Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Pix of the Day: FILOLI MANSION


The 2010 season at the Filoli mansion may be over, but the holiday events are only coming (November 26-December 4). Here is now a small collection of images of one of TV's most glorious properties.


Should you wish to book tickets or learn more about the "Visions of Sugarplums Dancing" 9-day event please visit the official Filoli site. 

The Georgian mansion (along with its English Reneissance gardens) which is now owned by the National Trust for Historic Preservation will again be open to visitors February-October 2011.

I was always sad Dynasty never filmed at Filoli beyond the pilot episode. You can just picture Krystle picking out the flowers for Claudia or Kirby in the gardens. Well... There's always Jergen's (or whatever the florist service they used was called).
































5 comments:

  1. I am addicted to your site. Thank you!
    Any insight on why they moved the front door to in front of the stair hall after Season 2? Previous to Season 2 the front door opened into a large receiving room.

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  2. Thank you for sharing information about Filoli's Holiday Traditions, which starts the day after Thanksgiving and continues through Dec. 4, 2010. It's Filoli's largest fundraiser of the year and involves over 700 volunteers to create this magical event. There are day and evening events and everything is listed at www.filoli.org. The evening event on Nov. 26 includes Terry Dilsley playing in the ballroom. He played with Paul McCartney and also with the Rolling Stones. The evening event on Nov, 27 includes dancing in the ballroom. Almost all of the furniture and collections in the Filoli House are removed for Holiday Traditions and the entire first floor is transformed with stunning, shimmering decorations from floor to ceiling. It's so beautiful, amazing and fun and supports this historic site.

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  3. You're welcome.

    I believe it was primarily for technical/dramatic purposes. It looks better on film if you enter the house and immediately spot someone coming down the stairs. Or you are standing at the top of the stairs and you observe (or should I say: spy on) people entering the house or talking at the bottom of the stairs. Plus you don't have to spend ages walking down the hallway to get to the stairs.

    The first two seasons the sets resembled the actual Filoli mansion (only the drawing room was opposite the library and the kitchen and the dining room were on the opposite side of the house).

    Douglas S.Cramer was responsible for the look of the show and 'glitzing' the sets up, which they had already done for season 2. Further changes were made for season 3 - major cast changes, sets and overall tonal changes.

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  4. Thanks! Yes, I recall from watching the DVD's how the tone really did change in Season 3. Even the music became more over the top. :)

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  5. The set reconstruction also coincided with the show's moving to The Lot (the old Warner Hollywood Studios) from its previous home...was it the old MGM Lot? I think season 9 incorporated filming around The Lot and a couple of surrounding buildings. (Alexis in the circular drivway in her purple outfit. And Adam and Alexis driving a Bentley into a warehouse bldg on The Lot).
    Question is now..where did the mansion set elements end up going?

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