LUCY RUNS THE RAPIDS

S2;E4
~ October 13, 1969

Directed
by George Marshall ~ Written by Gene Thompson

Synopsis

Looking
for a pleasant place for a picnic during their roadtrip, Lucy and the
Carters camp out on the banks of the Colorado River. Borrowing a
raft to do some sightseeing, they are soon being swept down the
rapids.

Regular
Cast

Lucille
Ball (Lucy
Carter), Gale
Gordon (Harrison
Otis Carter), Lucie
Arnaz (Kim
Carter), Desi
Arnaz Jr. (Craig
Carter)

Guest
Cast

Robert
L. Hughes
(Guide) was mainly a theatre artist with only a dozen screen
appearances, including one more episode of “Here’s Lucy.” Hughes
left show business in the 1980s to pursue a business career.

George
Marshall
(Sheriff George) was also the director of this episode. Marshall has
less than a dozen screen acting credits, but directed 195 films
dating from the silents of 1916 to television in 1972. He directed
Lucille Ball in the films Valley
of the Sun (1942)
and Fancy
Pants (1950).
He will directed the five more episodes of season two of “Here’s
Lucy.” According to DVD extras, Marshall was quite a drinker.

Other
river rafters are played by uncredited local performers.

This
episode was shot on location on the Colorado River.

This
is the final segment of the four-part ‘road trip’ opening season 2.
As usual, Lucille Ball does almost all of her own stunts Because
she is required to spend a lot of time submerged in the freezing
waters of the Colorado River, she wears a wet suit under her clothes.
Lucille Ball previously wore a wet suit when she spent hours in the
water in “Lucy at Marineland” (TLS S4;E1). On the DVD extras,
Lucie Arnaz notes that she was not given a wet suit and that the
water was very, very cold!

This
episode opens the same way as the first episode of season two, with
the camper driving through western landscape to the strains of
“Breezin’ Along with the Breeze,” a song written
by Haven Gillespie, Seymour Simons and Richard A. Whiting and used as
the theme music for Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz’s 1953 film The
Long, Long Trailer.
The original lyrics are about sailing, not driving.

Unlike
studio filming, only one camera was used on location, although
Lucille Ball was insistent on her usual studio lighting instruments,
despite their great weight and bulk. When director George Marshall
told Lucy that he couldn’t risk mounting the heavy instruments on the
rafts (lest they fall into the water and be lost), Lucy relented and
allowed smaller, less intense lighting instruments to be used. But
only on the water – on dry land she still insisted on the
behemoths.

The
Carters travel in a Travco
motor home. The company’s RV’s were originally built on Dodge
chassis. Travco was in business from 1964 until the late 1980s.

Even
before they get to the Colorado River, Harry gets drenched when
driver Lucy makes a sudden stop and Lucie spills a pitcher of water
on her Uncle. He remarks that she gets more like her mother every
day! Yet another example of how Harry and water frequently meet on
“Here’s Lucy.”

Lee’s
Ferry Arizona is a real place, although the huge sign may have
been placed their by Desilu. Another sign in the background looks
like it was removed for the shoot, but the posts still remain.

Sheriff
George reads a police bulletin: “Wanted:
one overweight, over-aged playboy and his red headed, light-headed
secretary. Also missing with them is a large blue and white camper.
$500 reward for the return of the camper. You can do what you want
with the odd couple.”

Lucy
says she used to do a lot of canoeing on Chautauqua Lake. This would
mean that Lucy Carter, Lucy Carmichael, and Lucy Ricardo were all
from upstate New York, just like Lucille Ball. Chautauqua Lake was
mentioned by Lucy Ricardo in “The Saxophone” (ILL S2;E2).

Sitcom
Logic Alert! When setting up camp for the night, Craig casually
remarks how well equipped for emergencies the raft is! This is
doubtless to try to rationalize to viewers why they have four air
mattresses, a bulky air compression pump, and four sleeping bags
when they had only planned on a picnic when they ‘borrowed’ the raft!

Lucy
sinking in a vessel that she punctured herself also happened during
“Lucy’s Summer Vacation,” a 1959 episode of “The Lucy-Desi
Comedy Hour.” In that episode a leaky rowboat on a lake holds Lucy
Ricardo, Ricky Ricardo, Howard Duff, and Ida Lupino.

After
popping up from the water and gripping the sides of the raft, Lucy
Carter does a spit take. Lucy Carmichael also did this in “Lucy at
Marineland” (TLS S4;E1). Coincidentally, that episode also
featured Gale Gordon, Lucie Arnaz, and Desi Arnaz Jr.

The
camper has the same California license plate number (WHM-560) as
Lucy’s car seen in “Lucy Helps Craig Get a Driver’s License”
(S1;E24).

Even
after seeing the sign ‘Lee’s Ferry Arizona’, Craig and Lucy believe the
fully inflated and tied-up raft labeled FORT LEE COMPANY (in huge
letters) is an Army surplus item, and not the property of a rafting
company. The Fort Lee Company was a real river rafting company that
operated until 1983, when Wilderness River Adventures took over.

Lucy
throws one of the life vests overboard to Kim, but it floats away.
Somehow, however, there are still enough life vests on the raft for
everyone later on.

Lucy
punctures the raft which then deflates but the next morning it is
miraculously patched and fully inflated again!