The origins of the Higgins House (many referring to as the Bewitched house), dates back to several decades
before the actual façade was constructed. Originally built as full fledged garage belonging to the
house façade next door, it has its own rich history, and can be seen as early as 1936. The garage was part of the Lindsay house and even gained a second in 1948, although this only being half a façade . It can be seen in many of the early serials, including the Three Stooges and Mandrake the Magician amongst others.
The garage as seen in The Spider's Web from 1938.
The garage seen here, just right of center, in a semi aerial from 1941 with the Lindsay house to the left.
Around 1948, as mentioned, an addition was added and thus the garage gained a second half (literally, as it was only 5 feet deep) and remained that way for several years. The L shaped garage(s) was seen in several movies and shows of the time, including The Fuller Brush Girl (1948) and several episodes of Father Knows Best.
A screenshot from Father Knows Best showing the dual garage.
By 1953, Blondie Street underwent a transformation. The street went from a T intersection to a curved one around the Park, to accomodate for two façades being added (The Church and the Partridge House), which were constructed next to the already existing Blondie house. In doing so, the driveway to the garage now aligned with the newly created curve.
Blondie street change between 1952 & 54 at Columbia Ranch.
The new intersection in 1954 with the garage now lining up with the curve.
Although unconfirmed, research of Studio documents seem to indicate that the original façade for the Higgins house may have possibly been constructed for a Gidget movie, or the potential TV series that was in talks around 1960/61. Since, for its first movie, a real house in Santa Monica was used, and filming there, for this possible Gidget production, would be to cumbersome, a replica would be needed. Somehow the story for this particular Gidget movie or series did not happen, but the façade was constructed at the Ranch anyway.
The original blueprints of the Higgins façade from 1962. It was not a shell, there was never a back, nor was there a wall on the right side. It was completely open to the elements, as facades generaly are.
Groundwork for the house façade started in June of 1962, (according to actual Columbia Pictures documentation).
Incidentally, a pilot for a new TV show called 'Our Man Higgins' was being filmed, in early 1962, using the Lindsay house originally. The show was picked up and deemed to become very popular, thus it could not use the Lindsay façade, since the Baxter's from the show 'Hazel' resided there. The Oliver House, was being used both for 'The Donna Reed Show' and 'Dennis the Menace', and the latter show also utilized the Blondie house and the Partridge House as well. Thus it was decided that the show would use this new façade and claiming the official name of Higgins House.
The last known TV appearance of the garage by itself, as seen on The Donna Reed Show on March 29, 1962
The first appearance of the new façade as seen on Dennis the Menace.
The very first known view of the new façade however is on 30 Sep. 1962, in the first episode of season 4 of 'Dennis the Menace'. Though a short glimpse of it, it shows the Higgins house, (as it soon would be named), in full glory.
'Our Man Higgins' premiered on October 3, 1962, although the first episode does not feature the façade since it was filmed before its construction.
Stanley Holloway on the porch of the new façade.
There are currently no visuals of the Higgins façade from the show 'Our Man Higgins' it self. The show was not picked up for syndication and has never been available commercially. The only sources are on original Black & white TV station broadcast reels as far as is known.
We get to see the very first color view of the façade in April of 1963, in the movie 'Bye, Bye Birdie', however, it was actually shot around June/July of 1962, meaning it was filmed almost immediately after construction finished and therefore chronologically the first time it is recorded on camera!
The Higgins House first appearance before the camera and in color as seen in 'Bye, Bye Birdie'. Note however how the fence is still in place, 'dividing' the garage and new house!
In 1962 Columbia/Screen Gems had numerous Televisions shows filming back to back on the Ranch, many of which show Blondie Street from almost any angle in some shape or form. This also allowed many to see the Higgins house (before it was so named), as the new center piece. Shows like 'The Donna Reed Show', 'Hazel' and 'The Farmer's Daughter' showcased the new façade! It even was Mrs. Cathcart's house in the last season of 'Dennis the Menace'.
The façade in the 4th Season of Dennis the Menace as Mrs. Cathcart's house.
Dennis the Menace shows the full Façade in the 2nd episode of the 4th season.
The first time we see the Façade on Hazel in the 2nd season's 1st episode.
The new façade in the 11th episode of the 5th season of Donna Reed.
On September 17, 1964 television audiences were introduced to a new comedy show from Screen Gems, the television division of Columbia Pictures, called 'Bewitched' and starring Elizabeth Montgomery and Dick York as Samantha & Darrin Stephens. Although the pilot episode has the Stephens living in what seems to be the partial set of 'The Farmers Daughter', the first full view of the house is in the second episode, called 'Be it ever so mortgaged' and gives us the address of, 1164 Morning Glory Circle . . . The Higgins House!
First time the façade is seen on Bewitched in the 2nd episode.
Throughout its eight year run of Bewitched, we get to see the Higgins house from numerous angles and viewpoints. Many closeups show great glimpes of the façade itself and give a wonderful detailed timeline of when changes were made, either by the paint colors or structural changes such as the sidelight windows by the front door or awenings above the windows.
Below are a few images of the façade during the Bewitched years.
During its entire run of Bewitched, the Higgins house was dedicated to Darrin & Samantha Stephens, although on occasion, the façade was loaned out to other shows and films, to 'house' their respective tenants. So was the case on 'Hazel' in the 4th season episode 'Mix-Up on Marshall Road' from 1964, as well as on 'The Monkees', where it was the residence of Julie Newmar's character of April Conquest in the first season episode called 'Monkees Get Out More Dirt' from 1966. It even became Dr. Belows residence in an episode of 'I Dream of Jeannie'.
A view of the Higgins house as seen on Hazel.
The house as seen on The Monkees.
After Bewitched ended its run in 1972, the façade was used in a few productions. "Circle of Fear" was one of those and utilized the house and even the Bewitched sets that were still standing. It was this particular production that set the actual façade on fire for the first time in its history. The fake 'Fire' of the house was a little more intense then was anticipated and caused more damage than planned. Several pieces of structural support around the windows had to be replaced, as well as some roofing beams of the Dormers.
The fire on Circle of Fear.
Evidence of the fire can still be seen in an episode of The Partridge Family filmed shortly after the Circle of Fear sequence.
Scorch marks can be seen above the dormer windows in this capture from The Partridge Family.
The front of the façade was also very briefly seen in the movie 'Brian's Song', as Billy Dee Williams character's house, Gale Sayers in the Theatrical release from the same year. (Although the original TV release was in 1971.)
Except for some glimpses in The Partridge Family, basically from 1973 and up until 1977, the façade was rarely seen on screen. In part due to the notoriety it gained during the Bewitched years, which made it to recognizable, but also because so many productions started filming at real locations and no longer using the Lot.
Sometime during this absence of the Higgins House on screen, numerous alterations were made to the façade. One of the biggest change was when the Baywindow on the front was removed and stored on the main WB lot back in 1977/78 (By now Columbia and WB were merged), presumably for the movie 'Big Wednesday'. (Evidence of the stored baywindow is seen in the movie 'Hooper' from the same year.) The façade underwent a drastic tranformation. The front 'livingroom' double window was replaced with a three panel one. The two dormer windows directly above it, were also replaced, lost their shutters and gained a third window in between. The 'Den' part also received a layer of siding on the front gable, hiding the Staff 'brick work' and Dovecote's at the very top (Staff is a mix of plaster and fibers to make faux bricks) and the left Side door was replaced with a window.
The Higgins house Baywindow seen here to the right, stored at the then Burbank Studios Main Lot (now WB Studios) in a brief scene from the movie 'Hooper'. The baywindow was presumably removed for the movie 'Big Wednesday' from 1978.
Below, the house from the back, as it looked for 'Big Wednesday' in 1978, courtesy of Esther Fitzpatrick. Below right, a photo of the house is it looked 'undressed' around the same time.
The back of the façade seen in 1977.
The facade then shows back up again in a second season episode of 'CHiPS', where we can see the alterations and the brick work painted white and again in 1980 for an episode of 'Charlies Angels'.
The façade seen on 'CHiPS' in 1978.
The Façade seen on Charlies Angels in 1980.
During the early 1980's, like the late 70's, the façade itself was not used specifically for any show or movie. Glimpses of the house showed up here and there, in shows like 'Alone at Last' in 1980, as well as 'Code Red' the same year, 'Mr. Merlin' in 1981, 'V' in 1983, and 'Scarecrow & Mrs. King' in 1985, but the façade was not utilized as a dedicated residence again until 'The New Gidget' series in 1986. The ironic part of that, was that the façade was originally constructed for a 3rd 'Gidget' film in 1962 before it was postponed and the script was changed to become 'Gidget Goes to Rome' in 1963.
The façade received a new roof shorlty before the series started and is noticable in the establishing shots of the house.
'Alone at Last' in 1980.
'V' in 1983.
'Scarecrow & Mrs King' in 1985.
The Higgins house façade as seen in'The New Gidget' in 1986.
After 'The New Gidget' the façade was seen in the first 'Lethal Weapon' movie before it was significantly altered for the 1988 Richard Pryor film 'Moving'. All the brickwork on the façade was covered with siding and the left side gable and dormers were completely removed as well as the dormer on the front, which was replaced with the two dormers from the left side of the house. This is also when it lost its second chimney on the left side near the back.
