“Lucy’s Last Birthday”

(S2;E25 ~ May 11, 1953) Directed by William Asher. Written by

Jess Oppenheimer, Madelyn Pugh and Bob Carroll, Jr. Filmed April 16, 1953 at General Service Studios. 

Rating: 56.7/86

This episode is based on Lucille Ball’s radio show, “My Favorite Husband” #106 titled "Liz’s Birthday" broadcast November 25, 1950.

Synopsis ~ Lucy doesn’t want a fuss made about her birthday, but she doesn’t want it to be completely forgotten either. When the only one who says she remembers is Mrs. Trumbull, Lucy joins up with a rag-tag group called the Friends of the Friendless, only to discover that Ricky has a huge party planned for her at the Tropicana. 

Ten days before this episode went before the cameras, the Arnaz family was on the cover of LIFE. On the day this episode first aired, the issue on the right hit the newsstands.  

As a way of thanking LIFE for their publicity, the May 11, 1953 issue was featured in “Ricky’s Life Story” (S3;E1) and “The Great Train Robbery” (S5;E5). 

The series celebrated Ethel’s Birthday with a memorable episode, but there is no episode centered around Ricky or Fred’s birthdays. Typical of the 1950s, it was unusual for adult men to publicly celebrate their birthdays. 

Ricky’s birthday present to Lucy is a song called “I Love Lucy.” This is the first and only time we get to hear the lyrics to the theme song. The words were written by Harold Adamson. 

Columbia Records released it on a 45rpm disc in 1953 with “There’s a Brand New Baby at Our House” on the flip-side. 

Other music performed on this episode included “Happy Birthday to You” and the “Friend of the Friendless” original song.  In the first Tropicana scene Ricky is just finishing up rehearsing “The Lady in Red”. The song was sung in full when Lucy and Ethel disguise themselves as scrub women to spy on Renita and Ricky as they rehearse during “Cuban Pals” (S1;E28).  

The fact that this episode aired on May 11th and filmed on April 16th should not infer that either of these dates are supposed to be Lucy Ricardo’s birth date!  In “Lucy’s Mother-in-Law” (S4;E8), Lucy says: 

MIND READER’S ASSISTANT: (whispering) “What’s your birthday?”
LUCY: (whispering) “August the sixth.”
MIND READER’S ASSISTANT: “August the sixth what?”
LUCY: “August the sixth period. He’s a mind reader, let him tell you.”

Lucille Ball’s actual birthday is August 6th, a date when the company was generally on summer hiatus. Although Lucy claims her age is holding at 29, Lucille Ball was actually 41 at the time this episode was filmed.

Instead of a birthday card, Lucy gets is an invitation to attend the opening of Joe’s Delicatessen.  Instead of a birthday present, Ricky gives her his broken watch to be repaired. Waaaaa!

Fred obviously is headed to a jazz club with this busy necktie!  

Ricky’s invitation list to Lucy’s birthday bash includes the Orsattis, the Sedgwicks, the Morgans, and the Van Vlacks. These names were inside references to real-life people Lucy and Desi’s life: 

• Dolores and Victor Orsatti, a producer and talent agent, one of the Arnazes real-life neighbors; 
• Ebba and Edward Sedgwick, the director of “I Love Lucy” and godfather to the Arnaz children; 
• Cleo and Ken Morgan, Lucy’s cousins; 
• Norm and Marion Van Vlack, Lucy’s friends from Jamestown.

The Morgans and the Sedgwicks even appear in the final scene as party guests.

Ed Sedgewick, who would die of a heart attack three weeks later, was just finishing work on the proposed “I Love Lucy” movie.

This is the second of ten appearances by Elizabeth Patterson as Mrs. Trumbull, the Ricardo’s neighbor and Little Ricky’s go-to baby sitter.  Patterson got Lucille Ball right in the eye with this party favor. Ouch!  

Patterson also threw confetti at Lucy Ricardo when she played ‘Mother’ Willoughby in “The Marriage License” (S1;E26). Both times she shouts “Weee!”

At this point, infant Little Ricky is being played by Richard and Ronald Lee Simmons. The insert shot of the baby was done after the studio audience had left. The scene between Lucy and Mrs. Trumbull was likely played with an empty bassinet or with a doll stand-in. 

Lucy always gets hiccups when she cries; she claims that this has been happening ever since she was a little girl. Mrs. Trumbull tells her to hold her breath for 20 seconds.  Unfortunately for Lucy, Mrs. Trumbull has forgotten to wind her watch!  Lucille Ball holds out for just over 30 seconds. 

Most times, hiccups in comedy indicate inebriation, like when “Lucy Does a TV Commercial” (S1;E30) selling Vitameatavegamin, which contained 23% alcohol. 

When questioned if she is sad because she is broke, Lucy replies: 

LUCY: “Oh, I’ve got plenty of money.”
FOF LEADER: “Oh, we’re sure of that.”
LUCY: “No, really!  (Hiccups) I’m loaded.”
FOF LEADER: “We’re sure of THAT, too.”

As the scene opens at the Tropicana, Ricky thanks “Pugh and Carroll – the two greatest contortionists in America today.” This is an inside joke about “I Love Lucy” writers Madelyn Pugh and Bob Carroll, Jr. Desi’s joke likely refers to the fact that the writers tried out all of Lucy’s stunts before they wrote them into the script. 

This is the only time the series visits what appears to be Central Park, which is located just down 68th Street from the Ricardo’s apartment building. This is only the second episode to be set in an exterior location (trees!). The first was “The Marriage License” (S1;E26). More greenery would be used in “The Camping Trip” (S2;E29). In 1961 Lucille Ball played softball in Central Park with the cast of Wildcat and also had an apartment on Central Park South. 

The Friends of the Friendless bears more than a passing resemblance to the Salvation Army Mission Band, most famously depicted in the stage musical and film Guys and Dolls. 

Both bands include a trombonist, bass drum, and a leader in uniform. Even the show’s “Follow the Fold” Mission Band song is similar to the anthem of the FOF! A scene from the MGM film was included in the original airing of “Lucy and The Dummy” in 1955. The Broadway musical’s star Robert Alda would be seen in several episodes of “The Lucy Show.”  

Leading the Friends of the Friendless (FOF) is Byron Foulger. A busy character actor, he would turn up on two episodes of “The Lucy Show” but is perhaps best remembered as the conductor of the Cannonball Express on “Petticoat Junction." 

One member of the FOF steps forward to share his tale of woe, Ransom M. Sherman. His speech sounds purposely rehearsed to reflect a 12 step program veteran. Sherman starred as Herbert Dunstan in the TV series "Father of the Bride” (1961-62), also seen on CBS. 

The only female FOF was Barbara Pepper, another busy character actor who had already appeared in four episodes of the series, and would go on to appear in four more. She met Lucille Ball early in their careers and two remained life-long friends. She is probably best known for playing mother to Arnold Ziffel The Pig in “Green Acres.”  In one 1966 episode she co-starred with fellow FOF Byron Foulger!  

Oops! When the Friends of the Friendless first arrive in the park, Barbara Pepper is wearing a hat. As she passes under a tree, her hat gets caught and it falls off. She doesn’t stop to pick it up and she is hat-less for the remainder of the scene and in her next scene in the Tropicana. 

Double Duty ‘Boner! During the first rehearsal scene, the Ricky Ricardo orchestra has two trombone players, but in the second scene, one of them is missing. He shows up again with the Friends of the Friendless marching band. So as not to draw attention to the doubling – even his conga drum-shaped music stand was removed! 

Vivian Vance gets some comic mileage with just her facial expressions of disbelief and resentment when Ethel has to carry in the huge birthday cake all by herself, with Fred and Ricky standing by and simply admiring the cake, but not helping her at all! 

This is William Hamel’s third and final appearance as the Tropicana Maitre d’. Hamel died in 1958 at age 51. 

Although not mentioned in the script, Jerry Hausner (Jerry the Agent, right) turns up at the party in the final scene. Hausner had been part of the “I Love Lucy” family since the show’s inception despite his role being minimized after the pilot. 

Among the many formally dressed background performers at the Tropicana is Joan Carey (top right above) who later became Lucille Ball’s standby on “The Lucy Show”. Carey turned up in the background of many episodes, especially at the Tropicana.  

The bear that celebrates this episode also has Lucille Ball’s birthday on its foot.  

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FAST FORWARD!

We see Lucy crying a lot during the series, but “Lucy’s Last Birthday” is the only time it triggers hiccups. In “Lucy Takes a Cruise to Havana” (1957), Lucy McGillicuddy tells Susie MacNamara (Ann Sothern) that she doesn’t get the hiccups very often!  

In “Lucy and the Sleeping Beauty” (TLS S4;E9), Lucy Carmichael says she always gets the hiccups when she’s hungry. 

In Lucy Gets a Roommate (TLS S5;E7) Carol Bradford (Carol Burnett) says she always gets the hiccups when she gets nervous.

Lucy Carter celebrates her birthday at a Chinese Restaurant in this 1968 episode of “Here’s Lucy.”  Once again, the traditional song “Happy Birthday To You” is sung – but in Chinese!