Kiddie Parties Inc.

S2;E2
~ October 7, 1963

Synopsis

The
high cost of their kids’ birthday parties inspires Lucy and Viv’s
latest money-making scheme: their own children’s party business.

Regular
Cast

Lucille
Ball (Lucy Carmichael), Vivian Vance (Vivian Bagley)

Jimmy
Garrett (Jerry Carmichael), Ralph Hart (Sherman Bagley), Candy Moore
(Chris Carmichael) do not appear in this episode.

Although still
under contract, these three actors will be featured less in season
two than season one. Candy Moore’s status went from regular to
recurring cast member.

Guest
Cast

Lyle
Talbot (Mr. Sanford) was a ‘B’ movie
actor who made several films for Ed Wood, including what is
considered one of the worst films ever made Plan
9 from Outer Space (1959). This is
the first of his two appearances on the series. He returns for two
episodes of “Here’s Lucy.”

Lyle Talbot initially introduces himself as Mr. Sanford. In a later scene, he is once called Mr. Stanford by Lucille Ball. Strangely, Talbot’s character is listed as Mr. Stanford in the credits, but his son Tommy’s surname is listed as Sanford.

Jimmie
Lee Gaines (Tommy, below center) appeared with
Lucille Ball in the 1963 film Critic’s
Choice. This is his only series
appearance. He left the business two years later, at age ten.

Ronnie
Dapo (David, above right) was a ten year-old actor whose first screen credit was in
1959 and his last in 1966. He made several appearances on “The
Andy Griffith Show,” the second airing the very same night as this
episode of “The Lucy Show!”

There
are 8 other young boys in the party scene. There is also a pony and
a dog.

Filmed June 6, 1963

Lucy
and Viv rush to offer Mr. Sanford a cigarette. Throughout season,
neither character was seen smoking. On
January 11, 1964, the U.S. Surgeon General released the first report
of the Advisory Committee on Smoking and Health. The dangers of
cigarette smoking were public knowledge by the time of the report.

Lucy
and Viv agree to $15 per child for a total of $150, which includes
party favors, cake, games, a clown, a dog act, and a pony! This is the equivalent of nearly $1,200 is 2017 dollars. Lucy and
Viv make a profit of $5 each from their first party.

Lucy
says that for $150 they could buy Ringling Brothers! The Ringling
Brothers Circus was the setting of the 1952 Cecil B. DeMille film
The Greatest Show on Earth. Lucille Ball was cast in the film
but was forced to withdraw due to her pregnancy. She was replaced
by Gloria Graham. Sadly, the Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey
Circus recently announced that after more than 100 years in business
they would cease operations as of May 2017.

The
pony’s name is Dimples and the basset hound’s name is Thuderbolt.
Again, Lucille Ball ignores the old show business axiom “never work
with children or animals!”

Lucy
states that the town of Ridgebury is only five miles away.

When
Lucy flies away on the helium balloons, Viv gets on the phone to
Mayor Scanlon, reporting that Lucy was sighted flying over Long Ridge Road,
knocking over Grandma Sutton’s TV antenna and headed toward
Ridgebury. Viv wants him to send the hook and ladder from New
Rochelle.

Grandma
Sutton was previously mentioned in “Lucy and Viv are Firemen”
(S1;E16) and again in “Lucy Drives a Dump Truck” (S1;E24). It is
unclear why Viv doesn’t call in the Danfield Volunteer Fire
Department to rescue Lucy. Lucy previously had an encounter with a TV
aerial in “Lucy Puts Up a TV Antenna” (S1;E9).

Once
home, Lucy equates her balloon ride with space flight. The space
program was the subject of “Lucy Becomes an Astronaut” (S1;E6).
Lucy says she got caught on the Ridgebury Community Church steeple
and Reverend Moss climbed up to get her down. Lucy says she was
headed for the open sea!

Callbacks!

Lucy
Ricardo and Ethel Mertz threw a birthday party children they didn’t
know when “Lucy Gets Homesick in Italy” (ILL S5;E22).

They
next throw a birthday party for Little Ricky in “Lucy and Superman”
(ILL S6;E13).

A
dog act was part of “Lucy Thinks Ricky is Trying to Murder Her”
(ILL S1;E4).

Lucy
Ricardo had an encounter with a basset hound aboard the S.S.
Constitution in “Second Honeymoon” (ILL S5;E14).

Blooper
Alerts!

In
a closeup of Lucy floating with the balloons against a light blue
sky, you can see where the wire attaches to the harness she’s
wearing.

At
the beginning of the dog act, the pink balloon that Viv accidentally
released earlier in the episode drifts back down to the ground.