Actor's Spotlight: Agnes Moorehead

Agnes Moorehead.  American.  Born December 6, 1900.  Died April 30, 1974.  Star of radio, film, stage and TV.  Emmy award winner (Actress in a Supporting Role in a Drama, 1965).  Golden Globe winner (Best Supporting Actress, 1944, 1964).  Academy Award Nominee. 

Radio program(s) featured: The Shadow, The War of the Worlds, Suspense


IMDB biography
Wikipedia biography

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Without a doubt, Agnes Moorehead is one of my all-time favourite actresses of radio and film.  She was the original Margo Lane (sidekick and love interest of The Shadow).  She worked alongside such greats as Orson Welles, Bette Davis, Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, and Vincent Price.

Most often, people remember her as Endora, She-of-the-Lofty-Eyebrows, the archetypal mother-in-law in the '60s & '70s TV sitcom Bewitched.  Radiophiles may also remember her in Suspense, especially from her outstanding performance in a story entitled "Sorry, Wrong Number."

Among her many other credits, Moorehead was cast in three of Orson Welles most (in)famous productions:  The War of the Worlds, The Magnificent Ambersons and Citizen Kane.

 Moorehead in How the West Was Won,  1962

As Margo Lane, she had a dulcet voice.  When I hear her soft and lively words, I imagine a high society woman in a tight-fitting wool skirt-suit and a broad but elaborate hat pinned at the perfect, most flirtatious angle.  She had a wonderfully expressive voice.  Sometimes I imagine her unable to hold a script while she acted, because she would act with her whole body, whether she had a visible audience or not.

In "Sorry, Wrong Number," she used a breathy, whiny, nasal voice.  If "The Man In Black" hadn't announced her name, I would never have guessed it was her.  What strikes me most about this performance is not her flawless delivery, but rather the way she stumbles, stutters and gasps - as an emotionally distraught woman might.  The only reason why I don't like this episode is because I used to work on the phones in a call centre for a major telecommunications company, and the annoying call backs, the disconnects and the frantic clientele - it just strikes too close to home.  It stressed me out!

Despite her lovely singing voice and softer tones, as you'll hear in the 1959 B-Movie The Bat she often adopted a reedy, tough, old-woman voice, with deep declarations of "Oh, that's ridiculous" and soaring exclamations of "Well!"  And say what you will about The Bat, Moorehead is funny as heck when she wants to be, especially when playing against Lenita Lane (who plays her maid).  Agnes Moorehead, playing the role of a funny murder mystery author, and it has Vincent Price in it?  Come on, what more could I ask for?

(Though I want to know, in what world does a mystery author earn enough in royalties to afford a city apartment, a car, a house in the country, a maid of twenty years, a housekeeper, a butler, a cook and an upstairs maid?  A famous movie/radio/TV/stage actress can maybe afford all that, but a mystery writer?)

Versatile, visually and vocally.  (Hush...Hush, Sweet Caroline, 1964)  And I don't think she believes anybody can pull in that kind of income off royalties, either!

And yes, maybe she was prone to melodrama from time to time - but that was the style of the time, and she does it well, especially in comedy.  Her expressive mannerisms - visual and vocal - have always been entertaining.  Agnes Moorehead was the very essence of the leading lady in the Golden Age of Radio.

But I never liked her with pink hair...

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Radio Spotlight #1.  The Shadow:  "Death House Rescue."  Aired September 26, 1937.  This is the first full-length episode of The Shadow, and it stars both Agnes Moorehead and Orson Welles.  All content courtesy of Internet Archive.  For more information on The Shadow or for more episodes, please visit Internet Archive.





 


Radio Spotlight #2.  Suspense:  "Sorry, Wrong Number."  First Aired May 25, 1943.  All content courtesy of Internet Archive.  For more Suspense, visit Internet Archive.







Movie Spotlight:  The Bat.  1959.  All content courtesy of Internet Archive.


RR(1900-12-06)v