The Jeffersons – “And the Doorknobs Shined Like Diamonds”

Jan 20, 2026

by Linda Kay

Original Air Date: February 1, 1981

Directed by: Bob Lally

Cat Out of the Bag Alert! This review contains spoilers for this episode!

Synopsis: A sweetly sentimental episode in which Louise (Isabel Sanford) finds out the apartment building where she lived as a child is going to be demolished so she pays a visit to her old room where she remembers life as she was growing up.

Cat Burglar (Scene Stealer): Louise enters her old room in the dark and dilapidated building. Suddenly she hears a noise and cries out, “Who’s there?” A small questioning mew answers her and she retrieves an adorable ginger and white tabby cat from behind some boxes (which solicits some “Awws” from the audience).

The Jeffersons - And the Doorknobs Shined Like Diamonds - Louise Isabel Sanford holding ginger and white tabby cat
The Jeffersons - And the Doorknobs Shined Like Diamonds - Louise Isabel Sanford picking up and holding ginger and white tabby cat animated gif

Louise is tickled that someone else finds the building worth living inside. She points out the old heat register where she used to hide her diary.

The Jeffersons - And the Doorknobs Shined Like Diamonds - Louise Isabel Sanford holding ginger and white tabby cat and pointing to heat vent

Petting the cat continuously, Louise continues to reminisce about her life as a girl in her old bedroom.

The Jeffersons - And the Doorknobs Shined Like Diamonds - Louise Isabel Sanford holding ginger and white tabby cat

Eventually her husband George (Sherman Hemsley) shows up looking for her, worried that she went to the abandoned building alone at night.

The Jeffersons - And the Doorknobs Shined Like Diamonds - Louise Isabel Sanford holding ginger and white tabby cat with George Sherman Hemsley
The Jeffersons - And the Doorknobs Shined Like Diamonds - Louise Isabel Sanford holding ginger and white tabby cat with George Sherman Hemsley

Louise explains her reason for wanting to visit her childhood home one last time and George understands.

The Jeffersons - And the Doorknobs Shined Like Diamonds - Louise Isabel Sanford holding ginger and white tabby cat with George Sherman Hemsley
The Jeffersons - And the Doorknobs Shined Like Diamonds - Louise Isabel Sanford holding ginger and white tabby cat with George Sherman Hemsley

Asking for another minute to say goodbye, Louise hands the cat to George and asks him to put the kitty outside just in case the demolition crew doesn’t see the poor animal in the morning.

The Jeffersons - And the Doorknobs Shined Like Diamonds - Louise Isabel Sanford holding ginger and white tabby cat with George Sherman Hemsley
The Jeffersons - And the Doorknobs Shined Like Diamonds - Louise Isabel Sanford handing ginger and white tabby cat to George Sherman Hemsley
The Jeffersons - And the Doorknobs Shined Like Diamonds - Louise Isabel Sanford with George Sherman Hemsley holding ginger and white tabby cat
The Jeffersons - And the Doorknobs Shined Like Diamonds - Louise Isabel Sanford handing ginger and white tabby cat to George Sherman Hemsley animated gif
The Jeffersons - And the Doorknobs Shined Like Diamonds - George Sherman Hemsley holding ginger and white tabby cat

It should be noted that Isabel Sanford won the Emmy for Best Lead Actress in a comedy series for her role in this specific episode, a long overdue award. It appears that the actress also owned a pet cat, mentioning in an article about how her oldest son left home, remembering, “When I closed the door, all I had was the cat. Then I began to hear creaks and strange noises. I figured the cat would protect me.”

The Jeffersons - And the Doorknobs Shined Like Diamonds - Louise Isabel Sanford holding ginger and white tabby cat

Final Mewsings: Cats can help actors give award winning performances.

Many thanks to Erin T. Aardvark for letting us know about the cat in this episode.

Relevant Links:

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