(S5;E15 ~ January 30, 1956) Directed by James V. Kern. Written by Jess Oppenheimer, Madelyn Pugh, Bob Carroll, Jr., Bob Schiller, and Bob Weiskopf. Filmed December 15, 1955 at Ren-Mar Studios. Rating: 54.3/74
Synopsis ~ On their first day in London, Lucy and Ethel go looking for Queen Elizabeth, but no luck. When they arrive back at the hotel, Ricky tells her she’s going to be presented to the Queen the next evening and Lucy begs to be part of the show.
This is the first of a dozen episodes set in Europe and the first of three set in England.
The gang stay at the (fictional) Wimbleshire Hotel, in a room with a view of St. Paul’s Cathedral and Buckingham Palace – a geographical impossibility.
This episode was doubtless inspired by Danny Kaye’s November 1948 Command performance for King George and Princess Elizabeth at the Palladium Theatre. In fact, Kaye is referenced in this episode:
Lucy: Have you ever seen the Queen?
Bellhop: No, ma’am. But I came frightful close during the coronation. I just missed her. But I did catch a glimpse of him.
Lucy: Philip?
Bellhop: No, ma’am. Danny Kaye.
In a 1959 episode of “The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour” Lucy complains about how many meals she’s cooked as a housewife.
Ricky (reading Variety): It says here that Danny Kaye is going to London to give another command performance for Queen Elizabeth.
Lucy: I wonder what the Queen is cooking for Phil tonight?
Like Lucy, Kaye was adept at physical comedy as well as verbal wit. He appeared on “The Lucy Show” in 1964 and Ball appeared on his show twice.
On their hunt for Her Majesty, Lucy and Ethel go directly to Buckingham Palace, the Queen’s London residence. Completed in 1850 and remodeled in 1913, stock footage used in the episode shows that not much has changed in sixty years.
In this episode Phillip Wilcox is Ricky’s European agent at International Artists. Although he goes unseen, his first name was chosen to coincide with Queen Elizabeth’s husband, Philip Mountbatten, leading to a funny misunderstanding when Ricky calls ‘Philip’ on the phone.
At the time of filming (December 1955), a pound was worth $2.80. Fred gave Ethel 10 pounds, thinking it was ten dollars. He was horrified to find out that it was nearly $30. Ricky explains the (then) English currency:
Ricky: A pound is $2.80. There are 20 shillings in a pound. Each shilling is worth 14 cents. There are seven shillings in a dollar and 12 pennies in one shilling.
Fred, notoriously stingy, doesn’t tip tuppence or thrupence – he tips nuppence! In February 1971, British currency was changed to reflect the decimal system, phasing out the farthing, haypenny, thrupenny bit, sixpence, shilling, two bob bit, crown, and half crown.
The costume Lucy wears during the pony routine is the same one that she wore when upstaging Ethel’s act in “Ethel’s Home Town” (S4;E15). It was refashioned from the Marilyn Monroe gown she wore in “Ricky’s Movie Offer” (S4;E5).
The writers insert a callback to the opening of season five.
Ricky (to Lucy): Back in Hollywood, you came home with John Wayne’s footprints. I don’t want to find Big Ben ticking right next to my bed.
The London Palladium is a 2,286-seat West End theatre located on Argyll Street in the City of Westminster. It was opened on Boxing Day 1910 and has long been the home of Royal Variety Performances. In 1966′s “Lucy in London” (above) Lucy Carmichael and Anthony Newley are sight-seeing and drive up to the legendary venue in their motorcycle and side-car. This was the first time a “Lucy” show went on location overseas.
Ethel clutches a copy of the Britain 1955 edition of Fodor’s Modern Guides. For that era, this was new concept in guides books which became essential for the 1950s traveler.
Fred: There’ll always be an England.
Fred is quoting the title of a song popular during World War II sung by Dame Vera Lynn.
Robert Shafto plays the man on the street in front of Buckingham Palace who speaks incomprehensible British English. He had a brief career playing character roles between 1952 and 1959.
The stoic, stone-faced Buckingham Palace Guard that Lucy tries in vain to make smile goes unbilled and uncredited. This scene would later be copied verbatim in the 1959 TV special “Ethel Merman on Broadway.”
Nancy Kulp plays the hotel maid who teaches Lucy how to curtsy. Born in Harrisburg, PA, Kulp would return to Desilu for a 1959 special with Milton Berle and Lucille Ball and a 1962 episode of “The Lucy Show” but she will always be remembered as Miss Jane Hathaway, the upright secretary of banker Drysdale on CBS’s “The Beverly Hillbillies” (1962-71).
The role earned her an Emmy nomination in 1967.
She also appeared in the Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz film Forever Darling, again playing a maid. Here she shares a scene with another TV legend, Natalie Schafer, who played charm school proprietress Phoebe Emerson on “I Love Lucy” before shooting to stardom as Lovey Howell on “Gilligan’s Island.”
The star-struck Bellhop is played by Sam Edwards, who was the voice of the adult Thumper in Bambi (1942). His final role was Bill Anderson in “Little House on the Prairie” from 1979 to 1983.
Joan Carey (Autograph Seeker, uncredited) was born Joan Somerville Norbury in Yorkshire, UK. She carved out a brief career as an actress and dancer before moving to small roles in front of and behind the camera. In 1952, she became a regular fixture as a “Lucy” background artist through 1974. She served as Lucille Ball’s stand-in from the fourth season of “The Lucy Show” until at least the penultimate season of “Here’s Lucy.”
Carey is the woman in the tweed jacket and black hat who gives Lucy and piece of paper for an autograph. She is also the same woman who hands it back to her after it has been signed. She has great trouble keeping her hat on during the busy crowd scene!
The choreography for the circus number is credited by announcer Johnny Jacobs to Jack Baker. Baker began staging dance for Desilu in 1956 and worked with Lucille Ball through 1971 on all her sitcoms, even directing full episodes.
The pony dancers in Ricky’s circus act are Betty Scott and Patti Nestor. This was Scott’s final screen appearance, having danced in An American in Paris (1951) and Singin’ in the Rain (1952). This was Nestor’s second and last film appearance after just doing the Ruth Etting bio-pic Love Me or Leave Me (1955).
HM Queen Elizabeth II ascended the throne on February 6, 1952, after the death of her father King George VI. Her official coronation was held on June 2, 1953. It was the first coronation to be televised. When Little Ricky was born more people watched that episode than watched the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II six months later. The crowning came one day after the airing of “Lucy Wants New Furniture” (S2;E28).
ROYAL MUSINGS ~
by Troy Patterson – December 17, 2017
“Ricky and Fred Are TV Fans” (S2;E30) opens with Ricky reading TV Guide with Queen Elizabeth prominently on the cover.
In a 1966 episode of “The Lucy Show,” Lucy Carmichael pretends to be talking to Elizabeth and Philip while Mrs. Mooney’s expensive ring is on her finger. She even attempts a (half) curtsy.
In “Lucy Meets Harpo Marx” (S4;E28) Lucy and Ethel fancifully mention inviting Princess Margaret for tea. Margaret was the younger sister of Elizabeth II and known to be extraordinarily social.
Lucille Ball had a pony act when she appeared as an equestrian circus star in an episode of “The Greatest Show on Earth” (1963).
Lucy is briefly seen as The Queen in “Lucy in London” (1966) during Anthony Newley’s performance at the London Palladium, the same location Ricky Ricardo performed at in 1956.
Earlier in the show, Newley briefly donned the helmet of the Welsh Guard.
Michael Stern, who worked as Lucy’s personal assistant and was considered by Ball to be her biggest fan, remembered a royal encounter:
“In London… I was able to slip up to Queen Elizabeth at a public tree-planting ceremony in Kensington Gardens. I said, ‘Back home in the States I work for Lucille Ball,’ and the Queen smiled and said, ‘Tell her I said hello and asked how she was doing.’ After I got home, I told Lucy about that. She said, ‘The Queen knows who I am?’ She called Gary and said ‘Guess what! The Queen told Michael to say hello to me!’ She was as excited as a kid.”
According to one online source, Lucille Ball and Elizabeth II are cousins!
Lucy’s Royal Queendoms!
- Queen of the Gypsies
- Queen of the ‘Bs’ (movies)
- Palm Springs Queen of the Desert
- Queen of Comedy
- Bean Queen
- Westinghouse Queen of the House
VIVAT LUCY!
Papermoon Loves Lucy 
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