(S4;E24 ~ April 4, 1955) Directed by William Asher. Written by Jess Oppenheimer, Madelyn Pugh, and Bob Carroll, Jr. Filmed on February 24, 1955 at Ren-Mar Studios.
Rating: 51.1/72
Synopsis ~ Ricky has forgotten the date of their anniversary, but he has a scheme to convince Lucy that he knew it all along.
The idea for this episode came from the fact that Desi Arnaz threw a surprise anniversary party for Lucy at the Mocambo on November 30, 1953. After a huge cake was served, a TV set was wheeled out and the guests watched the “I Love Lucy” episode “Too Many Crooks” (S3;E9). It was a Monday night, after all!
Ricky and Lucy’s anniversary is said to be the 7th of the month but in “The Anniversary Present” (S2;E3) their anniversary was on the 19th. While Ricky forgot his anniversary date in “The Fur Coat” (S1;E9), he remembered the date in both seasons 2 and 3. Here in season 4 he suddenly develops a case of ‘selective amnesia.’
To find out the anniversary date, Ricky sends a wire to the Greenwich, Connecticut, Hall of Records. Just like Lucy and Desi, Lucy and Ricky were married there at the Byram River Beagle Club in 1940. “The Marriage License” (S1;E26) is partly set there.
RICKY: [on telephone] “Hello, give me Western Union, please. Western Union? I want to send a wire to Green-wich Connecticut, to the head of the license, uh, bureau. That’s right. Look, here’s the message: Wire me the information of the date of the marriage of Lucille McGillicuddy, and Ricardo Alberto Fernando Ricardo y Acha. Ricardo. Yeah, yeah, as in Montalban. Yeah. Alberto. Alberto – A.L., you know, like Albert – put an O at the end. Alberto, yeah. Fernando. Yes, as in Lamas, yes. Ricardo y Acha. Acha, Acha. Thank you, but I’m not sneezing. It’s a name. Well, it’s not funny to me.”
Two years later in “Lucy Raises Tulips” (S6;E26), Lucy calls her husband by a slightly different name: Enrique Alberto Fernando Ricardo y de Acha III. Desi Arnaz’s real-life full name is Desiderio Alberto Arnaz y de Acha III.
Fernando Lamas would guest-star with Lucy and Desi in “Lucy Goes To Sun Valley” (1958). Ricardo Montalban guest-starred in “Lucy and Her Prince Charming” (HL S5;E12) in 1972. It was once said that Lucille Ball had performed with all of Hollywood’s Latin heartthrobs!
The list of celebrity guests supposedly coming to Lucy’s Mocambo party includes these real-life Hollywood couples:
- Esther Williams and Ben Gage
- Elizabeth Taylor and Michael Wilding
- Robert Taylor and Ursula Thiess
- Van and Evie Johnson
- Cary and Betsy Grant
- June Allyson and Dick Powell
Of these, Lucy only meets Robert Taylor and Van Johnson, and only the latter actually guest stars – in “The Dancing Star” (S4;E27). Johnson had done the stage version of Too Many Girls with Desi in 1939, and the film with both in 1940.
Lucy Ricardo met Robert Taylor at the farmer’s market where he autographed on orange for her. At the time, he was married to Ursula Thiess, who was then under contract to RKO (soon to become Desilu Studios).
June Allyson had worked with Lucille Ball in two movie musicals in 1943: Best Foot Forward and Thousands Cheer. The following year they did Meet the People together, in which her husband Dick Powell also starred.
Lucy Ricardo caught sight of Cary Grant at the Brown Derby, but it is never mentioned if she actually met him. In 1984, Grant attended “All-Star Party for Lucille Ball” reading a tribute letter from the President of the United States.
Lucille Ball starred with Esther Williams in Easy to Wed (1946) and Ziegfeld Follies (1945).
The swim star’s husband Ben Gage and Lucy finally worked together on two episodes of “The Lucy Show."
Elizabeth Taylor and Michael Wilding were husband and wife at the time of this episode, but she would later appear with her fifth (and sixth!) husband Richard Burton on a 1970 episode of "Here’s Lucy.”
Interestingly, while Ricky is frantically trying to set up the Mocambo party with many phone calls, he nervously taps his fingers on the desk chair. This is foreshadowing to “In Palm Springs” (S4;E26), where Ricky’s finger-tapping gets on Lucy’s nerves. Ross Elliott makes his second and final appearance as Ross, Ricky’s publicist.
The Mocambo night club opened in 1941 on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood. Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz were frequent guests and friends of the owner.
The club’s main stage was the inspiration for the Tropicana set. The Mocambo was recreated on the “I Love Lucy” soundstage. The club was previously mentioned in “Don Juan and the Starlets” (S4;E17). The Mocambo closed for good on June 30, 1958. Vivian’s stand-in Renita Reachi sits in the background at the table against the wall. The woman with her back to the camera in the foreground is Joan Carey, who was a frequent background player and later became Lucille Ball’s stand-in during “The Lucy Show.”
The dress worn by Lucy for the Macambo scene was designed by Elois Jenssen and features an elegant, sheer black gown with glamorous applique bodice, rose-tinted underlining and crinoline petticoat.
Mattel made a Lucy Barbie doll dressed in this outfit.
This gown was later worn by Lucy in the episode "Lucy Goes to Monte Carlo” (S5;E25).
It is also the dress she wears on the US postage stamp made in her honor.
“The Anniversary Waltz” was written by Dave Franklin and Al Dubin in 1941. The arrangement called for violins, and as the Ricky Ricardo / Desi Arnaz orchestra did not have a string section, Harold Stern and His Violins appeared through the courtesy of the Flamingo Las Vegas Hotel & Casino. As Lucy enters the club, the orchestra and Stern’s violinists are playing “La Vie en Rose.” It was the signature song of French songstress Edith Piaf, who wrote the melody and the lyrics (which we don’t hear) in 1945. Piaf was a regular performer at the Macambo during the mid-1950s, including the year this episode was filmed.
The episode also features series regulars Kathryn Card as Mrs. McGillicuddy, Bob Jellison as Bobby the bellboy, and the Mayer Twins as Little Ricky.
This is the first episode for the show’s new sponsor, Procter and Gamble’s Lilt Home Permanent.
ANNIVERSARY SCHMALTZ
Wedding Anniversaries were a go-to storyline on “I Love Lucy.”
1951 – “The Girls Want To Go To A Nightclub” (S1;E1) Mertz Anniversary
1951 – “The Fur Coat” (S1;E9) Ricardo Anniversary
1952 – "The Anniversary Present” (S2;E3) Ricardo Anniversary
1954 – “Sentimental Anniversary” (S3;E16) Ricardo Anniversary
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