While filming the movie They Came to Cordura (1959) with Gary Cooper and Rita Hayworth, he suffered a permanent, disabling back injury. - January 13, 2021 12:32 pm EST. He revealed that York had been the first choice for the part. Sargent was originally offered the role of Darrin in 1964, but declined in favor of a part in the short-lived sitcom Broadside.[7]. York went on to star with Gene Kelly and Leo G. Carroll in the ABC comedy-drama Going My Way (1962). If you're a fan of the original Bewitched series, which aired from 1964 to 1972, you would know that the original actor who portrayed Darrin, Dick York, left the show after five seasons. Endora disapproves of her daughter's decision to marry a mortal. "I got it from one of the daughters of Edward Andrews, the actor. Darrin Stephens, son of Frank and Phyllis Stephens, (originally Dick York, seasons 1-5; later Dick Sargent, seasons 6-8) is a mortal married to Samantha.He did not know she was a witch until she told him after they got married, and tries to dissuade her from using witchcraft as much as possible, preferring to live an ordinary, mortal life. When the director yelled Cut, one of the wounded extras reached and pulled himself up on the opposite side of the handle that York was about to upswing. He died in February 1992 at the age of 63. Copyright 2023 PopCulture.com. For Endora as a child on Halloween, see Young Endora. [1][2] He grew up in Chicago, where a Catholic nun first recognized his vocal promise. He had appeared in a movie in 1959 called They Came to Cordura, and during filming he had severely injured his back. The characters unusual fascination with door knobs was based on Lornes real-life fetish; she had a collection of over 1000 antique door openers. Bewitched: 10 of Darrin's Biggest Overreactions - ScreenRant It came to everyone's notice, and to help the suffering actor, it became routine to have scenes and plots contrived and written in which poor Darrin was sitting down, lying down, or reclining (usually sitting at his office desk at work, or in bed or on the couch at home) as much as possible. He knew of York's anguish and asked him point blank is he wanted to quit the show. Some cast members did not even fully understand what a classic theyd made until years after. "I had a band playing in my head, bagpipes night and day," York recalled. [3] While bedridden in his Rockford, Michigan, home, he founded Acting for Life, a private charity to help the homeless and others in need. But he did not raise his voice quite like Yorks Darrin. Herbie Pilato, the author ofTwitch Upon a Star, argues that Sargent was first directed to act just as York would. Apparently while filming a movie titled They Came to Cordura, York was injured when someone, one of his fellow actors, performed a move that wasnt unexpected and left York with a severe back injury. You can't sleep. I dont know why. Nosey Gladys Kravitz was first played by Alice Pearce and then Sandra Gould. 'Bewitched' Star Dick York: Why the Actor Who Played Darrin - TV And that was the start of it all: the pain, the painkillers, the addiction, the lost career. But enough about them. Director William Asher Writers Ed Jurist Sol Saks Stars Elizabeth Montgomery Dick Sargent Agnes Moorehead See production, box office & company info By the time he and his family moved to Rockford, Michigan in 1986, York was already suffering from emphysema due to a three-pack-a-day smoking habit and would become reliant on oxygen from a canister. However, Sargents former co-star, Tammy Grimes, apparently was the first choice forSamantha StephensonBewitched. Elizabeth Montgomery, on the other hand, was the exception to that rule: the actress got to play two different characters. If not for his back injury its kind of easy to think that Dick York might have been able to keep going with the show and possibly move on to something else once it had run its course, but hey, things happen sometimes, not always for the better, but they happen all the same. York made a name for himself in the entertainment industry long before he nabbed a role on Bewitched. Things seemed to be going great for both York and the show itself. - Wizard of Oz Coaster Set, Witch and Cauldron - Salt & Pepper Shakers, Wicked Witch of the East Legs and House - Salt & Pepper Shakers, Wicked Witch & Crystal Ball - Salt & Pepper Shakers, Playdough Surgery is Easier Than the Real Thing, Seniors Recreate Rihannas Super Bowl Dance Break, Invention Lets People Kiss Each Other Using Their Phones, The Challenge of Escaping from Colditz Castle. First The Oscars and Now The Voice Season 12 Finale Hallelujah! They would plant someone on the other side of a door in case it was too heavy for me to open by myself." As well as radio soaps, Yorks early years in New York also saw him acting on Broadway in Tea and Sympathy with Deborah Kerr in 1953. All Rights Reserved. Why was York replaced in the first place, though? Sargent stepped into Yorks role of Darrin Stephens toward the end of the shows run and would forever be considered the new Darrin by fans. Why Was Darrin Stephens Replaced on 'Bewitched'? - Showbiz Cheat Sheet Sargent might have seemed like a sudden and jarring addition to the show to some fans, but he long insisted that he was the actor that Asher had intended to play Darrin all along. The trouble with staying of acting so long, even in todays era, is that people tend to forget a lot of what the actor has done and will seek out new forms of entertainment. Can you blame the second Darrin for the show's troubles? I imagine most people at the time thought that as well. The show revolves around a witchwho marries a regular, human man and promises to lead the life of a typical housewife. But when I grew older, my allegiances turned more to Endora. In 1960, a year after York's injury, he played Bertram Cates (modeled on John Thomas Scopes, of "Monkey Trial" fame) in the film version of Inherit the Wind.[6]. According to York, it was during filming on Cordura when he sustained a severe back injury. He is buried at Plainfield Cemetery in Rockford, Michigan.[8]. He unsuspectingly lifted the extras entire weight, and being unprepared for that additional 180 pounds, he tore most of the muscles on the right side of his back, and his spine never healed correctly. Manifest Season 1 Episode 14 Recap: Upgrade. Dick York: The Real Reason He Suddenly Left 'Bewitched' - Biography It turns out that Samantha and Darrin werent the happy TV couple living in their house. York was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana to Bernard York, a salesman, and Betty, a seamstress. I've been surrounded by people in radio, on stage, and in motion pictures and television who love me. Today, we'll recall his biggest overreactions. He played teacher Bertram Cates in the film Inherit the Wind (1960). Then, while sitting on a scaffolding with Maurice Evans, being lit for a special-effects scene: They were setting an inky that's a little tiny [spotlight] that was supposed to be just flickering over my eyes. You can see Moorehead wearing the brooch on an episode of Password above. The legions of Bewitched fans who tuned in were surprised at the switch and the ratings plummeted. The show was a ratings hit and delivered York a steady paycheck, but his chronic back pain resulting from the Cordura accident and reliance on prescription painkillers continued to worsen and began to affect his physical abilities. If they had gotten the full story, they might have been a bit more forgiving of the swap. "Yeah," he says, "she's quirky and nosey and every time she's nosey, she gets her comeuppance. Poor Dick Sargent never did catch on with the show's loyal viewers and Bewitched was soon cancelled. Much better this time around! Pictojam - Science & Tech That's about all I remember of the incident and I'd managed to bite a very large hole in the side of my tongue before they could pry my teeth apart. The muscles along the right side of my back tore. I found this strange but decided to continue on. York did release a statement to The Sacramento Bee in March of 1969 about his departure from the series, which read, "Five years as Liz's husband on Bewitched; there are no hard feelings. Darrin Stephens is the mortal husband of Samantha. Enter Dick York, who had an impressive list of acting credits in film, on Broadway and on TV. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. 'Bewitched' Curse | Snopes.com Minor roles in Simon & Simon and Fantasy Island in the early 1980s were his only other acting appearances. The opening opened normal but the animation quality was poor and the theme music was slower and distorted. When the director yelled cut, one of the extras in the scene on the base of the car grabbed the rail that York was pumping and pulling, leading to his injury. They didnt think the show would still be on 50 years later and people would write books about it. That pessimistic sentiment certainly radiated through much of the shows time on air. York was in too much pain, most of the time, to continue in the role. Richard Allen York (September 4, 1928 February 20, 1992) was an American radio, stage, film, and television actor. Once the living room was nice and neat, action was called and Montgomery could lower her arms and continue the scene. Some Darrin-less episodes were filmed until Dick Sargent took over the role. Along with the chronic back pain, he had developed a powerful addiction to prescription drugs that consumed his life for the next two years. It was originally believed Adam was a mortal but was later shown (in the final season) that Adam had magic of his own. York was no longer a part of the cast. I kept having chills. The Reason The First Darrin Left the TV Show Bewitched - TVOvermind Sadly, Dick's health did not improve after he stepped away from Bewitched. York continued taking doctor-prescribed medications, including codeine, muscle relaxants and sleeping pills, though he stressed he avoided drugs while working. When Jennifer is burned at the stake in Salem, she vows to get revenge on those who ordered her execution. However, circumstances beyond anyones expectations can throw a wrench in a shows casting plans. Enter Dick Sargent. In 1968, he was even nominated for an Emmy award for his portrayal of the likable Darrin. I lay in my dressing room after being in make-up, waiting to be called on the set. The Real Reason Dick York Left 'Bewitched' - Doyouremember.com This could be because the show spent its first two seasons in black and white. Jack Keller composed the music before working with The . Source: getty How would you rate this article? Let's talk about that iconic intro. Darrin hails from Missouri and served in the United States Army. Yet in season six of the shows eight-season run, York was replaced in the role by actor Dick Sargent. She sometimes casts spells on Darrin for her own amusement, but mostly to try to drive Darrin away from Samantha. Public speculation regarding the abrupt recasting included a dispute with the network, clashes with fellow cast members or disagreements with showrunners. Additionally, Sargent overall felt, To tell you the truth, I think there was a stronger sense of warmth between Samantha and Darrin when I did the show. Was Mark Wahlberg ever a member of New Kids on the Block? The fans whisper to you and the walls whisper to you and you look at television and sometimes it flashes in a certain way that sends you into a fit and you know that your wife has put her hand in your mouth so you won't bite off your tongue. York died February 20, 1992, at age 63. Who is the rude band in Old School and Starsky & Hutch? Darrin Stephens | Bewitched Wiki | Fandom In the middle of Season Five, however, he was run-down and it showed on camera. They just snapped and let loose," York explained in an interview with FilmFax magazine that was published in 1992. To provide some accommodation for Dick's pain, a slanted wall was built backstage for him to lean on between takes, which helped for a time, but midway through the third season, his pain worsened and would cause frequent shooting delays. Elizabeth Montgomery and her then-husband, producer/director William Asher, were looking for a television project they could work on together, and Harry Ackerman encouraged them to look at Saks Bewitched pilot script. All rights reserved. Originally starring Elizabeth Montgomery and Dick York, the series went through a bit of a metamorphosis. I had a temperature of 105, full of strong antibiotics, for almost 10 days. . Adam was the name of Darrin and Samantha's second child, but only son. And I'm sitting on this platform up in the air and I turned to Gibby, who was just down below, and I said, 'Gibby, I think I have to get down.' During the filming of They Came to Cordura (1959) in 1959, Dick York suffered an excruciating back injury. He was the first actor to play Darrin Stephens on the ABC fantasy sitcom Bewitched. The replacement doctor instead gave him B-12, and while filming a scene with Maurice Evans on a scaffold 15 feet in the air, the hot lights, exhaustion and medications combined to send York into a seizure. While in the hospital recovering, he was visited by director William Asher asked if he wanted to quit, and York answered, "If it's all right with you, Billy," according to his own account in his final interview before his death in 1992. Required fields are marked *. With that, York left the sitcom to devote himself to recovery, never to return. "[5], York died of complications from emphysema at Blodgett Hospital in East Grand Rapids, Michigan, on February 20, 1992, at age 63. This prop amusingly played on the title of the popular Harper's Bazaar fashion magazine. His life had already become a daily ritual of drugs, pills, and painkillers. His old army buddy, Adam Newlarkin, visits him in 1965 when he is in town to look for a new job. They were never actually sung over the opening credits, but the Bewitched theme song does have lyrics. The Ashers thought the show had possibilities, and Liz signed on to be Samantha. His last moment on set was a medical emergency. By using this website you consent to all cookies in accordance with our Privacy Policy. The actor explained to PEOPLE in 1989, "I had a board in my trailer where I would flatten out. When Larry and Louise Tate were blessed with a son on Bewitched, the child was named Jonathan at White's request. Because York would sometimes be seized with debilitating pain, the scripts for some of his later Bewitched episodes were written and staged such that his character would be in bed or on the couch for the entire episode. By Stephanie Downs York did attempt a comeback once he was able to get on his feet, but nothing really opened up for him at that point and it was a bit obvious that his time had come and gone. At one point York, who had been a three-pack a day smoker for years, developed emphysema and as a result his health started to deteriorate rather quickly as he passed away in his 60s. I didnt attend to the problem then. To deal with the chronic pain he was experiencing due to the Cordura accident, York was prescribed several painkillers, including codeine, muscle relaxants, and sleeping pills (he stressed that he avoided drugs while working). Frank Stephens | Bewitched Wiki | Fandom I used to make a tape recording of rain so I could listen to the rain lying in bed at night to drown out those damned bagpipes."[3]. Some actors grow disillusioned with their roles on TV and want something more, while others might find themselves in a dispute over money, screen time, or something else. For those who truly loved the original series, here are 14 fun facts about the show and the actors that might surprise you. Comedy Family Fantasy Angry that the new male child is not named after him, Maurice zaps Darrin into the mirror until the situation is corrected to his satisfaction. In January 1969 during season 5, he underwent a seizure on the set of Bewitched and resigned from the show while talking to producer William Asher in the hospital. Eventually, Sargent was allowed to bring his acting style to the role, which felt more natural. Richard Allen York (September 4, 1928 - February 20, 1992) was an American radio, stage, film, and television actor. 'Bewitched:' How The Show Took Shortcuts Changing Darrin Stephens But the story idea and basic script was written by 22 African-American 10th graders in Marcella Saunders English class at Jefferson High School in South Central Los Angeles.