Lucy and Carol in Palm Springs

S5;E8
~ November 7,
1966

Synopsis

Lucy’s
new roommate Carol gets a gig singing in Palm Springs with The
Vagabonds and wants Lucy to come along. Lucy has to fake illness to
get off work and then perform with the group to earn her stay. Carol
Burnett and Dan Rowan guest star.

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

Carol
Burnett (Carol Bradford) got her first big break on “The Paul
Winchell Show” in 1955. Winchell guest starred with Lucy in “Lucy
and Paul Winchell” (S5;E4). A years later she was a regular on “The
Garry Moore Show.” In 1959 she made her Broadway debut in Once
Upon a Mattress, which she also appeared in on television three
times. From 1960 to 1965 she did a number of TV specials, and often
appeared with Julie Andrews. Her second Broadway musical was Fade
Out – Fade In which ran for more than 270 performances. From
1967 to 1978 she hosted her own highly successful variety show, “The
Carol Burnett Show.” This episode is the second of her five
appearances with Lucy as Carol Bradford. In return, Lucille Ball
made five appearances on “The Carol Burnett Show.” Burnett also
returned to star in three episodes of “Here’s Lucy,” once playing
herself. After Lucille Ball’s passing, Burnett was hailed as the
natural heir to Lucy’s title of ‘The Queen of TV Comedy.’

Carol
Bradford is a librarian who likes to sing.

Dan
Rowan (Colin
Grant) was the comedy partner of Dick Martin, who played Lucy’s
boyfriend Harry on season 1 of “The Lucy Show.” He is best
known as the co-host of “Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In” which aired
from 1968 to 1973 and earned him a 1972 Emmy Award. Earlier in 1966
he had appeared with Lucille Ball on “The Dean Martin Show.” He
will guest star on “The Carol Burnett Show” in 1969 and in return
she appeared on “Laugh-In” in 1972. This is the first of his two
appearances on “The Lucy Show.” He died in 1987 at age 65.

Grant
is described as a millionaire sportsman,
“celebrated big game hunter, deep sea fisherman, and a fine
golfer.”
He is single, but considering marriage.

Jonathan
Hole
(Mr. Haskell, Hotel Manager) previously played Mr.
Collins, Manager of Stacey’s Department Store, in “Lucy Bags a
Bargain” (S4;E17). He was in eight Broadway plays between 1924 and
1934. Hole’s screen career began in 1951. This is the second of his
three appearances on the series. He also did two episodes of “Here’s
Lucy.”

William
Woodson
(Radio Reporter) previously played Danfield TV reporter Larry
McAdoo on “Lucy and the Safe Cracker” (S2;E5). TV viewers might
recognize his voice as the narrator on the opening credits of “The
Odd Couple” (1970-72): “Can
two divorced men share an apartment without driving each other
crazy?” This
is his final appearance on “The Lucy Show.”

Sid
Gould
(Tournament Committee Man) 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.

Dino
Natali (Musician, Bass), Dom Germano (Musician, Guitar),
Al Torrieri (Musician, Guitar), Attilio Rizzo (Musician,
Accordion) were all seen in the previous episode “Lucy Gets a
Roomate” (S5;E7).

Although
not billed as such in the final credits, their group was known as The
Vagabonds. Unlike the previous episode, “Lucy Gets a Roommate”
(S5;E7), they are called by that name many times in this script.
Contrary to popular belief, Joe Pesci was not part of the group. They
all live across the hall from Lucy and have taken on Carol as their
girl singer. As in the previous episode, in the final credits,
Torrieri is listed as ‘Torre’ and Attilio Rizzo is listed as ‘Atillo
Risso.’ The electric guitar player and a drummer (probably Roger
Pearsall) are uncredited.

Two
dozen uncredited male and female background players play the hotel
and golf tournament guests. Among them is Bennett
Green,
who served as
Desi Arnaz’s stand-in during “I Love Lucy” and had bit roles in
many episodes. He does frequent background work on “The Lucy
Show.”

This
is a stand-alone episode that directly follows-up on “Lucy Gets a
Roommate” (S5;E7) wherein librarian and amateur singer Carol
Bradford moves in to share Lucy’s apartment.

Although
he is not specifically mentioned by name, the script was designed as
a plug for Lucy’s good friend Bob Hope, who had recently taken over
hosting the The Palm Springs Golf Classic and renamed it The Bob
Hope Desert Classic.
The
tournament retained this name until 2012.
In
February 1966
Doug Sanders finished first with Arnold Palmer the runner-up. Desi
Arnaz, who co-founded Palm Springs’ Indian Welles Golf Course and
Country Club, frequently played in the classic.

Palm
Springs, California, was a favorite get-away destination of Lucille
Ball and Desi Anaz (as well as Gary Morton) who had a home there and
built a golf course and resort there. Their daughter Lucie Arnaz
recently relocated to the desert town where her parents were celebrated residents.

Carol
and The Vagabonds sing “The
Hukilau Song”
written by Jack Owens in 1948. This turns into “The
Hawaiian War Chant”
written by Johnny Noble, a composer who was a native Hawaiian. In
order to show Mr. Haskell that she’s a member of the band, Lucy
plays the cuica, a friction drum of Brazilian origin that makes a low
groaning sound.

Lucy
and Carol later sing “Lazy
River,” which
was written by Hoagy Carmichael and Sidney Arodin in
1930.

The
golf tournament player board has the names of several important
members of “The Lucy Show” family. One of them is Lucy’s husband
(and newly-named “Lucy Show” Executive Producer) Gary Morton.
Morton played Lucy’s boyfriend in the golf-themed episode “Lucy
Takes Up Golf” (S2;E17). In “Lucy and Paul Winchell” (S5;E4),
Winchell gets a telephone call from someone named Gary asking him to
play golf. Another name on the board is Dick Martin, Rowan’s
real-life stand-up comedy partner and Lucy Carmichael’s boyfriend
during season 1. Ken Westcott was “The Lucy Show” props
master. Howie McClay was the name of Lucille Ball’s long-time
publicist. His name was used back in Danfield as the owner of the
hardware story. Ron Knox is “The Lucy Show” gaffer. Bob
O’Brien was the episode’s writer.

Carol
Burnett uses her trademark Tarzan yell in both this and the previous
episode, “Lucy Gets a Roommate”
(S5;E7). In that episode it was explained that Carol gets the hiccups
whenever she is nervous, which she does thinking about performing in
Palm Springs.

Searching
for an excuse to join The Vagabonds and get a free trip to Palm
Springs, Lucy offers that she can play “Glow
Worm” on the saxophone.
This was something that Lucy Ricardo regularly did on “I Love
Lucy,” although often the song was “Sweet Sue.”

Callbacks!

In 1942, Lucy and Desi were seen in an episode of RKO’s ‘Picture People’ titled “Palm Springs Week End”. The couple were seen biking in the desert and taking snapshots of Lucy and the scenery.

Lucy
Ricardo was “In Palm Springs” (ILL S4;E26) where she also sat out
in the sun, but because of a severe sunburn before her appearance in
“The Fashion Show” (ILL S4;E19), Lucy kept covered up!

“Lazy
River” was previously sung on the series by Roberta Sherwood in
“Viv Moves Out” (S2;E22).
This
was Sherwood’s only charting hit, landing at #57 in 1956.

Lucy
Ricardo also played the cuica when the gang sang the calypso tune
“Man Smart (Woman Smarter)” in “Ragtime Band” (ILL S6;E20) in
1957, one year after it was a hit for Harry Belafonte. It was also a
staple song for The Grateful Dead!

Lucy
Ricardo performed “The Hawaiian War Chant” in “Ricky’s Hawaiian
Vacation” (ILL S3;E22). Lucy would again perform the song in a
two-part 1971 episode of “Here’s Lucy” on a cruise to Hawaii with
Vivian Vance.

Sitcom Logic Alert!

As
usual, Mr. Mooney turns up wherever Lucy is – or, in this case – isn’t supposed to be! He is partnered with heartthrob Colin Grant in
the golf tournament. Only in TV Land!