But to Jeb and Sport Sharewood, this pool holds mysteries not dreamed of by the building contractor, not guaranteed in any sales brochure.
For this pool has a secret exit that leads to a never-neverland, a place designed for junior citizens who need a long voyage away from reality, into the bottomless regions of the Twilight Zone.After the opening credits are finished rolling, Serling, in voice-over, says: Introduction to a perfect setting: Colonial mansion, spacious grounds, heated swimming pool.
The idyll may have feet of clay.Sport Sharewood and her younger brother Jeb live in a large, expensive house, but their parents are cold, ill-tempered, self-centered, and constantly bickering with each other.
In contrast to their lavish home of neglect and insults, they are welcomed and loved from the moment they arrive at this humble children's paradise.
Most noticeably, back-lot noise rendered much of the outdoor dialogue unusable – only the indoor scenes with Aunt T were considered audible.
[2] Unfortunately, by the time this decision had been made, Badham had returned to her home in Alabama, and the cost of flying her back to Los Angeles to re-record her lines yet again was ruled to be too expensive.
Note that actor Harold Gould is listed in some sources as a cast member for this episode, but does not appear in any capacity in the finished production.
)[2] Other re-used footage in the episode includes an identical 10-second shot of Sport and Jeb swimming up to the foot of a tree on two occasions; Sport and Jeb's mother twice telling them in the space of a minute "Darn you loudmouth kids" – using exactly the same footage of her dialogue, as well as of the kids' reaction; and the first and final shots of various children playing in front of Aunt T's house.
Earl Hamner, Jr., got the idea for "The Bewitchin' Pool" while living in the San Fernando Valley region of California and witnessing an alarming divorce rate and the effect it had on children.
The episode was one of the first shows on television to really address the problem of divorce and bad parenting, and in part it represents wish fulfillment or escapism for children in such situations.