“Deep-Sea Fishing”

(S6;E7 ~ November 19, 1956) Directed by James V. Kern. Written by Madelyn Martin, Bob Carroll, Jr., Bob Schiller and Bob Weiskopf. Filmed September 27, 1956 at Ren-Mar Studios.

Rating: 47.1/65

Synopsis ~ While visiting Miami Beach, Lucy and Ethel over-spend in the shops. In order to cover their losses they make a bet with Ricky and Fred that they can catch the bigger fish. Both sexes have back-up plans in the form of a store-bought 100 pound tuna!  

When planning season 6, Desi Arnaz originally announced that the group would visit New Orleans, but the writers changed their mind to make it Miami Beach and Havana instead. 

Ricky’s love of deep-sea fishing was previously mentioned in “Lucy and the Dummy” (S5;E3). In Hollywood, MGM asks Ricky to perform for studio executives, but he declines, saying he wouldn’t miss his ‘dipsy’ [‘deep-sea] fishing trip for the world. Although we don’t see Ricky doing any ‘dipsy’ fishing, we do see dipsy Lucy ‘deep at sea’ while performing with ‘Raggedy Ricky’ for the MGM brass.

After fleeing Cuba in 1934, a 17 year-old Desi Arnaz called Miami home. This trip to Miami Beach has the gang staying at the luxurious Eden Roc Resort Miami Beach, quite a step up from the poverty of Desi’s youth. Located at 4525 Collins Avenue, the real-life resort is still in operation today.

Ricky’s love of fishing was worked into early scripts, even those set in the apartment building!  Being from Cuba, Desi particularly loved fishing and boats, so this episode really appealed to him. 

At the start of the episode, Lucy and Ethel come back from shopping laden down with packages. The box with the thatched pattern is from Saks Fifth Avenue, which opened a resort branch (only open seasonally) in Miami Beach starting in 1929. Boxes from Saks were seen on camera frequently during season six. 

Lucy spent $68, which depletes her clothing allowance for the next eight weeks. Ethel spent $72. Allowing for inflation, that’s like spending more than $1,300 today!  

Oops!  After Lucy utters those famous words “I have a plan” she briefly ‘steps on’ Viv’s next line “I’m still recuperating from your last plan.”  

Although Lucy and Desi had actually visited Miami the previous summer, this episode utilizes extensive second unit footage using doubles for the cast.

After Lucy and Ethel confirm their plan, the scene cross fades to second unit footage of a yellow cab pulling up to Miami’s Pier 5 (”World’s Finest Fishing Fleet”) next to Tradewinds Restaurant, and Lucy and Ethel (played by their body doubles) getting out of the cab.  

Miami’s Pier 5 has changed a lot in sixty years, but there is still a sail fish atop a Pier 5 sign!

Although the original Tradewinds Restaurant is no longer there, a new restaurant opened in 2007 on the same spot named Tradewinds Bar & Grill.  Obviously, dolphin is no longer on the menu!  The Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) of 1972 prohibits the catching and consumption of dolphins in U.S. waters and by U.S. citizens on the high seas.  

With their tuna in tow, Lucy and Ethel discover that they cannot stow their fish in the hotel freezer, as previously planned.

LUCY: “Is it my fault that there’s a convention here and they just made 200 ice cream molds in the shape of a Shriner’s hat?”

The Shriner’s were known for their sometimes boisterous conventions. Fred wore a Shriner’s hat (known as a fez) when introducing ‘Madame Mertzola’ during “The Seance” (S1;E7).  The Shriners are a private fraternal organization based on Masonic principals. Shriners that Lucille Ball knew personally included: John Wayne, Red Skelton, Clark Gable, Arthur Godfrey, and Mel Blanc. 

Ethel sarcastically calls their fish ‘Moby Dick’ which is the same name Fred called Little Ricky’s goldfish. This was the name of the whale in Herman Melville’s 1851 novel. A film adaptation of Moby Dick premiered in July 1956, and would have been in cinemas when this episode was written and filmed. Coincidentally, the film co-starred Orson Welles, who Lucy Ricardo met just before her trip to Florida! 

Ethel later calls the fish ‘Tilly the Tuna’. “Ethel to Tilly.  Ethel to Tilly.” 

Passing time, Fred takes a quick glance at Fisherman Magazine, a magazine Ricky also read at home.

The Tale of Two Tuna that ensues rivals the plotting of the best French Farce.  Originally, fake fish were going to be used for filming but they soon realized that the comedy would benefit from using real fish. The tuna came from the famous Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco, and were sent to Los Angeles in ice-packed crates. The tuna were bleeding profusely after they were delivered and it is rumored that the prop department stuffed them with Kotex sanitary napkins to ‘staunch the flow’! 

This is Lucy’s second encounter with fishing using store-bought fish, the first being “The Camping Trip” (S2;E29). Real fish were again on the prop list for “Lucy’s Summer Vacation,” a 1959 episode of “The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour” set in Maine.

Just as the plot is winding down, a bellhop arrives with the 4,000 ice cubes Lucy ordered.  The bellhop is played by an uncredited performer, as is the Captain of the fishing boat. Each actor has just one line of dialogue. 

The fishing boat scenes were re-created on a California sound stage using a water tank and rear projection for sea and sky. The boats used in this episode – as well as the next (“Desert Island”) – were supplied by Cruis Along. 

Sitcom Logic Alert! Twenty-two minutes into the episode, Little Ricky (Keith Thibodeaux) finally makes an appearance. During all the craziness with the fish, it is said that he is at the playground!  

The episode also gets in a plug for the newly opened Miami Seaquarium, although no footage or scenes take place there. The South Florida attraction is the oldest such marine park still in operation today. 

From 1964 to 1967, the NBC TV show “Flipper” was produced in cooperation with the Miami Seaquarium. Miami Seaquarium still presents the Flipper Show; a dolphin show in the lagoon that served as the film location for the show.

This episode was doubtless inspired by Desi Arnaz. He loved to fish at his home in Del Mar and owned a boat he called (naturally) the Desilu. Above the prize Marlin was caught by his good friend Pepito Perez, the clown who appeared in the “I Love Lucy” pilot and “Lucy’s Show-Biz Swan Song” (S2;E19).

If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em! This is a still from the film Forever Darling (1956). [Note that on the bottom right corner is written “Zanra” which is “Arnaz” spelled backwards. This was the name of a production company created by Lucy and Desi especially for this film.]

FISHY FAST FORWARD!

Ricky and Howard Duff go ‘deep-lake’ fishing on a vacation to Vermont on “The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour” (1959). 

Lucy finally has some success at deep-sea fishing with Bob Hope in the film Critic’s Choice (1963).

On a 1963 episode of “The Lucy Show”, Lucy Carmichael and Mr. Mooney go fishing – for Viv’s bifocals! The episode invokes the name of 

Izaak Walton, an English writer known for The Compleat Angler (1653), a prose and poetry celebration of fishing.

Lucy Carter and Harry (Gale Gordon) go ‘deep-stream’ fishing in a 1973 episode of “Here’s Lucy.” 

A Progressive Insurance ad inspired by Lucy? Thanks to

waynelvslcy

for ‘catching’ this!  (Pun intended!)