Wouldn't It Be FUN?

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This is a great post, but in all the focus on Ursula Andress and Raquel Welch (and I understand why), the discussion of a Elizabeth Montgomery and Barbara Eden catfight got lost. As someone growing up in the 1960s, these were two hot TV babes (check out You Tube:"Elizabeth Montgomery and Barbara Eden Dancing Salsa" to see what I mean). I was particularly attracted to Barbara Eden because she looked something like Fran, the woman who got into several hair pulling contests with my mom. Regardless, Barbara Eden and Elizabeth Montgomery were real life TV rivals: Elizabeth's show "Bewitched" ran on the ABC network from 1964 to 1972. Barbara's show, "I Dream of Jeannie", was created by rival network NBC to be competition for Elizabeth's show. The fact that both actresses were bottle blondes, with long hair, and looked similar, just added to their rivalry. Matters weren't helped when they were nominated twice for the same category of Golden Globe awards.

I dreamed of them accidently meeting in a ladies powder room while attending one of the awards ceremonies. They get into a terrific argument and decide to settle things in a lady-like manner. They both contribute to pay the attendant to go outside and stand by the door, locking it behind her. As soon as she's gone they launch back into their screaming match until they explode, grabbing for their rival's long blonde locks. As they pull and tear at each other's hair, they accidently grab each other's evening dresses. Incensed that they've torn each other's dresses, they intensify their attacks against their tresses and dresses. Soon, bits of clothes and strands of hair litter the floor. About 5 minutes later, the attendant hears a knock at the door. When she opens it she sees a disheveled but victorious Elizabeth Montgomery emerge.

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Elizabeth Montgomery had one other real-life, TV actress who was her rival--Mary Tyler Moore. Elizabeth was nominated for 4 Golden Globe awards and 9 Emmys, but never won any of them. Her show, "Bewitched" ended in 1972. Mary's show, "The Mary Tyler Moore Show", began in 1970 and lasted until 1977. In one of Elizabeth's last opportunities to win an Emmy for "Bewitched", she lost out to Mary Tyler Moore" for her show's first season in 1970.

They were only 3 years apart, with Mary being the youngest, and similar in height, with Elizabeth being 1/2" taller than Mary's 5 feet 8 inches, and they were both born in New York City. Contrary to the characters she played on TV, Mary was tough and high-strung, as well as ambitious. Elizabeth was also tough and ambitious. Mary was pretty foxy in the early seasons of her show, just as Elizabeth was in the last years of her show, with both of them wearing their hair the longest they ever would (below the shoulders), short skirts and tight sweaters, or short dresses, and almost always heels.

I could see them getting into a major hair pulling catfight when a hostess makes a mistake and accidently includes Elizabeth on her guest list only two weeks after Mary won the 1970 Emmy for the same category which Elizabeth was also nominated for. Elizabeth arrives first and not long after Mary appears. The guests applaud Mary as she enters the party. This only throws more salt into Elizabeth's wound. After several drinks, both women approach each other. Their conversation is subdued, at first. Their voices begin to rise. Name calling starts, followed by other insults.

Mary calls Elizabeth "a bleached-blonde bitch". Elizabeth responds by saying "It takes one to know one".

Then, as if given a stage cue they both launch into each other's thick, pretty hair, each one determined to come away with more of her rival's tresses. Elizabeth has a field day trying to destory Mary's always too perfect, long, brunette flip, while Mary busys herself trying to rip out Elizabeth's long, smooth, pageboy by it's dark roots. The guests are wildly enthusiastic as they yell encouragement to America's two nicest TV gals to yank each other bald. After a long and hard fought catfight, in which party dresses and hose are torn, strands of brunette and blonde hair are pulled out by their roots, faces are slapped, and arms and legs are scratched, Elizabeth finally manages to get Mary in a School Girl Pin. She reaches down with both hands and gathers up two thick handfuls of Mary's hair, telling her if she doesn't "give" she'll walk away with them as a momento of the event. With tears streaming down her cheeks, Mary gives in.