S2;E22
~ February 16, 1970
Directed
by Danny Dayton ~ Written by Milt Josefsberg and Ray Singer
Synopsis
The
Carters go to Las Vegas to see the shows, but Lucy loses all their
money in a gas station slot machine. On their way home they discover
a stray pony and return him to the owner, who turns out to be singer Wayne
Newton. The Carters take jobs as Newton’s ranch hands to make enough
money to return to Vegas.
Regular
Cast
Lucille
Ball (Lucy
Carter), Gale
Gordon (Harrison
Otis Carter), Desi
Arnaz Jr. (Craig
Carter), Lucie
Arnaz (Kim
Carter)
Guest
Cast
Wayne
Newton (Himself)
previously played himself in “Lucy Sells Craig to Wayne Newton”
(S1;E9) and “Lucy
Discovers Wayne Newton” (TLS S4;E14).
He is one of the best-known entertainers in Las Vegas, known by the
nicknames the ‘Midnight Idol,’ ‘Mr. Las Vegas’ and ‘Mr.
Entertainment.’ His well-known songs include 1972’s “Daddy,
Don’t You Walk So Fast” (#4 on the Billboard chart), “Years”
(1980), and his signature song “Danke Schoen” (1963). This is his final episode of “Here’s
Lucy.”
Jerry
Newton (Himself, Guitarist, right) is the older brother of Wayne
Newton. He also appeared in
1968’s “Lucy Sells Craig to Wayne Newton” (S1;E9).
Jerry’s
catch phrase is “Oh, gosh yes.” Although Wayne Newton
calls him by his first name, it is never mentioned that the two are
brothers.
Tommy
Amato (Himself, Bass Player, left) was a bandleader and Wayne
Newton’s bass player. He also appeared in 1968’s “Lucy Sells
Craig to Wayne Newton” (S1;E9).
Amato
is not identified by name in the dialogue.
Tiny
Tim (T.T.)
is an Angolan miniature horse from South America.
This is the second and last episode for director / actor Danny Dayton, who also was director of “Lucy Protects Her Job” (S2;E14).
The final draft of this script by Josefsberg and Singer was dated October 1, 1969.
Following the original broadcast of this episode, “The Doris Day Show” featured ‘Lucy’ supporting players Bobby Jellison, Mabel Albertson, and Hal Smith.
This
episode is filmed on location in the San Fernando Valley. Second
unit footage of the Las Vegas Strip featured doubles for the cast.
The in-car driving scenes were done using a studio process shot.
In
his introduction to the episode on DVD Wayne
Newton
recalls that this episode nearly caused a rift between him and Lucy
due to the demands of the production.
Musical Director Marl
Young
takes over the introduction and enthusiastically recalls writing the
jazz background music for the montage of the drive down the Las Vegas
strip. Young mistakenly calls “Gary Morton” and “Gale Gordon”
“Gary Martin” and “Gale Garden.”
Sunset Strip Montage
Caesars
Palace
– opened in August 1966 and is still operating today. The marquee
headliner is Frank Sinatra with Little Richard with the Nitty Gritty
Dirt Band.
La
Concha
– was
a motel that opened in 1961
and
closed in 2004. The sign is restored and preserved in Las Vegas’s
Neon Museum. It was named after the resort community
of La
Concha, Spain.
It was neighbors with the Riviera,
which is in the background.
Stardust
–
was located at 3000 Las Vegas Boulevard South. It was first opened
in 1958 and demolished in 2007. The famed Stardust sign became one
of the symbols of Las
Vegas.
The
entertainment roster featured with the spectacular French production
show
Lido
de Paris.
International
–
opened
in 1969 and was known for many years as the
Las Vegas Hilton, then briefly as the LVH – Las
Vegas Hotel and Casino. It was renamed the Westgate Las Vegas in
2014.
Upon
opening, the International was the
largest hotel in the world.
The headliner at the time of the filming of the footage was Bill
Cosby with Lionel Hampton. Interestingly, the International boasts
the opening of a Children’s Youth Hotel!
Sands
–
was
a historic hotel and casino on the Las
Vegas Strip
that
operated from 1952 to 1996. The Sands was the seventh resort to open
on the Strip. During its heyday, the Sands was the center of
entertainment and hosted many famous entertainers of the day, most
notably the Rat
Pack.
The Sands was featured in “Lucy Hunts Uranium” in 1958 (inset).
Flamingo
– opened the day after Christmas 1948 and is still operating today.
It is located at 3555 South Las Vegas Boulevard. The
hotel was the third resort to open on the Strip and remains the
oldest resort on the Strip still in operation today. The headliner at the
time was comedian Pat Paulsen.
Frontier
–
was
the second resort that opened on the Las Vegas Strip and operated
continuously from October 1942 until it closed on July 16, 2007 and
was demolished. It has the distinction of hosting Elvis
Presley’s
first Vegas appearance in 1956, and the final performance of Diana
Ross and The Supremes on
January 14, 1970. At the time of filming singer Abbe Lane and comic
Dick Shawn were headlining. Shawn guest starred in “Lucy and the
Pool Hustler” (TLS S6;E13) in 1968. At one time, Abbe Lane was
married to Xavier Cugat, Desi Arnaz’s mentor and Ricky Ricardo’s
competition.
Thunderbird
–
was located at 2735 Las Vegas Boulevard South and operated from 1948
to 1992. It was the fourth resort to open on the strip and
had a Native
American
theme
that featured a Navajo-based
restaurant, the only bowling alley ever on the Strip, and a showroom.
The marquee here promotes a stage production of Rodgers and
Hammerstein’s 1958 Broadway musical Flower
Drum Song
starring Jack Soo, who had also been in the 1961 film adaptation.
Interestingly, the Thunderbird wooed gamblers with the promise of
‘Free Nylons with Jackpots’! From
1976 the property was known as the Silverbird and then, finally, El
Rancho.
Bonanza
– opened in
July 1967 on land formerly occupied by Three Coins Hotel and Casino.
It was later renamed the New
Bonanza Hotel and Casino. In 1973
it became part of Bally’s Las Vegas. It is not connected to the
Bonanza Gift Shop, a landmark store on the Strip and one of the
largest such establishments in the word.
Riviera – operated from April 1955 to May 2015. It was
the first high-rise and the ninth resort on the Las Vegas Strip. Liberace cut the opening ribbon, and became the first resident performer. The building was demolished in 2016.
The only sign that is missing from the montage is the iconic “Welcome To Fabulous Las Vegas Nevada” sign that is now visually associated with the gambling town.
Craig
notices that Dean
Martin
is playing at the Riviera. Desi Arnaz Jr. was in a band with
Martin’s son. Kim says “He’s one of my favorites!” Martin guest
starred as himself (and his doppelganger) on “The Lucy Show.”
His opening act at the Riviera is comedienne Totie Fields, who
will act on a 1972 episode of “Here’s Lucy.” In 1975, she was one
of the comics to roast Lucille Ball on “The Dean Martin Celebrity
Roast.”
Harry’s 1970 yellow Plymouth Satellite convertible was previously seen in “Lucy and Viv Visit Tijuana” (S2;E19).
Also
during the driving scene, the background shows a marquee for P’zazz
’70, a lavish stage show at the Desert Inn Hotel and Casino,
in operation from 1950 to 2000. The show started out as P’zazz
’68 and was updated.
Their drive down the Strip also takes them past The Castaways casino, where Cotton Club Revue 70 is playing. The above snapshot was taken in September 1969, around the same time as filming. Castaways operated from 1963 to 1987, when it was imploded to make way for the Mirage. In 1967, the Castaways was sold to billionaire Howard Hughes for $3 million as part of his spree of buying Las Vegas properties.
Coincidentally, the reclusive millionaire is also mentioned in this episode.
CRAIG (to Harry): “If you didn’t come to Las Vegas to see shows, what did you come for?”
LUCY: “He came to kiss Howard Hughes’ ring.”
The foursome encounter a miniature horse on the side of the road but don’t know exactly what sort of horse it is. Lucy says she can’t imagine John Wayne sitting on it; Mickey Rooney, yes. John Wayne appeared on both “I Love Lucy” and “The Lucy Show” while Mickey Rooney starred with Ball in Thousands Cheer (1943) and as an acting teacher on a 1966 episode of “The Lucy Show.”
Wayne
Newton purchased the first five acres of what is now Casa
de Shenandoah
in 1966. It was raw land, with no well or electricity. The first
house was built between 1966 and 1968, along with four stalls for a
horse barn. He lived in that home with his parents and older brother.
He then acquired additional acres between 1969 and 1972.
Construction
of the Mansion began in 1973 and was completed in 1976.
Today, Casa de Shenandoah is one of the top tourist attractions in
Las Vegas.
Although the episodes were by different writers,
Newton and the Carter family remember meeting each other in 1968 (above).
Newton remembers Harry because when they first met he asked for two
choruses “Hey
Big Spender” (which didn’t actually happen in the episode). The song is by Cy
Coleman
and
Dorothy
Fields
and was written for
the Broadway musical
Sweet
Charity in
1966 and was included in the 1969 film starring Shirley MacLaine.
Lucy’s
qualifications for working on a ranch are that she saw every Gene
Autry picture three times. Gene Autry (1907-98) was a Texas
born motion picture star dubbed “The Singing Cowboy.”
Wayne
Newton shares that is half Cherokee. Craig says that means he is “one
of the original Americans.” Awareness of the plight of Native
Americans was heightened during the late 1960s. “Lucy and the
Indian Chief” (S2;E3) was shot on location on Navajo land using
Native American tribe members for extras.
At
the barbecue, Newton sings “Tumbling Tumbleweeds” accompanied by
Jerry on guitar and Tommy on bass. Kim and Craig sing back-up while
Lucy and Harry look on. “Tumbling Tumbleweeds” is a song
by Bob Nolan and sung by Gene Autry in a 1935 film of the same name.
In 1970 it was covered by Don Everly.
When
Newton says that Kim and Craig have “good seats” (ie; ride horses
well), Lucy misunderstands and nonchalantly admits to having
“paddled” Kim and Craig! Yikes!
Lucille
Ball was an experience rider, having ridden horses in her films and
television shows, but here (at age 59) leaves the riding to her children. She
does, however, help Harry rope a calf for branding, but only manages
to brand Harry instead!
Lucille Ball wears tinted glasses for the exterior shoots, just as she did the previous year on location at the Air Force Academy at the start of season 2. These lenses allow viewers to still see Lucy’s expressive eyes, but also provide protection from the sun’s rays.
Lucie and Desi Jr. were sent to horse trainer Glenn Randall to learn how to ride the dancing horses used for the episode’s finale. Randall famously trained Trigger, Roy Rogers’ horse.
Lucie Arnaz later recalled, “We would drive two-hours in rush-hour traffic all the way up to this mountain where we get on with this horse dressage and learn from scratch how to ride so that we could do that show with Wayne Newton. I mean stuff like that just blows my mind.“
For
the finale, Wayne sings "I’ve
Got the World on A String”
by Harold Arlen and Ted Koehler written in 1932.
The song was made popular by Frank Sinatra. Wayne performs this song
while on his dancing horse. Kim and Craig are also on dancing horses
that perform while he sings.
What Happens in Vegas….
A quick subliminal callback happens in the very first moments of the episode, when Harry’s car drives past the Las Vegas Tropicana. Their sign is only briefly seen from behind [I’ve reversed the image on the left] while the focus is on the Caesar’s Palace marquee. Desi Arnaz borrowed the name from the original Tropicana nightclub in Havana for Ricky Ricardo’s club on “I Love Lucy.” Ironically, the Las Vegas casino hotel opened in 1957, just after Ricky changed the name to Club Babalu. It is still in business today.
Lucy
Ricardo was in Las Vegas for “Lucy Hunts Uranium” (1958, above) hunting
for her fortune in the Nevada desert rather than the casinos. The
Sands, whose sign is seen in the opening montage of “Lucy and Wayne
Newton”, is where Ricky Ricardo performed and the gang stayed
during the episode. Location footage featuring the cast was shot in
the California desert while a second unit team and cast doubles were
filmed in Las Vegas. Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz were invited to the
Sands’ fourth anniversary party in 1956.
Lucy and Ricky Ricardo were also in Vegas for “The Lucy-Desi Milton Berle Special” in November 1959 on NBC.
Lucy
Carmichael and Viv won a trip to Sin City in “Lucy Goes to Vegas”
(TLS S3;E17) where being broke doesn’t stop them from being high
rollers.
In 1975, Lucy Collins traveled to the Nevada gambling town to meet her celebrity crush, Dean Martin, in “Lucy Gets Lucky”, which also begins with a montage of the Strip, ending on the exterior of the MGM Grand, where the action is set.
“Lucy
Discovers Wayne Newton” (TLS S4;E14) also was set on Newton’s farm
and also featured a horse, although not shot on location.
The rear-projection shot of the cast driving down the Las Vegas Strip is visually similar to the now iconic image of the Ricardos and the Mertzes driving across the George Washington Bridge in “California, Here We Come!” (ILL S4;E14), which was the first process shot used on television.
Deja View! As with most rear projection process shots, the Harry’s car passes the same Las Vegas Strip landmarks several times as the scene goes on.
BYOB (Bring Your Own Bass)! Kim surprises everyone by asking Wayne Newton to sing. It is convincing enough that Newton’s brought along his guitar, to a picnic by the river, but it seems a stretch that Tommy has packed his upright bass!
Children & Animals! Working on location with live animals causes a few overlaps in dialogue and a few skillful ad libs by the cast.
Ouch! Talking of the unpredictability of animals, when Harry chases the calf around the pen, Gale Gordon smashes into the barn wall with his right shoulder. Like the trouper he is, Gordon continues the scene!
Stunt Roper? When the script has Harry lasso Lucy instead of the calf, the camera goes in for a medium shot of Lucy, with Harry off screen for when the lasso lands around her. It may be that after several attempts, Gale Gordon allowed a more skilled roper to throw the rope around Lucy and then walks into the shot. There is a definite scene change for when Lucy and Harry have (supposedly) subdued the calf in order to brand him. Gale Gordon (63) and Lucille Ball (58) are obviously winded from the scene, but are definitely doing most of their own stunts with the live (and lively) calf.
“Lucy and Wayne Newton” rates 3 Paper Hearts out of 5
Papermoon Loves Lucy 
Leave a comment