I Love the Illusion: The Life and Career of Agnes Moorehead

by Charles Tranberg

Lovers of old-time radio hold a special place in their heart for Agnes Moorehead. She was one of the busiest and most definitive actresses of that medium. The bottom line is that Agnes Moorehead is one of the few actresses who succeeded in every realm of show business: stage, radio, film, and television. The respect of her peers can be summed up in these statistics: four Academy Award nominations, seven Emmy nominations - with one win - two Golden Globe nominations - with two wins - and the Best Actress award from the New York Film Critics. This impressive, 400+ page biography, complete with filmography and radiography, proves to readers and scholars alike that she was much more than the witch of Endor!

*This is the 2nd edition of the bestselling book, including new cover, epilogue by Bewitched Forever author Herbie J Pilato, and copy of a lecture given by the author on the writing of the book!*

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, Tv

Kindle Edition

First published May 1, 2005

Reviews

[Melanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I seem to be reading a lot of bios lately and I can't wait to read one on someone from Bewitched. Ok, the reason bios seem to "accidentally" come my way is cuz I've suddenly become really addicted to them. Shhhh!

[Herb · Rating 5 out of 5]

This exciting first biography of acclaimed actress Agnes Moorehead is a must read for all those interested in the performing arts. Definitely earns the 5 stars.

[MissLadyFemme · Rating 5 out of 5]

I Love the Illusion!

[Kimberly (kimmerthebooknerd) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned so much about Agnes Moorehead in this beautifully written biography ! Agnes was such a hard working and dedicated soul! Beautiful, beautiful woman!

[Graceann · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the interest of full disclosure, I must admit that Charles Tranberg is someone I admire personally and someone I hope I can call a friend. I was disposed to like I Love the Illusion because I like Chuck, but even I was surprised by the depth of research and integrity of prose illustrated here.

Agnes Moorehead was a notoriously private person. Only one of her friends knew she was dying, and very few people outside her immediate circle knew about her two marriages or her foster son. Even so, she managed to gather a circle of protective beloveds who, while well aware of her occasional less-than-perfect behavior, knew her worth as a person and enjoyed her for her wit, her overall kindness and her core honesty with regard to her beliefs.

Miss Moorehead has one of the most varied and interesting resumes of anyone in Hollywood's Golden Age. As a classic movie fan, I know that my interest always goes up a notch when I see her name in the credits, because I know there's going to be at least one performance in the film that I will enjoy. On stage, on radio, in film, and of course in her iconic role on television - Agnes never fails to please. Thanks to I Love the Illusion, viewers can come to her performances with a better idea of what the lady was like in real life, and in this case, that's quite a gift indeed.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid bio of an enigmatic star.

[Debi Emerson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like many people, for a long time I only knew of Agnes Moorehead from her portrayal of Endora in "Bewitched". Then, thanks mostly to TCM, I began to watch old movies I'd only heard of, but had never seen. I was pleasantly surprised to see Agnes Moorehead in many of them. Then I found this book and discovered what a rich and varied career she'd had. This is a very detailed, and based on sources cited, quite complete account of her life. I highly recommend it!

[Nrthrn.Grl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had been looking for a while for more information on Agnes Moorheads life and career. My knowledge was limited to the bookends of her career ... The Mercury Theatre and Bewitched and then I came across this book which did a wonderful job of filling the gap. I found the book ell researched and was engrossed from start to finish.

[Jennifer Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well written and researched. I've read several of Charles Tranberg's biographies. My only complaint is that in the Kindle version, half of the photographs are upside down!

[Paul Begler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun Read

This book provided information as to who Agnes Morehead really was sans the makeup and wigs. Thanks for the wonderful escape.

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

well researched with detailed references.

[Stephen Elliott · Rating 3 out of 5]

Provides a wonderful history of Ms. Moorehead's career, but lacks great insight into the private woman. All in all, I enjoyed the book and delighted in reading all about her varied career--one doesn't realized the depth of her career and how she excelled in every acting medium. Reading this book will spur one to watch her movies, which is reason enough to red this book. Ms Moorehead will, no doubt, go down in history as one of the greatest character actors of all time--to watch Ms. Moorhead is to watch greatness.

[Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book told me a lot about Agnes career, but very little about the person. I gave it only two stars because I struggled to finish it and struggled with boredom in several sections that just weren’t that interesting.