“Ricky’s Screen Test”

(S4;E7 ~ November 15, 1954) Directed by William Asher. Written by

Jess Oppenheimer, Madelyn Pugh and Bob Carroll, Jr. Filmed September 26, 1954 at Ren-Mar Studios. Rating: 45.0/63

Synopsis ~ During his screen test for the role of Don Juan, Lucy can’t help but try to upstage her husband!   

The date this episode first aired, venerable actor Lionel Barrymore died at age 76.  Just eight months earlier, Barrymore appeared with Lucy and Desi on the “MGM 30th Anniversary Tribute” hosted by Ed Sullivan. 

At the start of the episode, Lucy is giving an uncooperative Little Ricky (the Mayer Twins) impromptu acting and dancing lessons hoping he’ll be the next Jackie Coogan. She does a quick soft shoe while humming “The Sidewalks of New York”, a song composed in 1894 by vaudeville actor and singer Charles B. Lawlor.

Jackie Coogan was one of the biggest child stars of the 1920s. He married Betty Grable (also mentioned in this episode) in 1937. Although he never appeared on “I Love Lucy,” he made two guest appearances on “The Lucy Show” as well as the 1975 special “Lucy Gets Lucky.” He is probably best remembered as Uncle Fester on “The Addams Family” (1964-66). Unfortunately, this improvised little scene between mother and son was cut from syndication and has only recently resurfaced.

After this short scene, the baby is pawned off on Mrs. Trumbull, who does not appear in this episode.  Another unseen character is Marge, one of Lucy’s favorite phone-a-friends. When talking on the phone to someone to relate a plot point, Lucille Ball would generally direct her comments to “Marge”.  On her radio show “My Favorite Husband” there was a character named Marge Van Tassel, which is possibly where the name is derived from.  

In the episode, a long list of Hollywood names are dropped including:

• Bing Crosby
• Louella Parsons
• Hedda Hopper (“I adore that hat!”)
• Clark Gable
• Grauman’s Chinese Theatre
• The Brown Derby
• Romanoff’s
• Alan Ladd
• Marilyn Monroe
• Ava Gardner
• Jane Russell
• Betty Grable
• Yvonne De Carlo
• Arlene Dahl
• Lana Turner

Out of all these, Lucy visits both Grauman’s and the Brown Derby, but only get to meet one of the stars – Hedda Hopper (that we see, that is).  Ricky lunches at Romanoff’s but no scenes are set there. They will eventually meet Betty Grable, but that won’t be until 1958 on “The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour.” 

Lucy reads in a movie magazine that there is a vacant lot next to Clark Gable and dreams of living there and swimming in her in-the-ground pool in the shape of a conga drum! The magazine used on air is the November 1954 issue of Modern Screen with Debbie Reynolds on the cover. Coincidentally, Louella Parsons, who Lucy mentions in her Hollywood reverie, is also mentioned on the cover.

The dialogue of the screen test scene is the same dialogue Ricky practiced in “Ricky’s Movie Offer” (S4;E6).

SIGNORA LORENZO: “Hark! Do I hear a footfall? Is that you, Don Juan?”
DON JUAN: “Yes, it is I, O lovely one. Would that I had the power to tell you what is in my heart tonight.”
SIGNORA LORENZO:
“What do you mean, my dearest?”
DON JUAN: “I have come to say farewell.“
SIGNORA LORENZO:
“No, say not so.”
DON JUAN: “Would that I could ask you to fly with me, but I know that you’re devoted to your husband, Count Lorenzo.”
SIGNORA LORENZO:
“Yes, much as I love you, I must stay with him. He is old and feeble and he needs me.”
DON JUAN: “But for him, I would sweep you into my arms and carry you over yon garden wall.”
SIGNORA LORENZO: “Oh, that I could cut these ties that bind me!”
DON JUAN: “Do not cry, my dearest. It was not meant to be. I had no right to win your heart. I had no chance to win your love. So, now, I’m afraid I must say farewell."

Lucy reads that Variety reports that Ricky’s Don Juan is scheduled to have a $3 million budget and be filmed in color. Errol Flynn played Don Juan in Adventures of Don Juan in 1948, which was also in color and budgeted at 3.5 million dollars. Douglas Fairbanks played the character in 1934, and John Barrymore was in a 1926 version that featured a young Hedda Hopper, before she turned to journalism!

Oops!  Desi seems to have ‘cheat sheet’ affixed to his copy of Variety, doubtless so that he could read the names of the starlets correctly and get the joke right.  

…and the rest is motion picture history! 

When Lucy’s acting ambitions get out of control and she thinks she’s sure to be discovered, Fred calls her “the next John Bunny.”  John Bunny (1863-1915) was one of the first movie stars of silent films, as well as an early example of celebrity. At one time he was billed as "the man who makes more than the President”.  

Lucy manages to get a part in Ricky’s screen test. There is a smattering of applause and a “weeee” from the studio audience when Lucy enters the sound stage in her costume.

Before doing the scene with Lucy, Ricky is filmed performing “Canta Guittara” in Spanish and playing the guitar, with two uncredited back-up vocalists and guitar players standing to his side. “Canta Guitarra” was written by

Ángel Ortiz de Villajos, Alfonso Jofre de Villegas, and Mariano Bolaños. 

The Director is played by mild-mannered Clinton Sundberg, who had appeared in MGM musicals like Annie Get Your Gun (1950), Easter Parade (1948), In the Good Old Summertime (1949), and The Barkleys of Broadway (1949). Not coincidentally, Ricky’s Don Juan will also be an MGM production. The slate (clapstick) says that the director of the test is named Aldworth. Jack Aldworth was the Assistant Director of this episode of “I Love Lucy.” Curiously, the slate lists Empire Productions as the company filming the screen test. The cameraman is listed as Wester. 

The loud, barking Assistant Director (“Roll ‘em!”) is played by Ray Kellogg, who later appeared in “Bullfight Dance” (S4;E22), seven episodes of “The Lucy Show,” and two of “Here’s Lucy” (most all of them as policemen). The Clapstick Man (Allan Ray) was also in “Hollywood at Last” (S4;E16) and “Nursery School” (S5;E9), plus four appearances on “The Lucy Show.”  Louis Nicoletti, a frequent background player and Desilu staffer, played the boom (microphone) man. 

Blooper alert!  When the Director is yelling at Lucy, you can catch a glimpse of the the cabinets and refrigerator of the Ricardo kitchen over his right shoulder!

Although Lucy is only supposed to “fid” Ricky the lines and not show her face, naturally she finds a way to get some prime camera time. 

The episode ends in true vaudeville comedy style – with Ricky in his underwear! Ricky also lost his trousers at the end of “The Pleasant Peasant” in “The Operetta” (S2;E5).

FAST FORWARD

Little Jackie Coogan grew up to play a disagreeable tenant of Lucy Carter’s on a 1973 episode of “Here’s Lucy.”