Too Good to Pass Up
Shortly before filming the first season of The Beverly Hillbillies, Paul Henning, the show’s creator, and showrunner, started scouting out mansions in California. He came across the Kirkeby Mansion, and the owners offered him a deal that he couldn’t refuse. They only charged Paul Henning, the show’s creator, a mere $500 for filming.
The Kirkeby Mansion. Source: MoviestillsDB.com / Copyright: Filmways, CBS
One of the reasons why it was leased to the show at such a low price was because the owner of the home died in a plane crash shortly before filming. His widow still remained in the mansion, but she was okay with her property being used to film. The only condition was that production could not share her address. However, fans ended up figuring it out, and, after filming, the owner’s widow sold the mansion.