“Ricky’s Contract”

‘Did I tell you the funny thing I heard on television the other night?’

(S4;E10 ~ December 6, 1954) Directed by William Asher. Written by Jess Oppenheimer, Madelyn Pugh and Bob Carroll, Jr.  Filmed October 14, 1954 at Ren-Mar Studios. Rating: 49.7/67

Synopsis ~ Ricky is on ‘pins and niddles’ waiting to hear from Hollywood about his screen test, so Fred has the crazy idea to write a message that Ricky got the job so he’ll stop worrying!  Fred should leave the crazy plans to Lucy!

The plot to this episode is very similar to “Redecorating” (S2;E8) where Fred makes a phony phone call about winning home show furniture just like he leaves a phony note about Ricky landing the movie role.

Starting with this episode the focus of the show is solely on the Hollywood trip.

In 1954 CBS toyed with the idea of making the transition to color. The cost of producing color episodes was about double, but the network had allocated funds to do some experimental installments. In fact, CBS actually aired 38 segments of various programs in color during 1954. Theories persist that at one point this rather simple episode was slated to be the first “I Love Lucy” to be filmed and broadcast in color. It was even listed that way in TV Guide. Unfortunately, it never happened. In fact no episodes of “I Love Lucy” or “The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour” episodes were ever shot or aired in color. The first season of “The Lucy Show” in 1962 was shot in black and white, but starting with the second season the show was filmed in color. Unfortunately, although shot in color, seasons two and three were aired in black and white and it wasn’t until the fall of 1965 that viewers finally saw Lucy’s famous red hair in vivid color!

Oops!  Ricky mistakes the sound of Lucy’s spoon in the jam jar for the ringing of the telephone, but when the phone does ring, it is a buzzing noise, not a bell ring!  

In this episode we learn that Fred puts all the rent money in a secret hiding place – one that Ethel has known about for 24 years! We also learn that Fred calls his rumbling stomach ‘Charlie’!

Lucy, Fred and Ethel do everything they can think of to distract Ricky: corny jokes, funny faces (Lucy’s Pekingese dog), and a good old ‘community sing’ featuring “When You’re Smiling.” The song was first written in 1929, but most famously performed by Louis Armstrong. Lucy previously made her ‘Pekingese’ face to amuse the baby in “The Indian Show” (S2;E24). 

At the start of the second scene, set in the Tropicana, percussionist Pepin Betancourt has two lines of dialogue. Accompanist Marco Rizo is in the lower left.  They were part of both the Desi Arnaz and the Ricky Ricardo Orchestras. Although Marco has no lines of dialogue, Lucy talks to him over the telephone and says his name numerous times. 

Ricky rehearses “I’ll See You in C.U.B.A.” a song by Irving Berlin that was introduced in The Greenwich Village Follies in 1919. The revue was so successful that it moved uptown to Broadway. The song was previously sung on the series in “The Mustache” (S1;E23).  

Taking messages and babysitting while Lucy is at the beauty parlor, Ethel thinks she is talking to Marge, one of Lucy’s favorite telephone friends, and mistakenly calls Caroline one of Lucy’s gabby friends. She then realizes she is actually talking to Caroline, not Marge!  Oops!  

On the telephone, Lucy speaks with unseen characters named Sue and Mr. Green. Sue may be an homage to Lucille Ball’s second cousin, Susan (aka Suzan) Ball.  Mr. Green (who answers the phone at the Tropicana) may be a tribute to frequent day player and Desi’s camera and lighting stand-in Bennett Green. Other characters referred to but seen in previous episodes are Caroline Appleby (Doris Singleton), Little Ricky (The Mayer Twins) and talent scout Ben Benjamin (Frank Nelson).

When Ricky gets the good news, he takes his band members to celebrate at Lindy’s. Lindy’s was a NYC deli restaurant opened by Leo Lindermann in 1921 at 1626 Broadway. A second location opened in 1929 at 1655 Broadway. The original Lindy’s location closed in 1957. The brand all but disappeared in 1969 but was resurrected ten years later at 825 7th Avenue only to close for good in 2018. They were world famous for their cheesecake. Lindy’s was known for naming sandwiches after celebrities.  “Comic Combo #2″ was named The Lucille Ball: salami and Swiss on rye, although later it was changed to turkey and Swiss with lettuce, tomato, and bacon on white toast.  Which is more appropriate?

Milton Berle was a regular at Lindy’s. When Berle guest-starred on “The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour” in 1959 he said “Lindy promised to name a sandwich after me if I gave up my table by the door.”  

When Ricky comes home and sees that Lucy and the Mertzes have something to tell him, he at first thinks that they want the charter for the “Ricky Ricardo Fan Club #1″.  

RICKY: “Yes, you may have the sharter.”
LUCY (to Fred and Ethel): “How about that? We got the sharter.”

Looking for any excuse to leave, Fred says he’s going to get his autograph book, which he says he left in Indiana. Although the exact location of his birth was never stated, Fred later says he was born and raised on a farm in the Midwest, possibly in Steubenville, Ohio, although in one episode Ethel claims that Fred’s mother comes once a year from Indiana. 

RICKY: “I’m gonna make that Crosby look like a bum!” 

A huge multimedia star from 1934 to 1954, Bing Crosby was a leader in record sales, radio ratings, and motion picture grosses, so it makes perfect sense that unknown Ricky Ricardo should aspire to be as successful as Crosby. Lucille Ball did a few motion pictures with Crosby’s ‘Road’ co-star Bob Hope. Crosby was mentioned on four other “I Love Lucy” episodes. Although they never acted together on screen, the pair were seen on several of the same variety shows. 

Ethel says Ricky in his movie star finery looks “just like Buddy Rogers.”   Buddy Rogers (1904-99) was a matinee idol popular in early films when he was known as “America’s Boyfriend.” Lucille Ball was an uncredited extra in his 1935 film Old Man Rhythm.  As star of Wings (1927), the very first film to win an Academy Award, he played himself on an airline-themed episode of “The Lucy Show” in 1967. 

As the episode ends with the gang jumping for joy about Ricky landing the part, the orchestra plays “Hooray for Hollywood!”, a song by Johnny Mercer and Richard A. Whiting that was first heard in the 1937 movie Hollywood Hotel. It will be reprised with special lyrics in a 1971 episode of “The Lucy Show.”

CONTRACT COMEDY!

During “I Love Lucy” Lucille Ball drew up ‘joke’ contracts for the cast. Vivian Vance read hers aloud on Dinah Shore’s talk show in 1975. This is the source of the serious rumor that Lucille Ball contractually required Vivian to remain overweight and frumpy while playing Ethel Mertz. 

In a 1971 episode of “Here’s Lucy,” Lucy Carter draws up a contract WITHOUT a dotted line to convince Harry (Gale Gordon) he needs his eyes checked!  Here she brags about the stunt to her son, Craig (Desi Arnaz Jr.). 

When “Lucy Moves To NBC” in 1980, Fred Silverman (Gary Imhoff) unfurls her contract, which is quite lengthy!  Her lawyer (Robert Alda) and backgammon partner (Ruta Lee) try not to look shocked! 

FAST FORWARD

We don’t hear much about The Ricky Ricardo Fan Club until “Don Juan Is Shelved” (S4;E21) when Lucy, her mother, and the Mertzes hastily put one together that resembles Frank Sinatra’s bobby-soxers. 

On an episode of “December Bride” (produced by Desi Arnaz) Hilda and Lily (Verna Felton and Spring Byington) crash a meeting of the Desi Arnaz Fan Club to get a word with the Latin star. The episode premiered right after “Lucy Goes To Scotland” (S5;E17) on February 20, 1956. 

The scene between Ethel and Fred with the notepad by the phone was used for a 2006 Medicare drug benefit ad. Voice-over actors imitated Vivian Vance and William Frawley, while the actors’ mouths were digitally altered to match the new dialog concerning a change in Medicare rules. The commercial had Ethel convincing Fred that the new plan was cost-efficient and they should join it: “If Fred Could Have Done It, He Would Have.”