| |
|---|---|
| Larry Tate | |
| Biographical Information | |
| Name | Lawrence Tate |
| Nickname | Larry Lar (by Darrin) Cotton Top (by Serena) Old Smoothy (referring to himself) |
| Born | circa 1915-1925 |
| Residence | New York MSA |
| Occupation | President of McMann & Tate Advertising Executive |
| Species | Mortal |
| Relationship Information | |
| Spouse | Louise Tate (married circa 1948)1 |
| Children | Jonathan Tate (son) |
| Relatives | Aunt Harriet (aunt-in-law)[1] Millicent (aunt-in-law)[2] Mother-in-Law (mentioned) |
| Character Information | |
| Portrayer | David White David Hayward (as Young Larry) Ted Foulkes (as Little Larry)[3] |
| First Episode | It Shouldn't Happen to a Dog |
| Last Episode | The Truth, Nothing but the Truth, So Help Me Sam |
| Episode Count | 166 |
| Image Gallery | |
—Howard McMann on Larry Tate, "The Man of the Year".
Larry Tate (likely born sometime between 1915 and 1925) is the boss of Darrin Stephens, the husband of Louise Tate, and the father of Jonathan Tate. He is largely unaware of the witchcraft and witches at 1164 Morning Glory Circle. He is the president and co-owner of the advertising agency McMann & Tate.
Appearance
Larry is 6'1" and has an impressively thick head of mildly curly, white hair. Prior to his hair turning white, Larry was a redhead. He has blue eyes and is always seen sporting a thin mustache. In the eyes of Serena, he is a cute sexy beast. ("Samantha's Wedding Present") ("Serena's Youth Pill")
Biography
As President of McMann & Tate, Larry is a seasoned adman. He is very submissive and obsequious in the presence of prospective clients and will change his opinions on a dime to conform to their desires, once evaluating Darrin's presentation by the following metric: "If the client loves it, I love it! If the client hates it, I hate it!".
Larry has a loose code of business and personal ethics, and he has no qualms about "stretching the truth" or outright fabricating a story - such as Darrin having a bizarre mixed-breed dog to appease a dog food client if it will further the agency's chances of landing an account. ("Samantha's Pet Warlock")
He has also spied on Darrin by peering through the window of his house on multiple occasions if he suspects something is "off" with him.
However, he once threatened to cancel the agency's account with a racist client and he was appalled by what he believed to be Samantha (in reality it was a magically conjured copy of her) having an affair with the warlock, Waldo, revealing Larry has some morals. ("Sisters at Heart") ("Samantha's Bad Day in Salem")
He has a "wine and dine, then sign" philosophy with clients, often inviting them to Darrin's house for dinner and cocktails, generally despite Darrin's protestations. These evenings usually end in disaster due to some form of a magical mishap involving Samantha or her relatives.
Larry often fires Darrin after an apparent account failure, only to promptly reconsider, either due to realizing his hastiness in letting his best employee go (and realizing the agency would suffer greatly without him) or more frequently as Darrin manages to miraculously save the account in the end, often thanks to Samantha's witchcraft.
Larry Tate is a wealthy individual, and his lifestyle reflects that. He owns an upscale, 1950s-style decorated house with his wife, Louise, and his wardrobe consists of finely tailored suits, fedoras, tuxedos, elegant golfing attire, and fancy sweaters. Larry is regularly seen driving a yellow Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Coupe.
He can however have moments of stinginess, such as refusing to drink a bottle of wine he intended to share with a client with Louise as it was "too expensive" for them. He once stated he loved a new dress Louise had purchased as it "didn't cost too much". ("...And Something Makes Three")
Larry can never say no to a drink. He has a bar at his house and is generally seen imbibing copious amounts of alcohol while over at the Stephens' home. Samantha also refers to Larry having many favorite bars where he stops for drinks with some frequency. ("Toys in Babeland")
He is rather jaded with his marriage to Louise, often making indirect jabs at their relationship (as well as about her mother) while offering cautionary advice to the recently-married Darrin.
"Take it from an old married man Darrin - these feelings won't last. Pretty soon you won't even remember the day that you and Sam met."
Larry and Louise with their son, Jonathan (1966)
However, Larry was ecstatic upon hearing Louise was expecting a baby and they shared a tender moment. Larry and Louise are seen going on their second honeymoon, ten years after Larry broke his leg on their first. ("...And Something Makes Three") ("Bewitched, Bothered and Infuriated")
Quotes
“You son of a gun!”
—To Darrin Stephens on many occasions after a perceived act of brilliance or craftiness on his part.
“It's very frustrating when I think of all that charm and sex appeal going to waste.”
—Larry referring to himself in "That Was My Wife".
“You're no good to me like this. Miserable, sleepy, grumpy. I get enough of that at home.”
—Talking to Darrin in "The Magic Cabin".
“Darrin, she's a gem. An absolute gem. If I pulled this on Louise, she'd kick me out of the house!”
—Talking about Samantha in "Ling Ling".
“Louise likes me for what I am: rich.”
—Larry referring to Louise's desire for receiving a mink coat for Christmas in "Santa Comes to Visit and Stays and Stays".
“You don't get to be president of an advertising agency without... stretching the truth every once in a while.”
—Larry discussing client interactions in "Hippie, Hippie, Hooray".
“If Old Smoothy can't handle him, what makes you think you can?”
—Talking about Darrin's desire to interact with a client with whom Larry has been having difficulty.
“Listen, you two finish dinner, I know my way to the bar.”
—After dropping in at the Stephenses' house.
Episodes
During seasons one through five, David White was listed in the closing credits only for episodes in which he appeared. Starting in season six, he was added to the opening credits, which appeared in the same order every episode going forward. Although he was always billed after her, in many seasons he actually appeared more often than Agnes Moorehead, who was always third billed.
| Episode | Airdate |
|---|---|
| It Shouldn't Happen to a Dog | October 1, 1964 |
| Help, Help, Don't Save Me | October 15, 1964 |
| The Witches Are Out | October 29, 1964 |
| Witch or Wife? | November 5, 1964 |
| The Girl Reporter | November 12, 1964 |
| Just One Happy Family | November 19, 1964 |
| It Takes One to Know One | November 26, 1964 |
| ...And Something Makes Three | December 3, 1964 |
| A Is for Aardvark | January 14, 1965 |
| The Cat's Meow | January 21, 1965 |
| Your Witch Is Showing | February 4, 1965 |
| Ling Ling | February 11, 1965 |
| Eye of the Beholder | February 25, 1965 |
| Red Light, Green Light | March 4, 1965 |
| George the Warlock | April 22, 1965 |
| That Was My Wife | April 29, 1965 |
| A Change of Face | May 13, 1965 |
| Eat at Mario's | May 27, 1965 |
| Cousin Edgar | June 3, 1965 |
| Alias Darrin Stephens | September 18, 1965 |
| A Very Special Delivery | September 23, 1965 |
| My Grandson, the Warlock | October 7, 1965 |
| The Joker Is a Card | October 14, 1965 |
| Trick or Treat | October 28, 1965 |
| The Very Informal Dress | November 4, 1965 |
| Junior Executive | November 18, 1965 |
| A Strange Little Visitor | December 2, 1965 |
| My Boss, the Teddy Bear | December 9, 1965 |
| Speak the Truth | December 16, 1965 |
| The Magic Cabin | December 30, 1965 |
| Maid to Order | January 6, 1966 |
| Fastest Gun on Madison Avenue | February 3, 1966 |
| Double Tate | February 17, 1966 |
| Baby's First Paragraph | March 10, 1966 |
| Double Split | March 24, 1966 |
| Disappearing Samantha | April 7, 1966 |
| Divided He Falls | May 5, 1966 |
| The Catnapper | May 19, 1966 |
| What Every Young Man Should Know | May 26, 1966 |
| The Girl with the Golden Nose | June 2, 1966 |
| Nobody's Perfect | September 15, 1966 |
| The Moment of Truth | September 22, 1966 |
| Witches and Warlocks Are My Favorite Things | September 29, 1966 |
| Accidental Twins | October 6, 1966 |
| Dangerous Diaper Dan | November 3, 1966 |
| The Short, Happy Circuit of Aunt Clara | November 10, 1966 |
| I'd Rather Twitch Than Fight | November 17, 1966 |
| Oedipus Hex | November 24, 1966 |
| Sam's Spooky Chair | December 1, 1966 |
| My Friend Ben | December 8, 1966 |
| Samantha for the Defense | December 15, 1966 |
| A Gazebo Never Forgets | December 22, 1966 |
| Sam in the Moon | January 1, 1967 |
| Ho Ho the Clown | January 12, 1967 |
| Super Car | January 19, 1967 |
| The Corn Is as High as a Guernsey's Eye | January 26, 1967 |
| The Trial and Error of Aunt Clara | February 2, 1967 |
| Three Wishes | February 9, 1967 |
| I Remember You...Sometimes | February 16, 1967 |
| Art for Sam's Sake | February 23, 1967 |
| Aunt Clara's Victoria Victory | March 6, 1967 |
| The Crone of Cawdor | March 16, 1967 |
| No More Mr. Nice Guy | March 23, 1967 |
| How to Fail in Business With All Kinds of Help | April 6, 1967 |
| Bewitched, Bothered and Infuriated | April 13, 1967 |
| Nobody but a Frog Knows How to Live | April 27, 1967 |
| There's Gold in Them Thar Pills | May 4, 1967 |
| Toys in Babeland | September 14, 1967 |
| Business, Italian Style | September 21, 1967 |
| Double, Double, Toil and Trouble | September 28, 1967 |
| Cheap, Cheap | October 5, 1967 |
| No Zip in My Zap | October 12, 1967 |
| Birdies, Bogeys and Baxter | October 19, 1967 |
| A Safe and Sane Halloween | October 26, 1967 |
| That Was No Chick, That Was My Wife | November 9, 1967 |
| Solid Gold Mother-in-Law | November 30, 1967 |
| My, What Big Ears You Have | December 7, 1967 |
| I Get Your Nannie, You Get My Goat | December 14, 1967 |
| Humbug Not to Be Spoken Here | December 21, 1967 |
| Samantha's Da Vinci Dilemma | December 28, 1967 |
| Snob in the Grass | January 11, 1968 |
| If They Never Met | January 25, 1968 |
| Hippie, Hippie, Hooray | February 1, 1968 |
| A Prince of a Guy | February 8, 1968 |
| To Twitch or Not to Twitch | March 14, 1968 |
| Tabatha's Cranky Spell | March 28, 1968 |
| I Confess | April 4, 1968 |
| A Majority of Two | April 11, 1968 |
| The No-Harm Charm | April 25, 1968 |
| The Man of the Year | May 2, 1968 |
| Samantha's Wedding Present | September 26, 1968 |
| It's So Nice to Have a Spouse Around the House | October 24, 1968 |
| Mirror, Mirror on the Wall | November 7, 1968 |
| Samantha's French Pastry | November 14, 1968 |
| Is It Magic or Imagination? | November 21, 1968 |
| Samantha Fights City Hall | November 29, 1968 |
| Samantha Loses Her Voice | December 5, 1968 |
| Weep No More My Willow | December 19, 1968 |
| Instant Courtesy | December 26, 1968 |
| Cousin Serena Strikes Again (Part 1) | January 9, 1969 |
| Cousin Serena Strikes Again (Part 2) | January 16, 1969 |
| One Touch of Midas | January 23, 1969 |
| Samantha the Bard | January 30, 1969 |
| Samantha the Sculptress | February 6, 1969 |
| Going Ape | February 27, 1969 |
| The Battle of Burning Oak | March 13, 1969 |
| Samantha and Darrin in Mexico City | April 24, 1969 |
| Samantha's Yoo-Hoo Maid | September 25, 1969 |
| Samantha's Caesar Salad | October 2, 1969 |
| Samantha's Curious Cravings | October 9, 1969 |
| ...And Something Makes Four | October 16, 1969 |
| To Trick or Treat or Not to Trick or Treat | October 30, 1969 |
| A Bunny for Tabitha | November 6, 1969 |
| Samantha's Secret Spell | November 13, 1969 |
| Daddy Comes for a Visit | November 20, 1969 |
| Darrin the Warlock | November 27, 1969 |
| You're So Agreeable | December 11, 1969 |
| Santa Comes to Visit and Stays and Stays | December 18, 1969 |
| Samantha's Better Halves | January 1, 1970 |
| The Phrase Is Familiar | January 15, 1970 |
| Tabitha's Very Own Samantha | January 29, 1970 |
| Super Arthur | February 5, 1970 |
| What Makes Darrin Run? | February 12, 1970 |
| Serena Stops the Show | February 19, 1970 |
| Okay, Who's the Wise Witch? | March 12, 1970 |
| A Chance on Love | March 19, 1970 |
| If the Shoe Pinches | March 26, 1970 |
| Mona Sammy | April 2, 1970 |
| Turn on the Old Charm | April 9, 1970 |
| Make Love, Not Hate | April 16, 1970 |
| To Go or Not to Go, That Is the Question | September 24, 1970 |
| Salem, Here We Come | October 1, 1970 |
| Darrin on a Pedestal | October 22, 1970 |
| Paul Revere Rides Again | October 29, 1970 |
| Samantha's Bad Day in Salem | November 5, 1970 |
| Samantha's Pet Warlock | November 19, 1970 |
| Samantha's Old Man | December 3, 1970 |
| The Corsican Cousins | December 10, 1970 |
| Samantha's Magic Potion | December 17, 1970 |
| Sisters at Heart | December 24, 1970 |
| Mother-in-Law of the Year | January 14, 1971 |
| The Good Fairy Strikes Again | January 28, 1971 |
| The House That Uncle Arthur Built | February 11, 1971 |
| Samantha and the Troll | February 18, 1971 |
| This Little Piggie | February 25, 1971 |
| Mixed Doubles | March 4, 1971 |
| Money Happy Returns | March 18, 1971 |
| Out of the Mouths of Babes | March 25, 1971 |
| Samantha's Psychic Pslip | April 1, 1971 |
| Samantha's Magic Mirror | April 8, 1971 |
| Laugh, Clown, Laugh | April 15, 1971 |
| Samantha's Not So Leaning Tower of Pisa | October 6, 1971 |
| Bewitched, Bothered and Baldoni | October 13, 1971 |
| The Ghost Who Made a Spectre of Himself | October 27, 1971 |
| TV or Not TV | November 3, 1971 |
| A Plague on Maurice and Samantha | November 10, 1971 |
| Hansel and Gretel in Samanthaland | November 17, 1971 |
| The Warlock in the Gray Flannel Suit | December 1, 1971 |
| The Eight-Year Itch Witch | December 8, 1971 |
| Three Men and a Witch on a Horse | December 15, 1971 |
| Samantha's Magic Sitter | January 5, 1972 |
| Serena's Richcraft | January 22, 1972 |
| Serena's Youth Pill | February 5, 1972 |
| George Washington Zapped Here (Part 2) | February 26, 1972 |
| A Good Turn Never Goes Unpunished | March 11, 1972 |
| The Truth, Nothing but the Truth, So Help Me Sam | March 25, 1972 |
Notes
1. In "Bewitched, Bothered and Infuriated", which takes place in 1967, it is stated ten years have elapsed since Larry and Louise's first honeymoon, which may lead some to assume they were married sometime around 1957. However, in Season One, episode twelve, "...And Something Makes Three" (which takes place in 1964), Louise states that she is finally pregnant after sixteen years, so it is possible their first honeymoon took place some years after they were married.
