I Love the Illusion: The Life and Career of Agnes Moorehead

I Love the Illusion
The Life and Career of Agnes Moorehead
©
2007 Charles Tranberg

BearManor Media
PO Box 71426
Albany, GA 31708
www.BearManorMedia.com

I stumbled upon the subject of this book by accident. While visiting the
Wisconsin State Historical Society archives in Madison, Wisconsin, doing
research on another subject, I discovered that the archives held the papers
of Agnes Moorehead — in fact, 159 boxes of papers, scrapbooks, reviews,
scripts, and other memorabilia. I almost immediately ordered some boxes
to review, and I was hooked. I found the subject of the book I always wanted
to write. And a fascinating subject she turned out to be.

Agnes Moorehead had a distinguished career in all medias of show business.
She was in vaudeville with Phil Baker and other comics, often getting more
laughs than the comics she supported. She became one of the most
successful actors in radio and a true star in that medium. It was while working
in radio that she met the young Orson Welles and soon joined his innovative
and celebrated “Mercury Theatre.” But if there is one role on radio she is
best known for, it is her Mrs. Elbert Stevenson in “Sorry, Wrong Number,”
which she performed on the classic series
Suspense
. Her repeated
appearances on that show earned her the title “The First Lady of Suspense.”

Orson Welles brought her to Hollywood where her first two films are
widely considered masterpieces:
Citizen Kane
and
The Magnificent
Ambersons
.
Kane
is certainly one of the most influential films ever made and
Agnes’ five-minute appearance as Kane’s mother was enough to convince
Hollywood of her talent. She never looked back. Her second film, a
mangled masterpiece, and in many ways superior to
Kane
, is her finest film
performance. Her Aunt Fanny in
The Magnificent Ambersons
brought her
her first Oscar nomination and the New York Film Critics Award. From
there, she went on to make almost 60 more films, of varying quality, and
ended up with three more Oscar nominations and a Golden Globe Award.

By the early 1950’s her real passion as an actress was the stage. With
Charles Laughton, Charles Boyer and Sir Cedric Hardwicke, Agnes helped
revolutionize the theatre with the First Drama Quartette’s interpretation of
Don Juan in Hell
. By the middle of the decade she was selling out concert
halls and college auditoriums doing her own justly acclaimed “one-woman”
show. Over the next decade she would mount tours in four other stage
shows on behalf of that human dynamo, producer Paul Gregory.

Financial security was always important to Agnes and by the early 1960’s
she was ready to accept doing a television series, in part because it would
offer her a steady paycheck. She had by the mid-50’s begun appearing
regularly on television in guest shots. Out of the blue came the opportunity to
play a witch who objects to her daughter marrying a mortal in a pilot titled
Bewitched
. She accepted the part and filmed the pilot, not expecting it
would sell. It did, and how. It became the most popular new series of the
1964–65 season (only the long-running
Bonanza
was higher in the ratings).
Agnes was now “stuck” — her words not mine. But the show propelled her
from the ranks of well-known and respected character actress to cultural
icon as Endora.

Despite all her accomplishments, it is probable that most people know
her today as Endora. When friends and strangers asked me who I was doing
my book on and I told them “Agnes Moorehead,” I mostly got blank stares
When I said, “Endora, on
Bewitched
,” the blank looks were replaced by
ones of instant recognition,
“Oh, yeah!!”

Without diminishing “Endora,” my hope is that this book will show or
remind readers that Agnes was one of the most successful and well-known
character actresses in show business, and that even if she never essayed the
role of Endora, her place in show business history is secure. I also hope to
bring out the human side of one of the most private of all Hollywood
celebrities. A previous memoir, published shortly after her death by a
friend, was titled
A Very Private Person
. Her friend honored her wishes and
if you read that memoir you wouldn’t know such things as Agnes’ true age,
that she had two husbands, and a foster child who eventually drifted away
from her. According to fellow
Bewitched
actress Kasey Rogers, Agnes would
flamboyantly say, “I love the illusion!” It is clear that she wasn’t speaking
only of the illusion of transforming herself into a character for an acting
part, but also the illusion she presented to the public. The persona
she wanted to be seen as was that of a glamorous Hollywood star and
dedicated actress.

Georgia Johnstone, Agnes’ secretary for many years, would state, after
Agnes died, “Agnes had a firm belief that in order to maintain her
glamorous image as a star, it was essential to remain aloof.” But, in that
aloofness, she often showed great dedication and bravery — holding her
own in what is often a man’s world or profession, and bravery in maintaining
a work schedule in the last two years of her life that would tire a healthy
person, not to mention a 71-year-old woman battling cancer. But it worked
— few people knew of her fight against cancer until the very end — and
even then she requested that the reason for her death not be disclosed.

I am very much indebted to the following people for allowing me to
interview them for this book: Arthur Anderson, Richard Anderson,
William Asher, Quint Benedetti, Conrad Binyon, Himan Brown, Norman
Corwin, Gordon Emery, Nanette Fabray, Bernard Fox, Paul Gregory, Dora
Guerra, Orland Helgeson, Ted Key, Carol Lynley, James MacArthur, Laurie
Main, Karl Malden, Rose Marie, Jeanne Marking, Herbie J Pilato, Elliott
Reid, Debbie Reynolds, Kasey Rogers, Larry Russell, Charles Stumpf,
William Windom, Jane Wyatt, Jane Wyman, Joey York.

I owe a big debt of gratitude to Derek Tague, who took extensive notes
from the Georgia Johnstone collection re: Agnes Moorehead at the New
York Public Library, Billy Rose Theatre Collection at Lincoln Center in
New York City. Derek has done this kind of research for many other
authors and his dedication and competence is well known. Wade Ballard
provided most of the photographs which appear in this book — my sincere
thanks to him. Julia Devlin is a fellow Agnes Moorehead historian and a
huge fan who contributed photographs and her expertise to me. Francine
McAsey, an Australian fan of Agnes’ that I befriended, sent me some valuable
articles. Carl Dickson, my longtime friend, contributed photographs for
this book from a trip we took to Reedsburg, Wisconsin — the hometown
of Agnes’ mother, Mollie.

As a first time author, my gratitude goes out to those who have already
published books and gave me their insight and, in many cases, guidance:
Lynn Kear, whose book
Agnes Moorehead: A Bio-Bibliography
, is an essential
reference book on Agnes’ career; Martin Grams, Jr., who generously sent
me copies of his books
The History of The Cavalcade of America
and
Suspense: Twenty Years of Thrills and Chills;
and James Robert Parish, whose
book,
Good Dames,
contains a marvelous chapter on Agnes. I also must
thank Jimmy Bangley, who sadly has passed away since the publication of
this book, and Allen Ellenberger. Herbie J Pilato, whose book,
Bewitched
Forever,
is the definitive biography of that classic television series. Sandra
Grabman, who published a wonderful book about the actor Albert Salmi,
Spotlights and Shadows,
for her support and advice. Claudia Kuehl, a writer
and publisher of Dick York’s memoirs,
The Seesaw Girl and Me,
also
provided encouragement.

The staffs of the Wisconsin State Historical Society Archives in
Madison, Wisconsin, The Billy Rose Library in New York City, The
University of Wyoming American Heritage Center Archives in Laramie,
Wyoming, The Lilly Library in Bloomington, Indiana, and Betty Lawson
and her staff with the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, all deserve a
great big Thank You for the important work they provide.