A MOMENT WITH ELIZABETH MONTGOMERY

In early 1992, as snow blanketed the suburbs of Grand Rapids, Michigan, Elizabeth Montgomery quietly arrived at the modest home of Dick York. The neighbors didn’t notice. No press followed. She had traveled in silence, determined to see the man with whom she had once shared one of television’s most cherished bonds on "Bewitched." Years had passed since they last spoke, but hearing about York’s declining health stirred something deep within her.

Inside the small bedroom where York lay weak and frail, Montgomery sat beside him without ceremony. His thin hand rested in hers, and for several minutes, they said nothing. The room smelled faintly of peppermint oil and old books. The silence between them wasn’t uncomfortable. It was full of shared memory. She didn’t speak of fame or reruns or regrets. Instead, she gently began recounting their favorite moments from the early days of "Bewitched," the moments before the back pain, before the producers recast him, before the show became something else.

York, once a vibrant and witty presence, could barely speak above a whisper. But his eyes sparkled when she mentioned the scene in season one where Darrin tried to chop wood using magic, only to set the living room rug on fire. They both laughed then, softly but genuinely. Her visit wasn’t planned for attention, nor did she inform her agent or any friends outside of a trusted mutual contact. It was something she needed to do for herself. A way to honor what they once had.

Montgomery had always carried a deep affection for York, though their on-set chemistry was often overshadowed by his physical struggles and the show’s punishing production schedule. She had watched him suffer, his spinal condition worsening under studio lights and tight shooting deadlines. When he eventually left "Bewitched" in 1969, there had been no proper farewell, no wrap-up dinner, no closure. He was gone from the lot, and within a week, another actor stepped into the role. York later admitted that the sudden exit left him broken in more ways than one.

Years later, long after Montgomery had moved on to other projects and York had faded from Hollywood, she still remembered the man who made her laugh when the cameras weren’t rolling. During her visit, she apologized. Not for anything she did, but for not staying in touch. York simply squeezed her hand and said, “We both had to keep going.” She nodded, a tear sliding down her cheek.
After about an hour, she stood to leave. York, exhausted but moved, gave her a faint smile. She kissed his forehead and whispered, “You’ll always be my Darrin.” Then she walked out, not knowing it would be the last time she saw him. When he passed away later that same year, she kept the visit private. It was only through a conversation with a close friend that her quiet act of compassion eventually came to light.

“She told me he was more than a co-star,” the friend recalled. “She said, ‘He was part of something magical we created together.’” That line, spoken without rehearsal or spotlight, revealed a tenderness that went far beyond any scripted scene.

Elizabeth Montgomery never spoke publicly about that visit. She never sought credit, never gave an interview about it, and never included it in retrospectives. It remained a personal gesture. Sincere, intimate, and deeply human.

She left his house that day with a full heart and silent tears, knowing the real magic of "Bewitched" had always lived offscreen, in moments filled with quiet love and lasting grace...

WHERE ARE THEY NOW: JAMIE GERTZ

Do any of you remember actresst Jami Gertz - a popular actress in the 1980s and 1990s? Jami Gertz was unrecognizable during a recent outing 20 years after starring with Helen Hunt in Twister. Gertz, 59, was recently seen an LA restaurant. Gertz, who also appeared alongside Molly Ringwald in Sixteen Candles, reportedly grabbed a bite to eat at the restaurant Alba.

For the dinner excursion, she rocked a black and white striped suit with floral embellishments and black shoes. The talent behind Twister's Dr. Melissa Reeves accessorized with large, gold earrings, a gold necklace, black-framed glasses and a black clutch, wearing her natural gray hair down and tucked partially behind her ears. Best known for cult hits like The Lost Boys and Sixteen Candles, Jamie has successfully transitioned from ’80s starlet to billionaire power player alongside husband Tony Ressler.

Jami got her start as a child actress, but it wasn’t until she was 21 that she broke through with a memorable role in the 1987 addiction drama Less than Zero. It also starred Robert Downey Jr. and Andrew McCarthy.

That same year, she solidified her status as a cult icon of the ’80s by portraying one half of a vampire duo opposite Kiefer Sutherland in The Lost Boys, sharing the screen with notable names like Corey Feldman and Corey Haim. Throughout the ’90s, Jami kept up her acting career, with her final big box office hit coming in 1996’s Twister, a thriller starring Bill Paxton and Helen Hunt.

In 1989, she married her husband, who was then employed at the investment bank Drexel Burnham Lambert Inc. Her husband is now worth $14 billion making Gertz one of the richest actresses in Hollywood. From time to time Jamie will still act but not in the blockbusters of her youth. She last appeared in a movie in 2022...

IS HOWARD STERN GETTING CANCELLED?

For over two decades, The Howard Stern Show has been a staple of satellite radio, entertaining millions of listeners with its unfiltered humor and celebrity interviews. But now, rumors are that Stern’s long-running SiriusXM program may be getting canceled. Is Howard Stern’s show on SiriusXM getting canceled?

According to insiders who spoke to the press, Howard Stern’s contract with SiriusXM is set to expire this fall, and the jock may not return for another term. Sources claim that while SiriusXM plans to make an offer, they don’t expect Stern to accept it due to financial disagreements. “Sirius and Stern are never going to meet on the money he is going to want. It’s no longer worth the investment,” an insider revealed.

Seemingly, it’s not just finances at play. According to the same outlet, Stern’s outspoken political views, especially his consistent criticism of Donald Trump, could be another factor affecting renewal talks. “If Sirius isn’t going to give Stern a good offer, I don’t think it would have anything to do with his ratings,” said one source. “It’s more likely everything to do with the political climate,” they added.

This theory got its basis after Stern’s 2024 interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris, which drew criticism from conservative circles. His blunt commentary on Trump recently resurfaced in viral clips.

Even if Howard Stern’s show on SiriusXM gets canceled, discussions are reportedly underway to preserve his extensive audio library on SiriusXM. A possible licensing deal may keep his past shows available for streaming, offering fans a slice of nostalgia even if no new episodes come.

But the recent contract uncertainty has reportedly blindsided his staff of nearly 100 employees. With Stern taking his usual summer break, some wonder if he’ll return at all. “He is off in the summer, but this year has been saying ‘maybe I should retire,'” an insider added...

MUSIC BREAK: HENRY THIES - WHEN YOU'RE SMILING

FORGOTTEN ONES: HENRY THIES

Forgotten bandleader Henry Thies led a popular dance orchestra throughout the 1920's. Thies (born in Chicago, Illinois, in 1893) became known in Detroit, Michigan, as a "boy wonder" on the violin and rapidly rose to lead his own orchestra in one of the city's top hotels. In 1926, the orchestra leader brought his stylish brand of symphonic jazz to Cincinnati where appearances at the Chatterbox Club led to a devoted following on local radio. Well, known on the Ohio hotel circuit, Thies also toured on vaudeville and performed in theatres.Starting in Chicago he came to Cincinnati for a short gig at Castle Farms mid-decade. That gig stretched to where the orchestra found a permanent home at the Hotel Sinton.

Henry and his band recorded for a time at Victor Records and made some nice recordings in the late 1920s and early 1930s. With vocalist Don Dewey and a young Jane Froman, the Thies band had some nice recordings of songs of the day like - "When You're Smiling" and "Rose Of Mandalay". 

Unfortunately, his life ended tragically. While his wife and son and a musician waited for Henry to show up for dinner, Thies ended his life with a bullet at his home. Thies, who was 41 years old left no notes. Alvin Miller, Thies' trumpet player, found the body. According to Miller, the band leader had been in good spirits.

In the past however, Henry Thies had nervous problems. Two years before his death, he had tried to commit suicide by taking an overdose of pills. After that attempt, Thies was a patient in a mental hospital for nearly 15 months.

He had new performances and radio shows scheduled and was a very successful bandleader. If he hadn't ended his life, his band would have continued to hit greater heights of fame and stardom. It's sad that he died from a self inflicted gunshot wound on June 12, 1935. His wife, his son (who was 19), and a mother and a sister survived him...

MUSIC BREAK: HENRY THIES - ROSE OF MANADALAY

RIP: JANE MORGAN

Jane Morgan, a singer, nightclub entertainer, Broadway performer and ubiquitous TV presence in 1950s and ’60s, died Monday of natural causes in Naples, Florida. She was 101.

Her family announced her death, saying, “Our beloved Jane passed away peacefully in her sleep.”

As Jane Morgan, the singer was a popular and ubiquitous presence on television variety shows from the Golden Age of the 1950s well through the 1960s and even into the early 1970s. She appeared on The Johnny Cash Show, where she answered the Man in Black’s “A Boy Named Sue” with “A Girl Named Johnny Cash,” which was written for the show by Martin Mull. The song was a minor hit on country radio.

She is thought to hold the record for female singers appearing on The Ed Sullivan Show — 50 times in all.

On Broadway, Morgan appeared in Ziegfeld Follies of 1957, The Jack Benny Show (1963) and in the title role of Mame (1968-69).

Born Florence Catherine Currier on May 3, 1924, in Newton, Massachusetts, Morgan raised by a musical family in Florida and started singing onstage at age 7. In 1948 she was training as a lyric soprano at the Juilliard Conservatory in New York. Singing in nightclubs and small restaurants to help pay her tuition, Morgan was spotted at one such venue by French bandleader Bernard Hilda. Recognizing her unique talents, he took her to sing at clubs in France where she quickly became “The Toast of Paris.”

From there, Morgan’s popularity and career continued to ascend. Having taken Europe, she returned to America, signed with Kapp Records and released a string of albums including The American Girl from Paris and All the Way. In all, she would ultimately earn six gold records.

Among her single hits was one that would become a signature tune for her: “Fascination” (1957). Featured in the Gary Cooper-Audrey Hepburn movie Love in the Afternoon, it went Top 10 and was the title track from her biggest stateside album, which reached No. 13. Her recording of “Fascination” also has been used in the soundtracks of Diner, The Next Karate Kid, Call The Midwife and Fallout.

Her U.S. chart career was spotty, but the international hits would keep coming through the ’50s and ’60, including recordings of such traditional pop standards as “The Day The Rains Came” — which topped the UK chart in 1959 — “With Open Arms,” “To Love and Be Loved” and “Blue Hawaii,” among many others.

In 1962, Morgan had found a new manager, Jerry Weintraub, who would become one of the entertainment industry’s more formidable music managers with clients including Elvis Presley and John Denver. Weintraub also would become a prolific film producer, responsible for such hits as The Karate Kid and Ocean’s Eleven.

Morgan married Weintraub in 1965 and she became stepmother to Weintraub’s son Michael. Morgan and Weintraub would add to their family by adopting three daughters, Julie, Jamie and Jody.

Over the course of her career, Morgan performed for presidents and toured with the popular comedians of the day. She made numerous appearances on television specials and hosted three of her own including The Jane Morgan Hour (1959). A sampling of the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s TV variety shows and specials she appeared on include The Colgate Comedy Hour, Perry Como’s Kraft Music Hall, The Jack Benny Program, The Hollywood Palace, The Dean Martin Show, The Kraft Music Hall and The Jackie Gleason Show.

She also did a few TV guest shots during her career including Peter Gunn and It Takes a Thief.

Morgan received a star on The Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2011.

She is survived by her son Michael Weintraub (Maria), daughters Jamie Weintraub and Jody Weintraub, six grandchildren and eight grandchildren. She was pre-deceased by husband Jerry and daughter Julie. Memorial Services will be private. In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to the Jane and Jerry Weintraub Center for Reconstructive Biotechnology at UCLA...

BING CROSBY: THE HOLLYWOOD YEARS - PART 8