On September 17th, 1964 the first episode of Bewitched aired on ABC. The pilot was about Darren (originally Dick York) and Samantha Stevens (Elizabeth Montgomery)– who, on the surface, looked like your typical All-American newlywed couple. However, after their wedding, Darren is shocked to find out that his beautiful wife is actually a witch. The series then goes on to tell stories of the couple’s adventures, most of which involve Samantha trying to act like a mere mortal, but then using her powers to help her family overcome humorous problems at home, at Darren’s workplace, or in the neighborhood. Although many details/characters of the show are memorable (Andora, Uncle Arthur, Aunt Gladys, Abner and Mrs. Kravitz, etc.), one staple of the show takes the cake: Samantha’s “nose twitch”. To clarify: Everytime Samantha used her powers, instead of waving her hands or pulling out a wand, she’d wiggle her nose in this cute little way. This movement was audibly paired with a zany sound effect that was used throughout the series. Even as I write this now, I can hear it clearly in my mind.
Bewitched was different from the previously-established stereotypical depictions of fictional “witches”, in that Samantha wasn’t ugly, wicked, rarely rode a broom/wore a hat, etc. However, although she was beautiful and deviated from the norm, she wasn’t the first to do so. Films like I Married a Witch (1942) and Bell Book and Candle (1958) depicted beautiful witches who fell in love with mortal men in a comedic and often heartwarming way. In that sense, these two films significantly influenced the series.
Apparently (and this fun fact has been widely circulated, but never verified), the origin of the “twitch” came from when William Asher, Montgomery’s husband and the director of the series, noticed that whenever Montgomery was nervous, her upper lip (and consequently her nose) would twitch. Asher found it charming and had it written into the show. As for how the sound was made, it was reportedly made with a xylophone, which makes sense when you listen to the sound again closely.
After Bewitched became a massive success, its influence was immediately apparent when NBC created its competitive series, I Dream of Jeannie, starring Barbara Eden and Larry Hagman. I Dream of Jeannie notably had similar animated opening themes with instrumental soundtracks. More importantly, Jeannie had her own zany sound effect which played whenever Jeannie crossed her arms and blinked her eyes to use her powers.
Whatever made this “blink” noise was never officially stated. However, many speculate that it was a mouth harp:
Aside from inspiring I Dream of Jeannie, Bewitched would go on to influence other witchy sitcoms, such as Sabrina the Teenage Witch, as well as other dysfunctional couple-centered sitcoms like Dharma and Greg.
The series would even be adapted into a Nancy Myers comedy of the same name, starring Nicole Kidman and Will Ferrell. The film is about a movie star who wants to do a reboot of Bewitched and accidentally casts the real thing.
All in all, the infamous “nose twitch” of Bewitched serves as a testament to the potential of unique, curated sound effects, in creating something special. Although the show may very well have been a success without the twitch, the attention to creative detail made it something more— something memorable and nuanced. It’s a lesson that other TV shows and films should take note of if they aspire to become iconic.
References:
Harari, J. (2022, October 16). “I dream of jeannie” vs. “bewitched”: Battle of the supernatural blondes. Collider. https://collider.com/i-dream-of-jeannie-bewitched-sitcoms-compared/#:~:text=I%20Dream%20of%20Jeannie%20doesn,seeking%20only%20to%20please%20Nelson.
Lane, B. (n.d.). Sounds of the Twitch. Sounds of the twitch – bewitched @ harpies bizarre. https://www.harpiesbizarre.com/soundfxtwitch.htm
Staff, T. (2010, September 13). Top 10 unforgettable TV sounds. Time. https://entertainment.time.com/2010/09/13/top-10-unforgettable-tv-sounds/slide/bewitcheds-nose-tinkle/:~:text=Bewitched’s%20Nose%20Tinkle&text=Samantha’s%20nose%20wiggles%20were%20always,actually%20just%20moving%20her%20lip.