“Lucy and Superman”

(S6;E13 ~ January 14, 1957) Directed by James V. Kern. Written by

Madelyn Martin, Bob Carroll, Jr., Bob Schiller and Bob Weiskopf. Filmed November 15, 1956 at Ren-Mar Studios. 

Rating: 48.1/65

Synopsis ~ In order not to disappoint her son, Lucy pretends to be the Man of Steel at Little Ricky’s birthday party when the ‘real’ Superman happens to arrive!

This copy of the original script was autographed by Richard Keith (probably by a parent), writers Bob Schiller, Bob Carroll Jr. and Bob Weiskopf, Assistant Director Jay Sandrich, Hairsytlist Irma Kusely, Editor Dann Kayn and Camera Coordinator Maury Thompson.  The cast list show’s that Martha’s husband was named Herbert and that they needed to cast pigeons!

This episode was filmed after “Little Ricky Gets a Dog,” but broadcast first. This may be because Fred and Ethel are still searching for a tenant to live in the empty apartment in this episode, but Mr. Stewart is introduced as the new tenant in “Little Ricky Gets a Dog.” Also, Lucy mentions wanting to move to the country in “Little Ricky Gets a Dog,” so it’s the perfect set-up for the big move. 

This episode was colorized and aired on CBS on May 17, 2015 as part of the “I Love Lucy Superstar Special.” Ironically, while this episode of “I Love Lucy” was originally filmed and aired in black and white, “The Adventures of Superman” was filmed in color (starting season 3) but still aired in black and white. This mirrors what happened with “The Lucy Show” in the 1960s, which also filmed its third season in color, but was still aired in black and white. 

“Hollywood at Last!” shared something in common with “Adventures of Superman” – the establishing shot of Los Angeles City Hall. Built in 1927, it remained the tallest structure in the city for more than 30 years and became an icon of Los Angeles. It was prominently featured at the beginning of each episode of “Adventures of Superman.”

George Reeves (Superman) is never mentioned by name in the dialogue or in the original credits. Lucie Arnaz later theorized that this was not to destroy the illusion that Superman was real to the many children who watched the show. In syndication, an announcer credit was added for Reeve. Reeve starred in “Adventures of Superman” from 1952 to 1958, filming one of its six phenomenally successful seasons at RKO, which was purchased by Lucy and Desi and re-named Desilu just a few months after this episode aired. George Reeves at first didn’t want to do this episode, unless he had his stunt man with him, but director James Kern agreed. 

Two of the most iconic and instantly recognizable costumes in television history! Some fans have noticed that the Superman uniform worn by George Reeves on “I Love Lucy” is the second one, the one recreated for their color filming. As “Lucy” was filmed and aired in black and white, the first costume would have photographed better. Ironically, when the episode was colorized in 2015, the blues are quite vivid and the reds come alive. 

Keith Thibodeaux (Little Ricky) later said that this was his very favorite episode.

Because Desilu had obtained the license to use the actual Superman logo, they weren’t shy about using it! They even got permission to use the show’s theme music, composed by Leo Klatzkin. 

Actors who were also seen on “Adventures of Superman” and their (characters) on “I Love Lucy”:

• Doris Singleton (Caroline Appleby)
• Elizabeth Patterson (Mrs. Trumbull)
• Tristram Coffin (Harry Munson)
• Herb Vigran (Jule / Al Sparks / Joe)
• Claude Akins (Himself aka ‘Giant Native’)
• Hayden Rorke (Mr. O’Brien)
• Phil Arnold (Harry Henderson / Man in Hotel Hallway)
• Milton Frome (Bill Henderson)
• Pierre Watkin (Mr. Dorrance)
• Dick Elliott (Tourist at Empire State Building / Yankee Stadium Spectator)
• Maurice Marsac (Maurice / Waiter) 
• Frank J. Scannell (Buffo the Clown)
• Lou Krugman (Hollywood Director / Jewelry Salesman / Club Manager)
• Joi Lansing (Herself / Miss Low Neck)
• Larry Dobkin (Counterman / Waiter / Counterfeiter) 
• Rolfe Sedan (Paris Chef)
• Eve McVeagh (Roberta the Hairdresser)
• Norman Varden (Mrs. Benson)
• Danni Sue Nolan (Mr. Reilly’s Secretary)
• Harry Cheshire (Sam Johnson)
• Ken Christy (Ken the Detective / Dock Agent)
• Robert Foulk (Brooklyn Policeman)
• Sid Melton (Jockey / Bellboy / Shorty)
• Bert Stevens (Tropicana Patron)
• Harold Miller (Theatre Patron / Ship Passenger)
• Hans Moebus (Man on Dock)
• Ernesto Molinari (Vineyard Boss)
• Jack Chefe (Bellhop / French Waiter)
• Bess Flowers (Tropicana Patron / Theatre Patron)
• Monty O’Grady (Ship’s Passenger / Man at Airport)

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As the episode opens, Ricky and Little Ricky are watching “Adventures of Superman” on TV.  Superman fans have said that this excerpt was not from the original series, but created for “I Love Lucy” using Reeve’s double. The wires holding Superman up are clearly visible in the shot and it was commonly known that Reeve disliked using wires because of an incident early in the show’s creation.  

As “Superman” ends, an announcer reminds children that Superman will be appearing in the New York area at Macy’s. The department store was mentioned several times in season six, with a scene taking place there in “Lucy Meets Orson Welles.” The push may have been an attempt by the Tiffany Network to woo the famous Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade away from NBC, a move that failed. 

The Mertzes buy a  box of party supplies for Little Ricky’s birthday. Although Ethel wants them to be a gift, Fred reminds Lucy that they cost $5.32.

Because company is coming, Lucy puts out some nuts in her glass Fostoria ‘American’ Compote Candy Dish. The dish was previously used in “Lucy’s Schedule” and “The Ricardos Are Interviewed.”

When Lucy sends Little Ricky off to bed, she reminds him to say his prayers. This is one of the rare mentions of anything religious on “I Love Lucy.”  This might have been an ad-lib by Lucille Ball, who was not affiliated with any particular church (she married a Catholic and later a Jew), but believed in God.

The Appleby’s come over for a social evening that Ethel calls “the bore war” because the couples only talk about their children.  As the scene opens, Caroline is in mid-sentence talking about a film.

CAROLINE: “And he picked up Marilyn Monroe, slung her over his shoulder and carried her off!”

Although the title is never mentioned, the film they are discussing is Bus Stop, starring Marilyn Monroe and Don Murray. It was released in August 1956, two and a half months before this episode was filmed. Frequent “Lucy” character actor Hans Conried has a featured role in the film.

The episode marks the only appearance of George O’Hanlon as Charlie Appleby. O’Hanlon voiced the patriarch George on the animated series “The Jetsons” (1962-87). Five years earlier his ‘daughter Judy’ (Janet Waldo) had played Peggy on “The Young Fans” (S1;E20).  

When we last saw Charlie in “Baby Pictures” (S3;E5) he was played by Hy Averback, although Charlie had previously been mentioned in “Lucy and Ethel Buy the Same Dress” (S3;E3). Before this episode, Averback returned to the show to play another Charlie, Charlie Pomerantz, in “The Hedda Hopper Story” (S4;E20). Confused?  Not half as much as poor Caroline!  Whichever actor played him, they were both proud of their son, Little Stevie. 

This is the last of ten appearances of Doris Singleton as Caroline Appleby. Singleton would, however, appear on several episodes of “The Lucy Show” and “Here’s Lucy.”  

Oops! Lucy says Little Ricky was born at 11 o’clock in the morning, but in “Lucy Goes to the Hospital” (S2;E16) Ricky is in mid-performance at the Tropicana NIGHTclub when the baby is born! 

Next day, Lucy is picking up after Little Ricky.

His ‘Tricky Trolley’ makes a second appearance after having been seen in the cupboard during “The Ricardo’s Change Apartments” more than three years earlier. At that point Little Ricky was being played by the Mayer Twins. 

Picking up Little Ricky’s toys, Lucy holds one of his “Superboy” comic books. It is the December 1956 issue (#53), hot off the presses during filming. Ironically, on the cover, Superman is looking at television!   Even more ironically, inside the comic book was an ad titled “Draw Bob Hope”. Hope had just appeared on the season opener of “I Love Lucy.”

Lucy asks Ricky to ask Superman to come to Little Ricky’s birthday party. It seems Ricky met him when they were in Hollywood, although this is the first time viewers are hearing about it. 

Oops! When Lucy calls Caroline to tell her the news about Superman, Little Stevie is reading the same issue of “Superboy” that Little Ricky has and Lucy is holding just before the call. Could it be the same copy?  None-the-less, the orientation of the magazine means that the young actor is looking at it sideways!  It appears to be a BB gun ad on the back, a typical comic book sponsor of the period. 

Stevie Appleby was played by Steven Kaye, who the previous year had played Jordan Benedict III (age 4) in the film Giant.  The character of Little Stevie had appeared briefly in two previous episodes, but was played by an unknown child actor. This was the second and final screen credit for Kaye. In addition to reading the magazine sideways, in the above screen shot from the episode he is caught breaking the cardinal rule – looking into the camera!  Didn’t he learn anything working with James Dean? 

Although Kaye’s first name was also Stevie (in a show where Lucy played Lucy), it is a mere coincidence because the character was named three years earlier for “Baby Pictures” (above). The question is – if Little Ricky has a father named Ricky, why does Little Stevie have a father named Charlie? 

Ethel bursts in with her mother’s good silver, hiding it from Fred, who has a trip to the pawn shop in mind. They haven’t been able to rent 3B, the empty apartment down the hall from the Ricardos, and Fred is worried. This is another mention of Ethel’s mother, a character we never meet when we visit “Ethel’s Home Town.” Instead of the silver, Fred wants to pawn his old mandolin, an instrument we never see him playing or hear about again. 

ETHEL: “You won’t get more than fifty cents on that.”
FRED: “Well, fifty cents is two hamburgers, and that’ll keep us eating for another day.” 

Two years earlier, when they ran “The Diner” (above), they were charging fifteen cents for a hamburger. At the time, McDonald’s and other fast food joints were all at the same price – 15 cents. Perhaps Fred is having his burger at someplace fancy?

Hearing that Superman can’t make it (he’s leaving for Terre Haute – or as Ricky says Terry Hoot), Lucy decides to masquerade as ‘the man of steel’ hoping the kids won’t notice. Even Ethel isn’t convinced. 

Lucy has invited ten 5 year-olds to Little Ricky’s party, although only nine little actors (including Stevie) actually show up. They play pin-the-tail on the donkey and London Bridge. Little Stevie keeps his eye on Fred during the game!  William Frawley was said not to be very fond of children. 

This episode also features Madge Blake as Martha, a prospective new tenant who has a fear of heights (so why she’d want to live on a third floor walk-up is a mystery). Blake had already appeared on “I Love Lucy” as hat shop proprietor Mrs. Mulford in “Ricky Loses His Temper” (S3;E19). She also played  Aunt Anastacia in Lucy and Desi’s 1954 film The Long, Long Trailer. 

Martha’s husband Herbert

is played by Ralph Dumke.

His name is not spoken or credited but it is in the original script. A year earlier he had appeared as Henry Opdyke in Lucy and Desi’s film Forever, Darling.

Looking out the window of the empty apartment agoraphobic Martha goes into a panic:

HERBERT: “Was it a bird?”
MARTHA: “No.”

HERBERT:

 “Was it a plane?”
MARTHA: “No.”

HERBERT:

 “Well, what was it, dear?”
MARTHA: “It was Superman!” 

This is the same dialogue exchange that began “Adventures of Superman” opening sequence. 

To appreciate Lucy’s predicament on the ledge, a rare insert shot of her POV is used – including a passing bus and taxi on ‘68th Street’. This isn’t Lucy’s first time out on the ledge. She went out there before to spy on Ricky and the Mertzes in “Lucy Cries Wolf.” 

Oops! In that episode, the ledge only extended to the wall but now it extends around the corner and under the vacant apartment window, an architectural anomaly only possibly on television. 

Navigating the ledge by side-stepping the birds, Lucy has time for a few pigeon jokes. Because she is dealing with the unpredictability of live animals, some of these may have been unscripted:

• “Shoo! Go deliver your messages!” 
• “Why don’t you go to Central Park? There’s a million statues over there.”
• (About the pigeon on her shoulder) “Oh, why don’t you get off and walk?”
• “I wish I knew some pidgin English.”
• “Everybody off! (One flies away) Aw, ya big sissy!”
• “Heard any good stories lately?”
  

Some fans have pointed out that Lucille Ball must have been terrified to do this scene, not because of the heights (she was actually only a few feet above ground), but because of her bird phobia. It supposedly developed at age 4 when her mother told her that her father had died of typhoid.

A picture fell from the wall and there were birds sitting in the window, which she took as a bad omen. Lucy later said in her autobiography, 

“I don’t have a thing about live birds, but pictures of birds get me.”

Oops!  Superman makes an impressive entrance bursting through the kitchen shutters. Unfortunately, Ricky just asked all the kids to close their eyes, so they didn’t see it! 

Because the backdrop and the window were only a few feet apart, Lucy casts a distinct shadow during her specially lit medium shots from inside the apartment. 

Madge Blake did a 1964 episode of “The Lucy Show” before creating the role for which she is best remembered – Aunt Harriet Cooper on TV’s “Batman” (1966-68). This makes her one of the few TV actors who had the distinction of appearing with Superman and Batman, although she shares no scenes with George Reeves. Blake is just one of many actors who appeared on “Lucy” sitcoms and “Batman”.  Their “Batman” roles are in (parentheses). 

“I Love Lucy” and “The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour”

• Tristram Coffin (Ambassador)
• Jerry Mathers (Pop, the Stage Doorman)
• Van Johnson (Minstrel)
• Tallulah Bankhead (Black Widow)
• Ida Lupino (Casandra)
• Howard Duff (Cabala) 
• Edward Everett Horton (Chief Screaming Chicken)
• Allen Jenkins (Little Al)
• Norma Varden (Mrs. Monteagle)
• Milton Berle (Louis the Lilac)
• Alberto Morin (Octave Marbot)
• Dick Kallman (Little Louis Groovy)
• Ben Weldon (Foo Young)
• Jesslyn Fax (Bon  Bon)

“The Lucy Show” and “Here’s Lucy”

• Ethel Merman (Lola Lasagna)
• Rudy Vallee (Lord Marmaduke Ffogg)
• Stafford
  Repp (Chief O’Hara)
• Victor Buono (King Tut)
• Vincent
  Price (Egghead)
• Vito Scotti (Matey Dee)
• Ellen Corby (Mrs. Green)
• Sammy Davis
  Jr. (Himself)
• Art
  Linkletter (Himself)
• Cesar Romero (Joker)
• Alan Hale
  Jr. (Gilligan)
• Shelley Winters (Ma Parker)
• Liberace (Chandell)

This is one of only two times that it rains on “I Love Lucy”, and the only time anyone actually gets wet. The other episode was “In Palm Springs” during season four. This is also one of only two “I Love Lucy” episode to use un-caged birds! The other is “Lucy Raises Chickens”. 

To rescue Lucy from the ledge, Superman easily pushes the Ricardo piano out of the way thanks to special casters that (at the time) were only available in Chicago. One wonders how Lucy so easily loaned the piano to Ethel during when preparing for “Lucy’s Club Dance” two years earlier. 

Oops! The window valance has white fringe on it when seen from the outside, but no fringe when viewed from inside the apartment. The sheers that are normally over the living room window have been removed for this episode leaving only the drapes.

The end credits carried the National Comics copyright for “Superman character, feats, and narration.”

After the closing credits of the original airing, Gale Gordon and Bob Sullivan appeared for a quick promo of “The Brothers” (later changed to “The Box Brothers”) Tuesday nights on CBS. The one-season sitcom was filmed at RKO / Desilu Studios. 

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FAST FORWARD!

Lucy Carmichael inexplicably gets Superman-like strength in “Lucy, the Superwoman,” a 1966 episode of “The Lucy Show.” 

Lucy Carter contends with dozens of pigeons in a 1974 episode of “Here’s Lucy.” 

In November 1995, “Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman” (S3;E6) did a black and white “I Love Lucy” satire in which Clark Kent / Superman was Ricky, saving Lois / Lucy (Terri Hatcher) and the Mertzes from a time bomb!

A “Lucy Meets Superman” skit was performed at the 2012 Superman Celebration in June 2012.

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SELLING SUPERMAN

Dolls by Maria uses a Barbie doll for their one-off Lucy dolls. 

“Lucy Meets Superman” meets “Superman Meets ‘I Love Lucy’“