Most of us of a certain generation were reared on endless reruns of the popular sitcom
Bewitched, which enjoyed its initial run from 1964-1972. Among many of those viewers, any episode with Uncle Arthur is usually a particular treat. Amazingly, though he is often associated with the role and the show,
Paul Lynde only showed up as Arthur ten times out of the 254 episodes broadcast! (He also had a one-time role early on as a frazzled driving instructor.) In the 1966 episode "Twitch or Treat" (season three, episode seven), Lynde is on hand with star Elizabeth Montgomery as her mother decides she is going to throw a Halloween party for various witches and warlocks... in Montgomery's living room!
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Montgomery's mother, played flamboyantly by the marvelous Miss Agnes Moorehead, transforms her daughter and son-in-law's home into a colorful party room with flowing drapes and a fog-producing fountain.
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That evening at the soiree, Moorehead sports a jeweled brooch in her hair and a funky, '60s, Pucci ensemble.
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In attendance with her ever-tormented husband Dick York, Montgomery is sporting an unusual hairstyle for the occasion.
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Her sleek, strapless gown is also rather unusual for the series and she looks quite elegant alongside the men in their tuxedos.
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The passed hors d'oeurve are meted out by an invisible helpmate!
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But you know we're here for reasons other than that. Take the couple dancing behind this floating tray of champagne saucers...
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When we're able to score a closer look, the gentleman is clad all in gold lamé with a sort of East-Indian style hat atop his head.
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The guy is not featured within the episode, but appears from time to time (badly) dancing in the background as the episode unfolds. The get-up that he's wearing, regardless of the ethnic headgear, has nothing at all to do with India or anyplace like it.
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The outfit first saw the light of day a few years prior when it was featured in Bye Bye Birdie (1963), a movie musical which also happened to costar Lynde!
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The title character, Conrad Birdie, was portrayed by Jesse Pearson. Upon his arrival in town, he proceeds to sing, bump & grind his way around the courthouse steps and grounds, thrilling his fans and causing the ladies to wilt in their high heels.
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Here Ann-Margret, who's been chosen to receive a kiss from him on national television, gazes at her object of affection.
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Pearson had played this role during the national tour of the stage version. Though to the naked eye there may not appear to be too tremendous a difference between them...
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...there's no way that Pearson could begin to compare with the Broadway Birdie, my beloved Dick Gautier, if you were to ask me (which no one did! Ha ha!)
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As seen here, the costume had a monogrammed belt, which was not used, for obvious reasons, for the background extra on Bewitched. Pearson was not able to sustain a movie career and after working for a while in television guest roles he ultimately began writing X-rated scripts, even directing one, before developing cancer and passing away at only 49.
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In this pic, you can see that his outfit came with matching gloves. He wore them for his arrival in town, which was on a motorcycle.
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In the photo above, you can see that our party guest has Pearson's gloves folded and hanging over his brown belt/sash. (In the very first pics of him, he's wearing them. Must've gotten hot under the lights after a while...!)
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Still later in the episode, Moorehead is attempting to deliver a Halloween poem. Just behind her, Not Not Birdie has now removed his hat! Now he's displaying a head of hair not unlike that which could've been seen on Pearson or Gautier. Unfortunately for Moorehead, Lynde keeps interrupting her oration with a bunch of ad-libbed wisecracks so she finally can't take anymore and exacts her revenge...
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Lynde is turned into the centerpiece of the fountain and even has a pigeon resting on his noggin...! And with that, this truly is bye, bye birdie, till next time!
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Thank you for the wonderful recap. This series was such a treasure. I adored it! And Dick Gautier! His son, the porn star Rand, and Tommy + Pam is a story for the ages! Amazing!
ReplyDeleteAs always, color me impressed. Surely you are descended from the inventor of the file cabinet, or at least the Rolodex - how else explain the way you can store all this tidbits?
ReplyDeleteI love finding out about repurposed/recycled Hollywood costumes, and this is one of the more fascinating examples! As often as I've watched "Bewitched" and as iconic a costume as Birdie's gold riding suit, it never once caught my eye in this favored episode. Love it!
ReplyDeleteAnd you're right, suburban Samantha looks pretty jet Set chic and chic in her strapless gown and elaborate hairdo here.
Thanks, Poseidon. You always make true the adage "The Devil's in the details"...you pick up on so many fun things that pass by the average movie/Tv fan. Much appreciated!
WizzyWig, I have a tendency to be a bit (more than!) out of touch with current entertainment programming, so I didn't even know about "Tommy & Pam" and, wow, what a shocker to look into it and discover that Dick's son had become "Austin Moore," porn actor! Since he so resembles his father, one can imagine that the acorn didn't roll far from the tree and that papa looked much the same without his clothes on. But I didn't even know that any Gautier was involved in that sex tape scandal. Wild... Thanks for alerting me to the whole hot mess.
ReplyDeleteDan -- Ha ha ha!! I'm hardly that remarkable. I think there are just certain outfits that, for one reason or another, are seared into my brain and so - sort of like "Where's Waldo" I can spot them if they appear again. Many times, though not always, I'm not the first one to make the connection. So I have "brethren" out there who are the same as me. LOL Thank you!!
Ken, thanks much!! As an aside, there is a cameo by famed baseball player Willie Mays in that episode. It occurred to me while watching "Bewitched" that producer William Asher (and perhaps Montgomery herself) seemed to be progressive in making sure that various ethnicities were represented on the show (even if faux Birdie was just a white guy in a turban!) There was a matador on hand at the party and Asian guests. Of course, there is also the famous 1970 ep, "Sisters At Heart." Even pithy Paul seems to constitute a form of inclusion. :-)
I always found that a little Paul Lynde went a very long way. Granted he played himself in everything he portrayed. Sort of like Charles Nelson Reilly, just more annoying to me. Sorry if I offended anyone, but the older I get, the more my mouth runs and I always said that I can make Sophia Petrillo look like Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm.
ReplyDeleteA little late getting here, but I always LOVE these sightings of re-purposed costumes, props, and (occasionally) sets! I guess I'm one of the "brethren"!
ReplyDeleteSince BYE BYE BIRDIE was from Columbia, as was BEWITCHED through its Screen Gems television production arm, the costume must've been in storage. You'd think it would've been a *little* recognizable-- coming just three years after a popular movie-- but I guess they figured putting a turban on it and keeping him in the back was enough "cover" for it...
...until the extra takes off the turban and stands center background looking like Conrad Birdie turned up at the party!
(Personally, I would've used an extra with a different look-- bald, or grey hair, or facial hair-- or at *least* just added some sort of contrasting fabric sash over one shoulder.)
TBH, I've never actually seen BYE BYE BIRDIE, though I'm roughly familiar with it as an "Elvis craze" parody. Is it possible that this extra's appearance-- including taking off the turban to reveal a similar head of hair-- was some sort of "in-joke"?
And it's really weird how not only does "movie Conrad" Jesse Pearson have a link to hardcore porn-- having written and directed two films-- but his stage predecessor in the role, Dick Gautier, does as well-- through a porn actor son!
(OTOH, there's also an even weirder nexus linking hardcore porn to TWIN PEAKS, MY MOTHER THE CAR and COACH, and THE ADDAMS FAMILY, through the 1991 suicide of Jerry Van Dyke's daughter Kelly, who made some TV appearances as a kid but by the '90s had drifted into porn to support a drug habit.
At the time of her death, she was married to character actor Jack Nance (TWIN PEAKS, other David Lynch projects) and her body was found by her friend, former child actress Lisa Loring (original Wednesday Addams), who was herself married to porn star Jerry Butler. And now, sadly, they're all dead.)
Thanks for another great post, Poseidon, and for all you do! Love to all, and be safe and well, everyone!
(I'm off to Google Search "Austin Moore"...)
Dirty Birdie! where else would I read about Jesse Pearson and porn, really have to look that up. This is great and an eagle eye as always. When you mentioned the couple I thought it would be the woman's dress. I don't remember this episode and it looks fabulous, that looks like a really fun party. Endora was the Pucci Queen. Maybe some of her outfits ended up somewhere. I will stay tuned.
ReplyDeleteGreat trivia! Hard to believe Paul Lynde appeared in only 10 episodes! Also, baseball legend Willie Mays appeared in this episode as a guest at the party... as a warlock! lol Elizabeth Montgomery's husband Bill Asher, the producer of the show, must have been a sports fan. Because, a number of well-known athletes of that era popped up on Bewitched!
ReplyDeleteGingeryguy, I hardly ever think about Pucci (and if I do, I seem to associate it with Jacqueline Susann!), but Sunday at the waterpark, a lady was wearing a coverup that was very clearly inspired by Pucci! It feels like such a specific mid-'60s thing (how about the late-'80s/early-'90s trend of "color-blocking?!!" LOL) It's truly bizarre that both Dick G and Jesse P had connections to XXX in one way or the other.
ReplyDeleteK Jenkins, it's really surprising isn't it?! I loved it in that first appearance when he played Sam's driving instructor. Clearly, Liz did too and got him back as Arthur. As a meaningless aside, I just watched an ep of "The Partridge Family" yesterday which was filmed at Kings Island, a nearby amusement park that I frequent, and famed baseball catcher Johnny Bench was cast in a gag as a hotel waiter! Thanks.
Poseidon3 mentioned Willy Mays...
ReplyDeleteDarren wonders if he's a warlock and Samatha replies, "The way he hits home runs, what else."
So the writers of the show are implying one of the greatest African-American athletes of all time was cheating?
I'm surprised the Woke Alliance hasn't chimed in to get this episode banned.
(And yes, I'm kidding.)
One side note: The episode of Circle of Fear entitled "House of Evil" uses Bewitch's set.
magusxxx, you may be surprised to learn that I have an entire post here from seven years ago about that "Bewitched/Circle of Fear" connection! See here:
ReplyDeletehttps://neptsdepths.blogspot.com/2016/09/ready-set-ghost.html
Cool! I watched the series back in the 70's when it was first broadcasted. And I had trouble convincing others they used the same set.
ReplyDelete