By Paul

The 1164 facade does not have a kitchen. The kitchen exterior (window) wall is actually the wall of the garage, which was built several years before the rest of the facade. All shots of the kitchen's interior are done on the studio set.

The major problem with the kitchen's studio set is the location of the windows over the sink. Relating to the facade, these windows look into the garage, which is, at best, a strange arrangement. If the windows were located behind the garage, then the view should have been of the fence that runs between 1162 and 1164. However, on Bewitched, the windows are shown looking out on various backdrops, including a street, a park, and another house. The window never looks out on the fence. In # 30, a view into the kitchen of the house next door (1162) is seen through the windows, followed by an outdoor scene that includes a house, then back to the 1162 kitchen again as seen in Figures 1 and 2. In relating these shots to the facade and/or a real house, the scenes of the kitchen of 1162 have to look through the garage wall of 1164, the fence between 1162 and 1164, and both walls of the 1162 garage. Now that is really x-ray vision!

Figure 1: The View Into Danger's Kitchen in #30

Figure 2: The Scene through the Kitchen Windows Later in #30

 

In two episodes, 71 and 137, Charlie Leach and Gladys Kravitz are shown looking in the kitchen windows. In both cases, the windows are too low to have been over a kitchen sink as seen in Figure 3.

Figure 3: Charlie Leach Outside the Kitchen Window In #71

 

The window problem would not have existed if the kitchen set had been properly designed. The kitchen is, according to the Virginia Polytechnic Institute Extension Service, designed for a left-handed person. Reversing the positions of the stove and the sink would make the kitchen right-handed, and do away with the problem of windows looking into a garage since the windows would then look into the back yard. Figure 4 illustrates another view of landscaping from the kitchen window as seen in #103.

Figure 4: A View of a Different Scene of Lawn and Shrubs from #103

 

In the early programs, the door between the kitchen and dining room was a swinging, louvered cafe door as illustrated in Figure 5. In the third season, and the following years, this was changed to a full-sized door with 2/3 louvers, except for episodes 76 and 78 where the full-sized door was solid as illustrated in Figure 6.

Figure 5: The Cafe Door from #88

This swinging, cafe door was used during the first two seasons. Although this picture is from episode #88, the Bewitched production schedule shows that, even though episode #88 was the 14th episode shown during the third season, both #87 and #88 were filmed at the end on the second season before the set was renovated to change the door and fill in the wall over the kitchen and dining room pass-through.

 

Figure 6: The Solid Door from #76

This solid door between the kitchen and dining room was shown only in episodes #76 and #78.

 

Figure 7: The 2/3 Louvered Door in #168

The door in Figure 7 was used from episode #79 through the end of the series (except for #s 87 and 88). The door was repainted on one side due to fire damage between the sixth and seventh seasons.

 

Between the sixth and seventh seasons there was a fire in the kitchen area of the studio set and this was used as a opportunity or make two major changes to the kitchen set, as well as some minor cosmetic changes.

The first of the major changes was the addition of an eating area at the back of the kitchen. This extra space is the result of an addition to the house and gave access to the back patio through double doors from the kitchen. It was necessary to move the oven location to provide a walk through from the old kitchen to the new eating area. There are many scenes over the years of Samantha using the kitchen. The first six seasons feature activity around the oven, with little use of the range. After the kitchen alterations the activity changes to the range with little use made of the oven. Also, the kitchen is used more often as a starting point for episodes, replacing the bedroom which was used extensively in the early years.

The second of the major changes was the addition of the back staircase at the front of the kitchen. This was a real lemon of a change. It is just too obvious that the staircase is fake with the treads narrowing down to make it look like a real staircase. Note that all shots of this staircase are taken looking the length of the kitchen, so that the fake steps cannot be as readily seen. Also, the cast is never shown higher than the third step above the landing, and then their feet are sideways on the steps. A major error here is the location of the stairs. If the stairway were real with a proper slope, it would extend across most of the hallway in front of the den making the hall door to the outside inaccessible. Also, the stairs would come out somewhere in the attic over the den in a place where the roof slope would not leave enough headroom for an adult to stand.

Figure 8: The New Range and Oven with the Fake Staircase in # 213

Figure 9: The New Kitchen with the Butcher Block Table and Staircase in # 221

Figure 10: The New Eating Area Which Looks Out to the Back Yard in # 219

 

Speaking of kitchen sets, did you know that Mr. and Mrs. Stephens had the same set as the Kravitzes? Visit the Prop Is Familiar page for more recycled sets.

  

The Kitchen Set in 152 and 163

 


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