S2;E22
~ March 2, 1964
Synopsis
When
Lucy’s economizing leads to an argument between Lucy and Viv, Viv and
Sherman move out and Mr. Mooney insists that she rents Viv’s room to
a nightclub singer and her drummer son who practice at all hours of
the day and night.
Regular
Cast
Lucille
Ball (Lucy Carmichael), Vivian Vance (Vivian Bagley), Gale Gordon
(Theodore J. Mooney), Jimmy Garrett (Jerry Carmichael), Candy Moore
(Chris Carmichael), Ralph Hart (Sherman Bagley)
Guest
Cast
Roberta
Sherwood
(Roberta Schaeffer) started
her career, in a vaudeville and nightclub act, with her sister, Anne
Sherwood.
Red
Buttons
became
a fan and brought columnist Walter
Winchell
to
see her; he gave her rave reviews. Soon she was performing in clubs
nationwide and had a contract with Decca
Records.
In November 1956 DJs picked her as the 19th most popular album
artist and #8 on a list of “Most Promising Female
Vocalists.” Sherwood was usually described as a torch
singer;
she appeared on stage in a sweater and glasses, and used a cymbal
held
in her hand for accompaniment (although she does none of those on
this episode). With husband Don Lanning, she had three
sons: Don, Robert and Jerry, performers who all appeared with her on
“The
Donna Reed Show” in 1962.
Robert co-stars with her in this episode of “The Lucy Show.”
Sherwood died in 1999 at the age of 86.
Robert
Lanning (Bob Schaeffer, drummer) was the real-life son of Roberta
Sherwood and brother to Jerry and Don Lanning, also performers. He
mostly appeared alongside his mother, including on “The Donna Reed
Show” (1962) and “The Ed Sullivan Show.”
Marl
Young
(Marl, pianist, left, uncredited) formed
a strong professional bond with Lucille
Ball
and
frequently worked as a pianist and arranger on “The Lucy Show”
during the 1960s, including do pre-show studio audience warm-ups. He
later became the music director of “Here’s Lucy” in the
early 1970s. Marl was
the first African-American music director for a major television
network in the United States.
Bill
Schaeffer (trombonist, center, uncredited)
Two
uncredited actors play the men from the Copacabana.
Roberta
Sherwood,
Robert Lanning,
and Gale
Gordon
had
previously co-starred in a 1962 episode of “The Donna Reed Show”
titled “Donna Meets Roberta” that was a possible spin-off titled
“The Roberta Sherwood Show” where the trio played residents of a
boarding house. The plot of that episode (and the possible series)
was similar to this story. In addition to the usual sitcom stories
each episode would feature Roberta Sherwood performing a musical
numbers. If the episode had been picked up for a series, Gale Gordon
would not have been available to portray Mr. Mooney, changing “The
Lucy Show” and Ball and Gordon’s career paths.
Lucille
Ball and Roberta Sherwood both are performers with sons who play
drums and both appeared on TV with their mothers. Lucy and Roberta
also both use their own first names in their acting gigs.
In
the opening scene, Jerry and Sherman’s lunchboxes
are on the table, ready to be taken to school. Sherman’s is a by
American Thermos Products Co. featuring US
Navy Submarines
including the USS Seawolf, the USS George Washington and the USS
Skipjack. It was seen in the episode “Vivian Sues Lucy”
(S1;E10). Jerry’s is
a
1961 King Seeley Thermos tin lunchbox featuring images from the
television western “Lawman,”
which
ran on ABC from 1958-1962. It
was featured in “Lucy’s Sister Pays a Visit” (S1;E15).
When
he overhears Lucy and Viv talking about the color of their roots, Mr.
Mooney drily says “Now
only me and your hairdresser know for sure.”
This line is paraphrased from a tremendously popular ad campaign for
Miss Clairol Hair Color Bath that began in 1956. The catchphrase
was “Does
she…or doesn’t she? Only her hairdresser knows for sure.”
The phrase has entered into common parlance and is still recognizable
today.
To
escape the incessant band rehearsals, Jerry says he is going over to
Peter’s house, where everyone is tone deaf. In the next scene he says
he is going over to Randy’s. This is the first mention of Peter and
Randy.
Roberta
and her son are playing in Danfield at the Elm Tree Inn. Ethel
Merman also stayed at the Elm Tree Inn in “Lucy Teaches Ethel
Merman To Sing” (S2;E18).
Roberta’s
signature song is
“(Up a) Lazy River” by
Hoagy
Carmichael
and
Sidney
Arodin,
first published in 1930.
Lucy says that they have rehearsed it 32 times! It is considered a
jazz
and pop standard and
has been recorded by many artists. Bobby Darin took the song to #14
on the charts. This was Roberta Sherwood’s only charting hit,
landing at #57 in 1956.
Roberta
auditions for a gig at the Copacabana in New York City.
The
Copacabana
opened in 1940 at 10 East 60th Street, New York City. The popular
night spot had Brazilian décor and Latin-themed orchestras, although
the menu featured Chinese food. The club was also known for its
chorus line of Copacabana Girls, who had pink hair and elaborate
sequined costumes, mink panties and brassieres, and fruited turbans!
It was mentioned in the very first episode of “I Love Lucy” in
1951, “The Girls Want To Go To A Nightclub” (ILL S1;E1).
Chris
says Les Brown and Stan Kenton both turned down playing at her Junior
Hop. Lester
Raymond “Les” Brown, Sr.
(1912–
2001)
was
a musician,
composer, and big
band
leader
best known for his nearly seven decades of work with the
Les
Brown and His Band of Renown.
Stanley
Newcomb “Stan” Kenton
(1911–
1979)
was a jazz
pianist,
composer,
and arranger
who
led an innovative, influential, and often controversial progressive
jazz
orchestra.
Because
Bob, Bill, and Marl have agreed to play for Chris’s Junior Hop, Lucy
(playing the drums), Mr. Mooney (playing the trombone) and Viv
(playing the piano) must substitute for them at Roberta’s Copa
audition. This is the first time we have seen Lucy Carmichael
attempt to play the drums. Mr. Mooney infers that he was he used to
play the trombone. Vivian has played keyboards several time in the
past, and Ethel Mertz also played the piano.
Roberta
auditions with
“Bill Bailey, Won’t You Please Come Home?” which
is a
popular song published in 1902 with
words and music by Hughie
Cannon (1877–1912).
It is still a standard with Dixieland
and
traditional jazz
bands.
Although
Vivian Vance will eventually leave the series, Viv returns to live
with Lucy at the end of this episode.
Callbacks!
Having a drummer in the house should be nothing new to Lucy. Both Little Ricky on “I Love Lucy” and Craig Carter on “Here’s Lucy” were drummers!
Just
two episodes earlier, Lucy rented Viv’s room out to another singer,
Ethel Merman, in “Lucy Teaches Ethel Merman How To Sing”
(S2;E18) and “Ethel Merman and the Boy Scout Show” (S2:E19). Coincidentally, Merman also had a failed pilot for a series, “Maggie Brown.”
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