Falcon Crest - Behind The Scenes

Behind The Scenes

Lorimar producers searching for a location to use as the principal backdrop for the show decided upon Spring Mountain Vineyard, a winery located in St. Helena, in California's Napa Valley. This site contained the 1884 Victorian mansion "Villa Miravalle", the exterior for which was used as the Falcon Crest mansion where Angela lived with her daughters Julia, Emma and her grandson, Lance, as well as the winery building which had just been constructed in the mid-1970s. As a tie-in, the Spring Mountain Winery also produced a "Falcon Crest" wine during the show's run.

Barbara Stanwyck had been considered for the role of Angela Channing but turned it down. The role then went to Stanwyck's friend Jane Wyman.

According to rumor, Jane Wyman had a running feud with Robert Foxworth, to the point where they measured each other's dressing room trailers just to make sure they were equal in size. When Foxworth became a director for the show, Wyman demanded CBS add a clause to her contract also allowing her to be a director. Although she ultimately never directed any episodes, Wyman was pleased that she had the same designation as Foxworth.

It was reported that Wyman had had a long-running feud with fellow movie star legend Lana Turner which dated back to their Hollywood years. Reportedly, the two actresses quickly refused to speak to each other and the producers had to film their confrontational scenes separately and then splice them together; Turner was written out of the show soon after. Reportedly, a few years after she appeared on the program, Turner noted that she believed Wyman was negative in demeanor due to the fact that her ex-husband, Ronald Reagan, was elected President during the 1980s, something that Turner believed Wyman could not reconcile within herself. Lana Turner appeared on The Phil Donahue Show in 1982 and emphatically denied the rumors of the reported feud. "It's a bunch of bull. It's all publicity trying to drum up a feud between us. I adore Ms. Wyman. I respect her as a lady and an artist, and there is no feud."

Sophia Loren was set to star in the role of Francesca Gioberti, Angela's secret half-sister who comes to the valley to threaten Angela's control of Falcon Crest. Loren was to play thirteen episodes, and producers promised a fabulous wardrobe and a dynamic character that would rival Dynasty's Alexis Carrington. At the last minute, negotiations with Loren fell through and Gina Lollobrigida was then cast in the role, but only signed on for four episodes. Interestingly, Loren was also Aaron Spelling's first choice for the role of Alexis Carrington in Dynasty, but was passed over as she was requesting too much money, thus allowing the role to go to Joan Collins.

According to Dallas creator David Jacobs, before auditioning for Falcon Crest, Robert Foxworth turned down the role of J. R. Ewing on Dallas because he did not want to play such an unsympathetic character. The role ultimately went to Larry Hagman.