(S3;E20 ~ March 1, 1954) Directed by William Asher. Written by Jess Oppenheimer, Madelyn Pugh, and Bob Carroll, Jr. Filmed on January 28, 1954 at Ren-Mar Studios. Rating: 58.5/83
“If I want to see old movies, I’ll watch television.”
Synopsis ~ When his feelings get hurt that no one is interested in his home movies, Ricky refuses to include Lucy, Fred and Ethel in his new TV pilot film. Lucy, however, has a plan to get into the action anyway!
The day this episode first aired, actor / director Ron Howard was born in Oklahoma. At the age of six he created the role of Opie in “The Andy Griffith Show” which was filmed on the Desilu backlot. Howard shared the screen with Keith Thibodeaux (Little Rick), who did several episodes of “Andy Griffith” after “I Love Lucy” had ended. In 1978, Lucille Ball and Howard both appeared on the dais on an “AFI Salute To Henry Fonda.”
The episode opens in the recently redecorated Mertz apartment (S3;E8). Setting more scenes at the Mertzes’ was one of the goals of the redecoration.
As
an old Cuban philosopher once said “We have plugged in the electric
blanket, now let’s take the snooze.”
The episode continues the themes established in “Baby Pictures” (S3;E5) – except with moving pictures. Home movie technology was new in the 1950s, but that doesn’t stop Ricky. Although the Mayer Twins play Little Ricky in this episode, their footage was previously shot.
Hoping Ricky won’t show his movies, Fred starts babbling about how he recently bought an “all-around strawberry soda,” meaning the sweet treat contained both strawberry flavoring and strawberry ice cream. In “Redecorating” (S2;E8, above photo) Fred and Ricky are at the corner drugstore and Fred orders a double chocolate malted. Clearly Fred has quite a sweet tooth! Note the prominent advertising for the series’ main sponsor, Philip Morris.
Oops! Lucy says that she visited a movie studio in Hollywood once, but when the California trip is planned in season 4, she says she’s never been there before!
Lucy and the Mertzes turn the Ricardo apartment into a mini movie studio to film their own Western musical drama to show to “the most powerful man in show business, Mr. Bennett Green.” In reality, Bennett Green was the name of Desi’s stand-in! He also made 20 appearances on the show as well as “The Lucy Show” (inset photo), but in this instance the character is played not by Green, but by Stanley Farrar. Farrar would return to play the Ferry Officer in “Staten Island Ferry” (S5;E12) as well as appear in two episodes of “The Lucy Show.” In 1964 he was in the TV movie Mr. & Mrs. starring Lucille, Gale Gordon, and Bob Hope.
Her home movie starts musically with “I’m an Old Cow Hand (from the Rio Grande),” a song written by Johnny Mercer for the film Rhythm on the Range and originally sung by Bing Crosby. The Western Writers of America chose it as one of the Top 100 Western songs of all time. Irving Bacon, who would play Ethel’s father in “Ethel’s Hometown” (S4;E15), played a rodeo announcer in the film.
In their Western skit, Lucy plays a cowboy named Tex and Ethel is named Nevada. Clips of Ricky singing “Vaya con Dios” are from “Lucy and Ethel Buy the Same Dress” (S3;E3), performed just prior to Lucy and Ethel singing “Friendship.”
When Ricky warns that Mr. Green will only have time to watch one film, Lucy decides to edit them both together, even including some footage of Little Ricky. Not being an experienced film editor, the result is a horrible mess. Surprisingly, Mr. Green loves it! Parts of both home movie reels, Ricky’s original baby clips, and the messed-up end product, were cut shorter for syndication. The DVD restores the full scenes.
Technical Technicalities! The camera equipment Lucy uses to make her Western drama is an 8mm camera, the type used for home movies in the 1950s. Later, when she is seen editing the film, it is 16mm. When Fred sees the setup, he points to one machine that he calls a projector and asks what it is for. Lucy explains that it’s one of those “new ones”, that records the sound right on the film. Sound on film, while rare on home movies in the 1950s, would have been recorded in the camera, not on the projector.
The prop that Lucy uses is a Bell & Howell 200 movie camera.
When Lucy later edits her film, it is a Bell & Howell / B&H 75-175-A editor film type AN-1.
ETHEL: (About Ricky’s home movies) “We’d really like to see them, but it hurts our eyes on that wrinkled old sheet you use for a screen.”
Ricky surprises everyone by proudly producing a brand new home movie screen. It is a Radiant DeLuxe Champion home movie screen.
It was advertised at a price of $15 and described as made from a new glass beaded fabric called Vyna-Flect “which overcomes the hazards of fire and mildew”.
The Finished Film!
Due to logistics, this episode was filmed without an audience. Once the gag reel of Ricky’s audition had been created, the entire episode was shown to an audience and their laughter recorded for the final broadcast.
“We say a fond farewell to the Ricardo apartment and it’s charming inhabitants. This is a Ricky Ricardo production! Bom bom bom bom bom bom!”
FAST FORWARD
In a 1965 episode of “The Lucy Show” titled “Lucy the Stunt Man” (TLS S4;E5), Lucy Carmichael goes in disguise as a stuntman in a cowboy film. Lucille Ball’s make-up and costume are eerily reminiscent of Tex in “Home Movies”. The image of Lucy Carmichael chewing tobacco made its way into the series’ opening credits!
In a 1970 episode of “Here’s Lucy” titled “Lucy, The American Mother” (HL S3;E7) Lucy Carter’s son Craig (Desi Arnaz Jr.) becomes obsessed by making home movies. He recruits his Uncle Harry (Gale Gordon) as his director.
In 1993, Lucille Ball’s daughter Lucie Arnaz put together an award-winning documentary about her mother and father titled “Lucy and Desi: A Home Movie” utilizing home movie footage of the Arnaz family.
Papermoon Loves Lucy 
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