The iconic role of Darrin Stephens on the TV series “Bewitched,” was played by actor Dick York. He played the husband of a witch named Samantha Stephens. Darrin was of course, a mortal. Dick became a very famous actor at the time, and this was mostly due to his success on “Bewitched.”
Also during his time on the show, he had a role in in the classic film, “Inherit the Wind.” He was known for being very handsome and a total heartthrob! In fact, he aged very gracefully and continued to be handsome and charming and loved by all.
Critics Hated It
Nobody responded well to the movie. Critics and viewers alike both felt like it was a major flop. Rotten Tomatoes gave it 75% negative rating. It was said to have a lack of direction, and it was said not to be very funny at all.
This film had a budget of 85 million dollars, but it did not gross nearly that. It earned 63 million dollars in the United States and a little bit more worldwide. It totaled 131 million dollars which, despite sounding like a lot, was quite a disappointment. The creators anticipated that the film was going to be a huge success because it already had such a large following; unfortunately, they were not able to deliver.
An Early Departure
Dick York was the original Darrin on “Bewitched.” He had a previous back injury that left him with severe back pain and unfortunately he ended up leaving the show because of this.
Dick York passed away due to emphysema at the young age of 63. He is buried in Michigan. Sadly he is one of the many “Bewitched” actors who died before the age of 65. They are said to have the Bewitched curse! Of course, there is probably not really a curse at hand, and more so the unhealthy habits of chain-smoking and binge drinking.
Endearing Auntie
Even though the role of Aunt Clara may have been a bit strange with her bizarre doorknob collection, she was still able to win the heart of Darrin and the hearts of fans everywhere!
This was especially interesting since Darrin and the majority of Samantha’s relatives did not get along. In fact, he despised more of them! He did not let this strange collection of doorknobs get in the way of a nice relationship. Surely, it was a breath of fresh air for Samantha as well, to finally have a family member be accepted by her husband, Darrin.
Free As a Bird
It was known that Elizabeth Montgomery was not really into her role of Samantha anymore by the end of the series. She had wanted to quit as early as season 5 but stayed on due to an excessive pay raise.
By the end of her time on “Bewitched” Elizabeth Montgomery had been no longer wearing a bra while filming. This was said to be a symbol of her support for the women's liberal movement. Montgomery was a big activist for social causes, so this comes as no surprise; however, some may say that she did it just because she was no longer invested in the role and just plainly did not care.