Agnes Moorehead (December 6, 1900 - April 30, 1974)

"The Lavendar Lady"

This delightful yet tough as nails lady was a gift to film, radio and then television. She first joined Orson Welles' Mercury Theatre Group in 1937 and went on to appear on various radio programs throughout the 1940's. She played opposite Orson Welles and then Bill Johnstone on "The Shadow" as "The Lovely Margo Lane" from 1937 to 1939. She also played Lara, mother to baby Kal-El, in the first episode of the "Superman" radio serial in February 1940. Her best known role however, was in "Sorry, Wrong Number" on the drama "Suspense." As the years went on she became the actress that would be closely associated with the role of Mrs. Stevenson. She spent the early 1950's on the Broadway stage. Some of her television credits include "Studio 57", "Climax!", "Wagon Train", "The DuPont Show of the Month", "Playhouse 90", "General Electric Theater", "Rawhide", "The Rifleman", "The Twilight Zone", "Channing", "Burke's Law", "The Wild Wild West", "The Red Skelton Show", "The Virginian", "Love, American Style" and "Marcus Welby, M.D." As herself she appeared on "Password", "The Merv Griffin Show", "The Joey Bishop Show", "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hours", "The Hollywood Squares", "The Jonathan Winters Show", "The Don Rickles Show", "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson", "Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In", "What's My Line?" and "The Mike Douglas Show." Between 1941 and 1973 she appeared in 59 films. Some of the more popular ones include Citizen Kane, Johnny Belinda, The Big Street, The Blue Veil, Magnificent Obession and Pollyanna. She was a good friend of actress Jane Wyman and appeared in four of these films with her. The role that earned a place in television's history books was as the devious witch Endora on the ABC sitcom "Bewitched" starring Elizabeth Montgomery. The show was on the air between 1964 and 1972. Moorehead took to the role very well and she delivered her magic spells with great perfection. One of the constant conflicts on the show was between Endora and her son-in-law Darren (Dick York then Dick Sargent) whom she often called "Derwood" or "Dumb-Dumb." The only person that could get under Endora's skin was Uncle Arthur (Paul Lynde) and the only person that could put her in her place was her estranged warlock husband Maurice (Maurice Evans). Moorehead and Montgomery shared a wonderful and believable mother-daughter relationship on screen. Samantha often counteracted her mother's deviousness with swiftness but also compassion. Endora also enjoyed playing tricks on nosy neighbor Gladys Kravitz (Alice Pearce then Sandra Gould). Agnes Moorehead earned the nickname "The Lavendar Lady" because of her love of wearing the color purple. No actress has ever played a television witch with such style, class and elegance (except maybe Elizabeth Montgomery) other than Agnes Moorehead. From radio's "Suspense" to the screen's Johnny Belinda to television's "Bewitched" Agnes Moorehead was one of the greatest actresses we had and she will never be duplicated.