“The Courtroom”

“A television set!  For us?”

(S2;E7 ~ November 10, 1952) Directed by William Asher. Written by

Jess Oppenheimer, Madelyn Pugh and Bob Carroll, Jr. Filmed August 8, 1952 at General Service Studios. Rating: 66.5/91

Synopsis ~ For the Mertzes anniversary, the Ricardo’s buy them a new 20” television set. Tempers flare when the TV set needs adjusting and gets damaged, resulting in a law suit and an appearance in court! 

This was the second episode filmed after the company came back from an abbreviated summer hiatus to account for Lucille Ball’s pregnancy and the necessity to ‘bank’ episodes for her post-partum period. 

This episode is based on Lucy’s radio show, “My Favorite Husband” episode #49, appropriately titled “Television” and aired June 17, 1949.

This episode brings together two of the show’s strongest themes – marital relationships and television. Television obsession was also explored in: 

• In season one, “Lucy Does a TV Commercial” (S1;E30) for Vitameatavegamin after disemboweling their own television set to demonstrate her star quality on the small screen. 
• In “Lucy Gets Ricky on the Radio” (S1;E32) the only reason the foursome are listening to the radio in the first place is because the TV set isn’t working.
• In season two an entire episode is centered around the new national pastime in “Ricky and Fred are TV Fans” (S2;E30). 

In 1952 television was still not found in every home, as we see in “The Courtroom” when the Mertzes are given their first set. 

When this episode was filmed, many people had purchased their first TV specifically to see the 1952 Democratic and Republican National Conventions, which aired in July. Lucy and Desi also helped sell televisions by appearing in GE’s print-ads for the Black-Daylite Ultravision sets.

Oops! In “Be a Pal” (S1;E2), just a year earlier, the Mertzes were celebrating their 18th wedding anniversary but here it has been advanced to their 25th. They will continue to say they’ve been married for 25 years for the rest of the series.

When the set explodes mere minutes after the Ricardos give it to the Mertzes, there is a dispute about whose set it really is.  

ETHEL (to the Ricardos): “Well!  A couple of Indian-TV-Givers!” 

An ‘Indian Giver’ is a now politically incorrect expression for someone who gives a gift and then expects it back later on. Many theorize that early settlers misunderstood the Native American concept of bartering. The term made its first appearance in John Russell Barlett’s Dictionary of Americanisms in 1848.

The camera comes in for a tight two-shot of Ricky and Fred to capture that gleam in William Frawley’s eyes when Fred gets the idea to get even by putting his foot through the Ricardo’s TV set. 

Sitcom Logic Alert!  The sort of glass used in early televisions was actually quite thick. It would be nearly impossible for Fred to put his foot through the set.  The glass used in the episode is likely ‘candy glass’ – the sort that was also made into break-away bottles for movies and TV with the sound effect of shattering glass added in during post-production. 

After Fred kicks in the glass of the Ricardo TV, Fred and Ethel leave in a huff but go opposite directions once in the hallway. Could this be an indication of William Frawley and Vivian Vance’s off-stage animosity? Or perhaps Frawley’s dressing room was in the opposite direction from Vance’s? Vivian’s next entrance is only a moment away so it was likely the best place to wait for her cue. 

Oops?  When Lucy slams the door shut in Ethel’s face (”You’re Welcome!”), she slams it so hard that the painting over the piano falls off the wall. It is difficult to tell whether this really happened by chance or was scripted.

As the next scene begins, Lucy is catching up with her reading with the April 1952 edition of Mademoiselle magazine. The women’s monthly was first published in 1935 and its last issue hit the newsstands in 2001. The magazine billed itself for “smart young women” so perhaps this accounts for the fact that Lucille Ball (age 41) never appeared on its cover and that this is its only major screen time on the series. 

For a Look at the Magazines Seen on “I Love Lucy” – Click Here!

This episode twice references little-seen tenant Miss Lewis, who gives the Mertzes a small anniversary cake. The process server also asks for the Lewis apartment when he knocks on the Ricardos’ door, and Lucy indicates that she lives in 1A. Miss Lewis only appeared in “Lucy Plays Cupid” (S1;E15) and was played by Bea Benaderet (inset), Lucy’s “My Favorite Husband” co-star and the first choice to play Ethel Mertz.

Oops!  Lucy refers to her as MRS. Lewis instead of MISS Lewis. It is unlikely that she married and kept her maiden name!  

Harry Bartell (Process Server) would return to the series to play the waiter who serves William Holden at the Brown Derby in “Hollywood at Last” (S4;E16), as well as the jewel thief in “The Great Train Robbery” (S5;E5).

Ricky intends to act as his own lawyer, coaching Lucy through her “onrehearsed espontaneous testimony”.  She gets carried away with the stage direction (snarls at Mertzes). Ricky seems to forget the old adage: A man who is his own lawyer has a fool for a client!

Parts of the courtroom scene of the original episode were trimmed for syndication but added back for the DVD release. The restored moments include: 

• Lucy’s full practice the first time she reads the scripted testimony Ricky wrote for her. 
• Ricky feeding Lucy her part and Lucy stumbling over her memorized lines. 
• When the judge asks Lucy to repeat the part where she compliments him.

In the courtroom there is a 48 star flag. In 1952, Alaska and Hawaii had not yet been admitted to the union. This flag flew from 1912 to 1959. There are also portraits of Presidents George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. For much of the 20th century portraits of these presidents were displayed in most every municipal building and school.  The famously unfinished portrait of Washington (here with an oval matte) is by Gilbert Stuart (1755–1828), who is widely considered one of America’s foremost portraitists. This is his best known work and is sometimes referred to as The Athenaeum. The portrait of Lincoln appears to be by David Bustill Bowser (1820-1900) finished in 1865. Both portraits also appeared on US currency. 

Moroni Olsen (the Judge) appeared in three Three Musketeers films including a 1935 version which also starred Lucille Ball. He also appeared with her in The Farmer in the Dell (1936) and That’s Right – You’re Wrong (1939). After filming this episode he would star as Mr. Tewitt in the Arnazes The Long, Long Trailer (1954). He died the same year the film was released. 

Robert B. Williams (the Bailiff) was a busy Hollywood day player who had recurring roles on "Dennis the Menace” and “Hazel.” His last role was as Garth Gimble Sr. (Martin Mull’s father) on “Fernwood Tonight” in 1977.

Editing Goof!  As the Judge starts down the stairs from his bench, the door to his chambers is open. The camera cuts to a wider shot, and the door is closed. After the TV set explodes, the judge fans away the smoke and when the camera once again goes to close-up, the smoke is completely gone and the door is open again.  

JUDGE: “We must never lose our tempers!”

FAST FORWARD JUSTICE!  

This episode was rerun on March 7, 1955, during the show’s Hollywood season with new introductory footage of Ricky showing Lucy his Don Juan make-up. Lucy says that Ricky looks like a Spanish Uncle Sam. The Ricardos receive a letter from Lucy’s mother, and Mrs. McGillicuddy refers to Fred and Ethel as ‘Ted and Evelyn.’ She also says in the letter that she sent the Ricardos’ and the Mertzes’ television sets out to be fixed before she figured out that they weren’t working due to the electricity being off in the building. Ricky says that the Mertzes’ TV has been a problem ever since the Ricardos gave it to them for their anniversary. This leads in to the memory of what happened in “The Courtroom.” Sadly, only the script for this introductory footage still exists. The film has been lost.  

The opening moments from this episode, where Lucy shows off her new dress, were partly colorized (characters only) for the Time-Life “I Love Lucy” VHS collection.  The intro was played before each of the three episodes on the tape. 

The Ricardos and the Mertzes find themselves in court again in “Lucy Makes Room for Danny,” a 1958 episode of “The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour” where Gale Gordon plays the Judge.  

In that episode, Ethel once again tries to influence the judge by showing her legs, something Fred (again) disapproves of.  

In a 1963 episode of “The Lucy Show”, Lucy Carmichael chases a runaway butterfly into the Danfield courtroom!  She nets both the butterfly and the judge!

“Lucy is Her Own Lawyer” (TLS S2;E23) when called to court over barking dogs in the neighborhood.  Joe Mell is the Bailiff and John McGiver is the Judge.

In 1964, as part of her new job as a Meter Maid, Mrs. Carmichael must appear in court to defend the parking ticket she issued to Vivian. Once again, Joe Mell plays the Bailiff.

When “Lucy Sues Mooney” (TLS S6;E12) in 1967, Mrs. Carmichael is represented by a lawyer played by Jack Carter. The Judge is played by Parley Baer. 

In a 1966 episode, Lucy Carmichael appears on a TV soap opera as a courtroom spectator, but gets carried away in the moment, taking on the role of attorney as well.  The only summation she can recall is from Shakespeare!

In a 1971 episode of “Here’s Lucy” Lucy Carter went to court

to defend her illegal raffle, appearing in front of a judge played by Hayden Rorke.

In an episode of “Life With Lucy” Lucy Barker goes to court to fight for ownership of a teddy bear!