Celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month: Thomas Gomez, first and only Hispanic actor nominated for Best Supporting Actor

Thomas Gomez, born July 10, 1905 in New York City, was the first actor of Hispanic descent (and to date, the only Hispanic actor) to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.  His first film appearance was in Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror in 1942.  In 1947, he appeared as Pancho in Ride the Pink Horse with Robert Montgomery. His performance was nominated for Best Supporting Actor Oscar, becoming the first Hispanic actor to receive this nomination.

He appeared in The Conqueror with John Wayne, Agnes Moorehead, and William Conrad.  Gomez continued to act in movies and television, including an episode of Bewitched, appearing with Agnes Moorehead and Robert Montgomery's daughter, Elizabeth.

Dick York, the original Darrin Stephens, born 1928

Dick York, born September 4, 1928 in Fort Wayne, Indiana, is best known for his role as the beleaguered husband Darrin Stephens in the iconic television series Bewitched.  He appeared in the show opposite Elizabeth Montgomery and Agnes Moorehead from 1964-1969.  York suffered a serious back injury while filming They Came to Cordura in 1959, which caused him to suffer back pain for the rest of his life.  

He appeared in two episodes of the Twilight Zone before starring in Bewitched.  His chronic back problems resulted in him leaving the show in 1969.  His final on-screen appearance in Bewitched was Samantha and Darrin in Mexico City.  Daddy Does His Thing was the final episode he filmed.  During the filming, he suffered at seizure and was rushed to the hospital, at which time he was let go from the show.

He was nominated for a Primetime Emmy in 1968 for his performance on Bewitched.

York passed away in February 1992.  

Agnes Moorehead wins Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress 1965

Agnes Moorehead won a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in Hush Hush, Sweet Charlotte at the 22nd ceremony February 8, 1965.  It was her second Golden Globe, her first being awarded in 1945, also for Best Supporting Actress in Mrs. Parkington.

She was nominated for an Academy Award for her work in Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte.

Agnes Moorehead wins Primetime Emmy for Supporting Actress 1967

The incomparable Agnes Moorehead won a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role ina Drama, at the 19th Primetime Emmy awards ceremony June 4, 1967.  She won the award for her portrayal of Emma Valentine in Wild, Wild West. 

The same night she was also up for Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Comedy Series for her role as Endora on Bewitched.  She and Elizabeth Montgomery both lost to Lucille Ball.

Other winners that night were The Monkees for Outstanding Comedy Series, Bill Cosby for I Spy, and Don Adams for Get Smart.  Don Knotts won his fifth Emmy for his role as Barney Fife, a record that hasn't been broken.

Star Trek received a nomination for Outstanding Drama Series but lost to Mission: Impossible.

Aunt Clara wins Primetime Emmy 1968

Marion Lorne, the actress who played the bumbling but lovelable Aunt Clara on the television show Bewitched, won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Comedy, May 19, 1968.

Agnes Moorehead was also nominated for the award.  The win was awarded posthumously since Ms. Lorne passed away just ten days before the ceremony.

Bewitched premieres 1964

The first episode of Bewitched aired September 17, 1964.  The series which lasted 8 seasons starred Elizabeth Montgomery, Agnes Moorehead and Dick York as the original Darrin.  After health problems forced him to quit, Dick Sargent took over the role. 

The opening episode involved Samantha telling Darrin on their wedding night she was a witch.  It spawned a short-lived series Tabitha, and was remade into a movie, Bewitched in 2005.

Nearly all of the principal characters were veterans of the Twilight Zone.

"The Twilight Zone" episode "The Invaders" airs 1961

Another classic and probably one of the most beloved episodes of The Twilight Zone, The Invaders, aired January 27, 1961.  Starring the amazing Agnes Moorehead, it was the only episode to have one character and no dialogue. 

Ms. Moorehead played a lonely woman in remote house who is terrorized by miniature aliens, after finding a spaceship on her roof.  They hit her with ray guns that give her radiation burns, the cut her hand and her foot with a knife, but she eventually gets the upper hand.

The episode was written by Richard Matheson, directed by Douglas Heyes (he is the voice of the alien commander at the end) and scored by Jerry Goldsmith.

According to imdb.com, one of the alien astronauts' names was Grissom, as in Virgil "Gus" Grissom, who was killed in the Apollo 1 fire, which occurred exactly six years to the day after this episode aired.

"Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte" premieres 1964

One of the best movies ever, and not just from the psycho-biddy or hagsploitation genre, Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte, starring Bette Davis, Olivia de Havilland and Agnes Moorehead opened December 24, 1964.  A good wholesome movie for the holiday!

We all know about the feud between Bette Davis and Joan Crawford which led to de Havilland being brought in to replace Crawford after she was fired. 

The best performance in this movie was by Agnes Moorehead, who won a Golden Globe for her role and was nominated for an Academy Award.  She was the only member of the cast to be nominated for an award.

Agnes Moorehead born 1900

One of the most talented actresses ever, Agnes Moorehead, born December 6, 1900, was nominated for four Oscars, all for Best Supporting Actress but never took home the statue.  Their loss because she was fantastic.  She died of uterine cancer, a consequence of filming The Conqueror in Nevada in 1954 close to where the US Government was conducting nuclear tests.  The radiation fallout also resulted in the deaths of John Wayne, Susan Hayward and Dick Powell.

She did win two Golden Globes, one for her role in Hush, Hush Sweet Charlotte! for which she SHOULD have won the Oscar.

Another of my favorite performances, besides Endora on Bewitched, was her Twilight Zone episode, The Invaders.  In this performance, she does not utter a single word throughout the entire episode.  Now that's awesome acting!


Be warned:  This clip contains spoilers!