TOAST OF THE TOWN aka THE ED SULLIVAN SHOW

“A Tribute to Lucy and Desi”

(S3;E8)

~ October
3, 1954 

Directed
& Choreographed by John Wray  

Ed
Sullivan (Himself
/ Host) was a preeminent television variety show host who is best
remembered for hosting his own show, at first titled “Toast of the
Town” but later simply known as “The Ed Sullivan Show,” which
became a staple of Sunday night viewing for millions of Americans
from 1948 to 1971.  As such, his name was often mentioned on “I
Love Lucy” and Lucille Ball’s subsequent sitcoms. He introduced
America to such entertainers as Elvis Presley, The Beatles, and The
Supremes. Sullivan entered icon status when he and his television
show were worked into the plot of the Broadway musical Bye
Bye Birdie
in 1960. The musical includes the song “Hymn
for a Sunday Evening” which has a chorus that repeats Sullivan’s
name in a choir-like harmony. Hope
made an appearance in the 1964 film version. The theatre on Broadway
in New York City where Sullivan did his weekly show was named after
him in 1967. He died in 1974.

Lucille
Ball (Herself
/ Lucy Ricardo) was born on August 6, 1911 in Jamestown, New York.
She began her screen career in 1933 and was known in Hollywood as
‘Queen of the B’s’ due to her many appearances in ‘B’
movies. With Richard Denning, she starred in a radio program titled
“My Favorite Husband” which eventually led to the creation of “I
Love Lucy,” a television situation comedy in which she co-starred
with her real-life husband, Latin bandleader Desi Arnaz. The program
was phenomenally successful, allowing the couple to purchase what was
once RKO Studios, re-naming it Desilu. When the show ended in 1960
(in an hour-long format known as “The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour”) so
did Lucy and Desi’s marriage. In 1962, hoping to keep Desilu
financially solvent, Lucy returned to the sitcom format with “The
Lucy Show,” which lasted six seasons. She followed that with a
similar sitcom “Here’s Lucy” co-starring with her real-life
children, Lucie and Desi Jr., as well as Gale Gordon, who had joined
the cast of “The Lucy Show” during season two. Before her death
in 1989, Lucy made one more attempt at a sitcom with “Life With
Lucy,” also with Gordon, which was not a success and was canceled
after just 13 episodes. 

Desi
Arnaz
(Himself / Ricky Ricardo) was
born in Cuba in 1917 and immigrated to America as a youngster.  He
was a musician who married Lucille Ball in 1940 after meeting her on
the set of 1939’s Too Many Girls, which he had done on stage in New
York.  In order to keep him ‘off the road’ Ball convinced
producers to cast him as her husband in a new television project
based on her radio show “My Favorite Husband.” The network
was convinced. In 1951, Arnaz and Ball began playing Lucy and
Ricky Ricardo, roles they would be identified with for the rest of
their lives. The couple had two children together, Lucie and Desi Jr.
 In 1960, Ball and Arnaz divorced. Desi became a producer,
responsible for such hits as “The Mothers-in-Law” (1967-69). He
re-married in 1963. Desi Aranz died in 1986, just a few years before
Ball.  

William
Frawley (Himself
/ Fred Mertz) was
already a Hollywood veteran when he was hired by Desi Arnaz to play
Fred Mertz on “I Love Lucy.” After the series concluded he joined
the cast of “My Three Sons” playing Bub Casey. He did an episode
of “The
Lucy Show” in
October 1965 which was his final TV appearance before his death in
March 1966.

Vivian
Vance (Herself
/ Ethel Mertz) was
born Vivian Roberta Jones in Cherryvale, Kansas in 1909, although her
family quickly moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico where she was raised.
She had extensive theatre experience, co-starring on Broadway with
Ethel Merman in “Anything Goes.” She was acting in a play in
Southern California when she was spotted by Desi Arnaz and hired to
play Ethel Mertz, Lucy Ricardo’s neighbor and best friend. The
pairing is credited with much of the success of “I Love Lucy.”
 Vance was convinced to join the cast of “The Lucy Show” in
1962, but stayed with the series only through season three, making
occasional guest appearances afterwards. She made a total of six
appearance on “Here’s Lucy.” She also joined Lucy for a TV
special “Lucy
Calls the President” in
1977. Vance died two years later. 

Harry
Chesney (Himself) was the vice-president of Philip Morris, the tobacco
company that first sponsored “I Love Lucy” in 1951.

Howard
Dietz
(Himself) was a lyricist who wrote over 500 songs in his lifetime. In
1954 he was a vice-president at MGM where he is credited with
developing the Leo the lion logo as well as their slogan “Ars
Gratia Artis” (art for art’s sake). The
Long, Long Trailer
was an MGM picture.

Don
Dixon (Himself)
was a correspondent for INS, the International News Service. He was
held captive in Communist China for 18 months.

John
Hodiak
(Himself) was a busy actor at MGM who had co-starred with Lucille
Ball in their 1946 film
Two Smart People.
He was also seen in the 1944 film Lifeboat
with
Tallulah Bankhead.

Tex
O’Rourke
(Himself) was a toastmaster famous for moderating his “Circus Saints and Sinners” tributes. 

Dusty
Rhodes
(Himself) was a member
of 1954 World Series Champion team the New York Giants.
He would return to “The Ed Sullivan Show” in April 1955.

Robert
Taylor
(Archival Footage from Bataan)
acted alongside Desi Arnaz in the 1943 film Bataan.
He never appeared on “I Love Lucy,” but during the Ricardo’s stay
in Hollywood, Lucy Ricardo mentioned meeting him at a farmers market
and getting his autograph on an orange.

Keenan
Wynn
(Archival Footage from The
Long, Long Trailer)

Marjorie
Main
(Archival Footage from The
Long, Long Trailer)

Johnny
Roventini (Philip
Morris Bellhop, uncredited)

Julia
Meade (Voice
of Mercury Commercial)

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This
show was aired on CBS on October 3, 1954. Sunday nights were known as
“Ed Sullivan Show” nights in the same way that Lucy and Desi
“owned” Monday nights throughout the 1950s. This show was done
live in front of a studio audience at (what is now known as) the Ed
Sullivan Theatre in New York City. 

The next day “I Love Lucy”
began its fourth season on the air with “The Business Manager”
(ILL S4;E1) co-starring Charles Lane (above) as Mr. Hickox. Two weeks later
the series celebrated its 100th show.

The
same night this show aired, “Father Knows Best” made its TV debut
on CBS at 10pm. Prior to that the series had been aired on radio
since 1949. On TV, it
ran for one season and was canceled. The series
was picked up by NBC,
where it remained for three seasons. After a second cancellation in
1958, the series was picked up yet again, by CBS, where it aired
until May 1960.   

This
was the second of Lucille Ball’s dozen appearances on “The Ed
Sullivan Show.” Ball and Arnaz had been on earlier in the year,
after Ed Sullivan presented “I Love Lucy” with an Emmy Award in
April 1954. Desi made eight appearances, the last being in 1960. This
is the only time the full hour of Sullivan’s show is devoted solely
to Lucy and Desi.

“Toast
of the Town” was not filmed in Hollywood, like “I Love Lucy.”
It was broadcast live from New York and then kinescoped to the West
Coast. Consequently, prints of this show are generally of poor
quality.  

During
the run of “I Love Lucy,” Ed Sullivan and his show were mentioned several
times:

Lucy: (about Fred the dog) “He learned obedience, but he’s not ready for ‘The Ed Sullivan Show’.” 

~ “The Ricardos Dedicate a Statue” (ILL S6;E27) 

Johnny
Clark:
(to Ricky) “I
think I’ve got you planted on ‘The Ed Sullivan Show’ for next month.” 

[Celebrities would often be asked to stand-up and wave if they were
spotted on “The Ed Sullivan Show.”] ~ “Face to Face” aka “The
Ricardos Are Interviewed” (ILL S5;E7)

Lucy:
(to
a stoic Buckingham Palace Guard) “Wow,
you make Ed
Sullivan look
like laughing boy.” 

[Sullivan was known not to smile or laugh, something Lucy chides him for in the tribute.] ~ “Lucy Meets the Queen” (ILL S5;E15)

To
kick off the hour, Lucy and Desi perform a sketch about their meeting
with Ed Sullivan. Although the sketch feels like an episode of “I
Love Lucy,” Lucy and Desi use their own names. It opens with Lucy
knitting and Desi at home (in Beverly Hills), relaxing and reading
the Sunday papers, which are spread out all over the room. Desi is
looking for the “spor’ session” [“sports section”]. 

The
newspaper Desi holds is the Sunday, October 3, 1954, edition of the
New York Daily news, with the back page headline “GIANTS CHAMPS”!
The previous day, the New York Giants triumphed over the Cleveland
Indians in the 1954 World Series. Interestingly,
this was not good news to Lucy’s good friend Bob Hope, who was
part-owner of the Indians. 

Two years later, October 8, 1956, Lucy and
Desi guest-starred on “The Bob Hope Chevy Show” which for the
evening was broadcast in Ed Sullivan’s time slot, a fact Hope
acknowledged in his monologue. Like this Ed Sullivan show, it was
the day after a world series victory and the MVP was invited to
appear on the show. For this “Toast of the Town” that player was
Dusty Rhodes of the New York Giants. In 1956 it would be Don Larsen
of the New York Yankees.  

When
Lucy shows off what she’s been knitting, Desi immediately jumps to
conclusions: “Lucy!
Again?  We’ve already done that bit!” Desi
is referring to Lucy Ricardo having a baby on “I Love Lucy.”
Prior to that, in 1951’s “Drafted” (ILL S1;E11, above), Ricky and Fred
mistake the girls knitting them sweaters for a clue that they are
expecting.

Lucy
tells him to relax, that she’s knitting it for Eve Arden’s new baby.
Arden, a friend of Ball’s from her B-movie days, was currently
starring in TV’s “Our Miss Brooks” filmed at Desilu. On September
17, 1954, she gave birth to what would be her only biological child,
Douglas Brooks West.  

After
arguing who should answer the telephone, Desi answers it, but can’t
quite figure out who it is on the other end.

Desi
(to
Lucy, covering the phone receiver): “I
think it’s somebody from a bakery.  A guy called Solomon.  Ed
Solomon. He says he’s selling toast in this part of the town.”

Lucy
grabs the phone and  it turns out to be Ed Sullivan who is coming
right over, despite the fact that their house is a mess and they
aren’t properly dressed. Desi says they should let Ed see them as
they really are, with no pretense.

Lucy:
“The
show is called ‘Toast of the Town’, not ‘Crumbs of the Town’.”

She
then implores Desi to put on his shoes, to which he replies, “What
for? He knows I got feet.”  

This
is very similar to an exchange in “Men Are Messy” (ILL S1;E8)
from 1951.  

Lucy
Ricardo:
“Put
your shoes on and pick up those papers. Company is coming.”
Ricky
Ricardo:
“It isn’t company, it’s Fred and Ethel.”
Lucy
Ricardo:
“Well, put your shoes on.”
Ricky
Ricardo: “They
know I have feet.”

In
the next scene, they are dressed to the nines, and Lucille makes her
entrance to the strains of “A Pretty Girl Is Like A Melody” by
Irving Berlin. In 1955’s , “Lucy Gets Into Pictures” (ILL S4;E18)
Lucy Ricardo gets a role as a showgirl, strutting down a staircase
wearing a giant head-dress, while this song is playing.

Before
Sullivan arrives, Lucy and Desi silently practice being acknowledged
from the audience, just in case that is what Sullivan has in mind.
This is visually similar to when Lucy and Ricky rehearse being
surprised with a “Housewarming” (ILL S6;E23) party when they
first move to Connecticut in 1957.  

The
phone rings again and Lucy talks to their agent Don Sharpe about the
purpose of Sullivan’s visit, while Desi hovers anxiously behind her: 

Lucille
(into
the phone): “He
is!  He isn’t?  He isn’t?  He is!  He isn’t!” (she
hangs up)
Desi:
“Well,
is he or isn’t he?”

This
is another gag taken directly from “I Love Lucy.” It is possible that the “I Love Lucy” writers participated in the
scripting of this sketch.

When
Sullivan finally arrives at the Arnaz home, they rush him off his
feet and pretend not to have already heard the news. Sullivan
finally spills the beans.  

Lucy:
“’Toast
of the Town’ and the whole slice about us!”

When
Sullivan asks Lucille for a cigarette, the Philip Morris bellhop
Johnny Roventini literally pops out of the coffee table and gives him
one!  Although Philip Morris was not a sponsor of “Toast of the
Town,” the gag acknowledges the company’s initial support of “I Love Lucy.”

Vivian
Vance just happens to drop by – and then almost immediately Bill
Frawley. The just happen to be ready to regale Sullivan with a song, “Hullaballoo,” which Frawley says is an old vaudeville tune from
1913. He also claims that they previously performed it “on one of
the old Lucy shows” but no such song was ever sung by Fred and
Ethel on “I Love Lucy.”  

A
curtain then closes for their bows. Sullivan reminds Vivian that they
last met when he presented the Emmy Award to “I Love Lucy” in
Hollywood. He recalls first meeting Frawley in Leone’s Restaurant. Jimmy Walker introduced him to Sullivan. Walker was mayor of New York
City from 1926 to 1932, when Sullivan was a news correspondent.

Sullivan
discusses the film Bataan
featuring Desi Arnaz and Robert Taylor.  Baatan
(1943) was an MGM film about the World War II Battle of Bataan, a
region of the Philippines.

After
a Mercury commercial narrated by Julia Meade, Ed Sullivan introduces
the trailer from The
Long, Long Trailer, a 1954 color film based on a novel of the same
name by Clinton Twiss. It is about a couple who buy a new trailer home and spend a year traveling across the United
States.The film stars Lucille Ball as Tacy Collini and Desi Arnaz as
Nicky Collini. The characters’ names were changed from the book to sound
more like ‘Lucy and Ricky’ (Tacy and Nicky, say it fast).  

Desi
Arnaz performs his signature song “Babalu.”
He
performed the song on “I Love Lucy” in “The Audition”
(ILL S1;E6) and in “The
Ricardos Visit Cuba” (ILL S6;E9), where Desi was joined by
Richard Keith (Little Ricky). Other times it was partially heard or
sung for comedic purposes, such as in “Lucy
Hires an English Tutor” (ILL S2;E13), “Ricky’s Life
Story"
(ILL S3;E1), “The Publicity Agent” (ILL S1;E31) and “The
Young Fans" (ILL S1;E20). Desi
Arnaz first recorded the song in 1947, although he had performed it
as part of his nightclub act prior to that.

After
Desi finishes singing, Sullivan tells his audience that Desi has had
a fever of 101 all day, but insisted on singing “Babalu” anyway.

Finally,
the “Circus Saints and Sinners Luncheon” begins, a
formal tribute (the actual “Toast” of the town) with speeches
from and about the Arnazes.  

• A
  clip from “Lucy Goes to the Hospital” (ILL S2;E16), which first
  aired on January 19, 1953. This
  was Desi Arnaz’s favorite episode.This is the
  episode that made “I Love Lucy” a national phenomenon. It is
  estimated that 72% of the American public who owned a television
  tuned in to see the birth of Little Ricky. His birth was timed to
  coincide with Desi Jr.’s birth, that same day. This episode aired
  the day before the inauguration of President Eisenhower and five
  months before the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. More people
  watched this “I Love Lucy” episode than either one of those
  televised historic events. 
• To
  kick things off, Ed Sullivan reads a letter from Bernard
  Baruch
  (1870-1965). Baruch was a financier and powerful political
  consultant who had served with Sullivan on a Government-appointed
  Entertainment Committee to bolster post-war morale in America.  
• Toastmaster
  Tex O’Rourke
  discusses Ball and Arnaz’s childhoods and their early work in
  show-business.
• Baseball
  player Dusty Rhodes some brief comments of his own.

Lucille
Ball is first to make her remarks, thanking the networks and
production staff of “I Love Lucy,” and ultimately Desi:

Lucy:
“This
guy, who seems to be in all places at once, making like an actor, a
banker, a politician – in short, a producer – gets my vote as the
greatest producer of all time. And I have two little Arnazes at home
to prove it.”

Desi
Arnaz expresses his appreciation to Lucy and the United States of
America for giving him the opportunities he has enjoyed.

Desi:
“We
came to this country and we didn’t have a cent in our pockets.  From
cleaning canary cages to this night in New York is a long ways. And I
don’t think there’s any other country in the world that could
give you that opportunity.” 

Both
Lucy and Desi become visibly emotional while making their speeches. “Desi
was very sincere about that,” said Madelyn Davis, who along with
her partner, Bob Carroll Jr., wrote every episode of the first four
seasons of “I Love Lucy” with Jess Oppenheimer. “Lucy got
teary and even Ed Sullivan. Desi wasn’t kidding. They had nothing.”

The
show includes Lincoln Mercury commercials starring Ed Sullivan. Lucy
and Desi had participated in such commercials in their first
appearance on “Toast of the Town” in April 1954. During the
sketch that starts the show, Lucy says the words “High dramatic”
and Ed reminds her that on his show, it is “Merc-O-Matic,” which
was Lincoln Mercury’s own automatic transmission, introduced in 1951.

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This
Date in Lucy History
– October 3rd

“Lucy
Visits Grauman’s”
(ILL S5;E1) – October 3, 1955

“Lucy
and Paul Winchell”
(TLS S5;E4) – October 3, 1966

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