The Education of Ernest T. Bass - S5-E4
Revealing mistake: After Ernest T. breaks Helen's window Andy shows up, and there's black tape adhered to the chrome trim at the side of the windshield and also the chrome trim beside the vent window.
The Education of Ernest T. Bass - S5-E4
Visible crew/equipment: When Ernest T. runs across the street to help Helen with her groceries she rushes away from him and heads up the block to Andy, and as Andy and Helen walk toward the courthouse the shadow of the boom mic passes across the white pillar in front of the door.
The Education of Ernest T. Bass - S5-E4
Continuity mistake: In Season 3, Mountain Wedding, Earnest T knows how to read and write. He writes a letter to Andy and uses a rock to throw it in. In The Education of Ernest T Bass, we are told that Ernest T cannot read nor write.
Answer: As noted in the previous answers, in real life, things like this provided wind and/or rain deflection, and also maintained a bit of privacy when blinds were raised somewhat. The interior courthouse set was located in the studio, so the "outside" Main Street didn't exist. I believe these things were added to the courthouse windows for practicality, to avoid some crew movement being visible on the opposite side of those windows. These are not "window boxes" to hold anything, as they're actually bottomless; we can see the Venetian blind's long pull cords under them. They're made of plywood and simple to build, so the "material and labor" was inexpensive. Similar variations made of different materials are in other movies/shows. In 1957's "12 Angry Men," textured chicken wire glass panels are in the jury room windows, and in "Jesse Stone: Night Passage" another type is in Jesse's office windows.
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