Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Bewitched by Bewitched

I was watching or reading something in the last month where
a character says that a certain kind of smart person can tell
you every plot to every episode of Bewitched. I laughted
I can't do that but I am mystified by the fact that often
the story lines have been repeated. Turns out that there
were many different writers over the years, but still they
should have watched the past episodes to avoid duplication.

As stated previously the show has started again from the
beginning and I had never noticed that Louise Tate in the
beginning (Irene Veron)(who was only in 13 episodes) was a
different Louise Tate from the end of the series,when Kasey
Rogers played the role appearing in 33 episodes, she is the
Louise Tate that I remember.

Of course we were all aware of the change in the character
of Darren, played first by Dick York who was in 156 episodes,
I for one thought that he must have died to be replaced but
it turns out that he suffered a bad back injury in 1959 when
making the movie "Cordura" and it bacame worse over the
years and that is why in the last episodes that he appeared
in he is either in bed or lying on the couch! He dies on 20th
Feb, 1992 at only 63 years old.

The Gladys Kravitz I remember was played by Alice Pearce, who
was the first Mrs. Kravitz and she only appeared in 27 episodes,
compared to the second Mrs. Kravitz played by Sandra Gould,
who was in 29 episodes (and whom I don't remember at all!)

There was also a change in the actors who played Mr. Frank
Stephens, (Darren's father) I remember the second Mr. Stephens
played by Robert F. Simon, but the character was first played
by Roy Roberts, but only in 7 episodes!

Of course we all know that Tabitha Stephens was played by
Erin Murphy, (101 episodes) but there were many young babies
and girls whoplayed the role, Heidi and Laura Gentry (2
episodes) and Tamar Young (12 episodes) in 1966, and Diane
Murphy (twin to Erin?) for 21 episodes from 1966 to 1972.

Also I wondered was there any significance to the fact that
displayed on the table, behind the front door is a menorah,
the 7 branch jewish candelabrum. I don't believe that either
Darren Stephens nor Samatha are Jewish in religion. In the
later episodes there s a picture and then a mirror on the wall
behind the table and the menorah is gone.

6 comments:

Paul Franklin Stregevsky said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Paul Franklin Stregevsky said...

A menorah holds 9 candles: 1 for each day of Hanukkah plus a ninth candle that you light them with. The Bewitched candelabra held only 7 candles.

Gary Betsworth said...

31 And you must make a lamp-stand of pure gold. Of hammered work the lamp-stand is to be made. Hammered into a sheet and hammered around a sphere to form a rounded overall shape with a flat bottom edge to support it and the top bent around the sphere to complete its shape. Into this one piece of sheet gold he then inscribed and tapped the directed image-work.IE: the shaft, the six branches, the knops, bowls, and flowers as directed. (Exodus).

Gary Betsworth said...

31 And you must make a lamp-stand of pure gold. Of hammered work the lamp-stand is to be made. Hammered into a sheet and hammered around a sphere to form a rounded overall shape with a flat bottom edge to support it and the top bent around the sphere to complete its shape. Into this one piece of sheet gold he then inscribed and tapped the directed image-work.IE: the shaft, the six branches, the knops, bowls, and flowers as directed. (Exodus).

Jon Michaels said...

The Menorah used daily in the Temple, is a seven-branched lampstand used in the ancient Tabernacle in the desert and Temple in Jerusalem

Jon Michaels said...

The Menorah used only for Hanukkah, is a nine-branched candelabrum, also known as a ḥanukkiyah or chanukkiyah (Hebrew: חַנֻכִּיָּה‎‎), which is used on the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah