(S4;E28 ~ May 9, 1955) The episode is sometimes just referred to simply as “Harpo Marx” because it features a guest appearance by the famous comedian. The previous episode, “The Dancing Star” (S4;E27) featuring Van Johnson, was actually filmed after this episode, perhaps to accommodate the schedules of the guest stars.
Lucy and Harpo had appeared together in Room Service in 1938 for RKO Studios. He was said to be her ‘favorite’ Marx Brother. By 1955 Lucy and Desi owned RKO and had re-named it Desilu Studios. Just before the filming, Harpo suffered a heart attack and his doctors discouraged him from doing the show. He ignored their wishes.
Harpo Marx was born Adolph Marx on November 23, 1893, in New York. He was the second of five brothers: Julius (Groucho), Milton (Gummo), Leonard (Chico), and Herbert (Zeppo). He quit school after kindergarten to help support his family by taking a job as a delivery boy. His musical talent was developed by learning to play his grandmother’s harp. In 1922, he and his brothers left vaudeville to perform on Broadway, and soon landed in Hollywood making movies together throughout the 1930s and 40s. Harpo never spoke on screen and was usually seen in a fright wig, battered top hat, and wearing a trench coat, all of which he does in this episode.
Lucy and Ethel fancifully mention inviting Princess Margaret for tea. She was the younger sister of Elizabeth II, who had been on the throne only two years at the time this episode was first aired. Margaret was known to be extraordinarily social. She was often featured in the press at balls, parties, and night-clubs.
Once again, Marilyn Monroe is mentioned, with Lucy wondering if Ethel might pass for Monroe to a near-sighted Carolyn. After Ethel tries to walk like Marilyn, Lucy decides that “nobody is that near-sighted!” In “Ricky’s Movie Offer” (S4;E5) Lucy and Ethel argue about who looks more like Marilyn Monroe. Fred says he looks more like Marilyn than either of them!
Doris Singleton makes her penultimate of ten appearances as Lucy’s friend Carolyn Appleby. A New Yorker, Carolyn is conveniently on her way to Hawaii to join her husband Charlie, but stops over in Los Angeles to see Lucy. All of this is established in “The Dancing Star.”
Once Carolyn arrives, Lucy mentions that “Ronnie and Benita” might drop by but quickly corrects herself, fibbing that they’d dropped by last week. She is referring to Oscar winner Ronald Colman and his wife Benita Hume. Lucille Ball was an un-credited extra in Colman’s 1934 film Bulldog Drummond Strikes Back.
The full celebrity guest list for Lucy’s faux Hollywood party consists of Gary Cooper, Clark Gable, Bing Crosby, Walter Pidgeon, Jimmy Durante, and Harpo Marx. After making sure Carolyn is without her glasses, Lucy uses masks from the magic shop on the boulevard for her impersonations.
As Gary Cooper, she answers most questions with Cooper’s trademark “yep” or “nope” something he memorably did in the 1949 Warner Brothers picture It’s a Great Feeling.
As Clark Gable, Lucy pretends he has laryngitis, accounting for his gruff voice and Ethel’s warning that Carolyn not get too close lest she catch his cold. Lucille Ball was great friends with Gable’s third wife, Carole Lombard.
As Jimmy Durante, Lucy paraphrases some of Durante’s famous sayings: “What a catastrastrope” (instead of catastrophe) was something he often said on his NBC radio show. On his departure, Lucy/Durante says “Goodnight Mrs. Appleby, whoever you are.” This is a variation on Durante’s famous radio sign-off “Goodnight Mrs. Calabash, wherever you are.”
When the real Harpo Marx enters instead of Lucy, one wonders if Ethel is as near-sighted as Carolyn. She is face to face with the famous comic and can’t see that it isn’t Lucy or a magic store mask! Also, Carolyn’s vision has improved enough to be chased around the hotel room by Harpo without bumping into the furniture!
We don’t see Lucy’s impersonation of Bing Crosby or Walter Pidgeon. According to “The Dancing Star,” Cary Grant and Marlon Brando were also supposed to be at the party, but since that episode was filmed after this one, it’s understandable why the guest list had discrepancies.
During the episode Harpo plays “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” on the harp, an arrangement done by his son Billy. 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.
Harpo and Lucy recreate the famous mirror routine first performed by Groucho in Duck Soup (1933). Lucy insisted on lots of rehearsal while Harpo was inclined to improvise, so the routine had to be re-filmed after the studio audience left to get it right.
Although it may look seamless in the final edit, the scene is actually many takes edited together. After the final take of the mirror routine, Harpo remained behind and played the harp for the cast and crew while Vivian Vance sang. Shortly after the episode aired, Harpo had another heart attack but survived for another nine years, dying at the age of 75 from complications following heart surgery.
On May 19, 2017, CBS aired this episode and “The Dancing Star” (S4;E27) colorized as “I Love Lucy: Superstar Special”. This brings the total number of colorized episodes to 11.
Tonight! CBS broadcast two newly colorized episodes of I Love Lucy. Refresh your memory of the episodes (and discover some behind-the-scenes trivia) by revisiting this Papermoon Loves Lucy blog entry
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