Dick York

Richard Allen York (September 4, 1928 – February 20, 1992) was an American actor. He was the first actor to play Darrin Stephens on the ABC fantasy sitcom Bewitched. He played teacher Bertram Cates in the film Inherit the Wind.

York's career was hampered by a serious back injury he sustained while working on the film They Came to Cordura in 1959. Although his role in Bewitched was a success, he left the series in 1969 after a further decline in his physical health, and rarely acted thereafter. He eventually retired from acting in the mid-1980s.

Early life He was born on September 4, 1928, in Fort Wayne, Indiana, to Bernard York, a salesman, and Betty, a seamstress. He grew up in Chicago, where a Catholic nun first recognized his vocal promise. He began his career at the age of 15 as the star of the CBS radio program That Brewster Boy. He also appeared in hundreds of other radio shows and instructional films before heading to New York City, where he acted on Broadway in Tea and Sympathy and Bus Stop. He performed with stars including Paul Muni and Joanne Woodward in live television broadcasts and with Janet Leigh, Jack Lemmon, and Glenn Ford in movies, including My Sister Eileen and Cowboy.

While filming the movie They Came to Cordura (1959) with Gary Cooper and Rita Hayworth, he suffered a permanent, disabling back injury. In York's own words, "Gary Cooper and I were propelling a handcar carrying several 'wounded' men down [the] railroad track. I was on the bottom stroke of this sort of teeter-totter mechanism that made the handcar run. I was just lifting the handle up as the director yelled 'cut!' and one of the 'wounded' cast members reached up and grabbed the handle. Now, instead of lifting the expected weight, I was suddenly, jarringly, lifting his entire weight off the flatbed180 pounds or so. The muscles along the right side of my back tore. They just snapped and let loose. And that was the start of it all." This left him in debilitating pain, which would, years later, result in his being unable to continue working on Bewitched.

York went on to star with Gene Kelly and Leo G. Carroll in the ABC comedy-drama Going My Way (1962). He was cast in the series, which lasted one season, as Tom Colwell, who operates a secular youth center.

York appeared in dozens of episodes of now-classic television series, including Justice, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, The Untouchables, Rawhide, The Americans, Wagon Train, Father Knows Best, and CBS's The Twilight Zone, The Virginian, and Route 66.

Bewitched (1964–1969)

In 1964, York began playing Darrin Stephens in the sitcom Bewitched as Samantha's (Elizabeth Montgomery) mortal husband. The show was a huge success and York was nominated for an Emmy Award in 1968.

From York's hospital bed, he and director William Asher discussed York's future. "Do you want to quit?" Asher asked. "If it's all right with you, Billy", York replied. With that, York left the sitcom to devote himself to recovery, never to return. Dick Sargent replaced York in the role of Darrin Stephens, taking over the role at the start of the series's sixth season (1969–1970) and continuing in the part until the series ended after its eighth season (1971–1972). Sargent was originally offered the role of Darrin in 1964, but declined in favor of a part in the short-lived sitcom Broadside.

Despite the scripted antagonism between characters Darrin and his mother-in-law Endora, in reality Dick York and Agnes Moorehead enjoyed a very close friendship off screen. Moorehead was very upset when it was confirmed that York would be leaving the show and replaced by Dick Sargent.

Later years (1969–1992) For the next 18 months, York was largely bed-ridden in a haze of prescription painkillers.

Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 1945 Insomnia(Combat Fatigue: Insomnia) Lucky Uncredited, Short film for U.S. Navy 1947 Shy Guy Philip Norton Short 1949 Rest and Health George Short 1950 Last Date Nick Short, driver's education film. Credited as Richard York 1951 How Friendly Are You? Phil Short 1955 My Sister Eileen Ted 'Wreck' Loomis 1955 Three Stripes in the Sun Corporal Neeby Muhlendorf 1957 Operation Mad Ball Corporal Bohun 1958 Cowboy Charlie, Trailhand 1959 The Last Blitzkrieg Sergeant Ludwig 1959 They Came to Cordura Private Renziehausen 1960 Inherit the Wind Bertram T. Cates2005BewitchedDarrin StephensUncredited; archive footage Television Year Title Role Notes 1953 Omnibus Nick Episode: "The Battler" 1955 Goodyear Television Playhouse John Randolph Episode: "Visit to a Small Planet" 1955 The Philco Television Playhouse Andy Episode: "Incident in July" 1955 Justice Episode: "Fatal Payment" 1955–1957 Kraft Television Theatre Episode: "Million Dollar RookieEpisode: "Mock Trial"Episode: "Ride into Danger" 1956 Playwrights '56 Grayson Episode: "Honor" 1956 Eye on New York Lieutenant Mac Hartman Episode: "Night of the Auk" 1956–1958 Studio One George FoxGeorge WestonCaptain Jay Hellman Episode: "A Man's World"Episode: "The Weston Strain"Episode: "The Enemy Within" 1958 Father Knows Best Tom Wentworth Episode: "Betty, The Pioneer Woman" 1957 The Kaiser Aluminum Hour Edward Gillis Episode: "A Real Fine Cutting Edge" 1957–1963 Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1) Manny Coe(2) Norman Logan(3) J.J. Bunce(4) Ralph Jones(5) Tom Barton(6) Herbert J. Wiggam Season 2 Episode 29: "Vicious Circle" (1957) as (1)Season 4 Episode 33: "The Dusty Drawer" (1959) as (2)Season 5 Episode 8: "The Blessington Method" (1959) as (3)Season 6 Episode 2: "The Doubtful Doctor" (1960) as (4)Season 7 Episode 7: "You Can't Be a Little Girl All Your Life" (1961) as (5)Season 7 Episode 34: "The Twelve Hour Caper" (1962) as (6)1958 The United States Steel Hour Gordon Bates Episode: "Beaver Patrol" Climax! Gordon Bates Episode: "Shooting for the Moon" 1958–1959 Playhouse 90 Scott ArlenTomMatthew Sherwood Episode: "The Last Clear Chance"Episode: "The Time of Your Life"Episode: "Made in Japan"Episode: "Out of Dust" 1958, 1960 The Millionaire Ken Leighton Sandy Newell Episode: "The Ken Leighton Story" Episode: "Millionaire Sandy Newell"1960 The Untouchables Ernie Torrance Season 1 Episode 22: "The White Slavers" Alcoa Theatre Corporal James Sloan Episode: "The Glorious Fourth" Stagecoach West Webb Crawford Episode: "Three Wise Men" 1960–1961 The Twilight Zone Captain Phil RikerHector Poole Episode: "The Purple Testament"Episode: "A Penny for Your Thoughts"1961 Naked City Charles Colano Episode: "Bullets Cost Too Much" The DuPont Show with June Allyson Lieutenant James Whitney Episode: "School of the Soldier" The Americans Bolick Episode: "The War Between the States" General Electric Theater Ashael Miller Episode: "A Musket for Jessica" Adventures in Paradise Markham Jones Episode: "The Reluctant Hero" The Outlaws Sam Nichols Episode: "Night Riders" Dr. Kildare Harry Benton Episode: "The Lonely Ones" Frontier Circus Jeb Randall Episode: "The Shaggy Kings" 1961, 1963 Rawhide Frank PriceElwood P. Gilroy S3:E11, "Incident of the Broken Word"Episode: "Incident at Confidence Creek" 1961–1964 Wagon Train Willie PettigrewCharley ShutupBen Mitchell Episode: "The Clementine Jones Story"Episode: "The Charley Shutup Story"Episode: "The Michael Malone Story" 1962 Thriller Fred Bancroft Episode: "The Incredible Doktor Markesan" 1962–1963 Going My Way Tom Colwell1963 Insight Episode: "Breakthrough" Route 66 Lieutenant School Episode: "What a Shining Young Man Was Our Gallant Lieutenant" The Alfred Hitchcock Hour Sheriff Will Pearce Season 2 Episode 3: "Terror at Northfield" The Virginian Jeff Tolliver Episode: "Stopover in a Western Town" 1964–1969 Bewitched Darrin Stephens Main role; 5 seasons 1965 The Flintstones Darrin Stephens (voice) Season 6 Episode 6: "Samantha" 1983 Simon & Simon Martin Donlevy Season 3 Episode 9: "Too Much of a Good Thing" 1984 Fantasy Island Mr. Sutton Season 7 Episode 11: "Games People Play" / "The Sweet Life"

Book York, Dick. The Seesaw Girl and Me (New Path Press, 2004) Published Posthumously.

Awards and nominations Emmy Awards 1968: Nominated, "Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Comedy Series"- Bewitched