S2;E14 ~ January 6, 1964
Synopsis
When
Chris needs a new dress for her first formal dance, Lucy has to get
the money from Mr. Mooney, who is in the hospital with a broken leg.
Lucy and Viv use their positions as candystripers to get into his
room, but after causing chaos they are chased around the hospital
adopting various disguises.
Regular
Cast
Lucille
Ball (Lucy Carmichael), Vivian Vance (Vivian Bagley), Gale Gordon
(Theodore J. Mooney), Ralph Hart (Sherman Bagley), Candy Moore
(Chris Carmichael), Jimmy Garrett (Jerry Carmichael)
Guest
Cast
Kathleen
Freeman (Mrs. Blake, above left) was ‘born in a trunk’ to a family of
vaudevillians. She made her stage debut at age two in her parents’
act. Equally at home on screen and stage, Freeman was appearing on
Broadway in The Full Monty in 2001 when she died of lung
cancer. This is the first of her five appearances in various
character roles on “The Lucy Show.”
Paula Winslowe
(Mrs. Edwards, above right) played Mrs. Martha Conklin on “Our Miss Brooks”
opposite Gale Gordon. On “I Love Lucy” she was one of the
passengers on the S.S. Constitution in “Second Honeymoon” (ILL
S5;E14). This is her only appearance on “The Lucy Show.” She
was the voice of Bambi’s mother in the 1942 Disney film Bambi.
Bernie
Kopell (Interne) is a versatile and prolific character actor now
most remembered as Doctor Adam Bricker on “The Love Boat”
(1977-1987) as well as Siegfried on “Get Smart” (1966-1969).
This is his only appearance opposite Lucille Ball.
Karen
Norris
(Nurse, above right) previously
appeared as Babette Edwards in “Lucy and Viv Play Softball”
(S2;E3), Della Fox in “Lucy
and Viv Take Up Chemistry” (S1;E26),
and
Ella in “Lucy
and the Runaway Butterfly (S1;E29).
She will makes three more appearances on “The Lucy Show.” She
also did one episode of “Here’s Lucy” in 1968.
Sid
Gould
(Attendant) was
first seen in “Lucy
is a Kangaroo for a Day” (S1;E7).
He made 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 (Hospital
Helper) 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 men and women play the hospital personnel and patients,
including the series’ first African American actor playing a hospital
orderly.
Florence
Nightingale (1820-1910)
came to be known as “The Lady with the Lamp.” She was a
pioneering nurse, writer, and noted medical statistician. She tended
wounded soldiers in the Crimean War and became an advocate for care
of the wounded soldier. Her name has become synonymous with nursing
worldwide.
Usual
series writers Madelyn Martin and Bob Carroll Jr. were joined by Fred
S. Fox and Irving (‘Iz’) Elinson for this episode. Fox wrote 15
episodes of “The Lucy Show” and 26 episodes of “Here’s Lucy.”
Elinson wrote a dozen episode of “The Lucy Show.”
The
script was finalized on September 30, 1963. A
map of the hospital nurses station was included in the script to help
the cast navigate through the chase scene.
Lucy
says Mr. Mooney used to live on a farm in Indiana.
This is the same backstory ascribed to Fred Mertz on “I Love
Lucy.”
Lucy
switches with Audrey Simmons and Viv with Alice Canfield so they can
work now as Hospital Helpers and corner Mr. Mooney in the hospital.
Audrey Simmons is usually played by Mary Jane Croft. This is the
first mention of Alice Canfield. Lucy and Viv were canvassing for
Hospital Helpers in “Lucy and the Bank Scandal” (S2;E7).
Mr.
Mooney is in the hospital with a broken leg. Lucille Ball would
break her leg in a skiing accident while filming “Here’s Lucy.”
She continued the show in a wheelchair rather than cancel the
program. In the episode “Harrison Carter, Male Nurse” (HL S5;E3)
it was Gale Gordon who was nursing Lucy with a broken leg!
Chris
mentions that she saw an apricot taffeta dress at Kleinstaff’s for
$39.50. In today’s economy, that would be equal to $330! Kleinstaff’s was
first mentioned in “Lucy’s Sister Pays a Visit” (S1;E15).
When
Lucy puts the bite on Viv for a loan, Viv sarcastically says that
lately her “losses have been running rather heavy at Monte
Carlo.” Lucy Ricardo and Ethel Mertz visited there in “Lucy
Goes to Monte Carlo” (ILL S5;E25).
A
Western Union phone message from the bank wishing Mr. Mooney a speedy
recovery comes from George, Elaine, Philip, William, Alice, Eric,
Dick and Virginia. Lucy later makes up a story about Mr. Bentley the
teller.
Mr.
Mooney’s physician is Dr. Hutchinson. When Lucy disguises herself as
a doctor, she is mistaken for a surgeon named Dr. Davis. Just four
months after this episode aired, writer Madelyn Pugh Martin remarried
Dr. Richard Davis.
The
dialogue refers to the nurses as ‘Mrs.’ and the candystripers as
‘nurses’ – the opposite of what is usual today.
CBS
repeated this episode on April 13, 1964.
Callbacks!
Lucy
Ricardo disguised herself as a doctor and ran amok in a hospital when
Little Ricky had his tonsils out in “Nursery School” (ILL S5;E9).
Papermoon Loves Lucy 
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