“The Mustache”

(S1;E23 ~ March 17,1952) Directed by Marc Daniels. Written by

Jess Oppenheimer, Madelyn Pugh, and Bob Carroll, Jr. Filmed on February 8, 1952 at General Service Studios. Rating: 58.6/81

Synopsis ~ Ricky decides to grow a mustache to impress a talent agent so Lucy retaliates by gluing on a full beard. After Ricky gives in and shaves, Lucy’s beard won’t come off! 

In reality, it was not uncommon for Latin men to have mustaches. Desi Arnaz, however, was clean-shaven for his entire career.

Ethel references her grandparents and says that her grandfather had a handlebar mustache.

Naturally, the episode is full of ‘beard’ references, comparing Lucy to: 

• Santa Claus 
• the Smith Brothers (of cough drop fame)
• actor Monty Woolley (of “The Man Who Came To Dinner”)
• a bearded lady in the circus 
• Uncle Sam (US Armed Forces recruitment poster image)
• a Billy and a Nanny goat!  (not pictured)

Lucy refers to Ricky’s mustache as a ‘cookie-duster’ and asks if he’s using Vigoro, a popular lawn care product designed to grow grass! 

LUCY: “Of course, we can always get mustache cups marked his and hers.”

Mustache cups were popular during the Victorian era when most men had mustaches and beards. The cups had a built-in protective span to keep mustaches dry while drinking tea or coffee. 

To affix her beard, Fred mistakenly gives Lucy Bulldog Cement #3, thinking he is giving her spirit gum. Spirit gum is made mostly of SD Alcohol 35-A (the solvent, or “spirit”) and resin (the adhesive, or “gum”), used primarily for affixing costume prosthetics such as wigs or false facial hair. It has been manufactured since at least the 1870s, and has long been a standard tool where prosthetic makeup is used. Unfortunately for viewers, only those in show business know what Fred is referring to!  

The name of the movie Ricky hopes to audition for is called Moon Over Baghdad, an Arabian nights-style Technicolor extravaganza. This is the first time we get a hint of Ricky’s movie aspirations, which will eventually take the foursome to Hollywood in season 4. Through tenuous connections (“My agent has a friend whose brother-in-law knows the talent scout’s wife.”), Ricky invites the man home and instantly pulls out his scrap book bragging about his first stage appearance in Too Many Girls. In real life, Desi Arnaz made his Broadway debut in this musical. He also did the film version, which is where he met Lucille Ball. 

Ricky also brags that he also appeared at the Copacabana. The Copacabana was one of New York’s top nightclubs.

The Copa had Brazilian décor and Latin-themed orchestras, although the menu featured Chinese food. The club was also known for its chorus line of Copacabana Girls, who had pink hair and elaborate sequined costumes, mink panties and brassieres, and fruited turbans!

The night spot was mentioned in the very first episode of “I Love Lucy”. In real-life, Desi Arnaz did play the Copa, and he and Lucy were often photographed there. 

Ricky then serenades Mr. Murdoch with “I’ll See You in C-U-B-A” using the phonograph in place of an orchestra. The song by Irving Berlin was introduced in The Greenwich Village Follies in 1919. It will be sung again in “Ricky’s Contract” (S4;E10, above photo) two years later. 

After that, Murdoch is inundated with auditions from Fred and Ethel (as a snake charmer and harem girl), as well as a bearded Lucy doing the dance of the seven veils – one of which strategically draped over her whiskers! The neighbors introduce themselves as: 

ETHEL: “Ethel Mertz, former star of musical comedy. Can sing, dance, act and do voices; have wardrobe, will travel.” 

FRED: “Freddy Mertz, formerly of Mertz and Kurtz – Famous vaudevillians: Soft shoe, tap dancing, and smart quips.” 

We will meet Fred’s former partner in “Mertz and Kurtz” (S4;E5). Fred also reminds us that the last vaudeville gig he played was a split week in Peoria in 1925. “Will it play Peoria?” was a common phrase that originated during the vaudeville era and was popularized in movies by Groucho Marx. The belief was that if a new show was successful in Peoria, Illinois, a common Midwestern stop for vaudeville acts, it would be successful anywhere. The phrase was later appropriated by politicians and others as a euphemism for appealing to mainstream America.

After being subjected to a variety of acts in the Ricardo living room, Mr. Murdoch exclaims “What is this? A stranded Major Bowes unit?”  This is a reference to Edward Bowes, a former military man (hence the title) who became a popular amateur hour host on TV and CBS radio. He sent scouting units out across the country to find talent for his programs. 

Mr. Murdoch, the much put-upon talent agent, is played by John Brown, who was the second of four actors to play the role of Harry Morton (husband of Blanche, played by Bea Benaderet) on “The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show” in 1951. He first came to fame as friendly undertaker ‘Digger’ O’Dell on the radio show “The Life Of Riley” starring William Bendix. He repeated the role on television when Jackie Gleason played Riley, but when Bendix returned to the show in season 2, Brown’s character was written off because he had been blacklisted as a communist sympathizer (not unlike Lucy herself nearly was). He died suddenly in 1957 at the age of 53.

Ricky uses an electric shaver to remove the mustache. The logo on the shaver can be seen in the screen capture above and it looks like a Schick 20 Electric Razor, which was heavily advertised the year this episode was filmed.  

In the episode’s final scene, Lucy has finally managed to remove her whiskers and Ricky lands a screen test for Moon Over Baghdad, although we never hear anything about it again, even when he tests for Don Juan in season 4.  There’s also an offer for Lucy.

LUCY: “I don’t care what they pay me. I am not going to play the part of your father!” 

Visiting Lucy backstage the night this show was filmed were actors J. Carroll Naish and Bob Cummings. Both were preparing new situation comedies for fall. Naish would star in “Life with Luigi” on CBS (in the time slot immediately following “I Love Lucy”), and Cummings in “My Hero” on NBC. Lucy (still in her harem costume) had just slathered her face with cold cream to counteract the effects of the glue for the beard.

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FACE FURNITURE FAST FORWARD

A pregnant Lucy Ricardo chooses a barbershop quartet as her ‘swan song.’  In this song, everyone dons fake mustaches!

Lucy and Ethel both glue on fake mustaches to go to a stag party – aka ‘Daddy Shower’ – although their disguises don’t fool Ricky and Fred! 

Lucy glues on a mustache to play a cowboy in her “Home Movies” (S3;E20) in 1954.  

At the start of season 6, to disguise herself as a hot dog seller at Yankee Stadium, Lucy draws on a pencil mustache hoping Hope will not recognize her. 

The comparison of Lucy to Santa Claus came true with “The I Love Lucy Christmas Special” (1956) as well as the Christmas tag that was added as early as 1951.

Lucy needs to blend in with other jockeys in “Lucy Wins A Racehorse” (1958). 

Facial hair will again be major part of the storyline (and the title) of 1960’s “Lucy Meets the Mustache,” the final episode of “The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour.” In this case, the mustaches belonged to TV comic Ernie Kovacs AND Lucy – who disguises herself as his chauffeur.

Trying to get the attention of the Westinghouse dealer (Ross Elliot) during his tour of Desilu Studios, Lucille Ball disguises herself as a set painter! 

During a quick change sketch on “The Danny Kaye Show”, Lucy gets confused backstage…

…and can’t keep her mustaches (or characters) right!

In 1963′s “Lucy and the Little League” (TLS S1;E28) both Lucy and Viv don facial hair to go undercover at their sons’ ball game!

When Lucy Carmichael poses as Iron Man the stunt performer, she adopts facial hair. 

Iron Man Carmichael returns – this time playing a pirate!

To blend in with a bagpipe band, Lucy taps her Scottish roots!  

Vindictive Viv paints a mustache on the Mona Lucy when the two vie for the same art-loving gentleman. 

To keep a watchful eye on a temp secretary who may want her job, Lucy Carmichael goes undercover as Jose, the rug cleaner!

Lucy Carmichael and Mr. Mooney get parts in Bob Crane’s new film – playing German soldiers!

Early on “The Lucy Show” Lucy Carmichael put on one of the most famous mustaches in movie history!  It was so successful, she revived her Chaplin impression several more times. 

Lucy Carter applies an impromptu Groucho-style mustache made of grease when she goes as an undercover construction worker.

To get access to comedian Flip Wilson, Lucy Carter dresses up as one of the three musketeers!  

In 2001, a Polish remake loosely based on “I Love Lucy” titled “Kocham Klara” (”I Love Clara”), presented “Mustache” loosely based on this episode and co-written with the cooperation of the original “I Love Lucy” writers.  

 Synopsis: Kuba grows a mustache because he is counting on the main role in the movie “Jump the Fence”, an American blockbuster about the life of Lech Wałęsa. Klara thinks that Kuba looks idiotic with a mustache and demands that he shave it off immediately, and for the film he puts on an artificial one. Jan, who along with Hanna has been drawn into a family quarrel, brings the fake mustache he used to play at school academies. Klara puts on a fake mustache and blackmails Kuba that he won’t peel them off until Kuba shaves his own. Kuba gives in and shaves his mustache. Unfortunately, the mustache on Klara won’t come off.