MovieChat Forums > Bewitched (1964) Discussion > Wondering about Their Last Names

Wondering about Their Last Names

posted 5 years ago by [email protected] (5900)
29 replies | jump to latest

Well it's mostly that they didn't seem to have them! They probably did, but it gave an other-worldly feel to the characters when they were only known by one name.

But there's something else I noticed recently. I was watching a second season episode, "A Strange Little Visitor" when Sam babysits for some friends. They are witches but they do have last names, Walter and Margaret Brocken. Walter went on to be Mr. Scott on Star Trek.
An earlier episode features a woman whom Darrin hires for a perfume ad. She turns out to be someone Endora planted to test Darrin's fidelity, Sarah Baker.

In "Samantha's Good News", Maurice's secretary is Abigail Beecham.

I suddenly noticed that all witches last names (at least the ones we hear of) start with the letter B. Was that just a coincidence or were the writers paying tribute to the show since Bewitched starts with a B? Just a curious thing.

Another thing I've wondered about...when Darrin firsts meets Endora he is on his best behavior and starts to address her as "Mrs.", but then he falters because he doesn't know her last name. But why? Wouldn't he have just said whatever name Samantha told him was hers?

I know Sam's last name was never revealed but surely she must have told Darrin SOME name. She could hardly say that among her people, "We don't use last names." Kinda weird. And she would have had to use a last name on her marriage license, right?

[–] [email protected] (1732) 5 years ago

In one first season entry, a politician is introduced to Endora. He says something like, "Good to meet you Mrs..."
Endora replies, "you'll never be able to pronounce it...just call me 'Mrs. Waters.'" (Endora had just caused a flood).

[–] [email protected] (5900) 5 years ago

I vaguely remember that scene. Endora said the same thing to Darrin.

"You couldn't pronounce it."

I've never cared for those types of coy remarks. They seem silly to me. What's the big mystery?

[–] Costumer (1822) 5 years ago

It could just be that he wouldn't be able to pronounce it. Most people, unless trained, have difficulty with phonemes not native to their own culture.

English, for instance, has about 44 or 45 phonemes, depending on how you count. The International Phonetic Alphabet recognizes about 163 phonemes.

Now, by the first names we are given, witches and warlocks first names fit pretty much within the English set. But I can imagine that the naming conventions may use other phonemes. (the last names you mention could be assumed for use among mortals.) Or, it could be that their last names still fit within the 45 English phonemes but are very long, perhaps 15 to 20 syllables; again, difficult for most speakers not used to such long strings of syllables.

[–] [email protected] (5900) 5 years ago

That could be true. Or I could just be my pet peeve about dialogue which tries to be mysterious just for the sake of mystery.
On Star Trek when Mr. Spock was asked if he had another name, he also replied, "You couldn't pronounce it."

Well, okay, he WAS an alien. But these witches were born and raised on Earth (I presume, lol). How unpronounceable could their names be? Unless of course, they were Welsh. I've seen some names of Welsh towns that were 25 letters long or more.
I'd always just assumed that Sam's parents had an English background, at least her father, owing to his affinity for Shakespeare and his own slightly British accent. And those other witches had names that were easy to pronounce like Baker and Brocken.

Also, going back to my original question, why didn't Darrin just say whatever last name Samantha told him was hers? She must've told him something, even if she made it up. I don't think you can sign just your first name on a marriage license.

[–] [email protected] (1732) 5 years ago

I have said this before, and I'll say it again: I feel it was a HUGE mistake to have Endora say "Darrin" correctly
(and, at numerous times throughout the series). I always felt it would've been cool to have Endora just somehow
UNABLE to say it.

In episodes where she's trying to manipulate Darrin ("A is For Aardvark"), the writers could've easily had
Endora say..."Doesn't she though....Son", instead of, "Doesn't she though...Darrin." "Son" would've been
equally disgusting for her to say under normal circumstances, and it would've kept her saying every name
with a "D" EXCEPT "Darrin.'

[–] [email protected] (5900) 5 years ago

gb- I watched an early episode not too long ago when Endora calls him "Darrin". She pops in for dinner. I'm pretty sure it's the first time Uncle Arthur appears. Now for some reason, THAT doesn't bother me! I always liked it when Endora attempted to be civil towards Darrin. Of course it's funnier when she isn't (civil that is).

Just like Bewitched "borrowed" some ILL plotlines, I've often thought that Endora getting Darrin's name wrong was lifted from Lucy. Her mother could never remember Ricky's first name. And sometimes she couldn't remember his LAST one.
Remember, "There are so many Richardsons in the phone book." Or, "Wait till Mickey Richardson hears about this."

[–] [email protected] (1732) 5 years ago

I enjoy those rare moments, too, PJ...but still would've loved it if the entire series went by WITHOUT
Endora saying "Darrin." To me, it's akin to having Harpo Marx NEVER uttering a sound.

Furthermore, had Asher and company realized how BW would've endured throughout the decades, I
don't think they would've went for it either. Just my opinion.

[–] strntz (12344) 2 years ago

The way I see it, I thought it was funnier when Endora could occasionally pronounce Darrin's name correctly - it just lent more emphasis to the times she intentionally mispronounced it.

When I was in college, there was a professor who just didn't like me. At all. Not sure why - I'm a swell guy who's nothing but a joy to be around.. He constantly mispronounced my name hoping I'd correct him. I never did. Later, I overheard him pronounce my name correctly when informing another student he's be in the same lab group with me. That bastard.. LOL.

[–] pioneergrrrl (2408) 2 years ago

But that's not because of ethnicity---it's because Endora just did not like Darrin. She is the one who can pronounce his name she just chooses not to.

She wants to retain power over the mortals and mortal world.

Of course another argument can also be made that if she pronounced his name correctly she could build a relationship with him over the mutual love of Samantha. Darrin would see they had common interests after all. And Endora would learn power is in fact give and take vs 'mine, mine mine'

[–] strntz (12344) 2 years ago

I never mentioned ethnicity.

[–] pioneergrrrl (2408) 2 years ago

I know you personally did not---witch serves as a metaphor for 'ethnicity' throughout the series since this was running when interracial marriage was still the 'big taboo' in American society.

[–] [email protected] (5900) 8 months ago

You always seemed like a "swell guy" in your posts. lol

Something similar happened to George Costanza on Seinfeld. It was the episode with the overdue library book. He said that the Phys. Ed. teacher disliked him and always pronounced his name "Can'tstandya".

I had a geometry teacher who called me Pamela for the entire year I was in his class. That's not my name. At the end of the year he finally told me that I resembled a former student of his named Pamela. And it just stuck in his mind.

[–] ATG6 (3000) 5 years ago

which is nonsense. the English language covers all the normal sounds humans make. unless it's some stupid rolled R or hacking cough letter.

[–] Costumer (1822) 5 years ago

You are completely incorrect. Check any linguistics study. English uses less than half of the normal sounds humans make. That isn't even my opinion. That is what linguistics tells us.

I believe I was clear, though perhaps not, that I don't think non-English phonemes were the likely answer. Long names seems more likely, though the writers just not wanting to deal with it is the most likely of all.

[–] [deleted] 5 years ago

Although we think of witches as human beings with magical skills I always got the impression from the show that Endora and co were supernatural/Unearthly beings. So it's possible that the surname really is something completely different to what you would find on Earth.

[–] [email protected] (5900) 5 years ago

Could be...we don't know for sure. But I never really thought of them as aliens, if that is what you mean. Yes, they had supernatural powers. But s I said in my OP, some of their surnames were revealed. I was just wondering about a few things, like why Endora's last name was so hard to pronounce.

Endora liked to shock Darrin, so why didn't she just say, "On Venus, we don't use last names." lol

I definitely think the witches were earthly in origin. BUt who knows? It's a TV show.

[–] pioneergrrrl (2408) 2 years ago

at one point in America, it was common to make 'ethnic' last names American sounding in order to fit in/assimilate. So yes, what Endora does---take a generic last name even if it is not really hers used to be a common practice.

And it was a familiar practice for my great grandparents generation (although they themselves never changed our last name for whatever reason).

We kept our last name and even though people still stumble over it today there is not pressure to 'change it' like there previously was.

[–] MaximRecoil (4631) 8 months ago

"I definitely think the witches were earthly in origin."

How do you figure? They aren't human (Endora takes being called human or compared to a human as an insult), they aren't mortal (they call humans "mortals" as a term of distinguishment from themselves), they are very old (Endora is at least 1,000 years old according to Serena), and they live in some place that doesn't exist on Earth as we know it (it has a ground/floor that can be walked on but is among the clouds; some sort of "ethereal realm"). They are more like Greek/Roman gods than the usual concept of a witch, which is just a regular person who practices "witchcraft." There's nothing to indicate that the Witch of Endor from the Bible is anything other than a woman, for example.

[–] [email protected] (5900) 8 months ago

I always thought they were vague about the true nature of the witches. And I don't think they were actually "immortal" even though they called humans mortals. True, their aging process took centuries. But I don't think they lived forever.

Remember when they named the new baby and decided not to use the name Frank? Samantha said she liked the name Adam and Maurice said that was his grandfather's name.

I noticed that he said "was named Adam" and not "is named Adam".

I hold to the belief that although they have special powers, they are still human. Or as in the world of Star Trek, humanoid. How else could Sam and Darrin have had children? Humans can't reproduce outside their own species.

The writing just seemed deliberately vague at times.

[–] MaximRecoil (4631) 8 months ago

"And I don't think they were actually "immortal" even though they called humans mortals. True, their aging process took centuries. But I don't think they lived forever."

It's indicated that they turn themselves into some useful object when they get too old to be useful. In the form of an object they certainly aren't going to age anymore, because they are no longer biological. They seem to be fundamentally incorporeal beings who can take on any physical form they want. Since they hang out on Earth a lot (but also other planets/moons), and humans are the only intelligent species known to inhabit Earth, human-like makes sense as their default form.

"I hold to the belief that although they have special powers, they are still human. Or as in the world of Star Trek, humanoid. How else could Sam and Darrin have had children? Humans can't reproduce outside their own species."

In fiction, humans often reproduce outside their own species. Spock from Star Trek is a famous example (human mother, Vulcan father). It also happened in the Bible (the giants, AKA: "Nephilim," were the offspring of human mothers and angel fathers). In happens a lot in the animal kingdom as well; a mule being a well-known example. There's no reason that humans couldn't reproduce with a species that's similar enough to humans. It's never been tried (not that anyone can prove, anyway) because there are no such species on Earth.

As a side note, Maurice once mentioned attending an "intergalactic conference," and also going to Mount Olympus to visit the "gods."

[–] [email protected] (5900) 8 months ago

All good points. But you forgot to mention Serena hiring the talent for "The Cosmos Cotillion". lol

Yes, Spock was a Vulcan/Human hybrid. But it always seemed logical to me (no pun intended) that his conception required some medical genetic manipulation. Now it's certainly not canon because it was never filmed. But in some of the Trek books I have read, they mention that Amanda needed some medical intervention to conceive.

As far as Maurice, I often took his comments with a grain of salt. He was a tad on the melodramatic side!

Of course you could be correct in your assessment. But I think we are both (at least I am!) reading more into the characters' origins than the writers ever intended.

[–] MaximRecoil (4631) 7 months ago

"Yes, Spock was a Vulcan/Human hybrid. But it always seemed logical to me (no pun intended) that his conception required some medical genetic manipulation. Now it's certainly not canon because it was never filmed. But in some of the Trek books I have read, they mention that Amanda needed some medical intervention to conceive."

Well, like I said, it has happened countless times in the animal kingdom (mules, tigons, ligers, leopons, wolfdogs, and so on), and even though there's currently no close-enough species on Earth for humans to hybridize with, it happened in the past between Neanderthals (Homo neanderthalensis) and humans (Homo sapiens):

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neanderthal#Interbreeding

"As far as Maurice, I often took his comments with a grain of salt. He was a tad on the melodramatic side!"

The existence of aliens is firmly established in the Bewitched universe though, since there is an episode that features a pair of them:

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0523203/reference/

That misty place in the clouds that they inhabit isn't Earth; there is more than one reference to them returning to Earth when they are there. If they are native to Earth, how did they ever find that non-Earth realm that they live in?

When Tabitha was born they wondered whether she would be human or a witch, not only indicating a distinction between the two, but also indicating that being a witch is genetic, and since purely human genetics don't produce any supernatural powers, that also indicates a biological distinction between them and humans. The same goes for when Adam was born.

Dr. Bombay's treatments differ and/or have different effects on humans vs. witches, which is another indicator of a biological distinction. There are also multiple diseases/illnesses mentioned on the show that only witches can have, which is yet another indicator of a biological distinction between them and humans.

[–] [email protected] (5900) 7 months ago

Oh yes, I forgot about "Samantha's Secret Saucer". And I did start a thread about that episode being Marion Lorne's last one.

It wasn't a bad episode but I wish that the actress had had a better last show. Of course no one could have known at the time that she would soon pass away.

I see that you are firmly convinced that the witch community is alien to Earth. I always saw them as a race or group with Earth origins who developed unusual powers. Sort of like humans branched off and evolved differently from apes. That is if you believe in evolution. If you're a creationist, don't want to offend!

[–] davebuffalo (3469) 2 years ago

Just the opposite occurred on COLUMBO. Columbo didn't have a FIRST NAME. He was asked his first name a couple times, and he would snidely reply "Lieutenant".

It was a running joke throughout the series.

In a couple of scenes, he shows his badge, and years later when we're able to freeze-frame and zoom-in, his badge is enlarged to reveal the name "Frank Columbo". However, that was courtesy of the prop department, and never in the script!

[–] [email protected] (5900) 2 years ago

Yes, I saw an episode where I could freeze frame his badge. But he never looked like a 'Frank' to me. I always imagined his name to be Dominic.

I remember one episode where he said that only Mrs. Columbo used his first name. So did his parents call him Columbo? ha!

[–] strntz (12344) 2 years ago

You know, I was watching the great film Rudy, and although it made sense his friends would call him Rudy (short for Ruettiger), I was wondering why his own parents called him Rudy. He had two older brothers and neither of them were called "Rudy".. Why the third son?

With regard to Lieutenant Columbo, I was going to say he looked like a Peter to me, but that would be too easy..

[–] [email protected] (5900) 2 years ago

Peter, huh? Way too easy! lol

Again speaking about last names, I used to watch William Shatner as T.J. Hooker. While it made sense that the other cops called him Hooker, I always wondered why his ex-wife also called him that and never his first name.

I saw only part of Rudy, so I assumed it was his first name.

[–] strntz (12344) 2 years ago

Rudy is a great film, I think you'd really enjoy it (based on the true story of Dan Ruettiger).

Considering it was the skirt-chasing William Shatner as T.J Hooker, I'm not surprised "Hooker" became his defacto name..

[–] Mustang (5432) 2 years ago

In the novel Sam’s maiden name was Dobson.