“The Young Fans”

(S1;E20 ~ February 25, 1952) Directed by Marc Daniels. Written by Jess Oppenheimer, Madelyn Pugh and Bob Carroll, Jr. Filmed January 18, 1952, at General Service Studios. It was the 20th episode filmed. Rating: 56.5/76

Synopsis ~ Two teenagers get crushes on Ricky and Lucy until the Ricardos help them see the grim realities of May / December courtships. 

This episode is based on Lucy’s radio show “My Favorite Husband” #19, “George Attends a Teenage Dance” as well as #76 “Liz Teaches the Samba” broadcast in 1948 which also starred Richard Crenna. 

The date this episode was filmed (1/18/52) Curly Howard (left) of The Three Stooges died. Lucille Ball (as a blonde) did their 1934 film Three Little Pigskins. 

Like the similarly themed “Lucy Plays Cupid” (S1;E15) where an older couple takes a romantic interest in the Ricardos, the Mertzes do not appear in this episode. These are the only two episodes in which both Fred and Ethel do not appear and are not mentioned.

For 40 years this episode was attributed to the wrong director! Greg Oppenheimer author of Laughs, Luck and Lucy recently got this fixed.

Janet Waldo (Peggy Dawson) was actually pregnant during the episode. She went on to fame as the voice of daughter Judy on the animated series “The Jetsons” but she also voiced dozens of other cartoon characters including Penelope Pitstop and Granny Sweet. 

She played Lucy’s sister on a 1963 episode of "The Lucy Show.” She died in 2016. 

Richard Crenna (Arthur Morton) makes his television debut with this episode. The character is virtually a carbon copy of Walter Denton, the role he played for four years on radio’s “Our Miss Brooks” starring Eve Arden. In 1952, Desilu brought the show to television where Crenna recreated his role. He later starred in Desilu’s “The Real McCoys.” He would become one of Hollywood’s busiest actors, starring in "Vega$” and Sylvester Stallone’s Rambo films. He died in 2003.

In reality, Janet Waldo was 31 (just 3 years younger than Desi Arnaz) and Richard Crenna was 24 when they played the ‘teenagers.’ Peggy guesses that Ricky is pushing 23 (what she calls middle-aged), and Lucy replies “Yeah, he’s pushed it all the way to 35.” In real life, Desi Arnaz would turn 35 just five days after the episode first aired. It was also one day before William Frawley’s 65th birthday.

The episode opens with Lucy reading the New York Times. The projectile toaster launches toast in the air. Desi catches it, but it bounces off his right hand, brushes his face and lands in his left hand!  It was generally Ricky who read the paper while Lucy caught the toast – and never missed! 

When Ricky picks up the coffee pot a bit too quickly, it must have been full, since a spurt of coffee flies out of the spout!

Oops! Ricky accidentally spilled coffee on himself after Peggy startled him, but when Ricky runs back into the living room to find Lucy, his suit is dry.

Peggy describes Arthur as having curly hair, big sad eyes, and floppy ears and looking like Gregory Peck. Lucy says he sounds more like Lassie!  At the time this episode was filmed both were huge box office stars: Peck had already been nominated for four Academy Awards and Lassie had made seven films.

Lucy attempts to give Arthur dance lessons but he ends up stepping on her toes, just as Lucy did to Fred when he was teaching her to Apache dance in “The Adagio” (S1;E12). Also in that episode, Jean-Valjean Raymond mistakes Lucy’s choreographic attentions for affection, just as Arthur does here.

After the dance lesson, Lucy (soaking her feet) tells Ricky that Arthur Morton is no Arthur Murray. Murray taught dance and franchised his dancing schools starting in 1925. He even had a television program from 1950 to 1960 called "The Arthur Murray Party.” The song “Cuban Pete,” which Ricky sang in “The Diet” (S1;E4), includes the line "And Cuban Pete don’t teach you in a hurry, like Arthur Murray.”

To scare off the tenacious teens, the Ricardos dress up as senior citizens in what would be a spooky hint at their future. By series end, Desi actually did have to put shoe black in his hair to hide the gray and Lucy wore a wig for most of her later career. 

Another coincidence is that Arthur shares a surname with Lucy’s real-life second husband, Gary. Lucy really did end up as Mrs. Morton, after all!

As an old man, Ricky croaks out a few notes of “Babalu,” the second time the song has been heard on the series. 

LUCY: He’s ba-ba’d his last lu.

Lucy instructs Peggy to jiggle Ricky’s legs to help his poor circulation due to rheumatism. Ricky remarks “You’re a much better jiggler than Lucy.” Even in 1952 the line carried more than a hint of sexual innuendo.

Seeing each other in old age make-up for the first time, Lucy says “I used to think I’d enjoy growing old with you but after this preview, you’d better grow old alone.” Although the Arnaz marriage would end in 1960, Lucy and Desi managed to remain friends and did indeed grow old together.