 In real life, the house was completed in 1939 but was so expensive (costing $56,000 while the original budget was $11,000), that Hodgins was forced to sell it in 1945 for $38,000 to John Allard, a retired Air Force general.Hodgins unsuccessfully tried to buy the house back after receiving $200,000 from movie rights to the book.In 1953, the house was sold to Ralph Gulliver who gave it to his son Jack in 1972.