In 2013, the Nelson’s five-bedroom home was bought for $3 million. The home, which was built in 1916, was sold nearly 100 years later to a real estate investment and development company. They gave the family home a much-needed makeover and resold it for $5 million. Must of the home’s exterior was kept the same.
The shutters were removed in order to give the house a more modern look. The home is in a very prime location in Hollywood. This definitely won’t be the last time that this kind of renovation happens here. Keep reading to see how Mr. Nelson was different from his on-screen character… and we don’t mean that in a positive way.
First Double Bed That Was Seen on TV
Ozzie and Harriet's double bed was the first to be seen on television. During those times, it was very scandalous for a man and his wife to be sleeping in the same bed. Before their double bed debut, on-screen couples' bedrooms on TV usually had two twin beds that were separated by a nightstand. The Hays Code was the unofficial name for The Motion Picture Production Code. The code was adopted in 1930 but not seriously put into action until 1934.
The Code was a set of rules governing American filmmaking that cultivated and in many ways limited American cinema for more than three decades. The code regulated what could and couldn't be shown in films. Among their rules and regulations was that a man and a woman couldn't be seen in the same bed together. If they were, one of them had to be seen with a leg firmly planted on the floor. Bonus fact, this rule led to the popularity of foot popping.
The Show Featured Their Real-life House
Ozzie and Harriet used the exterior of their actual home in the opening credits of their TV series. The Nelsons, at this point, had amassed quite the fortune for themselves. They lived in the luxurious Hollywood Hills neighborhood located above Hollywood Boulevard.
They didn't film the series in their actual home due to logistical reasons. But they did have the interior of their home exactly replicated for the set. It was important for Ozzie to relay authenticity as much as possible in his show. Quite literally, he wanted to invite America into his home to meet his family. The Nelson's home is still in the same location, located at 1822 Camino Palmero Street in Los Angeles, California.
Many Personalities
Ozzie’s character role on The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet was starkly different than his real-life persona. On the show, he appeared to often be goofy and always stumbling over his words. He never seemed to have a job and was always seen aimlessly wandering around their two-story home. This was in contrast to Harriet's clever charm. Harriet wore aprons most of the time and could always be found whipping something up in the kitchen.
However, this contrasted greatly from their real-life selves. In actuality, Ozzie was a very serious and controlling businessman who was addicted to his work and completely in charge of the show as the writer, producer, director, and editor. The New York Times described Ozzie as an authoritarian figure who didn’t even allow his sons to attend college when they wanted to. He obligated them to work on television despite their interest to pursue other endeavors.
The Show Wasn't in the 'Top 20'
Ozzie was able to convince ABC execs to agree to a ten-year contract and to pay the Nelson family whether the series was canceled or continued running. This type of contract didn’t exist at the time and it’s likely that because of this, Ozzie was extremely loyal and serious about his show. He knew that it was up to him to produce a show that America would love.
The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet premiered on ABC on October 10, 1952. At the time, ABC was a third-place network. Although the show's popularity, it never made it to the Top 20 in the Nielsen ratings for television shows. Despite that time slots were adjusted multiple times for the show, it never made it to the Top 20, until…