Twitch upon a Star

The Bewitched Life and Career of Elizabeth Montgomery

By: Herbie J Pilato

Narrated by: Michael Butler Murray, Herbie J Pilato

Based on author Herbie J Pilato's exclusive interviews with Elizabeth Montgomery prior to her death in 1995, Twitch Upon a Star includes insider material and commentary from several individuals associated with her remarkable life and career before, during, and after Bewitched, including her classic feature films The Court Martial of Billy Mitchell (1955), Who's Been Sleeping In My Bed? (1963), and Johnny Cool (1963).

Two of Montgomery's many popular TV movies, A Case of Rape (which remains one of the highest-rated TV movies of all time) and The Legend of Lizzie Borden, were groundbreaking and remain classics. But Twitch Upon a Star also goes behind the scenes to explore Montgomery's political activism, including her early advocacy for AIDS sufferers and the peace movement; her support for all minorities, including the gay community and the disabled; and her controversial participation as narrator of the 1988 feature film documentary Cover-Up and its 1991 Oscar-winning sequel, The Panama Deception. The book also explores Montgomery's tumultuous relationships with her father, screen legend Robert Montgomery (she was a liberal; he was a staunch conservative), and her four husbands. Through it all–and to family and friends–she was just Lizzie: down-to-earth and unaffected, just like Samantha, the "witch-with-a-twitch" Stephens, her most famous role.

©2012 Herbie J Pilato (P)2023 Tantor

Which Witch is she?

A “very private and shy” woman or is that the best explanation they contrived for Elizabeth Montgomery. Raised in privilege and wealth. Oh, she had a “bad” relationship with her father is another reason Lizzie was the way she was. Or she didn’t want anyone to know she had a “drinking problem” or that an ill contrived notion to justify her early demise? Who knows? Who cares? No one really. All we cared about was Samantha Stevens and that’s it.

All the pre-witch movie appearances were unnoticed by most and the highly dramatic TV movies post-witch outside the rape and Lizzie Borden were the ones that were somewhat memorable to most. That’s it for me. Nothing new under the sun in this book. A Hollywood actress who was famous because of her father Robert and then became a pop icon because an eight season comedy that is still going in perpetuity due to reruns and streaming platforms.

No one knows Elizabeth because who she was or what movie or other TV roles she did. No one knows she was married four times to interesting men who all tried to fill a void left by her father. No one knows about her 2 sons and one daughter from her third husband and business partner from “Bewitched”;Bill Asher. No one knows anything about her until almost 30 years after her passing. This book reveals everything. Now we know everything, but do we?

Who is or was Lizzie Montgomery? I don’t think she didn’t know herself either. Always trying to play the parts of her life on screen that she either toiled with or was to afraid to expose to the press or public. She was aloof and shallow with her friends. Never had any except when she wanted them. But, when they embarrassed her, made her feel uncomfortable or rubbed her the wrong way then they were discarded regardless of how long she knew them or how intimate she was in their life. That was Liz Bette.

She was truly an introvert and an antisocial person, but was still welcomed and remembered by all because that which she played on TV. That’s the way she wanted it. Even though she avoid her extraordinary popularity as that witch.

A humanitarian, liberal and activist for the LGBT community she was as well. But, again we never knew because Samantha was all we cared about. That’s the way she liked it. A beautiful talented person gone too soon, but which witch was she? Who knows? That’s the mystery of Elizabeth Montgomery.

Things I did not know about Elizabeth

Good story but author repeats a lot! Also, the nasal texture of his voice could be annoying. Work on that!

Painful . . .

She definitely led an interesting life. But someone needs to tell the authors what a bibliography is. Every time there was a mention of a book or a movie or a television show- or even just an episode - they endlessly repeated the name of the event, the year and the source. "Carol Burnett Show. CBS. 1968 to 1979." Over and over and over again. The book also read like it had been written as 50 separate vignettes which were then just glued together to make a single volume. Same events, same information, same stories, same quotes repeated in several chapters. And then there was the endless carping about how EVERYTHING could be traced back to the difficult relationship Elizabeth Montgomery's had with her father - and how it was the root of every problem. It sounded like someone trying to be a psychiatrist/psychologist - but without the education or credentials. I honestly think Ms. Montgomery would have been appalled. It was truly a struggle to get all the way through this thing and it mostly left you with an overwhelming desire to ask for your money back.