Lucy and the Undercover Agent

S4;E10 ~ November 22, 1965

Synopsis

After seeing a James Bond film, Lucy, the Countess and Mr. Mooney find themselves embroiled in a spy caper that ends up with Lucy disguised as Carol Channing.

Regular Cast

Lucille Ball (Lucy Carmichael), Gale Gordon (Theodore J. Mooney)

Mary Jane Croft (Mary Jane Lewis) does not appear in this episode.

Guest Cast

Ann Sothern (Rosie Hannigan, the Countess Framboise) makes her last appearance on “The Lucy Show.” Sothern had appeared in the first “Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour” “Lucy Takes a Cruise to Havana” (1957) as Susie MacNamara, the same character she played on her show “Private Secretary” from 1953 to 1957. In return Lucille Ball played Lucy Ricardo on her show in 1959. Sothern appeared with Ball in five films between 1933 and 1943. She was nominated for an Oscar for her final screen appearance in The Whales of August in 1987. She is buried near her home in Sun Valley, Idaho, a place also dear to Lucy and Desi.

Jack Cassidy (Professor Zoorkin) made his Broadway debut at the age of 16 and became one of the most Tony-nominated actors in history, winning for She Loves Me, one year before this episode was filmed. He married actress Shirley Jones in 1956 and they had three sons, Patrick, David, and Shaun, all of whom followed in their parents footsteps in show business. He died in an apartment fire in 1976. This is his only appearance with Lucille Ball.

James Dobson (Sol Schwartz) was seen on “I Love Lucy” in “Ricky’s Movie Offer” (ILL S4;E5). This is his only appearance on “The Lucy Show.”

Parley Baer (Colonel Dietrich aka “Him”) previously played MGM’s Mr. Reilly in “Ricky Needs an Agent” (ILL S4;E29) and the furniture salesman Mr. Perry in “Lucy Gets Chummy with the Neighbors” (ILL S6;E18). This is the third of his five appearances on “The Lucy Show.” He also made two appearances on “Here’s Lucy.” He is perhaps best known for his recurring roles as Mayor Stoner on “The Andy Griffith Show” and Doc Appleby in “The Dukes of Hazzard.”

Sid Gould (Waiter) made more than 45 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.”

Monty O’Grady (Restaurant Patron, uncredited) was first seen with Lucille Ball in The Long, Long Trailer (1953) and played a passenger on the S.S. Constitution in “Second Honeymoon” (ILL S5;E14). He was a traveler at the airport when “The Ricardos Go to Japan” (1959). He made a dozen appearances on the series and a half dozen more on “Here’s Lucy.”

Other uncredited background performers play the patrons of the restaurant.

This episode is sometimes listed as “Lucy, the Undercover Agent.”

Lucy, Rosie, and Mr. Mooney have just seen a James Bond film. Although the title is never mentioned, Goldfinger was released in the USA in January 1965. A few weeks after this episode aired, Thunderball premiered.

Zoorkin answers his cigarette case telephone and says “Napoleon who? You’ve got the wrong number!” This is a reference to the TV series “The Man From U.N.C.L.E.” (1964-1968) in which Napoleon Solo was played by Robert Vaughn.

Lucy tells Zoorken not to bend over around her or he may get a Judo chop. Back in Danfield, Lucy took Judo lessons. However, in the previous episode, “Lucy and the Sleeping Beauty” (S4;E9), she witnesses a Judo chop to her living room wall and doesn’t recognize it.

The writers picked the name “Sol” for the guard so that Lucy can sing “Hello, Solly!” to him. Carol Channing originated the title role in the Broadway musical Hello, Dolly! In January 1964 and played the part until August 1965. She won a Tony Award for her portrayal and would re-visit the role many times during her career.

Coincidentally, the role of Dolly was originally intended for Ethel Merman, who guest starred in two episodes of “The Lucy Show.” The musical was written by Jerry Herman (music) and Michael Stewart (Book) based on a play by Thornton Wilder.

In July 1965, just before filming this episode, Lucille Ball and Carol Channing were both mystery guests on “What’s My Line?” Ball used her ‘witch’s voice’, a voice she used on “Lucy and the Monsters” (S3;18). She announces that “The Lucy Show” will be moving to 8:30pm in the fall of 1965. Ginger Rogers, who would take over for Channing as Dolly Levi on Broadway, was also a mystery guest to promote her assuming Channing’s iconic role.

There was talk as early as February 1965 that Lucille Ball was a shoe-in to play Dolly in the feature film of the musical. Instead, the role went to Barbra Streisand, but not until 1969. Lucy got to do the film of Mame, Jerry Herman’s other Broadway hit musical, in 1974.

Mr. Mooney and the Countess disguise themselves as Carol Channing’s maid, Suzette, and her chauffeur. They come out of a Rolls Royce limousine with the license plate HHW-D60.

Because this is a female spy story, there is a mention of Mata Hari. Margaretha Geertruida MacLeod (1876-1917), better known by the stage name Mata Hari, was a Dutch exotic dancer and courtesan who was convicted of being a spy for Germany during World War I and executed by firing squad. Her name has since become synonymous with women spies. Greta Garbo played Mata Hari in a 1931 film.

Callbacks!

In 1953 Lucy Ricardo jumped to the conclusion that her “New Neighbors” (ILL S1;E21) were spies, when they were in fact TV actors rehearsing.

Blooper Alerts!

Faulty Logic Alert! The Countess orders a glass of vodka for Professor Zoorken and three glasses of water (in the same kind of glass) for herself, presumably to stay sober while pretending to be a spy. When the waiter brings the tray of four identical glasses to the table, she picks up a glass and drinks it without any regard for which one might be the vodka or the water. Similarly, Zoorken could have gotten a glass of water, and been suspicious.

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