what was the point of the railing…

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Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — The Jeffersons

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alanjobe — 10 years ago(January 03, 2016 05:59 PM)

in the living room. It was right past the half bath. I think it was there for the entire series.
It looked like something you'd chain a bicycle to. Did they ever use it for anything?

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joker4252 — 10 years ago(January 15, 2016 05:16 PM)

I just noticed that for the fist time today. My guess is to hang coats over during a party.

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McGannahanSkjellyfetti — 9 years ago(April 25, 2016 11:19 PM)

I never noticed it until you pointed it out!
I guess it was as importaint as the door in the kitchen of the Evans' apartment in
Good Times

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kissdemonette — 9 years ago(April 26, 2016 12:43 AM)

Those were trendy in the 70s. It's just a little partition to separate the entry from the living room.

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dpwally — 9 years ago(December 11, 2016 10:05 PM)

New York City apartments in some eras featured sunken living rooms, the living room was a step or two lower than the entrance. See the apartment in The Odd Couple, that building appears to be about the same vintage as the one in The Jeffersons. It makes sense to have a railing around a sunken living room, I believe Odd Couple has one.
My guesses are:

1. The railing is meant to evoke the feel of a sunken living room in an apartment that doesn't have one.
2. The apartment is meant to be a modern renovation in an older building. The renovation leveled the formerly-sunken living room, but kept the railing.
3. The set designer wanted to give the audience the impression of a sunken living room, but decided not to actually build it that way because of the risks and hassles.

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engle_james — 9 years ago(December 14, 2016 01:47 PM)

I've always thought the railing was interesting, but don't think it had a practical purpose. As already said, probably to 'separate' the foyer from the living room, but coats were never placed on it.
Also, I don't think it was there the first season, I think it was added sometime in season 2.

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engle_james — 9 years ago(December 17, 2016 05:05 PM)

I just saw the episode of All in the Family that served as the backdoor pilot for the Jeffersons, and the railing was in that episode, so it was there from the beginning.

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zmystico — 9 years ago(January 22, 2017 11:49 AM)

Coats were hung on it in one episode
https://www.thegoldencloset.com/merchant/graphics/00000001/T0460h.jpg
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