“The Ricardos Change Apartments”

(S2;E26 ~ May 18, 1953) Directed by William Asher. Written by Jess Oppenheimer, Madelyn Pugh, and Bob Carroll, Jr. Filmed April 16, 1953 at General Service Studio. Rating: 60.5/98

Synopsis ~ Feeling cramped since the baby was born, Lucy convinces Ricky that they should change apartments with the Bensons upstairs.

~ Los Angeles Times, May 18, 1953

The same evening this episode first aired (May 18, 1953), “Studio One” presented “The Laughmaker” starring Jackie Gleason and Art Carney.  Although their series “The Honeymooners” didn’t premiere on CBS until 1955, Gleason and Carney performed it for the first time as a 6-minute sketch on the Dumont Network on October 5, 1951, ten days before “ I Love Lucy” premiered on CBS. In the 1970s, Lucille Ball would act opposite both Jackie Gleason and Art Carney (separately) in her “Lucille Ball Specials.”

As of this episode, Jerry Hauser (Jerry the Agent) became the official “I Love Lucy” announcer for which he earned $70 per week.

After the switch, Little Ricky gets a private nursery. The Ricardos also gain a living room window, which will come in handy for Lucy’s forays onto the ledge in “Lucy Cries Wolf” (S4;E3) and “Lucy and Superman” (S6;E13). The move also eliminates the pesky step up into the kitchen that must have been annoying to both cast and crew.

The Ricardo’s new apartment number is 3B, but will change to 3D in “Lucy Tells the Truth” (S3;E6) for the sake of a joke. Unable to lie at an audition, Lucy says that she has appeared in 3D. When the casting director says “You mean third dimension?” Lucy is forced to admit that she means the number on her apartment.

Mrs. Benson is played by Norma Varden, who is probably best known for playing Frau Schmidt, the somewhat circumspect housekeeper at the Von Trapp mansion in 1965′s The Sound Of Music. The London-born actress turned up on an episode of “The Lucy Show” just a year before. She first met Lucille Ball when she played Lady Maude in the 1950 film Fancy Pants. Mrs. Benson is married to Mr. Benson (naturally), although we never see him, or learn either of their first names. They have one newly married daughter. It is apparent that Mrs. Benson is not fond of either her husband (“Meh!”) or her new son-in-law (“That nincompoop!”).

Although we never see Mrs. Benson again, she is mentioned twice. In “Lucy Has Her Eyes Examined” (S3;E11), Ricky borrows some ice cream from her rather than go all the way down to the drug store. In “The Business Manager” (S4;E1), Lucy has the Bensons on her shopping list when she is doing the marketing for the entire building.

The framed print above the mantel in the old apartment is “Farm Scene” by Margo Alexander (1894-1965) from her series of California Artist Provincials. This is a busy folk art print that seems to add to the effect when Lucy wants to convince Ricky their apartment is too small. Alexander was known for her paintings in the style of tapestry.

Speaking of paintings, the landscape above the piano, later turns up on “The Andy Griffith Show” – another Desilu production!

From under the cushion of the armchair, Ricky pulls out a rubber frog toy which when squeezed sticks out it’s tongue! This was actually a TV tie-in (one of the first) called Froggy the Gremlin. The character made it’s debut on radio’s “Buster Brown Gang” in 1944 which was brought to television in 1951 as “Smilin’ Ed’s Gang” with Froggy as a puppet and – occasionally – a life-sized costume character. The childrens’ program was seen on CBS from 1951 to 1953. When host Smilin’ Ed McConnell died in 1954, Andy Devine took over the show.

Also under the chair cushion, Ricky finds his son’s bath toy, Cleo the goldfish from the Disney film Pinocchio (1940). When Ricky squeezes her, Cleo spits in his face!

Under the sofa cushion, both Ethel and Ricky discover Little Ricky’s Buzzy Bee pull toy, a version of which was made by Fisher-Price from 1950 to 1985. At the time, it sold for sixty cents!

In the hutch (which usually holds cartons of Philip Morris cigarettes), Lucy has stored Little Ricky’s Tricky Trolley (a Mattel toy which also turns up four years later in “Lucy and Superman”), and his metal Fire Chief Action Pull Toy #34.

To convince Ricky that they need to move, Lucy virtually buys out an entire toy store, cramming the living room with Lionel Trains, a playground slide, a blow-up clown, two teddy bears, a bow and arrow set, a crib, a bicycle, a tricycle, Chinese checkers, a layette, a scooter, a child’s desk, a small plush chair, an infant swing, a child’s table and chair, several beach balls, a toy bus, an inflatable bop-em toy, and a two-seat whirlybird contraption!

Lionel Trains will also be under the tree in 1956′s “The ‘I Love Lucy’ Christmas Special.”  Ricky is nearly sitting on the famous “I Love Lucy” Teddy Bear, which was offered for retail sale and seen in many other episodes.

Oops!  Vivian Vance makes a rare flub when she tells Lucy she is not going to help her move the furniture. She says “If you think I’m going to help you marry – carry all this furniture” obviously thinking of the word “move” but knowing the word in the script is “carry.” Lucy was a stickler for going by the script.

This is one of those episodes where Ricky spanks Lucy, but since she is behaving like a child in a child-like playground / apartment, it doesn’t seem quite as offensive as it usually does.

The episode ends with Lucy, Fred and Ethel all doing Lucy’s trademark spider face: “Ewwwwwwwwww!” 

FAST FORWARD!

When “Lucy’s Sublets the Office” (TLS S4;E21) in 1972, the Unique Employment Agency over-flows with toys and looks very similar to the Ricardo living room when Lucy wanted to convince Ricky that their tiny apartment was not longer big enough for their growing family.  There’s even a sliding board entrance, just as there was 19 years earlier!