[Note: Unless otherwise indicated, all quotes and commentary in this article are from interviews conducted by the author with those mentioned.]
The Big Picture
Today marks the 60th Anniversary of Bewitched, the beloved supernatural sitcom that originally aired on ABC from September 17, 1964 to March 25, 1972. The show starred Elizabeth Montgomery as Samantha Stephens, the twitch-witch, and Dick York and later Dick Sargent as her mortal husband Darrin. Many supporting actors played various roles including George Tobias, who played the Stephens’ neighbor Abner Kravitz, married to the befuddled Gladys Kravitz, played by Alice Pearce, then Sandra Gould.
Here’s a look back at this life and career, which included a stint as a sheriff in later years. Then, after he died of bladder cancer on February 27, 1980, his body was stolen.
In the Beginning
George Tobias began a colorful life on July 14, 1901, in New York City, on the Lower East Side. Coming from a theatrical family, he began his career when he was 15 at the Neighborhood Playhouse in New York.