Log of Chat With Kasey Rogers and Bernard Fox

Conducted by our web site on Sunday March 15, 1998 using "Celebrity Chat Software" a program written by us.

Host: Good Evening! The chat will begin at 7 PM EST.

Host:

Host: IMPORTANT: Make sure you do not hit the RELOAD or BACK/FORWARD buttons on your browser - use only the REFRESH button on our chat screen to see the new posts if your browser does not refresh the screen in 40 seconds. This is especially important for AOL users. If you experience slow response times, it may be due to your particular connection to the internet or due to the large amount of people at the chat, things no one has any control over.

Host: Welcome to the LIVE CHAT with Bernard Fox and Kasey Rogers. They are both standing by waiting to answer your questions, so submit them now!

Brandon C: Hi. . .Kasey. . I recently saw your performance in the movie, 'Strangers on a Train' for a Hitchcock Film Study. What a fine performance. Marion Lorne also played in the film and delivered a fine performance. What was it like working with Marion, as Aunt Clara, on the set of Bewitched?

Kasey Rogers: Marion Lorne is my all time favorite, she was an absolute pro. People thought she was messing up her lines, but she said 'you have to know the lines before you can mess them up and be funny'!

Todd Willoughby : Hi Bernard, After the show quit airing, did you ever keep in contact with Elizabeth, and Dick York? Did you ever go out on the town during programming?

Bernard Fox: No, they would have Xmas parties at her house that I would go to, and she had gifts for everybody, but that was about it. I tried to contact her one time, they were making the film about the Hindenburg, and there was a nice role about a shyster/card shark/gambler, and the first Bewitched that I did was a crooked witch hunter called Osgood Wrightmeyer, and I gave him a twitching left eye, which I thought would be good for the crooked gambler. So I called Liz to see if she remembered the name of the episode...

Bernard Fox: I thought she might know it, but she had lost all interest in Bewitched, so nothing came of it

Todd: Hi Kasey , After the show left the air, did you both keep in contact with Elizabeth and Dick York? When they both passed away, were you able to be with them or talk to them? You all were so special to the public.

Kasey Rogers: I'm very sorry to say that I did not see Elizabeth again until Dick Sargent's funeral, and I did not see Dick York again, but I talked to him on the phone, where he worked for the homeless from his sick-bed at home. He was a lovely man.

Host:

Jennifer C: Hi, This is Jennifer, what did you enjoy most acting in - Bewitched or acting in Titanic?

Bernard Fox: It's different, you know, filming on TV requires a different kind of acting than feature film - all in all I would say I enjoyed Bewitched, because I was more relaxed on Bewitched, Titanic was quite srtrenuous, as it was all night work because the actual Titanic sank at night....

Bernard Fox: We didn't start shooting till dusk and continued until dawn, so it was very intensive and somewhat nerve-wracking.

dave v: was Elizabeth Montgomery as nice as she seemed on the show?

Kasey Rogers: Elizabeth was very nice and very talented, but a very private person. We were always friends, but never close friends. I loved watching her work, she was very talented.

Question for Bernard:What do you think when you watch yourself on Bewitched?

Bernard Fox: Sorry to disappoint you, I do not watch reruns of Bewitched.

Host:

Nancy: Kasey, do you plan on doing any more cookbooks?

Kasey Rogers: It's gone into it's second printing already, so we don't plan to do any more at this time.

Bixby: Hi Kasey. I was very pleased with your performance as Louise. Why did you change your hair color to red toward the end of the show? Do you know what ever happened to Irene Vernon, the 1st Louise??

Kasey Rogers: Irene Vernon was a very lovely lady, who today lives in Florida. When I replaced Irene, my hair was red, but they asked me to wear a black wig so I looked more like Irene. About the 3rd or 4th year, I was complaining slightly about the wig being hot under the lights and Bill Asher said 'why are you wearing it' I said 'because you asked me to', he said 'oh, then take it off', and I never wore it again

Adam to Bernard: I saw you in Titanic and heard you on the radio with Erin Murphy. Had it been a long time since you two met and what is she like to work with?

Bernard Fox: Actually, I don't remember working with Erin on Bewitched, in fact I told her in New York that I didn't remember her, and she said she remembered me, which is probably about right - there were lots of little kids running around the set. We did several chat shows in NY and I found her very pleasant to work with, and well informed about Bewitched.

Question for Bernard:How much of what you said in Bewitched was written in the script, and how much of it was ad-libbed by you?

Bernard Fox: Most of it was part of the script, though there were ad-libs of mine, particularly the puns were mine, for instance I said "where's the clam dip" and Elizabeth said "In the kitchen sink" and I said "I may join them, I could do with a swim myself", with the dreaded Dr. Bombay laugh following!

Annette: Kasey, I met you at the Loving Lucy convention last year, are you planning to make another appearance at the next Lucy convention this summer?

Kasey Rogers: Yes, the promoter has invited us, and we will be there again - maybe Dr. Bombay will join us this time!

Host:

Bea A: Hi, Kasey! Do you have any advice that you'd like to pass on to aspiring actors? Did you find it hard to get into the entertainment biz?

Kasey Rogers: My advice is STUDY, STUDY STUDY! And don't leave home for Hollywood until you are a top notch actor. The competition is incredible. I was very lucky, I was seen by a talent scout, auditioned at Paramount, made a screen test and was cast as a lead in a movie the next week, however, I had studied piano, accordian, acting, and elocution from the time I was 7 or 8 years old.

Jim to Bernard: Do you recall any of the actors getting injured during filming of the special effects or stunts?

Bernard Fox: No, I don't recall any serious accidents. One time I was supposed to appear in a cloud of smoke and got my butt scorched - I applied cold cream to the affected area!

Rushabh: Bernard, how did you like your name as Dr.Bombay ? Have ever been to Bombay, India?

Bernard Fox: I liked the name very much because it reminded me of time spent in Ceylon, Burma and Port Said, and reminded me of an officer in charge of an all male camp. He had been a veterinary surgeon before the war, and he was very gruff and outspoken...........

Bernard Fox: We had 6 women's royal naval service looking to spend the night. I went to this officer and asked what should I do with them" and he bellowed "give them a hot bran mash, some clean straw, and bed them down for the night" which is the character that I based Bombay on.

Host:

Carol: Hi Kasey and Bernard, What was it like working with Agnes Moorehead?

Kasey Rogers: With Agnes, what you see is what you get - Agnes was ALWAYS Agnes. She used to raise her hand dramatically and say 'I love the illusion!' She was also a fine dramatic actress - she was in wonderful films like Citizen Kane, Showboat, Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte and many others.

William M: Kasey, you wore beautiful clothes on Bewitched. I was surprised to read the interview on Wendy and Joe's webpage that you used your own clothes on the show. Were they too cheap to supply clothes for you, or what?

Kasey Rogers: In those days only the top stars were supplied clothes, you ALWAYS wore your own.

Gary: I just loved your RED hair !!!I think a Bewitched Again Movie or series would be GREAT! Tell us your feelings about a reunion movie. THANKS !!!

Kasey Rogers: My writing partner Mark Wood & I are working very hard to get Bewitched again on the air - keep the cards and letter coming to the above address so we can show Columbia how many people want to see the series again. Rumors of the movie have been in the air for about 10 years, however, my guess is that it would be an all new cast, not a reunion.

Bea A to Bernard: What are your favorite hobbies?

Bernard Fox: Oh, my, gardening is one, I oil paint landscapes, I used to be a very keen fencer, but now it's more or less gardening and fooling with the computer.

Armen to Bernard: I've always said that the content of tv series in the 90's has gone downhill and from some things I hear, sometimes the casts and crews of tv series productions don't get along. (maybe there are too many prima donnas). How was working to produce tv series in the 60's? What were the attitudes of the cast and crew on Bewitched. How would you advise casts and crews to proceed in their production of 90's series? Thank You

Bernard Fox: I did a lot of shows in the 60's - Andy Griffith, Dick Van Dyke, Hogans Heroes, everyone was most affable, certainly on Bewitched, I think it had to do with the fact that in the 60's and 70's the actors in ALL the shows I just mentioned were theater trained and theater disciplined. I believe in the 90's that training is sorely missing.

Ann W to Kasey and Bernard: Hi to both of you, Bernard & Kasey. I wondered if you had any idea that you would still be involved in Bewitched 30 years after you had worked on the show. Did you think the interest would endure this long?

Bernard Fox: No, I didn't but I recently met one of the writers that told me that for a joke he had in his contract that if it was still running 30 years hence, he wanted double residuals, and he said now he's geting it!

Kasey Rogers: I don't think anyone thought in terms of 30 years, it still surprises me, occasionally I will get a residual for some show - a Maverick or Perry Mason, some show I co-starred in over 30 years ago but that had not re-run 7 times. In those days we were only paid for 7 re-runs.

Host:

PazK to Kasey and Bernard:Which of the following Bewitched episodes titles BEST describes the atmosphere on the Bewitched set, and why? * Just One Happy Family *The Very Informal Dress *Long Live the Queen *Going Ape *Humbug not to be Spoken Here.

Kasey Rogers: I would say 'Humbug Not To Be Spoken Here' because professionalism was expected, though we did pull a few practical jokes, especially Elizabeth.....

Kasey Rogers: One night, the last shot, was a dinner party at the Stephens. On camera or working, actors NEVER drink real wine. Bill Asher said "roll'em" and the scene at the dinner table began. One by one, each actor sipped their glass of wine, not expecting it to be real. But the cameras were rolling, immediately each glanced at Elizabeth after tasting their drink - her eyes danced with mischief - she had had the prop department pour real wine! We all finished the scene in the 1st take, Asher said "cut" and we burst into laughter.......

Kasey Rogers: And we finished the bottle of wine!

Bernard Fox Answers: When Dick York was on the show, it was "One Big Happy Family", after that it became "Long Live The Queen"!

Host:

Lisa: Bernard, what was your favourite episode to work on on Bewitched.

Bernard Fox: I particularly liked the one with the Gooney bird. I think Agnes Moorehead was particularly appreciative of what I put in, an actor is supposed to garner ideas as he wends his way through life, and as a child appearing in plays in Ireland we stayed on a farm, and I remember the farmer's wife, when she rounded up the chickens, waving both arms going "chook chook, chook chook", so I did that when...

Bernard Fox: I tried to corner the Gooney bird. Agnes was very appreciative of that fact, that it had come from a past experience. Incidentally, Yannous Prohanas was insisting that his bird could lay an egg and was very disappointed that nobody wanted to see it!

William M: Do either of you have any souvenirs from Bewitched? e.g., costumes, props, etc.

Bernard Fox: No I don't, none at all. I have about 5 photos, that's all

Kamala: Hi Kasey, do you ever go and visit the old set?

Kasey Rogers: The set on stage 4 no longer exists, however the house exterior is on what is now the Warner Bros. backlot in Burbank, CA. It used to be the Columbia Ranch, and yes, we have visited it many times, and there is a picture of myself, Sandra and Bernard we had taken the day they blew the house up on Home improvement. It is all back together now.

jill to Kasey: How did you and David White get along in real life?

Kasey Rogers: We never saw each other in 'real life', he was a nice man and we worked well together, but a great friendship never developed.

Kasey Rogers: I will be doing the Western Film Festival in Knoxville, TN April 30, May 1 & 2 under the name of Laura Elliot, a name given to me by Paramount. Under that name, I appeared in 28 films including starring in Silver City, The Denver & Rio Grande, Hitchcock's Strangers on A Train and others. Check Wendy & Joe's web site for more details when we get them!

Host:

Kasey Rogers: Bernard & I wish to thank the many fans from around the world for being with us this evening, it was a thrilling experience for us! And a special thanks to Wendy & Joe for making this all possible!

Host: We are out of time. We hope you have enjoyed talking with Kasey and Bernard this evening, and that you will join us in the future for more live events with Bewitched cast members. We wish to thank Bernard & Kasey for being our guests, and we thank you all again so much for joining us as well!

Chat ©The Bewitched & Elizabeth Montgomery Site
Celebrity Chat Software © 1997, The Bewitched & Elizabeth Montgomery Site
Sun Mar 15 20:43:23 1998

Back to The Bewitched/Elizabeth Montgomery Main Page