd just move the goalposts.

You said "it wasn't until laters that Montgomery became annoyed with him", trying to make it look like it wasn't until the end that Liz started hating York because of his inapropiate behavior. Your attempts at defending York are weak.



Another thing, Froug was the producer in the third season, and he said he never saw Liz and York talking with each other off camera, that means Liz started hating York before the third season.

[Arfies]

Hoooooo boy. Where do I start.

I realize this is a lost cause, because from previous posts it reads like you may have some mental issues- I mean that not in an insulting way, but I'm trying to understand why you're fixated on this one thing to the exclusion of all else, even in posts that have nothing to do with York. You just keep saying again and again "LeChErOuS!" in, like, threads about episode remakes and stuff. It's weird. I do hope you get help, and that is coming from a place of attempted compassion rather than malice.

Anyway, let's take this point by point:

Originally Posted by Monliz

If you post a video or an audio where I can hear Liz praising York, I would change my mind and admit I was wrong, I have no problem in admitting my mistakes.

I rather doubt that; you said "Liz never praised York in interviews", so I posted an interview where Liz indeed praised York, and then you moved the goalposts to videos and audios.

You on the other hand, seems like it doesn't matter how many proofs we show you that proves Liz hated York, you're in denial and nothing will change your mind.

"We" is literally just you. I'm not denying Montgomery disliked York later on.

York himself said he and Liz never talked to each other after Bewitched ended, but that doesn't matter to you.

Montgomery didn't talk to ANYONE in the cast (save for Erin Murphy) after Bewitched ended. It wasn't until Herbie J. Pilato was writing "The Bewitched Book" (later "Bewitched Forever") in the late 1980s that the cast got back in touch, so no, she did not stay friends with Dick Sargent the entire time like you claimed in previous posts. That friendship wasn't rekindled until much later.

York talked about Liz in a lecherous way, proving that Froug was right when he said York was madly in love with her, but that doesn't matter to you.

A producer of Bewitched, who was there on the set, said Liz wanted York fired, but you said he's a liar, you pretend to make us believe you know more about what happend on the Bewitched set, than the people who were actually there.

Yeah, because me saying "I'm not privy to what happened backstage, and I won't pretend to be" preeeeetty sure sounds like the exact opposite of that...

Also, as you said yourself, Froug WAS there, and he called her "nuts." Do you think Froug was right about that too? Either he was a reliable witness or he wasn't. Do you agree with Froug that Liz was "nuts"? (Personally I think Froug was being uncharitable, but hey, if you want to believe him).

There videos of Liz praising Sargent and the rest of the Bewitched cast, but there's any single video of Liz praising York, but that doesn't matter to you either.

You're in denial, you want to ignore that facts and live in a fantasy world where Liz and York are good friends and even lovers? ok then, good for you, but don't criticize people who want to live in the real world, don't criticize people who don't ignore the facts and believe Liz hated York.

Speaking of "fantasy world!" When on earth did I claim they were "lovers"?

I can't believe I have to say this again, but it looks like I'm going to have to.

It appears York and Montgomery got along fine originally (as I said) but Montgomery started disliking him in the third season or so. York had a crush on her from the get-go, so apparently it didn't bother her until that. There is zero evidence he ever did anything more than look at her; you seem to have concocted a scenario in your mind where he's "stalking" her or something when there is zero evidence of that. I can see why the looks (which Froug claims- again, you wanted to believe him) would've bothered her, but since it seems like her dislike of him happened in the third season when he missed his first episodes due to health reasons, I'm going to guess his health issues are what bothered her more.