(S1;E35 ~ June 9, 1952) Directed by Marc Daniels. Written by
Jess Oppenheimer, Madelyn Pugh and Bob Carroll, Jr. Filmed on May 2, 1952 at General Service Studios. Rating: 54.2/83
Synopsis ~
At Lucy’s urging, Ricky tries to pressure his boss into giving him a raise…only to get him fired. To make things right, Lucy and the Mertzes book every table at the Tropicana and don various disguises only to storm out when they hear Ricky Ricardo is not playing there any more.
This episode is based on “George Tries for a Raise” (#57) from Lucille Ball’s radio series “My Favorite Husband” broadcast October 7, 1949.
This was the final episode of the first season of “I Love Lucy.” Season one contained 35 episodes, more than any other season of a “Lucy” sitcom, although it did not last longer than season two, which broadcast its last new episode on June 29th. The season ended #3 in the ratings, with a 50.9 share.
While rehearsing this episode, Lucy found out she was pregnant again. At first they thought this would mean the end of the show, especially since this was the last episode of the season. It was writer Jess Oppenheimer who came up with the idea that Lucy should be pregnant both on TV and off. Due to Lucy’s pregnancy, they filmed four more episodes before the summer hiatus began. Then they came back in early August to film as many episodes as possible before Lucy’s due date.
In their bedroom preparing for the Littlefields to arrive for dinner, Lucy coaches Ricky on how to ask for a pay increase. As a side note, Lucille Ball wears her hair in a fuller style than in most other episodes.
To visually evoke the fact that Ricky needs a raise, Lucy wears an old house dress and tries sucking in her cheeks to look hungry.
LUCY: “Maybe I ought to suck in my cheeks so he’ll think we don’t get enough to eat.”
The newspaper Ethel holds has an ad for the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus. A few months before this episode was filmed, The Greatest Show on Earth, a Cecil B. DeMille film set at the Ringling Circus, premiered. Lucille Ball was offered a role in this film, which she had to turn down due to her first pregnancy. She did, however, appear in the television version of the film in 1963.
Next to the circus ad is the logo for the Broadway musical Call Me Madam by Irving Berlin – a caricature of its star Ethel Merman. At the time of filming, the show was closing its nearly two-year run on Broadway before launching a national tour at the National Theatre in Washington DC. Vivian Vance was in two Broadway musicals with Merman and the big-voiced star would make two appearances on “The Lucy Show.” It is said that the character of Ethel Mertz was named after Merman.
Jamming the Tropicana’s reservation line, Lucy gets to do her ‘darling’ Tallulah Bankhead voice, something she did (with costumes) in “Lucy Fakes Illness” (S1;E16). The real Tallulah Bankhead would guest star on “The Celebrity Next Door,” the second episode of “The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour” in 1957 and would prove to be one of Lucy’s most difficult co-stars.
Lucy also gets to do her southern accent when reserving for Scarlet Culpepper. In reality, Lucille Ball did a screen test for the role of Scarlet O’Hara in Gone With The Wind (1939). She didn’t get it – nor does Scarlet Culpepper get a reservation. She was beat out by President and First Lady, Harry and Bess Truman, who naturally remain off-screen.
Others who also remain off-camera include Mrs. Ackerman, Mrs. Thompson, and Mrs. Bennett. All of these names were taken from real life. Harry Ackerman was a CBS vice-president and producer who even appeared in “The Audition” (S1;E6) as a sponsor. Maury Thompson was the show’s camera coordinator and he also appeared on camera once in “Lucy Writes a Play” (S1;E17) as the stage manager. Mrs. Bennett is probably a reference to Desi’s camera and lighting stand-in Bennett Green.
The Mertzes enlist the help of Hal King, a quick change artist friend, to supply their get-ups. His name is stenciled on the trunk. In reality Hal King was the show’s make-up artist and brother-in-law of the real Max Factor!
Lucy and the Mertzes change outfits in front of a door reading “Green Supply Company,” in honor of Bennett Green, Desi’s stand-in. The alley wall is decorated with a Red Cross poster. These were common set decoration in the series’ early years. In fact, this same brick wall “flat” with the same poster was seen outside the butcher shop set in “The Freezer” (S2;E29) several weeks earlier.
This is the first and only time in which we see the entrance of the Topicana. Sharp-eyed viewers will note that when Lucy and the Mertzes sashay down the hall, one of the photos on the wall is of glamorous Zsa Zsa Gabor.
Those who do show up do not disappoint!
- Eccentric Countess Blublitzki with Hazel and her escort Fredrika
- Stuffy Mrs. Worthington Proudfoot & Party
- ‘Veddy’ English Mr & Mrs. Miriam Chumley
- Miss McGillicuddy, a gum-chewing, Runyon-esque floozy
Ricky’s replacement is Xavier Valdez, who is billed as ‘King of the Konga.’
Valdez’s first name is the same as Desi Arnaz’s former employer and colleague, Xavier Cugat. His surname is a tribute to Cuban conga artist Miguelito Valdés, a former singer with Cugat’s band who was known as ‘Mr. Babalu’ even before Desi Arnaz’s popularity soared.
This is perhaps the only time we see the Tropicana menu (left). The artwork depicts a tree with Spanish moss hanging off of it, which isn’t especially keeping with the club’s Havana Cuba inspiration (right, from 1951). The menus were probably from the props department storage and not specially made for “I Love Lucy”.
This is the second and final appearance of Alvin and Phoebe Littlefield, who were introduced two episodes prior in “Lucy’s Schedule” (S1;E33). They were played by Gale Gordon and Edith Meisner, respectively. Gale Gordon played Mr. Atterbury on Lucy’s “My Favorite Husband” and was a front-runner for the role of Fred Mertz on “I Love Lucy.” In addition to Mr. Littlefield, he played a Judge in “Lucy Makes Room for Danny,” a 1958 episode of “The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour.” He went on to play Theodore J. Mooney on “The Lucy Show,” Harrison Otis Carter in “Here’s Lucy,” Omar Whittaker in “Lucy Calls The President,” and Curtis McGibbon in “Life with Lucy.”
Edith Meisner made her Broadway debut in 1923 and appeared in more than 20 shows, including The Garrick Gaieties, Sabrina Fair, and The Unsinkable Molly Brown. In 1941 she appeared in the musical Let’s Face It! co-starring Vivian Vance.
The exasperated Maurice, the Tropicana Maitre D’, is played by Maurice Marsac. Born in France in 1915, it was only natural that he return as the waiter who serves Lucy snails in “Paris at Last” (S5;E18). Marsac earns a spontaneous round of applause from the studio audience after his skillfully juggling of the Tropicana’s two-line reservation system.
Oops! Announcer Roy Rowan’s voice-over credits state that “the role William was played by Maurice Marsac.“ According to the original script, the character portrayed by was actually supposed to be named ‘William’ but Gale Gordon addressed him as ‘Maurice’.
Uncredited background artist William H. O’Brien, who plays the Tropicana waiter. O’Brien had done six films with Lucille Ball between 1934 and 1949. A second waiter goes unidentified and uncredited.
When originally broadcast there was an epilogue featuring Lucy and Desi appearing as themselves to directly address the audience. They sit on a packed trunk and announce they’re leaving on summer vacation. They encourage the audience to watch the summer replacement series “My Little Margie” and to smoke the cigarettes of their sponsor, Philip Morris. This tag scene was only shown in its original broadcast but is included as a special feature on the DVD set. When “I Love Lucy” returned for season two in the fall, “Margie” moved to Saturday nights for a second season. That first episode of season two starred Kathryn Card, who would go on to play Lucy Ricardo’s mother, Mrs. McGillicuddy. "My Little Margie” moved to NBC for its final two seasons, ending in May 1955.
FAST FORWARD
The humor of seeing Fred in female drag was only matched by seeing Ricky’s entire band dressed as women in “Lucy’s Club Dance” (S3;E25).
Lucy also tried to help Ricky’s career (but got him fired instead) by disguising herself as Miss McGillicuddy in “Ricky Needs an Agent” (S4;E29). Like this 1952 episode, she is successful, until the twist ending!
Two years later, in “The French Revue” (S3;E7), Lucy tries to sneak into the Tropicana, so she adopts a disguise that look very much like Mrs. Worthington Proudfoot!
In a 1967 episode of “The Lucy Show,” Lucy Carmichael tries to earn a raise by foiling a bank robbery. Unfortunately, she only ends up getting Mr. Mooney (Gale Gordon) wet!
In 1969, Harry refuses to give Lucy a raise so she goes on strike, along with all the other secretaries in the building, including Mary Wickes!
In 1971, Lucy Carter fainted when Harry (Gale Gordon) told her she was getting a $50 raise in “Lucy’s Bonus Bounces” (S4;E16).
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