“Ricky Loses His Temper”

(S3;E19 ~ February 22, 1954) Directed by William Asher. Written by Jess Oppenheimer, Madelyn Pugh and Bob Carroll, Jr. Filmed January 21, 1954 at Ren-Mar Studios. Rating: 56.8/80

Synopsis ~ Can Lucy stop from buying a new hat longer than Ricky can help losing his temper? Lucy’s going to do everything she can to assure she wins the bet!

The day before this episode first aired (February 21, 1954) Lucille Ball appeared on “What’s My Line?”  As Mystery Guest, she used the same odd voice she created when she played a Martian at the top of the Empire State Building in “Lucy is Envious” (S3;E23). Host John Daly tells the panel that Lucy is speaking Martian. That  episode was filmed on February 16, 1954, just five days before this quiz show.

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“I should have never married a hot-blooded Cuban. I should have married a cold-blooded Swede!”

The manager of Jeri’s Hats is Mrs. Mulford, played by Madge Blake. Blake will next be seen as Martha, a prospective tenant, in “Lucy and Superman” (S6;E13). She also starred with Lucy and Desi as Aunt Anastacia in The Long, Long Trailer (1954). Blake did a 1964 episode of “The Lucy Show” before creating the role for which she is best remembered – Aunt Harriet Cooper on TV’s “Batman” (1966-68). 

The new Lucy bought at her shop cost $49.50, which would is approximately $480 in today’s economy (adjusted for inflation). For some reason Mrs. Mulford’s hat shop is named Jeri’s.  

Max Terhune plays himself in the episode. Terhune was a skilled vaudevillian who specialized in ventriloquism. On the Orpheum Circuit his dummy was known as ‘Skully Null’ but was re-named ‘Elmer Sneezeweed’ for the movies. Terhune was listed as one of the top ten money-making stars in Westerns from 1937 to 1939, appearing as Max ‘Alibi’ Terhune in a string of B-movie ‘oaters.’

Lucille Ball would work with one of the greatest ventriloquists of all time in a 1966 episode of “The Lucy Show.” Paul Winchell returned for future episodes of the show without his puppets.  Early in her career she also appeared with the father of ventriloquism, Edgar Bergen (and his sidekick Charlie McCarthy) in Look Who’s Laughing (1941). 

Ricky knows that ventriloquist Max Terhune has been getting $250 a week at the Domino Club, but now his agent wants double that at the Tropicana. The fictional Domino Club was also the name of the gin joint “Lucy the Gun Moll” (S4;E25, above), a 1966 episode of “The Lucy Show” satirizing Desilu’s own “The Untouchables.” 

Byron Kane plays Morris Williams, Terhune’s agent. His character name is doubtless a reversal the famous talent agency William Morris. Kane turns up as a subway strap-hanger in “Lucy and the Loving Cup” (S6;E12). Later in his career he became a voice over artist and producer.

Little Ricky is mentioned, but conveniently remains off-camera. The messenger delivering Lucy’s new hat is played by Desi’s camera and lighting stand-in Bennett Green, although he has no lines.

Lucy’s Schemes to Make Ricky Lose His Temper!

This is one episode where COLOR would have been an asset. First we hear Mrs. Mulford’s vivid description of a hat to Lucy: “It’s all covered with little pearls. And it’s a lovely shade of turquoise.” Then there’s Lucy’s provoking use of the tomato juice in the dribble glass when Ricky is wearing a white dinner jacket for publicity photos: “It’s a lovely shade of red, isn’t it?” 

Lucille Ball pronounced tomato “to-mah-to” but felt that Lucy Ricardo would pronounce the word as “to-may-to.” However, she slips and says “to-mah-to juice” before quickly correcting herself. Let’s call the whole thing off! 

To push an exhausted Ricky to exploding, Lucy noisily munches on saltine crackers before spilling the entire box in Ricky’s bed. Lucy’s brand of crackers is Snow Flake Saltines, made by Nabisco. The brand eventually re-named their saltines Premium. 

Another tactic to provoke Ricky’s Latin temper is to crack nuts while Ricky is trying to sleep!  

Lucy’s two-tone wooden bowl came with a matching mallet. It is likely produced by Standard Specialty Company of San Francisco who made products from the California Redwood Forests.  

Just when Ricky is settling in for the night, Lucy suddenly turns on the radio, which blares the boisterous ragtime hit “They’ll Be A Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight” composed in 1896 by Theodore August Metz. 

Her bedside clock-radio is a Westinghouse Model H-420T5, which cost around $30 in the early 1950’s. Coincidentally, in 1957 Lucy and Desi partnered with Westinghouse to promote their products and produce their anthology series. 

Lucy is seen reading the March 9, 1954, issue of LOOK magazine. French actress Jeanmarie is on the cover. Could her short black hair have inspired “The Black Wig” (S3;E26) just six weeks later?  Lucille Ball made the cover of LOOK nine times during from 1937 to 1971, when the magazine printed its final issue.

Also in this episode, Ricky is reading the January 12, 1954 TV Guide with “I’ve Got A Secret” on the cover on.  This same issue turns up again in  “Lucy’s Club Dance” (S3;E25, above). Lucille Ball was on the panel show four times between 1956 and 1966.  

Ricky’s temper would reach his zenith in when Lucy pretends to be his agent and gets him ‘released’ from his contract at MGM in “Ricky Needs an Agent” (S4;E29). 

A couple of years later, TV’s Ralph Kramden (Jackie Gleason) would mine comedy gold from losing his temper on “The Honeymooners.” Instead of counting to ten (in Spanish) as Ricky does, Ralph recites a little rhyme: “Pins and needles, needles and pins. It’s a happy man who grins.”

Post Script!  This episode’s theme of watching one’s temper is still valid today, but the specifics of the plot are mired in the 1950s. Most women no longer crave hats as ‘must-have’ fashion items. Also, Ricky gives Lucy ‘an order’ to return the hat and takes her over his knee for a spanking as the show fades out. Needless to say, neither of these things would still be acceptable (let alone funny) on television today.