As I approach unfinished territory with my writing, I will post it as it stands. However, please remember to check back, as I'm nowhere near through and will continue the writing process in this blog. In the meantime, you'll have some good information, and I will do my best to pull all of this together. Going forward, I will write from my point of view, but it will change, and I will insert Aggie into telling the story as I work my way through it.
I’m A Vicious Valentine Witch! 1967
I Named Endora
Type casting is real, but what if the type you’re cast as becomes beloved by millions? Do you become the character, or does the character become you? It would be both if you’re looking to “Bewitched” for that answer. From the very moment Elizabeth Montgomery saw Agnes in Bloomingdale’s when they both happened to be in New York. Agnes was shopping for ribbon, so when Elizabeth Montgomery beheld Agnes dressed to the nines wearing a fantastic hat with a few tons of finery to go with it, she told her husband, Bill Asher, “I found mother!!” Boy, howdy did she find Mother! A legend was born that day, and that legend, as well as the human who bore the title. That title would be known worldwide. The title was “Endora,” she was one colorful, outrageous, outspoken, powerful witch. Agnes was Endora, and Endora was Agnes.
As the story is told, a chance meeting with Elizabeth Montgomery while both shopped in New York City led Agnes to the part that would forever be associated with her. It is said that Agnes' outrageous sense of fashion, a distinct pattern of speech, and exaggerated mannerisms attracted Montgomery's attention in the store. Agnes was looking for a particular color of ribbon and was issuing requests with the authority of a 4-star general. It rang a bell for Montgomery, who, along with her husband William Asher, had been working on turning the motion picture storyline of "I Married A Witch" into a half-hour sitcom for television. They had already settled on the idea of Elizabeth playing the witch wife and had made some movement toward casting the part of her husband, but they hit a brick wall with the theme of a parent being involved. Suddenly, there was Agnes with her outrageous sense of fashion, immaculate diction, a firm understanding of control, and desire for a particular color of ribbon. Fate?
Montgomery and Asher wanted the presence of a parental figure for the young witch but could not come up with anyone who would fit the bill. That was until Montgomery crossed paths with Agnes in Bloomingdale's Department Store. When Elizabeth returned home that day, she told Asher she had found her "mother." Agnes was offered the part and accepted it wholeheartedly, believing that the show would amount to nothing and would never be picked up by a network. She was startled when a network picked it up and often grumbled about the "treadmill" of television, but I think in reality, while it was a tiring schedule, she loved the limelight that it threw on her. In a concise period, Agnes, who was already highly recognizable, became the type of star she had always dreamed of being. Instantly identifiable all over the globe.
Aloof and opinionated
During her time on Bewitched, Agnes began her transformation into the aloof, opinionated, religious conservative that would define her for the rest of her life. She used her celebrity status to speak her mind in all public forums, not the least of which was the newspaper. She wrote many editorial pieces critical of the actors and actresses of today. It might be argued that her time on the “treadmill” of television, the stress of having a teenage foster son in her home, or even her punishing tour schedules were exhausting. What many people don’t understand is that by 1967, Agnes had already crossed paths with cancer and survived it. In fact, during the remainder of the run of Bewitched, Agnes was not a well-woman. She was battling cancer. She was battling her foster son. She was battling her finances and coping with a personal life that was a roller coaster ride on the best days.
The one thing that never changed about Agnes throughout her life was her relationship to the truth. Agnes had stretched, pulled, broke, and bent the truth. It was an item that you could bend to your own will. The sentence above was spoken during an interview. It sounds as if she is dismissing Endora as a figment of her imagination, and she wants to make sure nobody would identify Endora as her or her as Endora. How ironic. Because it was the truth, Agnes became indistinguishable from Endora as the years passed. Her clothing, her jewelry, and her my way or the highway attitude were bits of Endora that Agnes wore in public. Her actions in public, Endora. Her thoughts when thinking, Endora. Her house was Endora before Endora existed. Her sense of fashion was one hundred percent Endora. Perhaps she wouldn’t identify with her because she was her.
1967 1 October
Kansas City Star
Joyce Wagner
“The lady is ambitious, dedicated, self-disciplined, self-centered, talented, and haughty. She is an actress, an experience, a creative force. She has forgotten more about acting than most actors know. She is blunt, overbearing, and totally involved with life, career, and self.
She is a legend.
She is Agnes Moorehead.”
“Speaking in a volley of emotional phrases and clipped sentences, her voice rising and falling in a melodic pattern of speech…Her face constantly changing expression, her mannerisms ranging from a sneer and an arched eyebrow to a cynical laugh and a toss of the head. She told me about making the “Bewitched” pilot and her subsequent surprise when it was bought by a network. “I didn’t think it would sell,” she said, “It had no violence, no psychological problems…and it was too clean,” she said quickly, sarcastically.”
“The only thing it did have,” she continued drawing the sentence out, “was a fantasy ingredient everyone has always wished for–order out of chaos–and then it sold, and I thought, “HOW DREADFUL!”
“As a matter of fact,” she continued, “I like it better now than when it started–probably because I sort of know what to do to get the effects in the role I want. “But I’m tired,” she said as if talking to herself.”
“There is TREMENDOUS pressure and no time, no polish. The demands are too much on you.”
“You get a popular role, and then you get into a groove–that’s what’s so destructive about a series,” she moaned. “I have to keep it fresh. I’m not satisfied with it and I try to expand it all the time, and to do this, I have to do a lot of homework.”
“I’m singular in this,” she drawled, “because I just happen to feel this way; I don’t like to get into a groove…in anything.”
…” Miss Moorehead says she sees performers as “mosaics in a very large pattern.” You have to play to the purpose of the screen,” she said, “And if you play your scene well, your performance will stand out. If you play it, soloist, it will ruin the play…I’ve seen it happen…”
“I work for the scene,” she continued, “When I am acting I am representing what I think that role is. I give it mannerisms. I am a performer and an instrument, and I have to keep the reins on my performance. I am representing something that doesn’t involve me. It’s what I have in my mind and what I take from life.”
“I don’t want to be identified with any role I’ve done.” she said shrilly, “and even though I named Endora, designed her costume and gave her life. I’ll NEVER be identified with her. If I have to be identified, the only thing I want is for people to say, “Well, she’s a good actress.”
“I am an entertainer and nothing else,” she said…”Many never had such a marvelous path. But it’s a lonely life, extremely lonely. No one realizes how lonely and you can’t tell people that. They think it's all great adulation.”
“I can remember going backstage after a play and entering Helen Hayes’ dressing room. It would be packed with people all wishing her well, clamoring for autographs then, after they were all gone. Helen and I would sit with a glass of milk and an apple. But you can’t tell people that. The public is capricious. They want the best of you when you’re young, and then one day, you’re old, and you’re out. There are many fine actresses who can’t get parts today because they’re old. Talent is cheap today – but not prevalent.”
“But I don’t care. I can get out…do other things…I don’t have to act…and THEY know it! Yes, I can do other things. So you seeeee, I don’t give a darn…” she said, drawing the conversation to an end.”
“The performance is over, and the audience could go home. They did.”
“She is a legend. She is Agnes Moorehead.”
1967 8, October
The Baltimore Sun
Mimi Mead
“ Opening her enormous eyes even wider, she said, “I simply hate to fly. I hate it. I’m a horse and buggy girl. I like trains. I don’t like to get myself into oblivion…” “The daughter of a New England Presbyterian minister, Miss Moorehead projects the flat, short accents of Missouri where she grew up. The hollow tones of Endora and the superb diction of her training echo around her words, creating that unforgettable voice that has made her one of our greatest actresses…”
“Miss Moorehead’s career has been long and extraordinarily full, ranging from radio to innumerable movies, the stage, and now television…and toured the country in an unforgettable version of “Don Juan In Hell.” And she has definite views on her profession.”
“I think I prefer doing comedy to tragedy,” she remarked. “I think I’m fortunate enough to have a sort of perverted sense of humor, and I’m able to laugh at myself, which everybody who plays comedy must do. It’s much easier to make people cry than laugh, you know because there is so much unhappiness that tears are always rather near the surface, don’t you think?”
“But writing humor is purely mathematical. There has to be a certain number of lines leading up to the punch line. The reason I know this is because I played foil to so many comedians, and they’ve said, “No, it needs another line.” There is a real cadence to good comedy.”
“But to play it well, you have to have the feeling of underplaying yourself, of having the audience laugh not only with you but at you. You have to simply not care whether people laugh at you or not. I don’t care if people laugh at me, and of course, if they laugh with me, it’s marvelous.”
“In Bewitched, of course, it’s a different thing. Endora has the topper. She isn’t malicious or evil, you know; she’s just mischievous, and she has some delicious lines. “For instance,” and Miss Moorehead chuckled wickedly, “she had a line where she said,” “A penny for your thoughts–and I KNOW you need the money.”
“Seated in a cheery bright red and blue cotton dress that oddly did not clash with her carrot red hair, Miss Moorehead smiled serenely. The dress was a far cry from Endora’s floating chiffon, but there was no denying Miss Moorehead’s attractiveness, which brought up the old question of whether a really beautiful woman could play comedy.”
“Why, of course, my dear,” she said in surprised tones. “There are dozens of them.
Look at Mrs. Patrick Campbell (associate of Geroge Bernard Shaw). She was a very beautiful creature, of course, and very vain. But enormously witty.”
‘With such a full career and so many experiences, it seemed natural to inquire whether Miss Moorehead had considered getting it all down.”
“Heavens, I never thought of writing a book. Mercy, dear, I’m not bright enough. Anecdotes? Oh, I hear them, but I never remember them.”
“Once, when I was touring in “Don Juan In Hell,” they did tell me I should write a book, and you know I called my mother, and she put it in perspective.” “I said, Isn’t it silly? They want me to write a book.” My mother is one of those little Victorian ladies, but she has a superb sense of timing. She always waits for this wonderful beat before she says anything. I told her about writing the book, and there was a long pause, “On WHAT?”
1967 4 November A memo to party givers: don’t invite Agnes Moorehead and Lee Strasberg to the same wingding. Agnes said, “He’s a fraud and a phony, and I told him so on a panel. I said you’re doing some terrible things and he just smiled.”
1967 6 November
The Los Angeles Times
Lydia Lane
Agnes says, “Dressing too young is a sign of insecurity. It was bred with progressive education and fed by a mechanized society that has become a status symbol of the land. You are only a shell if you have not found your identity. I find it sad when a woman falls in love with herself at a certain age and continues to wear her hair the same way, keeping it the same color, clinging to this image because it was the happiest time in her life. How much wiser she would be if she would accept maturity and what it has to offer.”
1967 11 November
The Indianapolis News
Richard K. Shull
“About Agnes Moorehead’s portrayal of the waspish, disdainful witch, Endora, on “Bewitched.” It’s not an act, you know. It’s frighteningly like the true Miss Moorehead. Just mention some of television's sillier stuff, and the 60-year-old actress unlimbers her verbal claws and becomes downright ferocious.”
1967 25 November
The World News
Dean Gysel
“Later, she said she saw Agnes Moorehead, “I went up to her and gave her a big kiss.” Said Hermione Baddeley. “She sort of pushed me off and said, ‘But my dear, you’ve just been successful in “Sister George!”
1967 2 December
The Tampa Tribune
Tom Wilkerson
Actress Comes Closer, Gives An Ear Full
…She’s the kind of woman you’d want your sister to grow up to be.
She talked for several minutes with D.J. Cermele, the theater director and a young aide. She didn’t like the arrangement and didn’t beat around the proverbial bush in letting them know how she wanted a carpet, a chair, and the curtains arranged for tonight's presentation.
Her hair looks like a fire that wouldn’t be extinguished if you poured water all over it. She was dressed in cocoa-colored gloves, a camel brown button-rimmed suit of cashmere, carried a brown purse sporting a sparkling pin, and flipped sunglasses in her right hand as she described how the stage should appear. Without a doubt, the stage will be just that way tonight.
1967 2 December
Tampa Bay Times
Nancy Osgood
Tampa Bay University staffers who met Endora—-pardon that—Agnes Moorehead when she stepped off the train that brought her from Mississippi to Tampa yesterday afternoon were “Bewitched” on sight.
“They described her as “even cuter than she is on television. Small– very slight, about five feet three inches, maybe a size 10–dramatic in her gestures and ELEGANT.”
The petite star of just about every medium you can name arrived for her One Woman Show…dressed to compliment her red hair worn in a long banged Page Boy style.
Hatless but gloved, she wore a camel-colored big buttoned military suit with a hip-length jacket and low-heeled buckled tan shoes and carried a bulky handbag. Her jewelry included an antique gold watch on a long chain, a choker of huge pearls, and a jeweled lapel pin. Oh yes—-pale pink lipstick and false eyelashes
1967 4 December
The Evening Sun
Richard K Shuh
“She Made It Big In A Nebulous Art.”
“Agnes Moorehead probably would claw out the eyes of anyone who would suggest that she is an institution.”
“In short, she has made it big in what she calls “the most nebulous art of all–acting.”
“She is legend. She is Agnes Moorehead.”
1967 14 June Harry Griffin says of Agnes, “Agnes Moorehead continually elegant and perhaps the most gracious and interesting travel companion ever to accompany a press junket, a mesmerized newsman in flight as she reminisced about the brilliance of her closest friend the late Charles Laughton “unquestionably the greatest talent of this century.”
1967 30 July Agnes tells of performing her one-woman show for Charles Laughton and friends. When it was over, they all left without a word. Laughton then came back. Agnes was crying and told her they had forgotten how wonderful it was.
1967 27 February Fluff, on Agnes’ start in movies, calls her the “First Lady of the American Theatre.”
“I think I’m fortunate enough to have a sort of perverted sense of humor,” Agnes once said. What exactly is a perverted sense of humor? Perversion is human behavior that deviates from what is considered orthodox or normal. Although the term perversion can refer to a variety of forms of deviation, it is most often used to describe sexual behaviors. I guess that Agnes means she has an offbeat or unusual sense of humor here. Aggie was a lot of things but I would never have used the word perverse.
In July Insiders said that Elizabeth and Agnes did not get along. Agnes was particularly gratified that Liz had to present her with her Emmy. I find it hard to believe that Aggie and Liz didn’t get along. You don’t leave an expensive antique star brooch with diamonds to somebody you don’t get along with. There is no angst on Liz’s part, and Agnes was; I can say this because it also describes me as a cranky old lady prone to disturbing bluntness.
Talent is cheap today – but not prevalent.
As Agnes aged, her comments about Hollywood and the other actors became more negative. Aggie insinuated in June 196t, “If I were financially set, I’d quit Sunday.” Agnes branded Hollywood “nebulous and insecure” and accused the industry of letting its stars go to suit their whims. She also made the often repeated point that actors in 1967 lacked discipline and dedication. I understand discipline, but Aggie is obsessed with it. Discipline was the word of the day every single day in her childhood. Victorians waved personal discipline around like that would in some way prevent the world from sliding into chaos; by the way, they weren’t wrong and became the saving grace of mankind. Guess what? It was an epic failure. People are rebellious by nature. She saw those who weren’t brought up precisely the same way as Agnes, as other or nebulous and insecure. Projecting?
Night of the Vicious Valentine
1967 10 February Agnes does Wild Wild West Night of the Vicious Valentine.
Back To The Boards
Agnes really poured herself into her work in 1967. It's amazing how much she packed into one year! In March, she took her one-woman show, 'Come Closer, and I'll Give You an Earful,' to Montgomery County, Maryland. Then, in April, she was off to Portland, Oregon, the first stop on another tour. Even though she was busy with 'Bewitched,' she still wanted to connect with audiences across the country.
Later in the year, she showed her support for the arts by participating in 'A Celebration of the Poet' in September and appearing at a convocation for Southern Illinois University. She even learned some sign language! Can you imagine Agnes trying to sign? She wanted to make her one-woman show accessible to everyone.
She also kept up with her acting buddies. In October, she teamed up with Edward G. Robinson, Ed Begley, and Sam Jaffe for a fun performance for the Thalians. They did a dramatic reading of some quirky songs like 'Flat Foot Floogie' and 'Itty Bitty Fishes.' That must have been a hoot!
And Agnes didn't slow down as the year wound to a close. She performed at Okaloosa-Walton Junior College in November and finished the year with a show in Tampa, Florida. She was one busy lady!
Let’s Start The Party
1967 was a whirlwind for Agnes! Just look at all the events she attended:
February 3rd: Agnes was at The City of Hope Humanitarian Award dinner and dance.
February 5th: She voiced “The Black Widow” on the radio show “The Lone Ranger.”
February 6th: Agnes chatted with Lloyd Thaxton on "Everybody's Talking."
February 7th: She entertained at a luncheon for Emmajo and Ralph Blane.
February 14th: Agnes went to a showing and dinner by Bobby Weisel and Don Luckett.
February 16th: She attended a Champagne social at “The European Health Spa” for Seeing Eye Dogs.
February 18th: Agnes was at a “Tribute to Cole Porter.”
March 14th: She attended the B’nai Brith Royal Ball.
March 21st: Agnes went to a gala premiere for “Taming of the Shrew.”
April 8th: She took in the Dobritch International Circus with Cesar.
May 6th: Agnes attended a party honoring Joan Crawford.
June 19th: She joined a housewarming party at Joyce Selznick’s.
June 23rd: Agnes was at the premiere of “The Happiest Millionaire.”
July 9th: She turned heads in a flaming red dress at a dinner dance.
July 20th: Agnes attended a party Ross Hunter threw for Norman Wilson at the Beverly Hills Hotel.
August 12th: She flew back to California after finishing "The Tonight Show" for Kathy's wedding.
August 14th: Agnes went to a farewell party for Ethel Merman as she returned to Broadway.
July 23rd: Agnes hosted the wedding of Kathy Ellis to Otis Murry, a studio executive, at her home. She provided the wedding cake and hosted a reception for 150 people.
August 31st: She attended the premiere of “The Flim Flam Man.”
September 24th: Agnes attended Concours d’Elegance at Peacock Gap Country Club.
August 17th: Agnes went to a party at Rock Hudson’s home.
August 21st: She attended a party for Dr. Louise Yim with Hal Martin.
September 22nd: Agnes enjoyed Marcel Marceaux.
September 23rd: She attended “The Fantasticks.”
October 7th: Agnes was at the Thalians Ball, themed “The Vintage Years.”
October 8th: She attended the City of Hope Dinner at Goodmans.
October 20th: Agnes went to another “City of Hope” dinner.
November 26th: She previewed “The Happy Time,” which was Broadway bound.
December 11th: Agnes held her traditional Christmas Party.
December 26th: She attended Harry Jameson’s Holiday Party.
June 1st: Agnes was at Expo 67.
June 5th: In Quebec City for the Royal 22nd Regiment performance, she danced a Scottish Reel with Dwight Newton.
June 13th: Agnes was on the road with the “Screen Gems Goodwill Tour” in Montreal.
August 6th: She joined Debbie at Donald O’Connor’s opening at the Greek Theatre.
Agnes was always out and about! 1967 was a total whirlwind for her. Can you even imagine all the outfits? With three walk-in closets packed with designer gowns, she was always dressed to impress. She once said she put on “war paint” to go out, but it was more than just makeup; she had a closet full of “war clothes” ready for any occasion!
The Boob Tube
1967 11 February Agnes participated in the Arthritis Telethon.
1967 13 February Agnes is on “The Mr. Blackwell Show.”
1967 21 February Agnes on the “The Mr. Blackwell Show.”
1967 25 February Agnes is on “Burke’s Law”
1967 25 February Agnes appears on the “Variety Club Telethon.” This takes place in Buffalo
1967 2 March Agnes is on a panel discussing culture in the coming years.
1967 15 March Agnes will perform in Mexico City for the Mexican National Tourist Program.
1967 14 April Agnes is on Merv Griffin
1967 22 April Agnes is on Password.
1967 27 April Agnes is out on the town at Charley O’s, allegedly looking for a Broadway role.
1967 28 April Agnes is on Mike Douglas
1967 30 April Robert is director of Los Angeles Rep.
1967 1 May Agnes is co-hosting Billy Graham Hour
1967 2 May Agnes is in the running for an Emmy
1967 16 May Agnes performs on a telethon for the Variety Club
1967 3 June Agnes is on the Joey Bishop show.
1967 5 June Agnes on Girl Talk
1967 11 June Agnes to read “Letters From Israel” on the Yorty Show.
1967 13 June Agnes is on the road with the “Screen Gems Goodwill Tour” in Montreal
1967 26 June On a sightseeing boat on the Ottawa River: Agnes Moorehead, talking about skirt length, said that her mother was very critical of her. Agnes’ mother thinks Agnes should wear shorter skirts.
1967 6 July Agnes is on Dateline Hollywood
1967 13 July Agnes urges that there be an Academy for Actors on the West Coast.
1967 14 July Agnes discusses ideas for “mother’s house” in Bewitched as well as saying she is having fun being in it and meeting people
1967 16 July Agnes filmed in Spain after replacing Joan Crawford in a part. This continued for a large portion of the summer of 1967
In July 1967, Agnes wrote a newspaper column in the absence of Cynthia Lowery.
1967 3 August Agnes states she doesn’t want to be identified by the Endora role.
1967 4 August Agnes is on The Late Show
1967 5 August Agnes likes the money but doesn’t want to be a one-show gal.
1967 6 August Agnes again says she doesn’t want to be known as Endora and is only in 8 out of 13 shows. “I don’t want as much exposure as Endora. The only thing I want to be identified with is that I’m an actress.
1967 6 August Agnes attends Donald O’Connor’s opening at the Greek Theatre with Debbie.
1967 9 August Agnes needs to catch up on motion picture production techniques. He says television doesn’t look for a good take.
1967 16 August Agnes is appearing at Hollywood Palace.
1967 23 August Agnes is on Girl Talk
1967 30 August Agnes lives alone, and she likes it. She finds no use for witchcraft in her daily life.
1967 3 September Agnes says TV is tiring, and she doesn’t delve too deeply into her private life, except to say she has lived it fully.
1967 6 September “Agnes Leads A Very Conservative Life.”
1967 9 September Agnes will be on The Mid Michigan Telerama Telethon for the March of
Dimes
1967 10 September Agnes will be on “The Smothers Brothers”
1967 10 September Agnes enjoys her “lonely” life in Beverly Hills.
1967 11 September Agnes is on Girl Talk
1967 13 September Agnes may participate in the Vancouver Variety Club telethon.
1967 13 September Agnes appears on ‘The Woody Woodbury Show”
1967 16 September Agnes is on “The Celebrity Game”
1967 30 September Agnes is on Woody Woodbury
1967 4 October Agnes is on Woody Woodbury
1967 5 October Agnes is on Burkes Law.
1967 9 October Aaron Spelling hopes to reunite Agnes with Orson, Joe Cotten, and Danny Thomas for a gothic horror tale called “Shadow House.”
1967 14 October New version of how the first one-woman show trial on Laughton went.
1967 16 October Article on character actors and how people prefer them.
1967 20 October Agnes is on the Board of Directors for the Screen Actors Guild.
1967 20 October Agnes attends “The City of Hope” dinner.
1967 22 October Agnes talks about the Bewitching Glow of Maturity.
1967 26 October Agnes speaks about teaching acting.
1967 31 October Agnes does Password
1967 1 October Agnes attends the premiere of “Rosie” with Rosalind Russell.
1967 4 November Agnes will be at YDay at the Hollywood Bowl.
1967 4 November Agnes is on Hollywood Squares and Password.
1967 6 November Agnes will guest star on Custer.
1967 8 November Judy Lewis studied acting with Agnes
1967 18 November “What Well Dressed Witch Will Wear” Agnes wears her clothes on Bewitched.
1967 2 December Agnes will attend the re-release of Gone With the Wind.
1967 3 December Agnes will co-host the Pat Boone Show
1967 8 December Agnes is on “The Smothers Brothers”
1967 9 December Agnes is on Custer with James Whitmore
1967 10 December Agnes never wears anything but the latest fashions on Bewitched.
1967 10 December After Smothers Brothers, Agnes will go to Florida for a week.
1967 15 December Agnes was Margo Lane to Orson Welles’ The Shadow.
1967 22 December Agnes is on Woody Woodbury.
The Most Devine Creature 1968
“To me, witches are the most divine creatures. I always thought of them not as old crones with double chins and dunce hats but as enchanting, blithe spirits.”
How many personalities do you have in there anyway?
Being a person isn’t as easy as everybody makes it out to be when you live two lives. Every single one of us who knows anybody in any manner has multiple lives. Let me explain. No two people will ever give the same description after meeting someone. It could be argued that in that way, we all have multiple personalities. I look at someone and observe, but you can look at the same person and observe them in the same manner while seeing the entire situation with different eyes.
Many personalities inhabited Agnes Moorehead's mind. We all have many personalities living in our minds, and it stems from the fact that every person you meet experiences you differently. This was undoubtedly true of Agnes as well. Hers was different from ours, though. If you ask anybody, if only that were possible, what working with Agnes was like, chances are you’ll get extraordinary responses about her kindness, her laughter, her sense of fun, her professionalism, how prepared she was for everything, and that most folks gave her a wide berth out of deep respect. But other things are living in that mind, too. Walls designed to deflect. Stories designed to protect. Enhancements sprinkled heavily through partial or nonexistent truths. These are things that nobody has even begun to figure out. Agnes lived two lives. There was her public life, which dealt exclusively with her industry; Then there was her private life, which, most unfortunately, burst into her public life repeatedly throughout her life.
Once, I was asked what I thought Agnes’ personality would be if she took the Myers-Briggs Personality Test. That thought had never crossed my mind before this question. I decided to try to slide into her personality and take the test on her behalf. I did my best to think about her answers, and in the end, I was labeled ENTP-T the Debater. We have 73 percent extrovert, 66 percent intuitive, 62 percent thinking, 51 percent prospect, and 67 percent turbulent. Let me start by saying that these tests are only as good as the answers you give when you take them. I think it would be more accurate if there were a choice for someone who is all over the map. Trust me, if there were, Agnes would be on it somewhere. Agnes was a chameleon. Her personality depended on the situation she was in. She claimed to be conservative and was a registered Republican, but she had masses of gay male friends who adored her, and she adored them. I remember reading or hearing somewhere that she had a gay friend who would often come to stay in Beverly Hills, and they had conversations at all hours of the night in various states of undress. Not a prude by any standard, however, she was constantly on about God, the Bible, the way the world was going to pot, drugs, sex, and the list goes on. She was an enigma.
She’s A Brick Wall
Who exactly was Agnes Moorehead? Her personality was a brick wall for most people. If you take a run at it, you’re going to end up with a concussion, guaranteed. She was carefully engineered by years of stress; when I say years, I mean years. Her schedule was inhumane, and she set it up herself. She worked through pain. She worked through grief. She worked through illness. It is almost as if she wants the pain, the suffering, and the anguish. It’s like they are characters she is going to play in development. Think about her life for just a minute. Could you manage to come out the other side of your sister’s death without cracking up? Could you endure the death of your father as he was doing his job in god’s house? Would you be able to tolerate 20 years of a physically abusive alcoholic? Would you not be exhausted if your work schedule had you traveling 46 weeks a year? Would you be able to handle the death of your grandfather and your sister three months apart? Would you be able to cope with the accidental death of your maternal grandfather the same year your paternal grandmother passes away with a 4-month gap between them? Could you endure the humiliation of a man treating you like a stepping stone because he did for his career? The answer is yes if you’re Agnes Moorehead.
A writer named Bernice Mason wrote an article about Agnes. It was titled “You May Come Close But Not Too Close.” It’s one of the most insightful pieces I’ve read, and this paragraph sums it up nicely. “So much mention has been made of her stellar career, but details of her personal life are unknown. There are things that have set people to wondering. Signs....trail signs. Signs that aren't actually there but you read them anyway--like Private Property, No Trespassing, and Stranger, Keep Out. There also seems to be a general impression that she lives within a created impenetrable fortress composed of layer on layer of self-protecting covering, perhaps to guarantee the safety of a hypersensitive spirit against the knife thrust of living...a fortress to which nobody would probably lay ruthless siege but which evokes the wonder if this fine, beautiful granite strength would crumble at too cruel a jest, too sweet a song, a too knowing surgeon's probe.
But I like a good party!
1968 26 January Agnes attends a fete for a French film star at Debbie’s.
1968 6 February Agnes attends a birthday party for Corbina Wright
1968 24 February Agnes is attending a benefit ball for the striking Herald-Examiner
1968 1 March Agnes attends a party at the Fielding Spanish Mansion. It ended at 4:30 a.m.
1968 6 March Agnes attends an after party for “Half A Sixpence”
1968 7 March Agnes will attend the Seeing Eye dog benefit at the Forum in Hollywood.
1968 7 January Agnes attends a post-holiday fete
1968 7 March Agnes will attend the Seeing Eye dog benefit at the Forum in Hollywood.
Engineered by years of stress
1968 12 February Agnes has mixed emotions about heart transplants
Not a prude
1968 was a busy year for Agnes! On February 21st, she attended the premiere of "Half A Sixpence." Just a few days later, on February 25th, she showed her writing chops by publishing a piece in a newspaper called "Charlie Bubbles Labels Success: A Dirty Word." She kept up her community involvement throughout the year. On March 26th, she was the guest of honor for the Leukemia Society, and she launched their fund drive just three days later. In May, she spoke at the Women in Action Conference.
On The Boards Again
Agnes was everywhere in 1968! It’s hard to believe she fit it all in between filming "Bewitched." In January, she lent her voice to a new exhibit in Teotihuacan, Mexico – how cool is that? Then she was off to "Go-Go Grenoble" and hanging out with Pat Boone. She even found time to join the Fresno Art Center Study Committee.
February was just as packed. Agnes honored an Israeli Army General with a reading, and then a few days later, she was on "All-Star Bingo"! She also popped up on Gypsy Rose Lee's show and another Pat Boone appearance. And get this – she was thinking about performing in sign language! That's something I would have loved to see.
March saw Agnes jetting off to Germany to judge a talent contest and then launching a 25-day tour with her one-woman show. She even squeezed in a performance of "Lion In Winter" in Tulsa. Oh, and she was on the Tonight Show and "Truth or Consequences" too! Is there anything she couldn't do? It's no wonder people were so fascinated by her. She was a force of nature.
A World On The Edge Of Not Existing 1969
“I've played so many mean-looking troublemakers I have to keep reminding myself I'm not a bad person deep down.”
When the world changes
The world changes without notice, and you must adapt or be ready to live with the consequences. The world changed dramatically between 1900 and 1974. Electricity became commonplace. Running water with indoor plumbing. Telephones have become a household thing. Silent films became talking motion pictures. Radio invaded our homes. Televisions became commonplace. Air conditioning in any home you want to put it in. World War I. World War II ended with the use of an atomic weapon or two. The Korean conflict. The Vietnam War. John Kennedy and Robert Kennedy were killed. The list is endless. But there were blips of solid ground, and guess who came through it in one piece? You know her well. Her name was Agnes Moorehead. If you think about the ability of one woman born before the advent of all these things to master all of them, relating to the media is positively unbelievable. She adapted to it as if she had created every single form of media that she had come to master. Agnes was ahead of her time by leaps and bounds.
When Agnes was born in 1900, these things did not exist:
Electricity in homes. In 1925, only 50 percent of the homes in America had electricity.
Motion pictures with sound
Automobiles
Motorcycles
Airplanes
Air Mail
Radio sets for the home
Penicillin
Girdles
Electric Fridge
Electric Toaster
Electric Coffee pot
Television
Blow Dryers
Air Conditioning
Heating systems that didn’t require you to chop wood or shovel coal.
You were the washing machine
The great outdoors, your clothes dryer
Electric irons
This list is endless. The bottom line is that Agnes was born into a world devoid of the media she so elegantly mastered. Even though she was born 12 months into the new century, people still lived effectively in the 19th century.
Think about her progression through life and how she took on every new-fangled thing thrown at her. She was educated, and that was unusual for her sex. Furthermore, her degree was in biology. Good lord, sir, there are girls studying biology! The end is nigh! She learned to be a biologist, became a teacher of English, trained to be a stage actress, then became a radio actress who traveled to Hollywood and became a film actress who then went right back to the stage in a newly created form of theatre but was curious about a sound recording the newly created form of theatre then said television is like radio with pictures and proceeded to get in on the ground floor of it thus becoming a worldwide household name. Not bad for a kid born into a world entirely in the dark about it all.
When Agnes was 13, World War 1 began. It was unlike any previous war because of technological advances in warfare machinery. Gone were the rules that had governed war before. They were wiped away by tanks, airplanes, lethal gasses, and trench warfare and topped off with masses of artillery shells. Men were returning from war damaged and broken. At the very least, this world was nothing like the world into which Agnes had been born, and every single day brought about something new. Agnes was walking unthinkingly into a new century that would bring a technological revolution that would rock her world.
Agnes, the chameleon
By nature, Agnes was a chameleon. Whatever situation you put her in, she managed to blend in seamlessly. She took on new inventions in her home, profession, and life. She became a unique creature born of a unique century, living in a unique city and staring down a host of new possibilities except for one thing, or maybe two. As she aged, Agnes became very vocal about the laziness of youth, the laziness of actors, and the various countercultures around her.
Born into a world on the edge of not existing
If I had to guess, I’d say she wasn’t a fan of the 1960s because there was too much politicking, protesting, indecent acts, free love, etc. After all, Agnes was born into a world on the verge of not existing.
The magic pear tree
1969 3 January, Agnes was signed to do the voice for the animated feature that became “The Magic Pear Tree.”
I don’t believe in self-indulgence
In January 1969, an article declared "Citizen Kane" the greatest film ever made. Then, in February, Agnes was at her acting school, sharing a bit of her own story. "I don't believe in self-indulgence," she told her students, but she also confessed something personal. She'd "lied" to the Muni about her age years ago. She'd said she was ten when she was actually twelve, wanting to be sixteen so badly. It's funny how those little fibs stick with you, isn't it?
The tour that wasn’t
It's funny; Agnes kept saying she was touring, but it seems like she only did a few shows. In July 1969, she said she'd be on the road for three weeks in August, but then in September, her first date was set for January 1970. By November, she was still telling people she was touring, even though she'd only performed in Phoenix and had two more shows lined up for the next year. She also mentioned doing a benefit performance every month. It sounds like she really wanted to keep performing, even though her schedule was pretty light.
One Week Wonders
1969 was a busy year for Agnes! She was all over the place. It seemed like she was on every talk show and game show imaginable. Here’s a quick rundown:
January 2nd: The Steve Allen Show
January 3rd: Here Come The Stars
January 12th: The John Gary Show
January 18th: That’s Life
January 23rd: Mike Douglas
January 24th: The All-American College Show
February 2nd: The Steve Allen Show (again!)
March 12th: That Show
April 20th: Steve Allen (still going!)
June 15th: A Robert Taylor Spectacular and Password
June 17th: Della
August 3rd: The John Gary Show
August 14th: Lucky Pair
August 15th: Password (again!)
August 24th: The Donald O’Connor Show
September 4th: The Late Show
October 20th: The Movie Game
October 25th: Here Come The Stars (as the guest of honor!)
November 8th: The Name Droppers
September 22nd: Lancer
September 28th: A program celebrating The Constitution
September 30th: A Salute to Jimmy Stewart
November 21st: The Tonight Show and The Johnny Carson Show
November 23rd: The John Gary Show
November 17th: Red Skelton
It’s exhausting just reading that list! Agnes was truly a force of nature.
Slowing down
1969 16 March Agnes attended “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead” at the “Sunday Night Supper Club.”
1969 3 November Agnes attends a fete at the Cocoanut Grove.
1969 10 November Agnes participated in the “Trini Lopez” opening at The Cocoanut Grove.
1969 1 August Agnes is having her home repainted lavender.
1969 11 August Agnes is on a panel discussing sex and nudity in entertainment.
1969 23 August Agnes participated in a radio drive to make care packages for men serving in Vietnam. “Special Delivery Vietnam”
1969 23 August Agnes on the radio program “Something To Say” in Canada
1969 24 August Agnes was named honorary chairperson of “The West Orange County United Fund.”
On The Boards One More Time
1969 19 October Agnes is announced to perform April 25, 1970, with the Springfield Symphony Orchestra
1969 21 October Agnes attends the premiere of “Paint Your Wagon.”
1969 23 October Agnes will perform at “The Scottsdale Dinner Club”
1969 29 October Agnes will be a judge for the American National Theatre Association at the American College Theatre Festival in Washington D.C.
1969 17 November Agnes performs at Virginia Intermont College
Debbie Says
1969 23 June Agnes attends a dinner fete at Debbie and Harry’s.
1969 9 September Debbie says Agnes told her working on a series is a terrible experience.
1969 14 September Article about Debbie’s party refers to Agnes as “The Grand Dame Herself.
All About The Party
1969 24 March Agnes attends a dinner at Jerry Jameson’s
1969 6 April Agnes “School Teacher Moorehead Finds Students Undisciplined.” Complaints
1969 10 April Agnes attends the premiere of “If It’s Tuesday, It Must Be Belgium.”
1969 25 June Agnes participated in the “Army Entertainment Scholarship and Awards Program.”
1969 24 August Agnes was named honorary chairperson of “The West Orange County United Fund.”
1969, 14 November, Agnes participated in the launch of Apollo 12 as an honorary “technical advisor.”
1969 15 and 16 November Agnes is at the Vic Tanny Roman Spa and Health Club Grand Opening of his club
1969 19 November Agnes was at Newport for a couple of days.
1969 25 November Articles proclaiming Agnes’ guest spot on Lancer's best performance ever.
Merry Birthday Happy Christmas!
1969 6 December Annual Christmas party.
1969, 10 December: Agnes will perform “A Christmas Reading” at the Cocoanut Grove for The Opera Guild of Southern California.
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