LUCY AND JIM BAILEY

S5;E9 ~ November 6, 1972

Directed
by Coby Ruskin ~ Written by Bob O’Brien

Synopsis

Phyllis
Diller is all set to perform at a big benefit Lucy and Harry are
producing. When Diller suddenly comes down with laryngitis, Kim
recruits noted impressionist Jim Bailey to take her place.

Regular
Cast

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

Guest
Cast

Jim
Bailey (Himself
/ Phyllis Diller) was born in Philadelphia but grew up in nearby
Palmyra, New Jersey. He started singing at a young age and
eventually became one of the world’s most famous female
impersonators, transforming himself into such stars as Judy Garland,
Liza Minnelli, Peggy Lee, and Phyllis Diller, who he impersonates
here. Bailey performed in Las Vegas, at Carnegie Hall, and in
London. He performed for the British Royal Family and four US
Presidents. He died in 2015 at age 77.

Sam
Yorty
(Himself) was the mayor of Los Angeles from 1961 to 1973. During his
tenure he earned
numerous nicknames from both admirers and detractors, such as
Travelin’ Sam, Airplane Sam, Shoot-From-the-Lip Sam, the Maverick
Mayor, Mad Sam Yorty, Scrappy Sam, Suitcase Sam, Saigon Sam, and the
Reform Republican.
After leaving office, Yorty hosted a local TV talk show, later
complaining that it was canceled in favor of “Hee
Haw.”
In
1997, a survey of urban historians and political scientists rated
Yorty the third worst big-city mayor in the USA since 1960.

Mary
Jane Croft
(Mary Jane) played Betty Ramsey during season six of “I Love Lucy.
” She also played Cynthia Harcourt in “Lucy
is Envious” (ILL S3;E23) and
Evelyn Bigsby in “Return
Home from Europe” (ILL S5;E26).
She played Audrey Simmons on “The Lucy Show” but when Lucy
Carmichael moved to California, she played Mary Jane Lewis, the
actor’s married name and the same one she uses on all 31 of her
episodes of “Here’s Lucy. Her final acting credit was playing
Midge Bowser on “Lucy Calls the President” (1977). She died in
1999 at the age of 83.

Adele
Clair
(Adele, above right) makes her second and final appearance on the series. She was
previously seen in “Lucy and Harry’s Tonsils” (S2;E5).

Adele,
a member of the Women’s Division of the Chamber of Commerce, sits
next to Mary Jane at the meeting, but is not identified by name.

Gloria
Wood
(Ladies Division Member, behind Mary Jane, uncredited) makes her
third appearance on the series. She played Doris, a member of Lucy’s
Canary Club in “A Home is Not an Office” (S5;E4) and was one of
Petula Clark’s back-up singers in “Lucy and Petula Clark”
(S5;E8).

The
other women at the Division meeting, and the audience at the benefit,
are played by uncredited background performers.

This
episode was aired on the eve of the 1972 presidential election that
saw incumbent Richard M. Nixon win in a landslide over Democrat
George McGovern. Halfway through his second term, Nixon resigned
amidst allegations surrounding the Watergate scandal.

In his DVD introduction to the episode, Bailey talks glowingly about Lucille Ball and her encouragement of his talent. Bailey was approached by Lucille Ball after
she saw him at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion and
asked to guest star on “Here’s Lucy.” Ball was so impressed by
him that she included his name in the episode’s title as she would with other
celebrities and she also threw a party for him after the show’s
filming. Jim
Bailey’s impersonation of Phyllis Diller takes up nearly seven
minutes of the show’s screen time. The
two remained close friends until Ball’s death in 1989.

Bailey also
became very close friends with Lucie Arnaz. They appeared together
at a benefit performances during the 2004 Lucy-Desi Days
in Jamestown, New York, where they reprised their rendition of
“Fever” sung here.

Phyllis
Diller
(1917-2012) was an actor and stand-up comedian best
known for her eccentric stage persona, her self-deprecating humor,
her wild hair and clothes, and her exaggerated,
cackling laugh.
Diller and Lucille Ball never acted together, but did appear on
various TV specials and talk shows together.

At
the meeting, Lucy notes that she’s still recovering from the leg
injury she suffered skiing so won’t be able to perform. This
storyline began at the beginning of season 5 when Lucille Ball broke
her leg skiing in real life. In this episode, however, she is finally
out of her cast.

Lucie
Arnaz sports a new, fuller hairstyle for this episode. It makes Kim
look more mature.

For
the first time, Lucy Carter wears reading glasses. They are likely
Lucille Ball’s own glasses.

It
is established that Harry is the president of the Chamber of Commerce
and that Lucy is chair of the Women’s Division. The script is
careful never specifically say that it is the Los Angeles Chamber of
Commerce, although that would be the inference. The script also
never mentions if the charity they are doing the benefit for is the
Chamber of Commerce or another charitable organization.

Closing
the meeting, Lucy accidentally hits Harry’s hand with her gavel then
pours a pitcher of water on it. She doesn’t stop there – Lucy then
pours the water over his head. Just because. Harry is wet again. [Cue laugh track.]

Kim
says if substituting Jim Bailey for the ailing Phyllis Diller doesn’t
work the mayor can stay in Los Angeles and it’ll be her turn to leave
town. This is a jab at Mayor Yorty’s reputation for extended travel
away from Los Angeles. He was sarcastically known as ‘Travelin’ Sam’
and ‘Suitcase Sam’ due to his frequent absence from City Hall. This
reference is not only specific to Los Angeles audiences, it is dated.

Kim
and Jim (now out of his Phyllis Diller drag) perform “Fever”
written
by Eddie
Cooley and Otis
Blackwell,
who used the pseudonym John
Davenport. It was originally recorded by Little
Willie John in
1956 although it was most famously performed by Peggy Lee
in 1958, becoming her signature song.

Lucie
Arnaz designed the matching ensembles she and Bailey wear during the
song. The song was choreographed by Jim Bates.

When doing seating for the benefit show, Lucy
says “Mr.
and Mrs. Jack Aldworth contributed a lot of money.”
This is a nod to the “Here’s Lucy” script supervisor Dorothy
Aldworth and her husband Jack, a stage manager.

Although
not specifically an insult comic, Bailey’s Phyllis Diller does insult
Lucy’s hair (“Did
you cut yourself?”)
much in the same way recent guest-star Totie Fields did in “Lucy,
the Other Woman” (S5;E7). Lucille Ball was extremely supportive of
female comics. Joan Rivers will guest star in a season six episode
of “Here’s Lucy.”

Voice
impressionist Rich Little was guest star in “Lucy and the
Celebrities” (S4;E10). Although none of the voices were female, Little did
occasionally do impressions of women, mostly without costumes or
wigs.