Lucy Gets Locked in the Vault

S2;E4 ~ October 21, 1963

Synopsis

Lucy
makes a bad impression on new bank president Mr. Mooney after he
refuses to advance her money, she tests her home hair cutting kit on
his son, Arnold. Going to the bank to apologize for the mohawk, she
locks Mooney and herself in the vault.

Regular
Cast

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

Although
Ralph Hart and Candy Moore appear in the final scene, they don’t have
any dialogue.

This
is the first appearance of Gale
Gordon
(Theodore J. Mooney). He was
said to be the highest paid radio artist of the 1930’s and was in
such demand that he often did two or more radio shows a day. His
professional collaboration with Lucille Ball started in 1938 as the
announcer of Jack Haley’s “The Wonder Show” (Wonder Bread was
their sponsor). He played Mr. Atterbury on Lucy’s “My Favorite
Husband” and was a front-runner for the part of Fred Mertz on “I
Love Lucy.” When scheduling prevented his participation, he
appeared as Mr. Littlefield, the Tropicana’s owner in two episodes of
the show. In addition to Mr. Littlefield, he played a Judge in “Lucy
Makes Room for Danny,”
a
1958 episode of “The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour.” “The Lucy Show”
solidified his partnership with Lucille Ball for the rest of their
careers. He went on to play Harrison Otis Carter in “Here’s
Lucy,” Omar Whittaker in “Lucy Calls The President,” and Curtis
McGibbon in “Life with Lucy.” He died in 1995 at the age of 89.

Mr.
Mooney’s son Arnold is in the same class with Lucy’s son Jerry.

Guest
Cast

Ellen
Corby
(Miss Tanner) made
a memorable appearance on “I Love Lucy” as Miss Hannah, Lucy
Ricardo’s High School drama teacher in “Lucy
Meets Orson Welles” (ILL S6;E3).
This is her second appearance on “The Lucy Show” after appearing
in “Lucy and the Runaway Butterfly” (S1;E29). She went on to
fame as the kindly grandmother on the long-running series “The
Waltons,” playing the role from 1971 till 1997, two years before
her death.

Barry
Livingston
(Arnold Mooney) is probably best remembered as Ernie, the adopted son on “My Three Sons.” His first appearance on that series was
just one week after he played Arnold Mooney, a role he would return
to in “Lucy and the Scout Trip” (S2;E26). Unlike most child
stars of the era, Livingston is still acting today.

This is the second time one of “My Three Sons” appeared on “The Lucy Show.” Don Grady (Robbie Douglas) was featured in “Lucy is a Chaperone” (S1;E27).

Sid
Gould
(Reporter) was
first seen in “Lucy
is a Kangaroo for a Day” (S1;E7).
This is his third of 46 appearances on “The Lucy Show,” all as
background characters. He also did 40 episodes of “Here’s Lucy.”
Gould (born Sydney Greenfader) was Lucille Ball’s cousin by
marriage to Gary Morton. Gould was married to Vanda Barra, who also
appeared on “The Lucy Show” starting in 1967, as well as on
“Here’s Lucy.”

Hazel
Pierce
(Bank Customer) was
Lucille Ball’s camera and lighting stand-in throughout “I Love
Lucy.” She also made frequent appearances on the show. Of her many
on-camera appearances on “The Lucy Show” only once was she given
a character name and credited in “Lucy Plays Cleopatra” (S1;E1).
She was also an uncredited extra in the film Forever
Darling (1956).

Several
other background actors play the bank staff and customers.

This episode was filmed on May 16, 1963.

This
is the first episode that actually has a plot continued into the next
episode “Lucy and the Safe Cracker” (S2;E5), although each
episodes stands on its own. This was also done on “I Love Lucy”
with the episodes “Lucy Visits Grauman’s” (ILL S5;E1) and “Lucy
and John Wayne” (ILL S5;E2).

The
episode discusses Mr. Mooney’s predecessor, Mr. Barndsdahl, a
character who last appeared in “Vivian Sues Lucy” (S1;E10). The
character was written out when actor Charles Lane could not memorize
his lines. It is also theorized that Lucille Ball was looking to
bring Gale Gordon on the show as the banker as soon as his contract
was up on “Dennis the Menace.”

Mr. Mooney reads from Mr. Barnsdahl’s 27-page memo about Mrs. Carmichael: “To get money from the bank, she will threaten, wheedle, cajole, cry, implore, jolly and stage tantrums.” In “Lucy is a Kangaroo for a Day” (S1;E7) Mr. Barnsdahl reads from Lucy’s late husband’s will which says she will: “One – wheedle. Two – lose her temper. And three – cry.” Lucy Ricardo made similar attempts to get money from her husband throughout “I Love Lucy.”

Viv
and Lucy’s car is nicknamed Grover.
The only time we saw the car was in “Lucy Buys a Sheep” (S1:E5)
where it was a 1949 Packard. The car broke down on Viv and Sherman
in “Lucy and Her Electric Mattress” (S1;E12). It will cost $50
for the repairs, which Lucy has to pay as per her agreement with Viv.

When
Lucy cuts Arnold’s hair, Stanley Livingston is actually wearing a
wig.

Lucy reads the cover of the home hair cutting booklet: “Anyone who can comb hair, can cut hair.” The Desilu prop people mocked up the reverse to read “Save Up To $50 a Year” which is the exact amount Lucy needs to pay the car repair bill.

Lucy’s
grocery bag contains a package of napkins, a bottle brush, a can of
baked beans, a box of uncooked macaroni, and a deck of children’s
playing cards (’Who’s in the Barnyard’).
Adapting the cards for poker, Lucy wins with four little lambs and a
wild billy goat!

Callbacks!

Getting
trapped inside the vault with no food is similar to when the the
Ricardos and Mertzes were trapped in a Swiss Alps cabin by an avalanche.
Just like her dry macaroni in the vault, Lucy saved her food and
wouldn’t share with her hungry companion(s).

Blooper
Alerts!

Follicle Faux Pas! Lucy
starts cutting Arnold’s hair while he is still wearing his
eyeglasses.