The Warner Brothers studio backlot town, "the Ranch," has been downsized in recent years, to increase room for parking. Nevertheless, this range of exterior sets in Burbank, California, ranks among the largest and most interesting fake towns in the world, complete with New York, New England, midwest, and Old West sections-- and, of course, Blondie Street. This piece of American suburbia takes its name from its first building, the house where Blondie and Dagwood lived in the 1940s movie series based on the popular comic strip.

Blondie Street, like most long-standing backlot sets, has been used many times. One house has been featured in Father Knows Best, Dennis the Menace, and I Dream of Jeannie. The house next door to Jeannie and her master belonged to The Partridge Family, but it also served as residence for the nosy neighbor on Bewitched. Since the final two years of Bewitched overlapped with the Partridges' first two seasons, the two families apparently shared living quarters. This house was later redecorated and used in Life Goes On, and then blown up in Lethal Weapon. The Griswalds from National Lampoon's Vacation films lived in the same neighborhood. The park down the street where the Partridges sometimes played also appears in the opening credit sequence for Friends.

The houses generally form the backdrop for exterior shots; actors rarely use the interiors. Usually, interior scenes take place on a soundstage. In fact, only a few of Blondie Street's homes have functional interiors. Some have only two or three walls and a roof. The studio uses others as storage units.

See the virtual Warner Bros. Studio Tour at
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