Marion Lorne

Death Lorne appeared in 27 episodes of Bewitched and was not replaced after she died of a heart attack in her Manhattan apartment on May 9, 1968, aged 84, prior to the start of production of the show's fifth season. She is interred at Ferncliff Cemetery in Greenburgh, New York.

Posthumous The producers of Bewitched decided that Lorne's character as Aunt Clara could not be replaced by another actress. (Aunt Clara was never mentioned in any subsequent Bewitched episode after her death.) Comedic actress Alice Ghostley was recruited to fill the gap as "Esmeralda", a different type of older witch with wobbly magic whose spells often went astray. Coincidentally, Lorne and Ghostley had appeared side by side in one scene as partygoers in the classic comedy-drama film The Graduate, made the year before Lorne's death.

Lorne received a posthumous Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her work on Bewitched. The award was accepted by Bewitched star Elizabeth Montgomery.

In 2025, Lorne was posthumously inducted into the Luzerne County Arts & Entertainment Hall of Fame.

Personal life In 1911, Lorne married playwright Walter Hackett. They were married until his death in 1944. The couple had no children.

Filmography

Theatre work Dance Me a Song as Grandmother (January 20, 1950 – February 18, 1950) Harvey as Veta Louise Simmons (November 1, 1944 – January 15, 1949) Off With The Motley (1937–1938) [Whitehall Theatre, London] London After Dark (1937) [Streatham Hill Theatre] London After Dark (1937) [Apollo Theatre, London] The Fugitives (1936) [Whitehall Theatre, London] Espionage (1935–1936) [Apollo Theatre, London] Afterwards (1933) [Whitehall Theatre, London] The White Sisters (1933) [Whitehall Theatre, London] The Gay Adventure (1932) [Whitehall Theatre, London] Road House (1932) [Whitehall Theatre, London] Take a Chance (1931) [Whitehall Theatre, London] Captain Applejack (1931) [Whitehall Theatre, London] Good Losers (1931) [Whitehall Theatre, London] It Pays to Advertise (1930–1931) Hyde Park Corner (1930) The Freedom of the Seas (1929) Sorry You've Been Troubled (1929) Regeneration (1928) Other Men's Wives (1928) The Wicked Earl (1928) [His Majesty's Theater, London] The Barton Mystery (1927) 77 Park Lane (1927) 77 Rue Chalgrin (1925) Ambrose Applejohn's Adventure (1921–1923) [Criterion Theatre, London] Mr. Todd's Experiment (1920) The Barton Mystery (October 13–30, 1917; 20 performances) It Pays to Advertise (1915–1916) Don't Weaken (January 1914) The Little Minister as Lady Babbie (June 22, 1910 - 1910) [Hunter-Bradford Players at the Parsons Theater] The Florist Shop as Angelica Perkins (August 9, 1909 - September 1909) The Devil as Mimi (August 18, 1908 - November 1908) Here Tonight (1908) Mrs. Temple's Telegram (February 1, 1905 - March 27, 1905)

Awards and nominations

Year Result Award Category Series Reference1954 nominated Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Mister Peepers 1955 1958 Sally 1967 Bewitched 1968won (posthumously)