LUCY AND THE GENERATION GAP

S2;E12
~ December 8, 1969

Directed
by Jack Baker ~ Written by Fred S. Fox and Seaman Jacobs

Synopsis

Kim
and Craig are in charge of producing the school play. At a loss for
ideas, they recruit Lucy and Harry to be in a musical about the
generation gap.

Regular
Cast

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

Guest
Cast

Cecil
Gold
(Fred) danced in one more episode of the series; the same episode
directed by Jack Baker. Lesley Evans (Janet) was a dancer on the Dick Clark series “Where the Action Is” and also played nurses on several episodes of “M*A*S*H.”

Victor
Sen Yung
(Murphy Irving Fong) was best known for playing the cook Hop Sing on
“Bonanza.” He was previously seen as the Waiter in “Lucy’s
Birthday” (S1;E8).

The
‘Slave Girls’ are played by:

Sheila
Denher
was also glimpsed in the background of the film musicals Bye
Bye Birdie (1963)
and Hello,
Dolly
(1969).
Fran
Lee
was the sister-in-law of Jack Gilford, who appeared in “Lucy Helps
Craig Get a Driver’s License” (S1;E24). She appeared
on radio and television under the names Mrs. Fix-It, Mrs. Consumer,
and Granny Franny, to give advice on consumer issues and public
health and safety.
Lee led
a successful consumer campaign that helped passed the “Pooper
Scooper Law” in New York City, which made residents responsible
for cleaning up after their pets.
This is her only appearance with Lucille Ball.
Leslie
McRae
was Miss
Hawaii in 1968. She was also second runner up to Miss World in 1968.
This led to a film career that included producing a documentary film
about the events of 9/11.
Tara
Glynn, Joanie Webster
and Martiz
Ko
all make their only screen appearances with this episode.

The
“Card Girl” and the diners at Murphy’s Pizza Parlor are all
uncredited background performers.

This
is the first of two episodes directed by Jack
Baker,
who was the choreographer for all of the Desilu series’ since the
last season of “I Love Lucy.”

The
final draft of this script was submitted on May 14, 1969. Cate
Blanchett was born on this date in Australia and is currently slated
to play Lucille Ball in an upcoming biopic.

“Here’s
Lucy” musical director Marl Young introduces the episode on the
DVD.

It
is rumored that Lucille Ball’s voice was dubbed in the songs, which
were all pre-recorded and mouthed by the cast for the filming. Since
Lucy has no solo singing, it is difficult to tell if it is actually
her voice or not on the soundtrack.

Craig
jokes that he knows a Mormon, so he might be able to get the Mormon
Tabernacle Choir
for their school show. The choir was previously mentioned in “Guess Who Owes Lucy $23.50” (S1;E11).

When
Lucy avoids eating pizza to preserve her figure, Craig says “Look
what it did for Sofia Loren.” Lucy
digs in. Sofia
Loren
is an Italian-born film actress of great beauty who won an Oscar for
Best Actress in 1960.

Putting
a quarter in the juke box, the music immediately plays the
instrumental version of “I
Know A Place”
by Tony Hatch. The song was made popular in 1965 by Petula Clark.
This is the fourth time the song has been heard on “Here’s Lucy.”

Craig
uses the expression “Chinaman’s Chance” in front of Murphy
(Victor Sen Yung), who says “Don’t
apologize to me! I’m Irish!”
In reality, Victor Sen Yung was born in San Francisco but to Chinese
immigrants.

Craig
says that Harry is their only uncle, a fact that will be challenged when Lucy’s brother Herb is introduced in February 1972.

Harry
says that he was in Romeo
and Juliet in
college. Because it was an all-men’s college, he played Juliet. He
stands up in the middle of Murphy’s and delivers Juliet’s monologue.
This is the same part that Lucy Ricardo played in high school. Like
Harry, she delivered the monologue at the drop of a hat in “Lucy
Meets Orson Welles” (ILL S6;E3).

At
the start of the first segment of the musical, Gale Gordon (and later
Lucille Ball) is reading a magazine called ‘Roman Scandals.’ Roman
Scandals is
also the title of Lucille Ball’s uncredited film debut in 1933.

In
the Greek section of the school play, Lucy plays Calpurnia and Harry
is Caesar. Holding a bowl of fruit, she asks “Would
you care for an orange, Julius?” Orange
Julius
is a chain of fruit drink stores that grew out of a single orange
juice stand operated by Julius Freed in Los Angeles in 1926. The
Orange Julius was named the official drink of
the 1964
New York World’s Fair.
The business is currently owned by Dairy Queen.

Kim
is named Kimea and she wears a mini-toga. Craig is called Craigius
and has long hair (thanks to his barber Delilah).

When Caesar
(Harry) asks the weather, Calpurnia (Lucy) replies, “Hail,
Caesar!”

“Kids
Are Bugged About Parents” is the first song of the play sung to the
tune of “I’m
Just Wild About Harry, ”
a song written
in 1921 by Eubie
Blake
for
the Broadway
show
Shuffle
Along.
Like all the songs in the episode, it has special lyrics suited to
the theme.

In
the Gay 90s segment, Harry plays Ambrose, the father. Lucy and the
kids don’t get different names in this segment.

Craig
wants to date Mary Lou. Kim wants to date Georgie Marshall.
George
Marshall was
the name of the director who staged the first eleven episodes of
season two of “Here’s Lucy.”

The
foursome sing “We’ll Just Cut the Old House in Two” which is sung
to the tune of “Bicycle
Built for Two” aka
“Daisy Bell” written
in 1892 by Harry
Dacre.

In
a nod to Desilu’s series “Star
Trek”,
at the opening of the space age segment, Craig (with the help of the
Desilu special effects department) materializes in a transporter
tube.

Kim
wants to go to Jupiter with Spencer. When Lucy refuses because it is
an overnight trip, Lucie reasons that Helen’s mother lets her go.
Harry points out that Helen’s mother is a robot – and always
“well-oiled.” They sing “Kids”
a song written by Lee Adams and Charles Strouse for the 1960 Broadway
musical Bye
Bye Birdie.
The musical was filmed in 1963. This song is originally about the
generation gap, so it requires the least lyrical changes.

A
pink phonograph used as a prop in the Gay ’90s segment was previously
seen (somewhat incongruously) in the Navajo hogan in “Lucy and the
Indian Chief” (S2;E3).

Gay
’90’s musical segments were seen on “I Love Lucy” in “Lucy’s
Show Biz Swan Song” (ILL S2;E12) and “Mertz and Kurtz”
(ILL S4;E2).

Shut
the Front Door! The front door of Murphy’s Pizzeria is wide open in the second
scene. This was common on “Lucy” sitcoms. When the camera pans
out to show the juke box, the cement stage floor is visible.

Wardrobe
Malfunction! During the dance break in “Kids Are Bugged About Parents” Lucy’s
long hair momentarily gets snagged on Gale Gordon’s gold
metal laurel. Ouch!

Lip
Synch for Your Life! When the stage separates at the end of the Gay 90s segment, Lucie
Arnaz stops mouthing the words to the song when others are holding
out the last note.

Sitcom
Logic Alert! A
few months earlier, Kim and Craig’s school had to raise money just to
afford a gymnasium. The costumes and scenery here are far too lavish
for any high school to afford.