“Lucy Gets Into Pictures”

(S4;E19 ~ February 21, 1955) Directed by William Asher. Written by

Jess Oppenheimer, Madelyn Pugh and Bob Carroll, Jr. Filmed December 16, 1954 at Ren-Mar Studios. Rating: 51.7/68

Synopsis ~ Lucy finally gets her chance – she lands a part as a murdered showgirl in a Hollywood movie!  But can she navigate the headpiece and her need for publicity? 

As the episode opens, Lucy is mailing postcards home to brag about her (non-existent) film career.

Oops! In a rare blooper by Desi Arnaz, Ricky mentions Lillian Appleby rather than Carolyn Appleby. The character was named Lillian in her first appearance but re-named Carolyn thereafter. 

The error was carried out on the prop postcard used on the show, which recently came up for bid on Ebay. It sold for over $1,200!  Interestingly, the postcard credits “Color by Geo. E. Watson”.  George Watson was also the name of the unseen barber shop quartet singer that Lucy replaces in “Lucy’s Show-Biz Swan Song” (S2;E12). 

Ricky tries to talk Lucy out of wanting to be in movies by telling her to take adavantage of all that California has to offer.  Somehow it works!  Lucy remembers that she wanted to see Catalina, Pismo Beach, and Palm Springs. 

RICKY: “Palm Springs! Even the President vacations there!”

President Dwight D. Eisenhower purchased a home there in February 1954 for the same reason that Desi Arnaz did – to play golf.  They both played at Thunderbird Country Club, where Arnaz had a home near the 17th fairway. On the series, the gang are “In Palm Springs” just six weeks later where they meet movie star Rock Hudson. 

Thanks to a chance meeting with former vaudeville partner Jimmy O’Connor, even the Mertzes are now making movies – a gay ‘90s picture. 

The last straw for Lucy is when Bobby the Bellboy (Bob Jellison) announces he’s got a line in a picture, too! 

To console her, Bobby reminds Lucy that country singer Champ Butler was discovered parking cars and Dorothy Lamour was once a department store elevator operator (both true). When she hears that Lana Turner was discovered sitting on a stool at nearby Schwab’s drugstore, Lucy decides to head down there and find fame! 

She doesn’t get discovered, but she does end up eating three chocolate malts, two hot-fudge sundaes, a pineapple soda, and a banana split. Sadly, there is no actual scene set at Schwab’s, we just hear about it upon her return. 

Schwab’s Pharmacy was a drug store located on Sunset Boulevard and was a popular hangout for movie actors and industry deal makers from the 1930’s through the 1950’s. Schwab’s also had a soda fountain serving ice cream and light meals. Unfortunately, it is just Hollywood legend that actress Lana Turner was discovered at Schwab’s. It was actually at another Sunset Boulevard establishment, the Top Hat Café. Schwab’s closed its doors in October 1983 and five years later, it was demolished to make way for a shopping center and movie theater.

At the start of scene two, Ricky is reading Variety when Fred and Ethel return from the studio.  The headline is: 

LOVE THOSE U.S. PIX ABROAD

In ‘Varietyese’ this translates that American movies are financially successful internationally. 

Fred tells Ricky that while they were trying on their gay ‘90s wardrobe, Ethel was accused of stealing a bustle!  This is a joke about the size of Ethel’s hips. A similar joke about Ethel and bustles was used in “Pioneer Women” (S1;E25). 

Feeling sorry for Lucy, Ricky prevails upon Frank Williams, a director friend of his, to give Lucy a bit part as a show girl who is gunned down during a Ziegfeld-like routine choreographed to “A Pretty Girl Is Like a Melody." The song was written by Irving Berlin in 1919 and became the theme song of Broadway’s Ziegfeld Follies. 

However, the song was not included in the 1946 MGM film Ziegfeld Follies, which starred Lucille Ball wearing a similar pink-feathered costume. Instead, it ended up in Paramount’s Blue Skies starring Fred Astaire, also in 1946. 

Lucy had previously cavorted around in a lampshade humming the tune in both the unaired pilot and “The Audition” (S1;E6). 

Frank Williams, the director, was played by Lou Krugman, who was born in Passaic, New Jersey, in 1914. After this episode was filmed, Lucy sent him a telegram telling him how impressed she was with his acting. She rewarded him with appearances in “The Great Train Robbery,” “Lucy and Bob Hope,” and “Lucy Meets Orson Welles” as well as three episodes of "The Lucy Show.”

Ricky tells the director “She thinks she’s playing Camille. She’s been practicing dying all day long!”  Ricky is referring to the tragic heroine of Camille, a 1936 MGM film based on the 1848 novel and 1852 play La Dame aux Camélias by Alexandre Dumas, fils. The film starred Greta Garbo, Robert Taylor, and Lionel Barrymore. In “The Dancing Star” (S4;E27) during the song "How About You?” Van Johnson sings about “Greta Garbo’s looks” to which Lucy ad libs “Did you see ‘Camille’?”

As Ricky leaves Lucy on the set, he says that he is going to a meeting with Mr. Minnelli, an obvious reference to Vincente Minelli (Liza’s dad), who had just directed Lucy and Desi in 1953’s The Long, Long Trailer for MGM. But the episode is probably best remembered for Lucy’s haphazard navigation of an overly-large headdress. 

Nick, the stagehand who brings Lucy the huge headdress is played by Louis Nicoletti, who appeared in many episodes, and also worked on the other side of the camera. 

After several unsuccessful takes, the director decides to begin the scene after the show girl is shot and the body is covered and taken away on a stretcher. 

When Lucy slides down the banister to come face to face with Mr. Richards, the stunt is helped by Lucille Ball riding a piece of fabric down the well-polished banister.  

LUCY (to Director): “I tripped on my train. It was sort of a train trip.”

One of the other showgirls is named Maggie and has been reported to have been played by Onna Connor. 

LUCY: “Wouldn’t you like to see me die?”
DIRECTOR: “Don’t tempt me.” 

One of the two orderlies who wheel out Lucy on the stretcher is played by Bennett Green, Desi’s camera and lighting stand-in and frequent day player. 

Clever Lucy assures that her friends will still know it is her by writing her name on the underside of her shoes! When Mattel made a Barbie doll for this episode, they even remembered to include this funny little detail!

FAST FORWARD!  

On December 2, 2016, CBS aired a colorized version of the episode, pairing it with “The ‘I Love Lucy’ Christmas Show.”

In Fall 1962, Lucille Ball and Lou Krugman reprised the scene of Lucy coming down the staircase with a large headdress in a CBS Opening Night Special. 

Ten years later, Lucy Carmichael tried unsuccessfully to manage an extremely large headdress in “Lucy Helps Danny Thomas” (TLS S4;E7). 

Just as in this episode, Lucy’s naïve ambition is her undoing!  

Lucy would later do an impromptu fashion show to the song “A Pretty Girl Is Like A Melody” on an episode of “Here’s Lucy” in 1968.

PURCHASING ‘PICTURES’!

The dress Lucy wears in this opening scene was later recreated by The Franklin Mint for one of their porcelain dolls. Lucy is seen wearing this dress many times throughout seasons 3 and 4.