“Ragtime Band”

(S6;E21 ~ March 18, 1957) Directed by William Asher. Written by Madelyn Martin, Bob Carroll, Jr., Bob Schiller, and Bob Weiskopf. Filmed on February 14, 1957 at Ren-Mar Studios. Rating: 40.2/52

Synopsis ~ Lucy volunteers Ricky to perform at the Westport Historical Society’s annual show. When he refuses, Lucy is determined to form her own ragtime band, starring Ricky Ricardo – Junior!

ETHEL: “Wait’ll they hear the bad news.”
LUCY: “They’ll have to change their name to the Westport Hysterical Society!”

Returning from a meeting of the Westport Historical Society (a real-life group that still is around today), Lucy mentions to Ethel that Betty Ramsey’s husband Ralph will handle the advertising for the program. This makes sense since Ralph is mentioned as being with Burton Warshman and Ramsey, which is likely an ad agency. Grace Munson’s husband Harry (who we met briefly in “Lucy Misses the Mertzes” S6;E17 and will attend the “Country Club Dance” S6;E25) will supply the floral decorations. Although we know little else about him, perhaps we can infer that he is a florist? Finally, Gertrude Foote’s husband will supply the printing of the programs. We never meet the Footes on screen, but her name is the same as one of Lucille Ball’s real-life New York City roommates in the early 1930s.

When Ricky refuses to participate, Lucy reasons that she only promised Ricky Ricardo – not which one!  She recruits her son!

LUCY: “I always believe in having a spare!”

To form her ad-hoc Ragtime Band, Little Ricky is on drums, Ethel plays piano, Fred the violin, and Lucy herself on (of course) saxophone.

This is the first time we hear that Fred can play the violin, although Ethel points out that the last time he played was for a Teddy Roosevelt rally. She is probably exaggerating since Fred would have to have been about 14 at the time.

Ethel claims she only knows “Comin’ Round the Mountain” on piano, when she has always been an extremely adept pianist, including the last time she plays the role of Ethel Mertz in “Lucy Meets the Mustache” (1960) where she sensitively accompanies Edie Adams singing “That’s All.”

The writers almost seem to get amnesia in this episode. Ever since Lucy’s saxophone was introduced early in season 2, she has only ever been able to play “Glow Worm,” but in this episode she claims she can only play “Sweet Sue.” It may have been changed for the sake of a joke:

LUCY: “Don’t blame me if it sounds like Sweet Sue is Comin’ Round the Mountain.”

Sitcom Logic Alert!  In “Little Ricky Gets Stage Fright” (S6;E4, above) ends with Little Ricky and his music school classmates (plus Lucy) performing in a ragtime band at the Club Babalu! Why doesn’t Lucy try to re-assemble that crew?  

When Ricky tries to take a nap before dinner, he instead gets a private appeal by the band members, each praising Little Ricky (and, of course, themselves), but complaining about the other two. This is some of the best writing of the Connecticut episodes:

LUCY: “Fred’s violin sounds like he’s breaking in a new pair of shoes. And what Ethel does to those ivories is enough to make an elephant want to take back his tusks.” 

ETHEL: “Lucy playing the saxophone sounds like a wounded moose calling to its mate. And Fred’s violin? Oh, I make better music when I file my nails.” 

FRED: “The way Ethel hits those piano keys I wouldn’t blame them if they hit her back. And Lucy with that saxophone – it’s a wonder every hog in Westport didn’t answer the call.”

Ricky eventually relents and agrees to perform at the benefit, performing a song from his album, using the rest of the rag-tag ragtime band in the ‘rhythm’ section: Little Ricky on the bongos, Ethel on the cencerros (cowbell), Fred on the quijada (clapper), and Lucy on the cuica (which makes a low ‘mooing’ sound). The tune is the calypso song “Man Smart (Woman Smarter)” written by Norman Span. It was most famously recorded by Harry Belafonte on his studio album “Calpyso” (1956), but it was also later sung live on tour by the Grateful Dead!

Vivian Vance is thinking: “I went to drama school for this?”

Although the title of this episode is “Ragtime Band” it is the Calypso Band that makes the show most memorable!  

Lucy Carmichael also played the cuica in “Lucy and Carol in Palm Springs” (TLS S5;E8) a 1966 episode of “The Lucy Show” featuring Carol Burnett. 

The episode was sponsored by Lilt Home Permanent.