Two Unusual Homes on Late Fifties Sitcoms

The late Fifties was the era of domestic sitcoms like The Donna Reed Show and Leave It to Beaver. The families on these shows generally lived in suburban homes that were almost always two storeys. There were at least two exceptions during this era. One centred on a group of hillbillies who migrated from the Appalachian Mountains of West Virginia to a farm in the San Fernando Valley. The other centred on the teenage son of a small town grocer.

The Real McCoys debuted on October 3 19457 on ABC and centred on the family of the title, who inherited a farm in the San Fernando Valley from an uncle. This alone made it different from the many sitcoms set in the suburbs of the time. Further setting them apart was the fact that their house was only a single storey. In the pilot a house on the Iverson Ranch was used. It had appeared in movies from Outlaws of Boulder Pass (1942) to Don't Knock the Rock (1956). For the regular series a house resembling the one on the Iverson Ranch was built on the old RKO Forty Acres lot, that had recently been bought by Desilu. Such classic films as King Kong (1933) and Gone with the Wind (1939) had been filmed there. The first season of The Adventures of Superman and later The Andy Griffith Show and Batman would be filmed there.

As might be expected, the living room on The Real McCoys looked a bit old fashioned, with furniture that probably went back to the Victorian era. The same was true of the bedrooms, down to their wrought iron beds To a lesser degree, the same could be said of its kitchen/dining room. The McCoy's home offered a sharp contrast to the many Mid-Century Modern suburban homes featured on other sitcoms.

While the McCoys lived in the country, the Gillis family on Dobie Gillis lived in the fictional town of Central City. Dobie Gillis centred on the girl-crazy teenager of the title (Dwayne Hickman), who was the son of the owner of a neighbourhood grocery store (Frank Faylen). As was typical of such neighbourhood groceries, the Gillis family lived above the store. This already sets it apart from many domestic sitcoms of the era. Of course, being located above a grocery, the Gillis home was also located in a downtown district rather than a residential area. In establishing shots of the downtown, other businesses are visible, including King Drug Store (a Rexall Pharmacy) and the State Hotel. From various episodes it would appear that Charlie Wong's ice cream parlour, Riff Ryan's Music Store, the Bijou Theatre, and Ziegler's clothing store are all within walking distance of the grocery. Even further setting it apart is that very little of the action on the show actually takes place in the Gillis home. It usually takes place in the grocery or at Central City High (later S. Peter Pryor Junior College), with some scenes at the local ice cream parlour on occasion.

When scenes do take place in the Gillis home, it is often in the dining room/kitchen or Dobie's bedroom. The Gillis home is set apart from the various domestic sitcoms in that its dining room and kitchen are combined, but other than that the dining room/kitchen is similar to what one might see on other sitcoms of the time, complete with a toaster and a refrigerator (albeit a small one). Dobie's bedroom is also what one would expect from a teenager living in the late Fifties. Pictures and sports pennants decorate the wall, and a lamp sets on a night stand by the bed. There is apparently a tree outside the bedroom window, which explains how Dobie's pal Maynard (Bob Denver) is able to enter the room by way of the window (Dobie's room is on the second storey, above the grocery store). The Glllis family does have a living room, although its appearance could vary from episode to episode. Sometimes it has a table for dining when they have guests, sometimes it doesn't. When the table does appear, its position in the living room may vary. What is consistent about the Gillis living room is that it has a couch, several cabinets filled with knick knacks, and armchairs. Like many old-time, downtown stores, the Gillis Grocery also had a basement, as seen in first season episode "The Chicken from Outer Space." In the end, the Gillis home is a sharp contrast to the homes seen on such shows as The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet and The Donna Reed Show.

Of course, both The Real McCoys and Dobie Gillis differed from other shows of the late Fifties in other ways. The Real McCoys was the first of the rural sitcoms, which set it apart from the sitcoms set in the suburbs. Although it debuted in 1959, Dobie Gillis had much more in common with such sitcoms of the Sixties as Bewitched and The Monkees than it did Father Knows Best and Leave It to Beaver. I will say that of the two homes I prefer the Gillis home to the McCoys' home. I grew up on a farm and we had a better house than the McCoys, complete with Mid-Century Modern furnishings. Besides, I think it would have been fun living above a grocery store. Think about it. One would never have to go far to get groceries!