I Love the Illusion: The Life and Career of Agnes Moorehead (59 page)

It might be that because Agnes was a strong woman, who was
unsuccessful in marriage in an industry with many closeted gays, she was
pegged as a lesbian. Also,
Bewitched
has many gay fans who identify with a
show about a witch who is “in the closet.” The cast of
Bewitched
, too, had
several actors associated with it who were either homosexual or allegedly
homosexual, including Dick Sargent, Paul Lynde and Maurice Evans; the
temptation is to include Aggie in that list. Sargent, who came out of the
closet openly in 1990, discussed the rumors in
Out/Look
magazine. “I heard
those rumors (regarding Aggie), but I never saw anything to back it up. In
fact, the few times I was at Agnes’ house, Debbie was never there, so I have
no idea. That’s one of those Hollywood stories you always hear, but I don’t
know.” In 1992, even Elizabeth Montgomery commented in the
Advocate
magazine, “I’ve heard rumors, but I never talked with her about them. I
don’t know if they were true. It was never anything she felt free enough to
talk to me about. I wish that Agnes had felt she could trust me. It would
have been nice. She was a very closed person in many ways. We were very
fond of one another but it never got personal.”

The years since her death have been kind to Agnes. She is, through the
wonder of television, still recognizable when many character actors from
her era are long forgotten.
Bewitched
is more popular today than anytime
since the first years of its original run. Endora is an integral part of why that
show is still strong today. I think people relate to her character, particularly
liberated women. Endora was a strong, self-reliant woman who didn’t
depend on a man. In some ways, I think, she is disappointed not only that
her daughter married a mortal but that she decided to domesticate herself
in the process. Endora enjoyed an open marriage and more than a few
episodes made it clear that she was not spending her nights pining for
Maurice. The series has been a staple on the nostalgia channel, TV Land,
where at its peak it was shown four times a day and making many new fans
in the process. The internet is full of websites devoted to the memory of
this classic television series and one of the best ones is Harpie’s Bizarre,
which takes its title from a witch’s magazine Endora was partial to. Fans on
these sites enjoy an active message board and are a constant wonder in how
they are able to recall the most minute details of
every
episode. But they
have fun doing it and their numbers are growing and Hollywood is taking
notice. In the summer of 2005, a movie version of
Bewitched
will be
released in theaters and the cast for this feature film is awesome: Nicole
Kidman, Will Farrell, Michael Caine and, appearing as Endora, Oscarwinning actress Shirley MacLaine. With this cast and a script by Nora
Ephron (
Sleepless in Seattle
), this movie is bound to be a big box office
success — and will without doubt keep interest in the series strong.

But it isn’t only
Bewitched
that has kept Agnes’ memory burning. Film
lovers can enjoy one of many Agnes Moorehead films nearly every week —
sometimes more than once a week — on such cable channels as Turner
Classic Movies and American Movie Classics. One of the great benefits of
having worked with people like Orson Welles, James Stewart, Bette Davis,
Greer Garson, June Allyson, Humphrey Bogart, Jane Wyman, Gregory
Peck, and their like, is that their movies will live on for the ages and
people who start out watching the movie because it has Bette Davis or
Bogey in it will also discover Agnes. Her own work is acknowledged thanks
to the interest in Orson Welles and his films. In the DVD version of
Citizen Kane
, director Peter Bogdonovich does audio commentary and
when it comes to that short scene of Agnes as Kane’s mother he points out
that many people consider her performance to be the best in the film,
despite its brevity. Over the years
The Magnificent Ambersons
has also been
analyzed by critics and film lovers alike and they all come away with the
same conclusion that the critics of 1942 did — Agnes’ performance as Aunt
Fanny is a priceless performance which will live on forever. Over the years
dozens of books have been published analyzing the art of Orson Welles and
through her association with “the great man” Agnes lives on in print as well.

Lovers of old-time radio hold a special place in their heart for Agnes
Moorehead. She was one of the busiest and definitive actresses of that medium.
Collections of her work for the Mercury Theater,
The Shadow, Suspense
—
especially her definitive “Sorry, Wrong Number,” and many others, sell well
over the internet, at conventions or in stores. It is difficult to maintain
memories of something someone has done on stage, but the GregoryLaughton version of
Don Juan in Hell
continues to be performed just as the
original drama quartette performed it over fifty years ago, on a simple stage
with the actors in evening clothing and sitting on stools with the scripts
propped up on lecterns. It’s hard to improve on something so simple, yet so
effective. The bottom line is that Agnes Moorehead is one of the few
actresses who succeeded in every realm of show business: stage, radio, film,
and television. She was even successful in recordings with her devotional
albums and soundtracks of
Don Juan in Hell
and “Sorry, Wrong Number”
selling hundreds of thousands. The respect of her peers can be summed
up in these statistics: Four Academy Award nominations, seven Emmy
nominations — with one win, two Golden Globe nominations — with two
wins, and the Best Actress award from the New York Film Critics.

Agnes was an intensely private person in a profession where everybody
lives in a fish bowl. She only said what she wanted in interviews and
maintained in her personal appearances the glamorous image of a star. She,
herself, said it best in a
New York Times
interview in 1947: “I think an artist
should be kept separated to maintain glamour and a kind of mystery.
Otherwise it’s like having three meals a day. Pretty dull. I don’t believe in
the girl-next-door image. What the actor has to sell to the public is fantasy, a
magic kind of ingredient that should be analyzed.” In all likelihood she
would not have approved of a book written on her life — unless she was
the one writing it and revealing only what she wanted revealed. A book
published shortly after her death by her friend Warren Sherk was a very
incomplete biography which honored her privacy by not revealing that she
had a sister, no details of her marriages, not a word about Sean, avoided any
career controversies she was involved in and made no mention of what
killed her. It was called
A Very Private Person
. The title summed up Agnes
better than anything in the text. But she was much more than a mystery —
she was a flesh and blood human being who happened to be one of the
most extraordinary actresses of her time. The human foibles she had made
her more formidable and, in my opinion, more sympathetic. In discussing
the art of acting she liked to say, “It’s the illusion!” The ability to make
people believe that she was someone else, without showing the acting
techniques. In her private life she did the same trying to maintain an
illusion even when she was not working, or as Paul Gregory said, “She was
ON
23 out of 24 hours.” The woman who was behind the illusion was
infinitely more interesting — and even admirable.

Quint Benedetti, Laurie Main, Paul Gregory, Debbie Reynolds and
Himan Brown all told me that Agnes complained of fatigue and ill health
during the run of
Gigi
. Miss Reynolds also writes of it in her book,
Debbie:
My Life
(with David Patrick Columbia, London: Sidgwick & Jackson, 1988).

The nursing/traveling companion who administered injections to Agnes is
not identified even though I was provided a name by Quint Benedetti. Debbie
Reynolds also spoke very highly of this individual, and how sympathetically
she tried to help Agnes, in an interview with the author on 6/20/04.

Edwin Lester to Agnes, 2/15/73, The Papers of Agnes Moorehead,
Wisconsin State Historical Society Archives, Box 138.
Agnes’ quote, “I’m tired into the future,” attributed to her friend, Cesar
Romero, came from Warren Sherk’s memoir of Agnes,
A Very Private Person
(Philadelphia: Dorrance and Company, 1976).
Agnes being unable to eat more than mashed potatoes was confirmed by
Debbie Reynolds in an interview with this author, 6/20/04. She also wrote
of it in
Debbie: My Life
(pg. 384).
Christmas being a favorite time of the year for Agnes is confirmed by
several sources including Quint Benedetti and Debbie Reynolds, who also
spoke extensively to me regarding Agnes’ annual Christmas/Birthday party.
The information regarding Christmas, 1973 with Mary Roebling, and the
delivery of Christmas presents to her farm in Ohio, came from Warren
Sherk’s
A Very Private Person.
The joint New Years party between the casts of
Gigi
and
Irene
came from
Debbie Reynolds, who also spoke of it in
Debbie, My Life
(pg. 384).

Paul Gregory’s last visit with Agnes at “21,” and their stroll up Fifth
Avenue, was related to me in an interview with Mr. Gregory, 10/22/03. He
also spoke of this last encounter with Warren Sherk in
A Very Private Person,
where the quote, “Religion Softens the Edges,” came from.

Debbie Reynolds learning that Agnes had left
Gigi
and was on her way
to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota was related to me by Miss
Reynolds in an interview on 6/20/04, and she also wrote of it in
Debbie,
My Life
(pg. 386).

“Aye, pretzel has less twists than our departed friend possessed,” Peter
Opp, Jr. to Georgia Johnstone, 8/26/74, The Georgia Johnstone Papers
Re: Agnes Moorehead, T-Mss 2003-63 Billy Rose Theatre Collection, New
York Public Library for the Performing Arts.

Gordon Emery, of Reedsburg, Wi., and his wife, were friends of Mollie
Moorehead’s and often helped her get around town or worked at various
chores around the house. They also met Agnes occasionally and Gordon
recalls picking Agnes up from the train station when she would come into
town, “she hated to fly — so she often took the train.” He was of valuable
assistance to me, telling me stories about John and Mollie Moorehead —
which were told to him by Mollie. His parents were married by Rev.
Moorehead when he lived in Reedsburg in the early 1920’s. Many of the
anecdotes regarding John and Mollie Moorehead come from Mr. Emery’s
recollections. He was also kind enough to take me on a tour of Reedsburg
one summer day in 2002 and showed me the house Mollie lived in and the
church that Dr. Moorehead preached in. Sadly, Mr. Emery passed away in
November 2003, but his contribution to this book is much appreciated.

“The family farm which had been deeded to the Moorehead family by
two presidents . . .”
Alias Agnes Moorehead
(
Screen Guide,
April 1946 pg. 66).
“. . . great man with a magnificent voice and very handsome . . .”
Agnes
Moorehead: A Great Lady
(Kurtain Kall, July 1, 1973).
“. . . an imposing lady of strong opinions . . . ,” Tom Groeneweg to author.
“Dr. Moorehead always put his sermons on one 3x5 file card . . . ,”
Gordon Emery to author, 6/8/02.
“She was invited to give concerts away from church . . . ,” Gordon
Emery to author, 6/8/02.
“. . . She sang the hymn, ‘The Lord is My Shepherd’ . . . ,”
Chameleon
of the Air
(
Radio Guide,
October 14, 1933, Hilda Cole).
“PK (Preacher’s Kids),” Gordon Emery to author, 6/8/02.
“My sister and I used to come to the Sunday table filled with deviltry . . . ,”
Alias Agnes Moorehead
(
Screen Guide,
April 1946, Dorothy Deere, pg. 66-67).
“When it came to discipline her father’s favorite method . . . ,”
Alias
Agnes Moorehead
(
Screen Guide,
April 1946, Dorothy Deere, pg. 67)
Mollie’s “tiny hand could smart,”
Agnes wants more ‘beauty,’ ‘gentility,’
‘appeal to spirit’
(
Chicago Tribune,
October 1, 1972).
“Each person at the table was always required to weave a story . . . ,”
Agnes Moorehead
(
Radio Life,
May 12, 1946 pg. 7).
“Mollie once found Agnes huddled in a corner of her bedroom crying . . . ,”
Agnes Moorehead
(
Radio Life,
May 12, 1946 pg. 6).
Agnes spending a year in Colorado as a child,
Hollywood Reporter,
3/18/70.
“Taught me everything about the house . . . ,”
Birmingham Post Herald,
4/23/70.
“Agnes was close to her maternal grandfather . . . ,”
The Ghost That
Changed Her Life
(
Screen Life,
July 1967 pg. 21).
“Well isn’t that wonderful? My little girl is good enough to make the
ballet . . . ,”
She Doesn’t Need Glamour
(
Hollywood,
October 1942, Gloria
Brent).
“. . . always interested in theatre . . . it was always a goal . . . ,” The Papers
of Agnes Moorehead, Wisconsin State Historical Society Archives, Box 60,
Folder 13.
“I think my first professional appearance was in St. Louis . . . ,” The
Papers of Agnes Moorehead, Wisconsin State Historical Society Archives,
Box 60, Folder 13.
Agnes performing a “bump and grind routine . . . ,”
Guess Who Did Bumps
in Boston? Agnes Moorehead
(
Hollywood Citizen News
, May 5, 1948).
“I never had a date by myself until I was in college . . . ,”
St. Louis Post,
1/11/69.
“. . . nice and nice looking,”
Famous Wisconsin Film Stars
(Kristin
Gilpatrick, Badger Books, Inc., 1992, pg. 27).
“A smile for her students . . . ,” Orland Helgeson to author, 3/16/04.
“. . . one such play was Peter Pan . . . ,”
Famous Wisconsin Film Stars
(Kristin Gilpatrick, Badger Books, Inc. 1992, pg. 27).
“That was a heart-warming experience . . . ,”
Soldiers Grove’s Agnes
(by
J.D. Spiro). Article was found in The Papers of Agnes Moorehead,
Wisconsin State Historical Society Archives, Box 143 (Name of publication
not known).
“I feel strong about them that to compromise . . . ,” (Name of publication
not known).