I Love the Illusion: The Life and Career of Agnes Moorehead (69 page)

BOOK: I Love the Illusion: The Life and Career of Agnes Moorehead

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“The Truth, Nothing but the Truth, So Help Me, Sam.” March 25, 1972.
The final episode of
Bewitched
. Endora casts a truth-telling spell which leads to a less than harmonious
dinner party at the Stephens.

37.
Jonathan Winter’s and the Movies
. March 6, 1965. ABC.
Agnes guest stars in this special hosted by comedian Jonathan Winters, who became a good friend of AM’s.
38.
Burke’s Law.
April 7, 1965. ABC.
“Who Killed Hamlet?” Cast: Gene Barry, Gary Conway, Regis Toomey, Leon Lontoc, John Cassavetes,
Eddie Foy, Jr., Agnes Moorehead, Susan Bay.
39.
Girl Talk.
September 6, 1965. Syndicated.
Agnes appears on the pioneering talk program hosted by Virginia Graham.
40.
Art Linkletter’s Talent Scouts
. April 4, 1966. CBS
Established performers introduce new talent. Agnes introduces singer Kelly Garrett.
41.
Mr. Blackwell Presents
. July 5, 1966. ABC.
Agnes guests on a special hosted by the stuffy fashion designer.

42.
Hollywood Squares
. October 17, 1966. NBC.
Agnes appeared on the first episode of this long-running game show. Her fellow “Squares”: Charley
Weaver, Pamela Mason, Wally Cox, Rose Marie, Morey Amsterdam, Abby Dalton and Ernest
Borgnine. Peter Marshall hosts

43.
Alice Through the Looking Glass
. November 6, 1966. NBC.
Agnes plays the Red Queen in this musical adaptation of Lewis Carroll’s famous story. The other cast
members include Judi Rolin as Alice, Jimmy Durante as Humpty Dumpty, Nanette Fabray as the
White Queen, Ricardo Montalban as the White King, Robert Coote as the Red King and the
Smothers Brothers as Tweedledum and Tweedledee. Agnes replaced Bette Davis who, according to
Nanette Fabray, got a case of “the nerves.”

44.
The Hollywood Palace
. November 26, 1966. ABC.
Eddie Fisher hosted this episode of the long-running variety show, which features Agnes as a guest star.
She does a parody of
Don Juan in Hell
.

45.
The Wild, Wild West
. February 10, 1967. CBS.
“Night of the Vicious Valentine.” Cast: Robert Conrad, Ross Martin, Agnes Moorehead, Diane
McBain, Henry Beckman, Sherry Jackson, J. Edward McKinley. When powerful and wealthy men are
being killed, the investigation leads to Washington, D.C. socialite Emma Valentine (played by Agnes)
who has a nefarious plan to gain control of the government. Agnes won her only Emmy Award for
her performance in this episode.

46.
Password
. April 1967. NBC.
Agnes appears with Barry Newman on the popular game show hosted by Allen Ludden. A few weeks
after Agnes appeared, Elizabeth Montgomery played the game and Ludden referred to Agnes as her
“grandmother” on Bewitched to which the quick-witted Liz replied, “She won't like you for saying that.”

47.
The Mike Douglas Show
. May 1–5, 1967. Syndicated.
Agnes acted as co-host for a week full of appearances on this famous talk show taped in Philadelphia
and broadcast nationally.

48.
Mr. Blackwell Presents.
May 8, 1967. ABC.
Agnes does a second guest stint on Blackwell’s second ABC variety special. Also appearing was Eartha Kitt.

49.
The Red Skelton Show
. November 1967. CBS.
Agnes was Red’s special guest star and performed with him in a “Sheriff Dead-eye” sketch. In a letter
to Georgia Johnstone, Agnes referred to the experience as “Corn! But it does pay.”

50.
The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour
. December 10, 1967. CBS.
Agnes guest stars in this popular and topical comedy series.

51.
Custer
. December 13, 1967. ABC.
“Spirit Woman.” Cast: Wayne Maunder, Slim Pickens, Peter Palmer, Robert F. Simon, Grant Woods,
Agnes Moorehead, James Whitmore, Read Morgan, Christopher Milo. Agnes continually sought parts
which went against the grain and in these days that meant away from Endora. In this hour-long
Western she plays Watoma, an Indian woman who seeks peace.

52.
The Mike Douglas Show
. May 20, 1968. Syndicated.
Agnes appears as a guest on the popular talk show.
53.
The Steve Allen Show
. August 13, 1968. Syndicated
Another talk show appearance, this time with the multi-talented Steve Allen.
54.
The John Gary Show.
October 20, 1968. Syndicated.
Agnes guest stars on this variety show.
55.
The Don Rickles Show
. December 20, 1968. ABC.
This is a variety/game show hosted by Mr. Warmth himself. Agnes makes a guest appearance.
56.
The Mike Douglas Show
. January 9, 1969. Syndicated.
I'm getting to think this was Agnes’ favorite talk show.

57.
That's Life
. January 21, 1969. ABC.
Agnes guest stars on this variety hour hosted by Robert Morse. Among the other guests are Phil Harris
and Rodney Dangerfield. Agnes appears as Morse's mother and sings, “You're Grown Up Now.”

58.
Lancer
. November 25, 1969. CBS.
“A Person Unknown.” Cast: James Stacy, Wayne Maunder, Andrew Duggan, Elizabeth Baur, Agnes
Moorehead, Bruce Dern. Agnes plays a woman whose daughter finds a wounded Lancer and, rather
than nurse him back to health, wants to turn him in for the bounty. Another Western for Agnes.

59.
The Red Skelton Show.
December 9, 1969. CBS.
Agnes makes a second guest appearance with Red.

60.
Oral Roberts Easter Special
. March 27, 1970. Syndicated.
Agnes and puppeteer Shari Lewis join Oral for an Easter inspiration special. Agnes reads “The
Resurrection.”

61.
Barefoot in the Park
. September 24, 1970. ABC.
Pilot for a proposed new series. Cast: Scoey Mitchell, Tracy Reed, Nipsey Russell, Thelma Carpenter,
Harry Holcombe, Agnes Moorehead, Herbert Rudley, Patsy Kelly. Agnes guest stars in this pilot to a
new series featuring African-American leads in the Neil Simon story of a young married couple.

62.
Men From Shiloah
. October 21, 1970. NBC.
“Gun Quest.” Cast: James Drury, Doug McClure, Tim Matheson, Stewart Granger, Lee Majors, Agnes
Moorehead, Anne Francis, Neville Brand, Joseph Cotten, Brandon de Wilde. In its final season,
The
Virginian
got a title change to
Men From Shiloah
. Agnes and a stellar cast appear in a story about the

Virginian (Drury) being accused of a murder he didn’t commit.

63.
Night Gallery
. December 30, 1970. NBC.
“Certain Shadows on the Walls.” Cast: Agnes Moorehead, Rachel Roberts, Louis Hayward, Grayson
Hall, Rod Serling (host). Since Agnes appeared in one of the most famous
Twilight Zone
episodes, it
makes sense that she appeared in Rod Serling’s new series. Unfortunately, it’s not the classic the first
series was, perhaps because Serling didn’t have the artistic control he had in the earlier series. Agnes

plays Emma, a woman who dies, but her shadow keeps appearing on the wall.
64.
The Scoey Mitchell Show
. March 5, 1971. ABC.
Guest Star: Agnes Moorehead.
65.
It Was a Very Good Year
. July 26, 1971. ABC.
“The Year, 1941.” Hosted by Mel Torme, this series focused on events of different years. In this
segment Agnes discusses
Citizen Kane
and Orson Welles.

66.
The Smith Family
. September 15, 1971. ABC.
“The Anniversary.” Cast: Henry Fonda, Janet Blair, Darleen Carr, Ronny Howard, Agnes Moorehead,
Greg Mullavey, Vince Howard. This short-lived series dealt with the professional and family life of

Det. Chad Smith (Fonda).
67.
Night Gallery
. September 22, 1971. NBC.
“Witches’ Feast.” Cast: Agnes Moorehead, Ruth Buzzi, Frank Ryan, Allison McKay, Rod Serling

(host). Agnes plays a witch — but the resemblance to Endora ends there.
McEveety, Jimmy Bracken, Patrick Creamer, Parley Baer, Skip Homeier, Erin Moran. A school field trip
to Strawberry Cove becomes the talk of the town when their teacher (Meredith) claims to have seen a
sea monster. The head of the local bird watcher's club (Agnes) doesn't believe it and seeks his dismissal.

68.
The Wonderful World of Disney
. October 31, 1971 (Part 1) November 7, 1971 (Part 2). NBC.
“The Strange Monster of Strawberry Cove.” Cast: Burgess Meredith, Agnes Moorehead, Annie
69.
Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In
. November 29, 1971. NBC.
Agnes has a cameo on the popular comedy-variety series.
70.
Love, American Style
. December 17, 1971. ABC.
“Love and the Particular Girl.” Cast: Stephanie Powers, Agnes Moorehead, Dennis Allen. Agnes plays
Stephanie's mother who hopes that she will settle down and get married.
71.
Marcus Welby, M.D.
October 17, 1972. ABC.
“He Could Sell Iceboxes to Eskimos.” Cast: Robert Young, James Brolin, Elena Verdugo, Jack Haley,
Agnes Moorehead, Sharon Farrell, Marion Ross. Jack Haley plays a stroke victim, with Agnes as his wife.

72.
The Mike Douglas Show
. December 13, 1972. Syndicated.
Yet another Moorehead appearance with Mike. Agnes was appearing in
Don Juan in Hell
when she
appeared on this show taped in Philadelphia.

73.
What’s My Line?
February 8, 1973. Syndicated.
Agnes was in New York appearing in
Don Juan in Hell
when she appeared on this panel show as the
“mystery guest.”

74.
The Midnight Special
. July 14, 1973. ABC.
Agnes makes a cameo appearance on the popular late night contemporary variety show.

75.
Rex Harrison’s Short Stories of Love
. May 1, 1974. NBC.
“The Fortune Painter.” Cast: Lorne Greene, Agnes Moorehead, Lloyd Bochner, Alan Hale, Jr. Jess
Walton, Rex Harrison (host). Harrison hosted this pilot for an anthology series. Agnes once again
plays a mother who doesn’t think her daughter (
The Young and The Restless
star Jess Walton) is making
a good choice in a mate. This episode was first shown the day after Agnes’ death and was her last
acting role in television.

III
T
ELEVISION
M
OVIES OF
A
GNES
M
OOREHEAD

The Ballad of Andy Crocker.
November 18, 1969. ABC.
Cast: Lee Majors, Joey Heatherton, Jimmy Dean, Bobby Hatfield, Marvin Gaye, Agnes Moorehead,
Pat Hingle, Jill Haworth. This was a pilot for a television series and produced by Aaron Spelling and
Danny Thomas. Majors is a war hero who comes home from Vietnam and discovers that his girlfriend
(Heatherton) had married while he was gone. Apparently, it was her mother (Agnes) who played a big
hand in breaking them up. Hmm, Agnes certainly did get typed in this kind of part.

Marriage: Year One
. October 15, 1971. ABC.
Cast: Sally Field, Robert Pratt, William Windom, Agnes Moorehead, Neville Brand, Bob Balban,
Lonny Chapman, Cicely Tyson, Randolph Mantooth. Another pilot for a prospective series. Field
and Pratt play young marrieds going through the trials and tribulations of the first year of marriage.
Agnes plays Field’s liberal (!) grandmother, and utters this line (so contrary to the real Agnes), "Hippies
look . . . well,
sexy
.”

Suddenly Single
. October 19, 1971. ABC.
Cast: Hal Holbrook, Barbara Rush, Margot Kidder, Agnes Moorehead, Michael Constantine, Harvey
Korman, Cloris Leachman, David Huddleston. Holbrook plays a man who is suddenly single after a
divorce. He is middle-aged and ready for new experiences. He works in a pharmacy where a drug salesman (Korman) offers to help him become a “swinger” — another co-worker (Agnes) suggests caution.

Rolling Man
. October 4, 1972. ABC.
Cast: Dennis Weaver, Don Stroud, Donna Mills, Jimmy Dean, Agnes Moorehead, Sheree North, Slim
Pickens. Produced by Aaron Spelling, this story involves a man just released from prison (Weaver) who
returns to find that his kids are in the care of his wife's mother (Agnes) who is sick and bedridden and
can’t care for them.

Night of Terror
. October 10, 1972.
Cast: Martin Balsam, Cathy Burns, Chuck Connors, Donna Mills, Agnes Moorehead, Mary Grace
Canfield. Mills plays a woman pursued by a killer (Connors). When she is paralyzed by Connors and
loses her will to live, her therapist (Agnes) turns her attitude around.

Frankenstein: The True Story.
November 30, 1973 & December 1, 1973. NBC.
Cast: James Mason, Leonard Whiting, David McCallum, Jane Seymour, Agnes Moorehead, Michael
Sarrazin, Michael Wilding, Margaret Leighton, Ralph Richardson, John Gielgud. A faithful adaptation
of Mary Shelley’s classic novel, with Whiting as Dr. Victor Frankenstein and Sarrazin as the monster.
Agnes plays Mrs. Blair, Dr. Frankenstein’s housekeeper.