S1;E2 ~ September 27, 1986
[Photo © Getty Images]
Directed by Peter Baldwin ~ Written by Bob Carroll Jr. and Madelyn Davis
Synopsis
John Ritter wanders into the Hardware Store to buy doorknobs and ends up with multiple injuries, thanks to a star-struck Lucy. She brings the star home to rest and then escorts him to a rehearsal for his new play. When Ritter’s co-star suddenly quits, Lucy naturally wants to get into the act.
Regular Cast
Lucille Ball (Lucy Barker), Gale Gordon (Curtis McGibbon), Ann Dusenberry (Margo Barker McGibbon), Larry Anderson (Ted McGibbon), Jenny Lewis (Becky McGibbon), Philip Amelio (Kevin McGibbon), Donovan Scott (Leonard Stoner)
[For biographies of the Regular Cast, see “One Good Grandparent Deserves Another” (S1;E1)]
Guest Cast
John Ritter (Himself) was the son of country singing sensation Tex Ritter. He is best known for playing Jack Tripper on the ABC sitcom “Three’s Company” which finished its run two years before his appearance on “Life With Lucy” but was widely syndicated. The role earned him an Emmy and a Golden Globe. He also starred in the ABC cop series “Hooperman” from 1987 to 1989. Ritter was also active in theatre and films. He died suddenly in 2003 at the age of 54.
Ruth Buzzi (Mrs. Wilcox) is probably best known for her many characters on “Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In” which was competition for “Here’s Lucy” for several seasons. This did not stop Lucille Ball from creating a guest-starring role for her in “My Fair Buzzi” (HL S5;E13) in 1972. She was nominated for five Emmy Awards and won a Golden Globe in 1973.
Greg Mullavey (Randy Van Adams) is probably best remembered for playing hapless husband Tom on “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman” (1976-77). He made his screen debut in 1964 in the Desilu series “Gomer Pyle: USMC.”
Randy Van Adams is the director of “The Soldier’s Song.”
Sally Kemp (Mary) had played Marcia on “Dynasty” from 1982 to 1984. In October 1981 she appeared on an episode of “Three’s Company” with John Ritter. She died in 2017 at age 84.
Mary plays the Nurse in “The Soldier’s Song.”
Lucy Barker: “It’s kind of an ugly little story.”
The final draft of the script for this episode was dated August 13, 1986.
This was the fourth episode filmed, but it was decided to air it second in the belief that John Ritter’s appearance would help fight a ratings slump after the premiere. It did not work. The show earned a 10.1 share, down from 14.6 the week before. “Life With Lucy” also failed to beat “Downtown” on CBS which earned an 11.9 share, and a two-part “The Facts of Life” on NBC, which won the time slot with 15.6. This was likely due to the fact that it was the first episode for Cloris Leachman, who replaced Charlotte Rae (Mrs. Garrett) as when she quit the hit show. Although not competition for “Life With Lucy,” the evening of September 27th also saw the debut of NBC’s new sitcom “Amen” starring Sherman Hemsley.
John Ritter: (to Lucy) “I just don’t think you have enough experience.”
Of all the current [1986] comedic performers, perhaps Lucille Ball’s favorite was John Ritter. Ritter died in 2003 of the same heart ailment (an aortic dissection), the same malady that took the life of his father, Tex Ritter, and Lucille Ball in 1989.
Lucille Ball was such a fan of John Ritter that she agreed to host a clips show retrospective called “Best of Three’s Company” which aired on May 18, 1982.
John Ritter: “What difference does age make?”
This episode combines Lucy’s love of physical comedy with her usual tropes of causing mayhem and wanting to get into show business.
During the filming of the scene where Lucy force-feeds Ritter a concoction of tofu, wheat germ, and sauerkraut juice (aka “health in a bowl”) Ritter ad-libbed “This is real sauerkraut juice!” His pained expression breaks Ball up, and the scene had to be re-shot. Lucille Ball later said that this was only the third time in her entire career that she had to yell cut because she was laughing. She called Ritter’s propensity to make her crack-up ‘Ritter-itis’!
In the book With Love and Laughter, John Ritter author Amy Yasbeck recalls that Ritter called his black knee socks ‘Mr. Mooneys’ because he once saw Gale Gordon’s character on “The Lucy Show” wearing them.
Lucy: (to John Ritter) “I’m Lucy….er… Barker. I almost forgot my own name!”
Lucy Barker is a big fan of John Ritter. To demonstrate her devotion, she says the names of his wife (Nancy) and his children (Jason, Tyler and Carly). She didn’t, however, know that his dog’s name is Mikey. Actress Nancy Morgan and Ritter were married from 1977 to 1996. At the time of filming Jason was 6, Carly was 4, and Tyler was a year and a half. In 1999, Ritter married actress Amy Yazbeck with whom he had a fourth child Stella, who is now living life as a trans man named Noah.
Mrs. Wilcox (Ruth Buzzi) says she has tickets to John Ritter’s play “A Soldier’s Song” at the Pasadena Playhouse where he was an alumnus from 1969. Like his mother, Dorothy, Ritter trained at the famed Pasadena Playhouse. Ruth Buzzi was also an alumnus of the Playhouse, a real life venue.
Ritter says “A Solider’s Song” was first produced at the Playhouse in 1926. The play is set during World War I with Ritter playing the title character, a wounded doughboy. A sign mounted on the wall of the set for “A Soldier’s Song” sets the action at an American Red Cross Base Hospital in Contrexéville, France. Unfortunately, “Life With Lucy” sign makers misspelled the name of the town as ‘Contrexville.’ Contrexéville was known as a health resort from as far back as 1864.
Ritter says that his wife is Hawaii with the kids. Hawaii is a popular destination with Lucille Ball and her sitcom characters. Curtis returned from a vacation in Hawaii in the previously aired episode.
Randy: “Look at John. He’s a big star and he never knows what he’s doing.”
Sitting onstage at the Pasadena Playhouse, Lucy tells the director (Greg Mullavey) that she was in her high school play “The Girl Next Door” where she didn’t play the girl next door, but played the girl next door to the girl next door.
As the doughboy in “A Soldier’s Song” John Ritter plays “Oh! Susanna” on the harmonica. One of the most familiar songs in America, it was written by Stephen Foster in 1848.
When Mary (the Nurse) quits the play, Randy says that Joan Collins will do the part as a favor to John. Lucy, however, wants to play the part herself. Collins was the star of the tremendously popular nighttime soap “Dynasty” (also on ABC) from 1981 to 1989. In 1984, she hosted “All Star Party for Lucille Ball” (above). Coincidentally, Sally Kemp (Mary, the actress that quit), played Marcia, Blake Carrington’s secretary on “Dynasty” for several years.
John Ritter: “It’s an ugly little story.”
In “Lucy Goes to the Rodeo” (ILL S5;E8) Ricky Ricardo is listing possible acts for his western act at Madison Square Garden and mentions Tex Ritter, who is John Ritter’s father. The episode aired in November 1955 when John Ritter was just seven years old.
While feeding him a home-made meal, Lucy calls John “Mr. Ritter.” Lucy Ricardo also fed a man named Mr. Ritter (Edward Everett Horton) in “Lucy Plays Cupid” (ILL S1;E15) in 1952. Both Mr. Ritters find Lucy’s food pretty awful!
Lucille Ball played nurses in the films: Carnival (1935), Room Service (1938), Look Who’s Laughing (1941), and Yours, Mine and Ours (1968).
Lucy Carmichael and Carol Tilford (Carol Burnett) were in a show-within-the-show in which they also played World War I Red Cross nurses in France. “The Lucy Show” episode was aired in 1967.
Lucy Carmichael donned nurses whites and wreaked hospital-wide havoc in “Lucy Plays Florence Nightingale” (TLS S2;E14) in 1964.
This Day in Lucy History ~ September 27th
“Lucy in the Music World” (TLS S4;E3) – September 27, 1965
“Lucy and Harry’s Italian Bombshell” (HL S4;E3) – September 27, 1971
Papermoon Loves Lucy 
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