“Don Juan and the Starlets”

(S4;E17 ~ February 14, 1955) Directed by William Asher. Written by Jess Oppenheimer, Madelyn Pugh and Bob Carroll, Jr. Filmed on December 9, 1954 at Ren-Mar Studios. Rating: 51.3/67

Synopsis ~ When Ricky takes publicity photos with four glamorous starlets, Lucy gets jealous. Her jealousy turns to anger when it looks like Ricky stayed out all night at a Hollywood premiere.

This episode humorously capitalizes on Lucy’s fear that Ricky is womanizing, something Lucille Ball later acknowledged was a problem with her real-life marriage to Desi Arnaz. 

Lucy reveals that she met Ricky when Marion Strong asked her to go on a blind date with a Cuban drummer 15 years ago. Clearly, the writers had forgotten about this when creating the first episode of “The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour,” which explains that Lucy met Ricky while on a cruise to Cuba with her friend Susie MacNamara (Ann Sothern).

Before things get tense, the gang was planning to visit Knott’s Berry Farm. 

LUCY: “The only knots you’ll see today will be on Ricky’s head!”

The Buena Park California amusement park was founded in 1920, growing out of the Knott family’s roadside stand selling jams and jellies. Knott’s Berry Farm is still in operation today and one of the Los Angeles area’s top tourist attractions. 

Disneyland would open nearby just five months after this episode aired.

Ethel says she spotted Robert Taylor down at the pool. Although Taylor never guest-starred on the series, in “The Tour” (S4;E30) Lucy mentions that she met him at the Farmers Market and got his autograph on an orange.

Ricky claims that after the premiere he attended the party at the Mocombo. The Mocombo night club opened in 1941 on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood. Lucy and Desi were frequent guests. The club’s main stage was the inspiration for the Tropicana set. “Hollywood Anniversary” (S4;E23) would have a scene set at the Mocombo based on the Arnazes real-life anniversary party.

Ross Elliott (Ross, the publicity agent) returned to the show for “Bullfight Dance” (S4;E22) and “Hollywood Anniversary” (S4;E23), having formerly played the director of the Vitameatavegamin commercial in “Lucy Does a TV Commercial” (S1;E30). He will go on to appear on episodes of “The Lucy Show” (also as a director) and “Here’s Lucy.”

The four starlets go by their real names: 

• Dolores Donlon later became a Playboy playmate and was chosen to be Miss August in 1957. 

  In real life was married to Victor M. Orsatti, a Desilu producer whose name often was used as an unseen Ricardo friend.

• Maggie Magennis made her screen debut with this episode. She made only ten (mostly uncredited) TV appearances. 
• Beverly Thompson was a Former Earl Carroll showgirl who signed as a Paramount Pictures starlet in 1945 but spent her career playing bit parts and walk-ons. Lucille Ball played an Earl Carroll showgirl in the film Murder at the Vanities (1934). 
• Shirley Tegge was an extra on Hitchcock’s Strangers on a Train (1951). After this episode, she made only one more screen appearance before retiring.

FRED (To Ricky): “You’ll never get out of this one. Just turn around and head back for Cuba.”

Ricky is seen holding a metal waste basket decorated with an antique song sheet music reproduced from an original copper plate print by engraver George Bickham (1706–71). 

Iva Shepard (the Maid) started acting in silent films in 1910 and left the business in 1918. She came out of retirement for “I Love Lucy,” making her sound film debut! She returned to the series to play a nurse in “Nursery School” (S5;E9). This would be her last screen appearance.

Oops!  After Fred fibs to Lucy about Ricky spending the night, when Fred walks over to the door just as Ethel walks in, the shadow of the boom mic can be seen moving at the top right corner of the screen.