Lucy and the Little League

S1;E28 ~ April 15, 1963

Synopsis

When
Sherman and Jerry play on the Danfield Tigers Little League team,
Lucy and Viv coach their boys in the finer points of the sport, but
get thrown out of the game!

Regular
Cast

Lucille
Ball (Lucy Carmichael), Vivian Vance (Vivian Bagley), Jimmy Garrett
(Jerry Carmichael), Ralph Hart (Sherman Bagley)

Candy
Moore (Chris Carmichael) does not appear in this episode

Guest
Cast

Herb
Vigran
(Dr. Jacoby, the umpire) played Jule, Ricky Ricardo’s music agent on
two episodes of “I Love Lucy” in addition to playing movie
publicist Hal Sparks in “Lucy is Envious” (ILL S3;23). He was
seen in the Lucy-Desi film The Long, Long Trailer. Like William
Schallert, the recognizable character actor also reprised this role
in the baseball-themed episode in season two. He went on to play other
characters in four more episodes.

Dr.
Jacoby is an eye doctor and Audrey Simmons is one of his patients.

William
Schallert (Mr.
Cresant, the Tigers’ manager) is probably best remembered as the
father on “The Patty Duke Show” (1963-66) and was also a series
regular on “The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis” (1959-62). In
between, he found time to play Mr. Cresant on this episode and also
returned for another baseball-themed episode at the start of season
two.

Mr.
Cresant runs the hardware store. He has a son on the team, but we never learn which player he is or his first name.

Desi
Arnaz IV (Billy
Simmons) is the real-life son of Lucille Ball. His 1953
birth was worked into the plot of “I Love Lucy” although Desi Jr.
never played the role of Little Ricky Ricardo. He did, however,
appear on the final half-hour episode of the series “The
Ricardos Dedicate a Statue” (ILL S6;E27)
in
a crowd scene. His first series appearance was as one of the pee-wee
football players in “Lucy
is a Referee (S1;E3)
and
as a customer in the ice cream parlor in “Lucy is a Soda Jerk”
(S1;E23). This is the second time he has been credited as Billy
Simmons. Desi Jr. also appeared with his mother and sister on “Here’s
Lucy.”

Mary
Jane Croft
(Audrey
Simmons) played Betty Ramsey during season six of “I Love Lucy.”
She also played Cynthia Harcourt in “Lucy
is Envious” (ILL S3;E23)
and
Evelyn Bigsby in“Return
Home from Europe” (ILL S5;E26).
She played Audrey Simmons for eight episodes but when Lucy moves to
California, she will play Mary Jane Lewis (the actor’s married
name) until the series finale. Her husband Elliott Lewis was a
producer of “The Lucy Show” from 1962 to 1964. She also played a
character named Mary Jane Lewis on “Here’s Lucy” from 1969 to
1974.

This
is the first time both Billy Simmons (Desi Arnaz Jr.) and his mother Audrey have
appeared on screen together. This is also the first time the series has
acknowledged that they are mother and son.

The
Little League game spectators are:

John Breen was first
seen with Lucille Ball and Vivian Vance in
the audience of Over
the Teacups
in
“Ethel’s
Birthday” (ILL S4;E8).
He was a racetrack spectator in “Lucy Wins a Racehorse,” a 1958
episode of “The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour.” This is his sole
appearance on “The Lucy Show.”
Bess
Flowers was
dubbed ‘Queen of the Extras’ in Hollywood and is credited with
more than 700 film and TV appearances from 1923 to 1964. Along with
John Breen, she was seen in the audience of Over
the Teacups
in
“Ethel’s
Birthday” (ILL S4;E8)
and
The
Most Happy Fella during
“Lucy’s
Night in Town” (ILL S6;E22).
This is one of at least five uncredited appearances on “The Lucy Show.”
Not surprisingly, Flowers was a founding member of SEG, the Screen
Extras Guild (now part of SAG) in 1945.
Bert
Stevens
makes the second of his nine appearances on the series. In many
episodes he appears opposite his wife, Caryl Lincoln, one
of Lucy’s friends from her Goldwyn Girl days. Stevens was the
brother of actress Barbara Stanwyck, whose given name was Ruby
Stevens. He was seen in the Tropicana audience for the Flapper
Follies when “Ricky
Loses His Voice” (ILL S2;E9) but
along with Lincoln, probably appeared on other episodes as well. He
appeared alongside Ball in five films.

Flowers
(white hair) and Stevens (white hat) are sitting in the top row of
the bleachers during the opening scene. Although extras don’t
normally have discernible dialogue, Flowers cups her hands to her
mouth and clearly shouts “Down
in front!”
to Lucy. Stevens echos her saying “Yeah!
Down in front!”

Hazel
Pierce was
Lucille Ball’s camera and lighting stand-in throughout “I Love
Lucy.” She also made frequent appearances on the show, although
only once did she speak, when she won the television auctioned off
by Ladies Overseas Aid in “Ricky’s
European Booking” (ILL S5;E10) and
she shouted “I
won!”.
This just one of her 21 un-credited on-camera appearances on “The
Lucy Show.” In the opening of season two, “Lucy Plays Cleopatra”
(S2;E1), she received screen credit as Mary Lou. She was also an
un-credited extra in the film Forever
Darling (1956).
William
Meader
had
appeared as an airport extra in “The
Ricardos Go to Japan,”
a
1959 episode of “The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour.” He made 15
appearances on “The Lucy Show,” mostly as a clerk in Mr. Mooney’s
bank.
Alberto Morin was born in Puerto Rico, and appeared in some of Hollywood’s most cherished films: Gone with the Wind (1939), Casablanca (1943), and Key Largo (1948). He was Carlos, one of Ricky’s “Cuban Pals” (ILL S1;E28) and the Robert DuBois in “The French Revue” (ILL S3;E7). His many background appearances on “The Lucy Show” and “Here’s Lucy” were all uncredited.
Monty
O’Grady was
first seen with Lucille Ball in The
Long, Long Trailer (1953),
and played a passenger on the S.S. Constitution in “Second
Honeymoon” (ILL S5;E14).
With William Meader, he was at the airport when “The
Ricardos Go to Japan” (1959).
With Hazel Pierce, he was also in “Chris’s New Year’s Eve
Party” (S1;E14). He made a dozen appearances on the series and a
half dozen on “Here’s Lucy.”
Ervin
Richardson makes the first of four uncredited appearances on “The
Lucy Show.” He also did two episodes of “Here’s Lucy.”
Bernard
Sell is
an English-born background player making his second of three
appearances on the series. He was also an extra with Lucille Ball and
Bob Hope in their films The
Facts of Life (1960)
and Critic’s
Choice (1963).
He later turns up on a 1971 two-part episode of “Here’s Lucy”
taking place on a cruise ship headed to Hawaii.
Hal
Taggart makes
the first of five appearances on “The Lucy Show” after having
been seen in the Lucille Ball film The
Facts of Life (1960).
Bob
Carroll Jr.
was one of the writers of every episode of “I Love Lucy” and “The
Lucy Show.” He also wrote 29 episodes of “Here’s Lucy” and 5
episodes of “Life With Lucy.” His face first appeared on screen
in an insert shot of a photograph of Lucy Ricardo’s artist great
grandfather in “Lucy Becomes a Sculptress” (ILL S2;E15) and he
sailed on the S.S. Constitution waving “Bon Voyage” (ILL S5;E13)
and then turning up at an outdoor cafe in
“Paris
at Last” (ILL S5;E18)
and
at the roulette table in “Lucy
Goes to Monte Carlo” (ILL S5;E25).
Jack
Tornek was a Russian-born actor with nearly 500 screen credits –
nearly all of them Westerns! This is his only series appearance.

This episode first aired on the 46th birthday of actor Hans Conried, who had just played Dr. Gitterman, Lucy Carmichael’s voice and drama coach in “Lucy’s Barbershop Quartet” (S1;E19) and would do so again in season two. He first worked with Lucille Ball in the 1942 film The Big Street and on her radio show “My Favorite Husband.” He also made two appearances on “I Love Lucy” and one on “Here’s Lucy.”

Following this episode the evening of April 15, 1963, “The Andy Griffith Show” featured appearances by Janet Waldo and Barbara Perry. Earlier in the season, Waldo (left) had played Lucy Carmichael’s sister Marge in “Lucy’s Sister Pays a Visit” (S1;E15), as well as love-sick teen Peggy in “The Young Fans” (ILL S1;E20) in 1952. Perry will play two characters on upcoming “Lucy Show” episodes.

The main title theme that plays over the credits scroll (after the title sequence) is here replaced by the music to “Take Me Out to the Ballgame”. Lucy and Viv later sing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame,” written in 1908 by Jack Norworth and Albert von Tilzer. The song was also featured in a 1949 MGM film of the same name.

The opening scene practice game is the All-Stars versus the Tigers. The big game pits the White Sox against the Tigers.

In both games the back of
the opposing team’s jerseys say “Westchester International.”

Most of the ball players were 12 year old boys from various teams of the Little League in Westchester, Southern California.

Luckily for the show, there is also a Westchester in New York!

During the week of rehearsals, the Westchester Little League players taught Ralph Hart (Sherman) how to hit the baseball for the game-winning home run. The prop baseball was hollow plastic and the bat was made of balsa wood.

Jerry
Carmichael is the youngest member of the team. He is announced as
batting for Mike Martin. Michael
Quinn Martin
was the son of Madelyn Martin, one of the series writers, as well as
for “I Love Lucy,” “Here’s Lucy” and “Life With Lucy.”
Her ex-husband was Emmy nominated TV producer Quinn Martin, who got
his start producing for “The Desilu Westinghouse Playhouse” in
1958. In 1986, Michael Quinn Martin was assistant to the producers (aka his mother) on “Life With Lucy.”

Lucy
and Viv mention Mickey Mantle. From
1951 through 1968, Mickey
Charles Mantle
(1931-95) was a center
fielder and
first
baseman for the New York Yankees. He is
regarded by many as the greatest switch
hitter in
baseball history. Lucy
wants Jerry to be the short “Sultan of Swat.” That is the
nickname given to baseball great Babe
Ruth
(1895-1948), who hit 714 home runs.

On their way up to bed, Lucy and Viv harmonize to “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.” The song was written in 1908 by Jack Norworth and Albert Von Tilzer. It was featured in the 1935 Marx Brothers film A Night at the Opera as well as in a 1949 film called Take Me Out to the Ball Game starring Frank Sinatra.

Callbacks!

This is the second episode to concentrate on Jerry and Sherman’s involvement in sports teams after they played pee-wee football in “Lucy is a Referee” (S1;E3). Billy Simmons (Desi Arnaz Jr.) is also on the team.

“Take
Me Out to the Ballgame” was played on the harp when “Lucy Meets
Harpo Marx” (ILL S4;E28). The harp arrangement was written by Harpo’s son, Billy Marx. The lyrics, however, are not used.

Viv
and Audrey shout their disapproval of the ump’s calls. Audrey says
“Kill the ump!” In “Lucy and Bob Hope” (ILL S6;E1) Ethel
Mertz was a very vocal spectator at Yankee Stadium.

Lucy
and Viv decide to take their minds off baseball by having something
to eat. Viv says “I like a banana.” Viv Bagley and Ethel Mertz were
big fans of bananas. Hopefully Vivian Vance was as well!

Fast Forward!

“The Lucy Show” revisits the topic of amateur baseball in a season two episode that also features Mr. Cresant (William Schallert) and Dr. Jacoby (Herb Vigran).

Blooper
Alerts!

Stay Seated! One
of the spectators at the ball game moves around. In one moment, he’s
in the stands, and a few moments later he’s seated behind the umpire.
That man is “Lucy Show” writer Bob Carroll, Jr. His distinctive
van dyke beard makes him instantly recognizable. He was likely
moving around between takes as a member of the production team.

Hats Off! When Mr. Cresant is emphatically indicating how far Lucy needs to to to leave the property, his hat starts to slide off his head, but William Shallert catches it before it does!

Trash Troubles! When
Lucille Ball is inside the trash can, she was accidentally slapped in
the eye with a banana peel. When
we first see the trash bin the lid is solid, but when Lucy re-enters
hiding inside it, air holes have been punched in the lid.
Lucille Ball was claustrophobic. In “Lucy and the
Loving Cup” (ILL S6;E12) the trophy also had air holes embedded in
the design.

M.I.A. Mama! Although
Billy Simmons plays, his mother Audrey is nowhere to be seen during
the big game. If Mary Jane Croft had no lines in the scene, it would have been impractical to call her to set just to sit in the bleachers.

Bearded Lady! Viv
disguises herself with a bushy eyebrows, a beard, and wears a pea
coat and a hat. Despite this, she still stands out from the crowd because
she wears heavy eye make-up that belies that she is a woman.

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