www.falconcrest.org | Deutscher FALCON CREST - Fanclub / German FALCON CREST Fan Club
 

 

 
  

# 121 <5.23> In Absentia
 
 
(revised 12/04/2023)
 
 


 
 
Shortcuts to this episode's
 
Script | Credits | Filming Locations
 
 

 
 

This episode makes it very clear that parts of the sets are movable walls that can be rearranged or completely removed. Two parts of the Falcon Crest Victorian Mansion study set are not put in their exact places this time (see yellow mark).

 
Chicago is Chase's favorite city.
 
Real-life allusion: Chase mentions the Chicago Bears, the football team.
 
Fictional entity: The Fenwick Winery in the Tuscany Valley is bankrupt.
 
According to Eric, Carl Reed owns a small winery in the valley. Considering Carl has not been mentioned since season 2 and obviously sold Stone Briar Winery to Sam Gianinni in the meantime (see # 074), what other small winery is his now?
 
The establishing shot of Chicago, IL is filmed in northwestern direction first. Then the camera pulls back and comes to a stop, facing north on the Wrigley Building and Michigan Avenue. It is stock footage from a film library.
 
The lobby of the Chicago hotel where Maggie and Jeff are staying is the lobby of the Sheraton Premiere Hotel (nowadays Universal Hilton) in Universal City, CA in real life. Compare # 116 for a different use of that location.
 
The curly haired blonde played by uncredited extra BETTY JEANNE GLENNIE is at Maggie's hotel in Chicago in this episode. The next day, however, she will be (back) in San Francisco (see below). — Coincidence or rather negligent extras casting?
Compare # 175 for biographical details about this minor rôle and a list of appearances throughout the series.
For details about the extra, compare # 015.
 

Different camera angles in the sneak preview and the scene itself: In the fight between Eric and Lance in the Falcon Crest Victorian Mansion study, the sneak preview shows a close-up of Lance looking down on Eric lying on the desk (left photo); this camera angle is missing in the scene.

 

The establishing shot of Chicago — a view over the Chicago River in eastern direction with the Marshall Suloway Bridge in the foreground (bottom of the frame) — is stock footage from a film library.

 

Maggie says she has cramps in her hand from signing so many books during the autograph party for her book. SUSAN SULLIVAN gestures with her left hand to underline that — which is illogical because Maggie is right-handed as it is known from many other scenes.

 
Maggie loves pizza.
 
The filming location for the scene with Richard and Erin in front of the San Francisco Indemnity Company is the Universal City Plaza Building in Universal City, CA. This building will be used again in # 182 and 183 (compare there) — as the Thirteen's New York headquarters.
 
Richard's current favorite "restaurant" is a hot dog takeaway in front of the San Francisco Indemnity Company. In # 088, he liked the hot dogs at Serafino's best.
 
Uncredited extra RAY POURCHOT appears again — this time as a hot dog vendor. Inside joke: Richard calls him by his real-life first name, Ray. It is another improvisation on DAVID SELBY's side because the name was not in the script.
Compare # 177 for a list of this extra's appearances throughout the series.
For details about the extra, compare # 091.
 
Product placement: Richard mentions book heroine Nancy Drew.
 
Real-life allusion: Richard mentions MATA HARI.
 
The curly haired blonde played by uncredited extra BETTY JEANNE GLENNIE is in front of the San Francisco Indemnity Company just one day after her stay in Chicago (see above). — Coincidence or rather negligent extras casting?
Compare # 175 for biographical details about this minor rôle and a list of appearances throughout the series.
For details about the extra, compare # 015.
 
Uncredited extra KEVIN G. TRACEY appears as the thick-eyebrowed Tuscany Valley gentleman again — this time entering the building of the San Francisco Indemnity Company.
Compare # 185 for a list of all his appearances throughout the series.
For details about the extra, compare # 001.
 

Product placement: The toy car Eric gives to Joseph is a miniature replica of a Mercedes-Benz SL.

 

The bend on the Agretti property is actually located behind stage 4 on the backlot of CBS-MTM STUDIOS (now RADFORD STUDIO CENTER). It was also seen in # 073, 084, 089 and 113 (see there) and will be used for various purposes in future episodes; compare # 135, 137, 148, 172, 174, 176, 180, 191, 192, 196, 207 and 213.

 
Deleted scene: Towards the end of act 2, Maggie and Chase celebrate in the Gioberti House living room Maggie's return from her book promotion with Terry and Richard. While Richard opens a bottle of Champagne, the phone rings, but when Maggie picks it up, nobody says anything, and a moment later, there is just the dial tone (obviously, Jeff called, but Maggie has no clue). When Richard mentions to Chase that it must be stimulating to be married to such a creative woman, Terry cynically adds: "Instead of being stuck with her sister..." It is an awkward moment when everybody realizes how pointedly she alluded to the attraction between Richard and Maggie. Terry's next remark is almost equally bad: She suggests that Cole get back together with Melissa or at least use his bedside manner to charm away the Agretti crop from her for Richard and Chase's partnership; she also says he can dump her afterwards. This scene was removed in post-production.
 
Prop: The New Globe issue contains an article on the front page with the headline "Valley Area Records Record Growth" (green mark). Like other articles seen in # 072 and # 075 (compare there), this one will reappear in the series: in the Tuscany Herald in # 198.
For more information about the use of generic newspaper articles or layouts in other productions, check out our Beyond the Show – Props – Documents section.
 

The patio restaurant in San Francisco where Greg and Jordan have lunch is the patio of the Sheraton Premiere Hotel (nowadays Universal Hilton) in Universal City, CA (see more above for this location).

 
Falcon Crest Victorian Mansion set — inconsistency: When Dwayne appears at the front door, he is filmed from an angle to obscure that the set includes neither the three steps from the driveway to the veranda, nor the one step from the veranda to the recessed entrance. Dwayne's shadow does not shift shapes as it would have to if the steps were there. The only thing reminiscent of him climbing up the stairs is the suitable sound effect added in post-production.
The reason is that the current Mansion set, which has been in use on stage 10 at CBS-MTM STUDIOS (nowadays RADFORD STUDIO CENTER) since season 4 and which includes both the interiors and the veranda, has no stairs at all, but has been built at ground level.
This was different in the previous Mansion set, which was built at THE BURBANK STUDIOS (WARNER BROS. STUDIOS) for the first three seasons; there used to be two steps (instead of three steps as in the real Villa Miravalle) up to the veranda (compare # 040). While the current set contains further details (e.g. the tile pattern in the entryway, compare # 088 in particular), the steps were dropped.
The following sectional elevation drawing of the Victorian Mansion's current set (veranda and foyer) illustrates the current architectural situation:
A sectional elevation drawing of the Victorian Mansion's set (veranda and foyer) from seasons 1 through 3 is available in # 001.
LORIMAR's original blueprints of this set and many others are available for DFCF members in the Show - Production Office - Filming Locations - Movie Studios - Interior Sets section.
With regard to the steps, however, some rarely used other Mansion sets built outside the sound stages are different again. In # 120 (see there), parts of the veranda set were taken to Will Rogers State Park and contained a few steps. In # 209 (compare there), 210, 213 and 215, there will also be three steps in the set, which is the specifically redressed Walton House at WARNER BROS. STUDIOS and which is not identical with the usual veranda set on the sound stage.
 
Mistake: In the scene at the Falcon Crest Victorian Mansion entrance after Melissa has left, Peter and Emma's heads are in slightly different positions in subsequent frames.
In the usual process of making a movie or a TV show, scenes are shot at least twice — as a wide angle shot and in close-up, which bears the risk of inconsistencies. Compare # 001 (Chase and Maggie at the Gioberti Family Cemetery) for the advantages and disadvantages of this shooting procedure.
 
Uncredited extra PAUL VAN appears in his usual rôle as the mustached Tuscany Valley doctor again — this time at the Tuscany Downs Turf Club.
Compare # 227 for biographical details about this minor rôle and a list of all his appearances throughout the series.
For details about the extra, compare # 014.
 

Uncredited extra DOUGLAS MAIDA appears as Dave in this episode again — as usual, as a Tuscany Downs Turf Club waiter.
Compare # 224 for biographical details about this minor rôle and a list of appearances throughout the series.
For details about the extra, compare # 034.

 
Mysterious: Richard calls the Tuscany Downs Turf Club bartender (played by SAM VINCENT) Johnny. But Melissa called him Sam in # 082; Greg called him Lee in # 096. The writers were quite negligent with this supporting rôle.
 

Post-production mistake: The courthouse scene in judge Leeds' office is introduced by an establishing shot of downtown San Francisco. The editors apparently used wrong stock footage because judge Leeds' chambers are in the Tuscany County Courthouse.

 
Season time frame: It still seems to be spring of 1986 because Maggie wears a polo neck pullover, a coat and gloves at the beginning of the episode. When the hearing at judge Leeds' chambers takes place at 6:00 PM, it is dark outside.
 

Product placement: Melissa pours Perrier-Jouët Champagne (Fleur de Champagne) on the patio of the Agretti Residence.

 
The San Francisco Merchant Bank is mentioned for the first time. Inconsistency: In contrast to the references in dialog by most characters, # 132 will reveal the name is San Francisco Merchants Bank as it is seen on a check; Byron Adams, the bank manager, will also refer to it as San Francisco Merchants Bank in # 127.
 
The late harvest of the 1954 Falcon Crest Riesling is one of Angela's favorite wines.
Detailed information about the wine label on the prop bottle and many other labels is available in the Show – Production Office – Wine Label Gallery section. Previews are available for the general public; for DFCF members, the wine labels are available in high resolution.
 
 
Angela's favorite dessert is lemon squares.
 
Angela loves "Fidelio", the opera by LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN.
 
 

 
 
Previous episode...
 
Next episode...