“Love & Death,” which debuts on HBO Max (soon to be just Max) on April 27, is the second TV telling of the story of Candy Montgomery in less than a year.
The first rendition was Hulu’s “Candy,” starring Jessica Biel in the leading role of Candy and Melanie Lynskey as her neighbor whom she eventually murders, Betty Gore. The series streamed in May 2022, nearly one year ago.
Now, Elizabeth Olsen steps into the role of Montgomery, a housewife from Fairview, Tx., while Lily Rabe portrays Betty, the second-grade teacher. Both shows are based on a true story, explained below. The latest, written by David E. Kelley, draws in part from a two-part Texas Monthly account of the crime.
In 1978, Montgomery was a 29-year-old mother of two when she began an affair with Allan Gore (portrayed in the latest limited series by Jesse Plemmons), who was married to Betty, one of Candy’s friends. The trio, along with Montgomery’s husband, Pat (Patrick Fugit), all attended church together. Gore was pregnant with the couple’s second child during her husband’s year-long affair and after the baby arrived, he ended the affair. While Montgomery was upset, there was no confrontation at first.
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On June 13, 1980, Gore was out of town and couldn’t reach his wife. After calling neighbors to check on her, they discovered her dead body and their new baby, awake and crying in her crib. Gore had been killed by 41 ax blows.
According to the Dallas Morning News, Montgomery had arrived at Gore’s home to pick up a bathing suit for her daughter. At that time, Gore confronted her friend about the affair. At some point, Montgomery killed Gore with an ax and, as she later admitted in court, took a shower in Gore’s bathroom before going on with her day.
When the investigation began, Montgomery admitted to the affair and became a prime suspect. Eventually, she also admitted to the murder, claiming that it was done in self-defense. She alleged that after Gore approached her about the affair, she attacked her and Montgomery fought the ax out of her hands, ultimately defending herself. Before the trial, which lasted only eight days, she underwent a polygraph test, which indicated that she was telling the truth.
On Oct. 30, 1980, Montgomery was found not guilty by a jury of nine women and three men. Four years later, journalists John Bloom and Jim Atkinson, who wrote the Texas Monthly stories, published “Evidence of Love: A True Story of Passion and Death in the Suburbs,” a book examining the case and trial. “Evidence of Love” also provides source material for “Love & Death.”
According to reports, Montgomery, her husband and their children moved to Georgia after the trial ended, but divorced four years later. Montgomery, who know goes by her maiden name, Wheeler, became certified in family counseling.