Documenting the Douglas Homes on Other Series

[biffbronson]

I was watching an episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show today, and very, very briefly, a shot of the front exterior of the former Douglas Family home in Bryant Park appeared. The MTM episode was one where the ex-wife of Lou Grant (Ed Asner), played by the late Priscilla Morrill, remarried, and the ceremony took place in a residence.

The Bryant Park house appeared at a slight angle -- when facing the front, the right side was closer to the viewer. When I have a chance, I’ll add the episode date/number info.

I thought it would be fun to document other uses of My Three Sons homes, both for exteriors and use of interior sets. Elsewhere, I once mentioned that the exterior of the Douglas house in California appeared on Get Smart. And from the sister series Family Affair, the Davis apartment interior was used on Mission: Impossible.

[biffbronson]

Here's the MTM episode with the Bryant Park house: The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Season 6, Ep. 1: Edie Gets Married. First Aired: September 13, 1975.

[biffbronson]

I was watching an Alfred Hitchcock Presents episode that originally aired on Feb. 10, 1957 (“Malice Domestic”, with Phyllis Thaxter and Ralph Meeker), and there was what appeared to be the house later used as the Douglas home in California…!

The front exterior sure seemed to match, with the entrance at far left. I could picture the Douglases trimming bushes out there, or Steve working with Barbara on her golf swing.

[biffbronson]

Again I spotted what appears to be the California house exterior in a season 1 Alfred Hitchcock Presents, 1955: "Our Cook's a Treasure."

Doris Singleton was in this episode, and of course she went on to become the mother-in-law of both Mike and Chip Douglas when they married Sally and Polly.

[stevea]

I read a long time ago where this barn-like house was located--some studio back lot, probably. I'm pretty sure I also read it is now gone.

[biffbronson]

The upkeep on the exterior of that house may have proved prohibitively expensive. There was a LOT of roof to maintain / replace.
It looks as though a model may have been used for nighttime shots of the exterior on M3S, but it may be tough to say conclusively. I'm reminded of the little lit-up Shady Rest Hotel shown on Petticoat Junction -- that one is 100% certainly a model, as the full-size set was open on top and had no 2nd floor.

[Hazel Anyday]

I recently saw an episode of 77 Sunset Strip: 6.15 "Lovers' Lane" and in it Stu (Efram Zimbalist) is walking right past Andy Griffith's sheriff's office and he then proceeds to stand in front of Floyd's Barber Shop and yes it even says Floyd's Barber Shop on the window still! I would have loved it if Stu had stopped in to have a trim from Floyd. Reminds me of the time I saw a Hazel episode with Hazel right in front of Quigley's Market (from Dennis The Menace) and the "Blizzard of Values" sign was still up in the window of Quigley's. Another time I wish Quigley could have been seen looking out the door at Hazel.

And this just reminded me I just saw a Dennis The Menace episode 4.12 "Jane Butterfield Says" where Mrs. Kravits herself (in another old maid role on Dennis) is walking right into the Bewitched house, still the same outside but pretty different inside, though the bones of the later Stevens house was still there just the staircase was missing. This was now Miss Cathcart's house that Gladys was entering. She & Miss Cathcart were both trying to win Sgt. Mooney. A funny episode and it was interesting to see a very early example of the Stevens' house. We see the Stevens house many times on Hazel (it's right next door) and the interior of the house is the same as it was on Bewitched too but here in this earlier Dennis show it was different. Likewise the Hazel/Gidget house and the Wilson house are seen many times on Bewitched. One of the great things about Columbia shows is how you see the sets of other shows on so many differnent series.

[biffbronson]

Yeah, it's fun to see different Screen Gems shows' houses and sets with shared uses. Now whenever I see the ventilated bedroom closet doors on The Donna Reed Show, I imagine them as light blue -- because they showed up on Gidget painted that color...!