LUCY TAKES OVER

S2;E23
~ February 23, 1970

Directed
by Jay Sandrich ~ Written by William Raynor and Myles Wilder

Synopsis

Lucy
finds her great grandmother’s diary with an IOU from one of Harry’s
relatives tucked inside. With interest, Lucy estimates Harry owes
her thousands and soon she’s taken over his business!

Regular
Cast

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

Guest
Cast

Lyle
Talbot (Harry’s
Lawyer) was a ‘B’ movie actor who made several films for Ed Wood,
including what is considered one of the worst films ever made Plan
9 from Outer Space (1959).
This is the first of his two appearances on the series. He was
previously seen on two episodes of “The Lucy Show.”

Sid
Gould (Mover,
uncredited) made more than 45 appearances on “The Lucy Show,” and
nearly as many on “Here’s Lucy.” Gould (born Sydney
Greenfader) was Lucille Ball’s cousin by marriage to Gary Morton.

James
J. Casino (Mover, uncredited) was a professional boxer who turned
into a screen actor and stunt man. He previously played one of the
singing and dancing teamsters in “Lucy
Helps Ken Berry” (TLS S6;E21) and will appear in one more
episode of “Here’s Lucy.”  

Orwin
C. Harvey (Mover, uncredited) was an actor and stuntman who
played one of the singing and dancing teamsters in “Lucy
Helps Ken Berry” (TLS S6;E21). This is one of his six
appearances on “Here’s Lucy.”

Ron Nyman (Mover,
uncredited) was an English-born actor who played a passenger on the
S.S. Constitution when Lucy Ricardo sailed to Europe in “Bon
Voyage” (ILL S5;E13).  

Alberto Morin (Mover, uncredited) was born in Puerto Rico, and appeared in some of Hollywood’s most cherished films: Gone with the Wind (1939), Casablanca (1943), and Key Largo (1948).

He was Carlos, one of Ricky’s “Cuban Pals” (ILL S1;E28) and the Robert DuBois in “The French Revue” (ILL S3;E7). His many background appearances on “The Lucy Show” and “Here’s Lucy” were all uncredited. 

This
is the only episode written by William
Raynor and
Myles Wilder.  From 1953 to 1983, the writing team collaborated on nearly 200 scripts!

In
this episode we learn that Harry comes from Sinclairville, New York, and he is the fourth Harrison Otis Carter in his family.
Sinclairville
is a real-life town in Chautaqua County about 12 miles from Jamestown where Lucille
Ball was born. Harry claims his great grandparents had 17 children. 

Fiction enters the narrative when Harry claims his great grandfather was one of the founders of Sinclairville, which was established in 1809 by Major Samuel Sinclear as “Sinclearville”.  Even today, the tiny village’s population is barely 700. 

Lucille
Ball’s real-life grandmother’s name Flora Belle Emmaline Hunt, is
used as Lucy Carter’s great-grandmother’s name in this episode. The
promissory note is made out to Lucy Carter’s great-grandfather
Frederick C. Hunt, which was the name of Lucille Ball’s grandfather.
After the death of her father, Lucille was raised by her grandfather
Hunt.

At
the start of the episode, Harry is having a phone conversation with
the office landlord, Mr. Praskins. Praskins
was the surname of Ann Tyrrell’s character Vi (above right) on the CBS comedy
“Private Secretary” (1953-57) starring Lucille Ball’s good friend
Ann Sothern.

Critics often said that she was the “Ethel” to Ann Sothern’s “Lucy.”

There was an “I Love Lucy” / “Private Secretary”
cross-over on the first episode of “The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour” in
1957, although only Sothern participated. Tyrrell later played Olive on Desilu’s “The Ann Sothern Show”, one episode of which featured Lucille Ball as Lucy Ricardo. 

To save $9.40 a month on his rent, Harry appoints Lucy janitor, presenting her with coveralls, a feather duster, a mop, and a bucket! 

LUCY (to Harry):
“You make Scrooge sound like Diamond Jim Brady.” 

Comparisons
of both Harrison O. Carter and Theodore J. Mooney to Diamond Jim
Brady were frequent.  James
Buchanan Brady
(1856-1917)
was a real-life millionaire and philanthropist who was fond of jewels
(hence the nickname). Although often the comparison is to cheapskate
Jack Benny, here it is to Ebenezer Scrooge, the fictional miser at
the center of Charles Dickens’ famous novella
A Christmas Carol.  

It
is revealed that Harry opened the Unique Employment Agency 29 years
ago. That would mean it was established in 1941. The name was based on an employment agency seen on “The Lucy Show” (left). 

At
the start of scene two, Harry is dictating a letter to a Mr.
Rylander.
This name has been used by Gale Gordon many times on both “The
Lucy Show” and “Here’s Lucy.”  

Lyle
Talbot gets entrance applause from the studio audience. The un-named attorney gets $50 an hour and (apparently) makes house calls.  

In
her new role as President of the Unique Employment Agency, Lucy hangs
up on a call from an important client named Charles Druten. Charles
van Druten
was a character played by Boris Karloff in the 1947 film Lured
starring Lucille Ball.  

When
the movers try to take away the water cooler, Harry grabs the bottle
and – of course – ends up all wet!  It wouldn’t be “Here’s Lucy”
if Harry stayed dry!

When the moving man (Alberto Morin) brings in Lucy’s new modern sculpture, the show gets close to a ‘dirty joke’.

MOVING MAN:  “What do you want me to do with this?”
HARRY: (pause) “Oh, don’t tempt me!” 

Before giving his withering response, Gale Gordon pauses just long enough for the viewers to fill in the logical reply – had this not been primetime TV in 1970! 

When
Kim says the cobweb-filled attic looks like something out of a Frankenstein
movie, Craig jumps out to scare her by pretending to be Bela Lugosi
as Dracula.  As Mr. Mooney, Gale Gordon played Dracula in a
monster-themed episode of “The Lucy Show.”  In the same episode
Lucy’s son Jerry dressed up Dracula and Viv’s son Sherman as
Frankenstein.

The abstract metal statue held by the mover (Alberto Morin) was previously seen in Van Johnson’s office during “Guess Who Owes Lucy $23.50?” (S1;E11). 

This is the first time viewers have visited Lucy’s attic.

The
attic of the apartment building at 623 East 68th Street was also only seen once; in “The Saxophone” (ILL S2;E2). Coincidentally, it too references Lucy’s hometown and county. 

Similar framed
“Home Sweet Home” samplers were seen above Fred and Ethel’s bed

in “Vacation from Marriage” (ILL S2;E6),

as well as on the wall of One Oak Cabin in “First Stop” (ILL S4;E14). 

FAST FORWARD!

Lucy also named her bag lady character in Stone Pillow (1985) Florabelle after her grandmother. In an interview during filming she said about her grandmother 

“She was a pioneer lady, and I just wanted this bag lady I played to be independent and have her own little survival kit, her own way of doing things without begging.”

Flora Belle Orcutt is also used as Lucy Carter’s great-grandmother’s name in “Lucy, the Sheriff” (S6;E18) in 1974. 

Props!

When Harry goes to tear up the IOU, Lucy warns him that it will do no good because it’s a photostat [copy]. The document Harry is reading, however, is on yellowed parchment paper!  The paper has a small black mark in the same place as the document Lucy pulled out of the diary in the attic in the previous scene. Is Lucy fibbing to Harry? 

I’ve Got a Date! When
Harry opens the door of the closet, there is a wall calendar that
reads JAN. The year appears to be blacked out, but since the
first of the month falls on a Sunday, it is likely from 1967 or (less
likely) 1961.  Confusing matters even more, there are students in cap and gown on the calendar, indicating it might be May or June!

Doppelgangers! The
framed painting of Harry’s great grandfather hanging over the
fireplace is actually a ‘doctored’ black and white photo of Gale Gordon
that hung over Mr. Mooney’s mantle on “The Lucy Show.”  The same
photo, now, colorized, was used for a gag on “Lucy Protects Her
Job” (S2;E14).  

Sitcom Logic Alert! Out of nowhere, Craig comes to the realization that the interest is compounded annually (although it doesn’t say that in the note itself) and that Harry owes Lucy $138,000. It takes Kim and Craig an entire episode to read further to see that the debt was already paid!  Oh, well! 

Sitcom Logic Alert II!  The premise of redecorating the office with antiques from Lucy’s attic doesn’t make sense since the office is already decorated with antiques!   

The Eyes Have It! Actor Lyle Talbot rarely makes eye contact with Gale Gordon in their scene together. Perhaps he was reading off cue cards?  

Floor Plan! Harry’s
home and living room are differently configured than in previous
episodes. (photo by Brock Weir)

“Lucy Takes Over” rates 3 Paper Hearts out of 5

The
fun thing about this episode is watching Lucy take the upper hand.
Her display of self-confidence and superiority are a refreshing
change of pace and must have been what Lucille Ball the executive was
like.