“The Ballet”

(S1;E19 ~ February 18, 1952) Directed by Marc Daniels. Written by Jess Oppenheimer, Madelyn Pugh, and Bob Carroll, Jr.  Filmed on January 11, 1952 at General Service Studios. Rating: 53.9/73

Synopsis ~ Ricky is putting together a cavalcade of show business and needs a pair of burlesque comics and a ballet dancer. Naturally, Lucy thinks she’s right for both! 

LUCY (to Ricky): “Here I am with all this talent bottled up inside of me and you’re always sitting on the cork.”

The same day that this episode first aired, LIFE Magazine hit the newsatands containing an inside article about Lucille Ball concentrating on her clowning skills in this episode. The cover was rightfully dedicated to England’s newly crowned Queen, Elizabeth II. 

This episode has two classic Lucy moments: (1) rehearsing the ballet with Madam LeMond and (B) rehearsing the vaudeville routine “Slowly I Turn” with the burlesque comic. The writers skillfully blend both bits for a hysterical finale at the Tropicana that brilliantly combines music, dance, and comedy.

Lucy tells Ricky that in school she was in a dance recital in school “The Dance of the Flowers.” She is probably referring to the Tchaikovsky piece from The Nutcracker. She says she was the only petunia to have a solo. Conveniently, she still has the costume in a trunk!  After Fred tells Ricky as stale joke (if he promises not to use it.), Lucy demonstrates, with Ethel at the piano providing accompaniment. 

If you doubt that Lucy Ricardo had a secret passion for ballet, look at how she decorated her bedroom!  Visions of sugarplum (fairies) danced in her head! 

Some viewers have identified Erze Ivan as the blonde dancer in the rehearsal room. She was assistant choreographer on the Mickey Rooney film All Ashore in 1953. 

MADAME LEMOND: “I think we should go to the barre.”
LUCY: “Oh, good, because I’m awful thirsty.”

Ballet mistress Madame LeMond (”the premiere ballerina of the French Ballet”) was portrayed by Lucille Ball’s longtime friend Mary Wickes. Born Mary Isabella Wickenhauser in 1910, she only appeared on “I Love Lucy” once, but she guest starred on Lucille Ball’s later series’ “The Lucy Show” 8 times and on “Here’s Lucy” 9 times, as well as appearing on the 1977 TV special “Lucy Calls The President.” On the big screen she is perhaps best remembered as Nurse Preen in 1942’s The Man Who Came to Dinner (a role she also did on Broadway and television) and as Sister Mary Lazarus in two Sister Act films. She died in 1995. Her final role was voicing a gargoyle named Laverne in Disney’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame. 

The surname LeMond is no doubt a tribute to Bob LeMond (1913-2008), the announcer for Lucille Ball’s radio show “My Favorite Husband” (1948-51) as well as for the pilot episode of “I Love Lucy”.

Lucille Ball herself took four years of ballet. Despite this, she later claimed that getting her leg stuck on the ballet barre was unscripted. Gregg Oppenheimer, son of the show’s head writer Jess Oppenheimer, confirmed that the scenario was fully laid out in the script. 

The burlesque comic was played by Frank J. Scannell, who had appeared with Lucy in Abbott and Costello in Hollywood (1945) and Lover Come Back (1946). He would go on to do a 1971 episode of “Here’s Lucy.” “Slowly I Turn” is a classic vaudeville sketch, which utilizes props like cream pies and soda siphons.  

In this case the trigger word for their deployment is the name ‘Martha,’ in order to coincide with Ricky’s finale song “Marta (Rambling Rose of the Wildwood).” The song was written in 1931 by Moisés Simons and made popular by Arthur Tracy and (later) Tony Martin. During the “Slowly I Turn” scene between Ball and Scannell you can hear Desi Arnaz’s distinctive guffaw as he watched from the audience.

When the scene opens at the Tropicana, the Ricky Ricardo orchestra is playing “Green Eyes” and patrons are dancing. “Green Eyes” was originally written in Spanish under the title “Aquellos Ojos Verdes” by Adolfo Utrera and Nilo Menéndez in 1929. The English translation was made by Eddie Rivera and Eddie Woods in 1931. Desi Arnaz was one of many who recorded the song. 

Nancy the harpist gets a lot of screen time in this scene!  

Among the many formally dressed background performers at the Tropicana are: 

• Joan Carey (top left above) who later became Lucille Ball’s standby on “The Lucy Show”.
• Barbara Pepper ~ Lucille’s friend from her Goldwyn Girl days.
• Bennett Green ~ Desi’s camera and lighting stand-by and frequent extra. Green dances with Pepper as the scene opens. 
• Hazel Pierce ~ Lucille’s camera and lighting stand-in and frequent extra. Pierce sits at a table near the door where Lucy makes her entrance. 

Oops!  Lucy accidentally drops her rubber club during the dance, but quickly picks it up without missing a beat. Also, notice that the bandmember playing the maracas has a piano bench set in front of him to hold Lucy’s props. His facial expressions during the “Martha” routine are hysterical. 

Lucy and Desi pose for a photographer from LIFE magazine, while a crew member wipes up the cream on the floor! 

Lucille Ball performed the routine with Phil Silvers on “General Foods Opening Night” (1963).

FIRSTS! 

• This is the first (but not the last) time Lucy and Ricky get a pie in the face. “The Diner” (S3;E27) ends in an all-out cream pie battle involving that also involves the Mertzes. 
• The first time Lucy was hit with a soda siphon was on “The Quiz Show” (S1;E5), which also includes references to Niagara Falls. 
• This is the first mention of Fred’s vaudeville partner, Ted Kurtz. He will make an appearance in “Mertz and Kurtz” (S4;E2), although his first name is then Barney. 

This is one of three episodes that formed the unreleased “I Love Lucy Movie” (1953). The other two are “The Benefit” (S1;E13) and “Breaking the Lease” (S1;E18). 

FAST FORWARD!

The ‘bucket-over-the-door’ gag was repeated with paint on a 1968 episode of “Here’s Lucy.” This time it is Gale Gordon who gets drenched, as was the show’s tradition. 

In 1986, Keith Thibodeaux (Little Ricky) and his wife Kathy founded Ballet Magnificat, the world’s premiere Christian ballet company. It is still in operation today. 

Stamp of approval (1999)!

“The Ballet” served as inspiration for various modern-day collectibles, including more than one Lucy doll in a tutu!  Christmas ornaments, stamps, figurines, picture frames, snow globes, and other merchandise followed. A bas!  A bas!