LUCY AND HER ALL-NUN BAND

S4;E8 ~
November 1, 1971

Directed
by Coby Ruskin ~ Written by Bob Carroll and Madelyn Davis

Synopsis

Harry’s
sister, a nun, needs a band to play at a benefit for the children’s
hospital so Lucy consults an agent who suggests an all-nun band from
Kansas. The nuns are all set to play when their saxophonist gets the
flu. Lucy volunteers to fill in, but first she takes a few quick
lessons from noted bandleader and sax player Freddy Martin.

Regular
Cast

Lucille
Ball (Lucy
Carter), Gale
Gordon (Harrison
Otis Carter), Lucie
Arnaz (Kim
Carter)

Guest
Cast

Mary
Wickes
(Sister Paula Carter) was
one of Lucille Ball’s closest friends and at one time, a neighbor.
She made a memorable appearances on “I Love Lucy” as ballet
mistress Madame Lamond in “The
Ballet” (ILL S1;E19). In
her initial “Lucy Show” appearances her characters name was
Frances, but she then made four more as a variety of characters for a
total of 8 episodes. This is one of her 9 appearances on “Here’s
Lucy.” Their final collaboration on screen was “Lucy Calls the
President” in 1977.

Sister
Paula has been a nun for 25 years.

Freddy
Martin
(Himself) was
a saxophonist
and band leader who first gained national attention in 1940 and
continued on through the 1970s leading one of the most popular bands
of the Big Band Era. Best known for his hit songs adapted from
classical themes, his many hits on RCA Victor and Capitol records
included “Cumana,” “The Hut-Sut Song,” “Bumble
Boogie,” adapted from Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Flight of the
Bumblebee,” and his theme song, “Tonight We Love,”
adapted from the first movement of Tchaikovsky’s First Piano
Concerto.
Martin was nicknamed “The Concerto King.” He died in 1983.

Lew
Parker
(Mr. Adams) is
probably best remembered as the restaurateur father of Ann Marie,
Marlo Thomas’ character on TV’s “That Girl” (1966-71). He
made five appearances on “The Lucy Show.” He also appeared in the
very first episode of “Here’s Lucy.”
This is his final time co-starring with Lucille Ball.

The
Remnants
(Themselves, an All-Nun Band) was a real group of nuns from the
Sisters of Charity in Leavenworth, Kansas. They were an outgrowth of
a 1940s dance band at St. Mary’s College, re-taking the stage in the
late 1960s after nuns were permitted to wear street clothes and
perform in public. They made two records.

The audience at the final performance features uncredited background performers.

The
first draft of this script was dated March 15, 1971. Handwritten notes by Lucille Ball and Gary Morton suggest that Lucie Arnaz’s charactere Kim do a tap dance!

It
seems as if Mary Wickes was always wearing a habit on screen, but in
fact (in addition to this episode), she only ever played two nuns on
film: Sister Clarissa in The
Trouble with Angels
(1966) and Where
Angels Go Trouble Follows
(1968); and Sister Mary Lazarus in Sister
Act
(1992) and Sister
Act 2
(1993). She was far more typically cast as nurses due to the
popularity of her break-out role of Nurse Preen in The
Man Who Came To Dinner
(1942), a part she also played on Broadway and television.

In
his DVD introduction to the episode, music director Marl Young
recounts that the Remnants came to the attention of writer Bob
Carroll after they did a benefit in California. Later, Young was
invited to teach at their school in Leavenworth,
Kansas.

Sister
Paula is trying to raise money for the children’s ward at St. John’s
Hospital.

Mr.
Adams says he goes back to Larry Funk and his Band of a Thousand
Melodies. This was a real-life band who were primarily responsible
for introducing singer Helen O’Connell and Vaughn Monroe.

Mr.
Adams tries to get Lucy interested in a St. Bernard who hums “Kitten
on the Keys.” In
1921 Zez Confrey wrote his novelty
piano solo
“Kitten on the Keys”, inspired by hearing his grandmother’s
cat walk on the keyboard of her piano. [You can’t make this stuff up!]

Adams
then tries to convince her to use him – singing a few bars of
“Won’t You Come Home, Bill Bailey” a capella and doing some dance
moves.

When
Harry finally agrees to pay the Remnants’ first class
airfare from Kansas, he moans “Isn’t it a shame they’re not flying
nuns!” Harry is referring to the ABC TV sitcom starring Sally
Field titled “The Flying Nun” (1967-70) in which a nun’s large
coronet lifted her in the air on the windy island of Puerto Rico.
Although the show had been off the air for nearly a year, it was
previously mentioned several times on “Here’s Lucy.”

When
Lucy asks Harry to move up payday to Tuesday, he replies “Not
a chance! They can shove Washington’s birthday anywhere they want
to, but my payday remains Friday.”
In June 1968, a bill was enacted that consolidated Washington and
Lincoln’s birthdays into one holiday celebrated on the third Monday
in February.

This
is about as close as “Here’s Lucy” (or any “Lucy”-com) gets
to dealing with religion. From what Harry says about his parents
(Lucy’s in-laws) the Carter’s were a very Catholic family, although
the word “Catholic” is never spoken.

Lucy
tells Freddy Martin that she spent many evenings dancing to his band
at the Coconut Grove. The Los Angeles nightclub was were Martin
hired Merv Griffin, who went on to usurp Martin in popularity. In
1957, Martin released an album titled Freddy
Martin at the Coconut Grove.

Lucy
tells Martin that she was first saxophone in the Jamestown High
School Band, a claim that Lucy Ricardo also makes in “The Saxophone” (ILL S2;E2) in 1952.

Demonstrating
‘tone’ for Lucy, Martin plays his theme song “Tonight We Love,”
adapted from the first movement of Tchaikovsky’s First Piano
Concerto.

The
performance of Lucy and The Remnants (and Sister Paula) is of the
American gospel hymn “When the Saints Go Marching In.”

Lucille
Ball learned to play the saxophone for “The Saxophone” (ILL
S2;E2) and the skill was interpreted into several episodes of the
series after that. Even Lucy Carmichael on “The Lucy Show” knew
how to play saxophone (although she also dabbled with the violin). Lucy Carter previously played the sax during the talent portion of the Miss Secretary Beautiful competition in “Lucy Competes with Carol Burnett” (S2;E24). Lucy Barker played the sax on “Life With Lucy” (1986).

To
get Freddy Martin’s attention when he is playing the saxophone, Lucy says
“Whoah Fred!” something Lucy Ricardo often said to Fred Mertz (and Fred the dog) on
“I Love Lucy.”

Family Matters! As usual, there is no discussion by anyone about Paula and Harry’s late brother, Lucy’s husband. Sister Paula also fails to ask about her niece and nephew. Not a very warm family, the Carters.

Light Bulb Moment! The
gold lamp in Mr. Adams’ office is the same one seen in Harry’s office
in “Lucy and Harry’s Italian Bombshell” (S4;E3). In the office, the lamp has been
replaced by a globe.

Oops! When
Mary Wickes tries to bow with the drum strapped to her she nearly
tumbles into the bass. The second time she bows she steadies herself
by holding onto the piano.