“The Ricardos Dedicate a Statue”

(S6;E27 ~ May 6, 1957) Directed by William Asher. Written by

Madelyn Martin, Bob Carroll, Jr., Bob Schiller and Bob Weiskopf. Filmed April 4, 1957 at Ren-Mar Studio.

Rating: 35.6/56

Synopsis ~  Ricky has been chosen to dedicate a new Revolutionary War statue in the Westport Town Square. There’s a problem: Lucy has accidentally destroyed the one-of-a-kind sculpture! 

After 179 episodes, “I Love Lucy” comes to an end, although the characters would continue to appear for three seasons in a series specials later known as "The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour.” 

Even through this was the last regular episode, it still ended with the announcer saying "Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz will be back next week.” It was, however, about six months before the the first “Comedy Hour” aired. Feeling they had taken the current format as far as they could, Desi Arnaz had pursued the idea of one hour specials with CBS for several seasons. Because the show was number one in the ratings, naturally they were reluctant. In the opening dialogue Lucy presciently says to Ethel that “Ricky’s getting mellow just as I’m running out of tricks.” Over 35 million viewers tuned in to watch this episode, not knowing it would be the end of an era.

This is the only time that Desi Arnaz, Jr. ever appeared on the show. In the final scene he stands in front of Vivian Vance, who asks him, “Are you having fun, honey?” Desi, Jr. went on to appear in the first few seasons of “Here’s Lucy” along with Lucie Arnaz. Despite persistent rumors, Lucie is not one of the little girls in the final scene. She never appeared on the series, unless you count the pilot episode, where Lucille Ball was several months pregnant!

Also in the crowd at the unveiling is actor Mike Lally, who appeared with Lucille Ball in 10 films between 1934 and 1963. He also was seen at the “Country Club Dance” (S6;E25) that featured Barbara Eden as Diana Jordan. Lally went on to appear in a 1965 episode of "The Lucy Show.” Arnaz family friend Suzie Meyer is also in the scene as are Lucy and Desi’s stand-ins Hazel Pierce and Bennett Green, both dressed in colonial costumes, as well as background player Art Howard.

Although this is the last episode of the half-hour series, Little Ricky (Keith Thibodeaux aka Richard Keith) will appear in all but one of the hour-long specials. In the above moment, Little Ricky has been getting into his daddy’s make-up kit!

This plot was inspired by the real Minuteman Statue that was dedicated in 1910 and still stands in Westport, Connecticut, today. When the Ricardos made the move to Connecticut, a reconnaissance mission reported back to Hollywood about real-life Westport locations that might be included in the storyline, and the Historical Society and the Minuteman Statue were among them. “After all,” writer Madelyn Pugh said, “if you have a real town, you don’t want to make a real boner.” The referenced Battle of Compo Hill was also taken from history, taking place on April 28, 1777. 

The Yankee Doodle Day Celebration is staged by the Westport Historical Society on Jessup Green, just as it is in real-life (except that the actual location is spelled ‘Jesup’). In reality, the Minuteman Statue sits in the middle of an intersection two and a half miles away from Jesup Green, which is adjacent to the town library. The song "Yankee Doodle” was played by the ‘town band’ at the start of the unveiling ceremony.

Fred the dog finally gets a subplot! Ricky threatens to take Fred back to the pound “where we got him.” But Fred didn’t come from the pound. In “Little Ricky Gets a Dog” (S6;E14) we learn that he was one of the puppies from Billy Palmer’s litter. 

Here Fred the dog gets extensive air time and is required to run up onto the sofa with Ricky’s chewed up speech in his mouth and hide his head under a cushion. He does the trick successfully, but after a quick cut to Lucy, the dog is suddenly on the other side of the sofa, indicating that there may have been a few attempts at getting the stunt right. Although the Ricardos continued to live in Westport for three more seasons of “Comedy Hours,” this is the last time we see Fred the dog. The canine character was played by Danny, a Cairn Terrier trained by Bob Blair and owned by Frank Inn.

When Fred the dog graduates from obedience school, Lucy warns Ricky that he’s learned obedience but that “he’s not ready for ‘The Ed Sullivan Show.’” Ed Sullivan hosted an immensely popular variety show on CBS from 1948 to 1971. Up until 1955 it was called “Toast of the Town.” In 1954, Sullivan’s show devoted an entire hour to “I Love Lucy.” Ed Sullivan was mentioned by Ricky in “The Ricardos Are Interviewed” (S5;E7).

The unseen sculptor is named Mr. Silvestri because Silvestri Studios of Los Angeles made the prop statues for the show. They specialize in making mannequins. The company is still in business today.

We learn that the Harry and Grace Munson live almost a mile away from the Ricardo house. There is a reference to next door neighbor Bruce Ramsey, whose parents Betty and Ralph live next door. Despite a public gathering of Westport citizens in the final scene, none of these characters show up! [It was more economical to hire background performers than featured actors!]

The last line of the series has Lucy paraphrasing a quote from John Greenleaf Whittier’s 1864 poem, “Barbara Frietschie,” about a Civil War Unionist who taunted Stonewall Jackson’s troops by waving the Union flag: “Shoot if you must this old gray head.” Lucy replaces the word “gray” with “red,” removing her tricorn hat and wig as she does so. Painted completely gray to resemble a statue, the reveal of Lucy’s flaming red locks (her trademark despite the hit series never being broadcast in color) gets a laugh from the studio audience.

Lucy Ricardo previously made herself into a sculpture – if only her head – in “Lucy Becomes a Sculptress” (S2;E15) back in 1953.

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FAST FORWARD!

The Revolutionary War was fought again at the Colonial Inn, a new themed eatery in “Lucy and Viv Open a Restaurant” (TLS S2;E20). Lucy is George Washington, and Viv his wife Martha.

Genealogists say that the Father of Our Country is the 8th cousin 7 times removed to the Queen of Comedy!

Lucille Ball guest-starred on 1964′s “The Jack Benny Program” (S15;E2) as Mrs. Paul Revere. Benny played her husband. 

In 1963′s “Lucy’s College Reunion” (TLS S2;E13) Lucy Carmichael and Viv steal a statue of the college’s founder during homecoming weekend. 

In real life, Lucille Ball has been celebrated in statuary several times…

The new Lucille Ball statue (left) in Memorial Park, Celoron, New York, replaced the old one (right), a controversial installation dubbed “scary Lucy.”

Lucy waits patiently on a park bench located at 100 North Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs, California. Palm Springs was Lucille Ball’s second home. 

Although first found at a Disney Theme Park, these statues of Lucy and Ricky can now be found at the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Hall of Fame Plaza.