November 10, 1978
“America Alive!” was an hour-long NBC daytime show which featured consumer tips, relationship advice, entertainment news and reviews, and comedy, from its home studio in New York City, which resembled a Manhattan loft apartment, as well as remotes from Los Angeles. In the planning phase, the show was titled “People to People.”
Co-hosts were Bruce Jenner (from California) and Janet Langhart [who doe not appear in this episode], with segments from consumer reporter David Horowitz, arts critic David Sheehan, sex researchers Masters and Johnson, Virginia Graham with gossip, and the comedy of Bert Berdis and Dick Orkin. Guests included Bob Hope, Danny Thomas, Jimmy Stewart, Alan King, and Sammy Davis Jr. After its mid-summer premiere on July 24, 1978, the New York Times called it “a light soufflé of entertainment.” Other critics called it “superficial” and “tacky” and another said it was a “dud” that deserved to “get the gong.” Viewers were also conflicted and the show was canceled on January 4, 1979 after just six months on the air.
Jack
Linketter (Host)
was
the son of famed interviewer Art Linkletter, who played himself on an
episode of “Here’s Lucy,” was mentioned on “The Lucy Show”
and hosted “House Party,” on which Lucille Ball guest-starred in
1964. Jack was best remembered for “Hootenanny” (1963). “America
Alive!” was his last job on television before going
into business, serving as president of Linkletter Enterprises, a
developer of commercial and industrial real estate.
He
died in 2007 at age 70 with both parents outliving him.
David
Sheehan
(Co-Host)
became the first
entertainment reporter and critic on a news broadcast in the history
of television in 1970. He
was also the first
local newsman ever to work for two networks simultaneously.
He
produced
and camera-directed for video the hit musical Pippin with Bob Fosse.
Sheehan played himself in the film California
Suite
(1978).
Lucille
Ball 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. She died in 1989.
Gary
Morton
was
a comedian who worked the famed ‘Borscht Belt’ in the Catskills
Mountains. He met Lucille Ball shortly after her divorce from Desi
Arnaz and they married in November 1961. At her request, Morton gave
up his nightclub career and became a producer of “The Lucy Show.”
Morton also served as a warm-up comic for the show’s studio
audience. In many episodes of the series, his loud guffaw can be
heard on the laugh track. Morton passed away in 1999.
This episode of “America Alive!” was videotaped live on location at UCLA, in California, where Lucille Ball took questions from an audience of theatre arts students.
It was the culmination of Lucy co-hosting the show for the previous two days in the Los Angeles studio. Her husband, Gary Morton, also participated. She interviewed Henry Fonda (back in New York), practiced CPR, and Gary talking about being a step-father.
This episode was aired live on the East Coast, meaning that it took place in the early morning in Los Angeles. Going in and out of commercial, the show plays “Disco Lucy” as well as “Hey Look Me Over” and “What Takes My Fancy” from the Wildcat original cast album.
In
November 1978, flagship station WNBC in New York (channel 4) aired
the show live at 11:00am, the same time that WPIX TV (channel 11) was
airing reruns of “I Love Lucy.”
This
episode was screened by Lucy aficionado Michael Stern at Jamestown’s
Lucy-Desi Days on
May 24, 2009.
A
week earlier (October 30 to November 3, 1978), Lucille Ball served as
co-host on “The Mike Douglas Show.”
The
show begins with some cheerleading from the college students. David
Sheehan gives some background on Lucille Ball’s trailblazing career.
Gary Morton, serving as a third co-host in the audience, adds that it
wasn’t just “I Love Lucy,” but also “The Lucy-Desi Comedy
Hour,” “The Lucy Show” and “Here’s Lucy” that are
syndicated worldwide.
After
the first commercial break, Lucy takes the stage to a standing
ovation from the students. She sits center stage in a high
director’s chair as their guest lecturer or “professor”.
Lucy:
“I’ve
never heard such enthusiasm. Except at protest marches.”
The
first question asks Lucy how she encouraged her own children as
performers. Her secret was that she told her kids that a relative or
friend was coming over and wondered if they would perform for the
guests. When “Here’s Lucy” came up, she asked Lucie and Desi if
they wanted to be part of her new show and gave them a month to think
about it. Lucy says they got paid scale and the experience served as
a sort of apprenticeship.
Next
question: Who influenced you on your development as a comedienne?
Lucy: “My career was built on everything Ann Sothern didn’t have time to do. True! Not funny. And I was very grateful for it.”
Lucy also mentions her friends Carole Lombard, and Buster Keaton.
She says she wasn’t sure what direction she was going, but she was
grateful for the studio she worked for [RKO], calling it a paid
apprenticeship.
Question:
“Today,
where do you see the direction of comedy and situation comedy on
television?”
Lucy:
“Down
the toilet. By that I mean we are getting too much ‘terror in the
streets’ as entertainment.”
A
woman wearing an “I Love Lucy” t-shirt asks if Lucy remembers the
“Vitameatavegamin” routine. Lucy says she remembers doing it,
but not word-for-word. The woman says that she knows it
word-for-word. Trying to keep things moving, Lucy says maybe she can
do it for her later.
When
a student thanks Lucy “I Love Lucy,” Lucy takes the opportunity
to thank her writers and mentions Vivian [Vance]. The fan asks what became of
Little Ricky. Lucy says he now has a family of his own and lives in a
town named after his family, Thibodeaux, Louisiana.
A
student asks if Lucy has any roles she still wants to play. Lucy
declines to iterate them, but says there are still a few stories she
wants to tell. She adds that most people just want to see her do more
“Lucy” shows. “I
just feel I’m too old to be yelled at by Uncle Harry.”
A
young man asks if she was ever offered a variety series. Lucy says
many times, but she never considered doing it. Lucy says she doesn’t
want to be just a mistress of ceremonies. Although the state of
variety show on TV is good, they aren’t doing well in the ratings.
Lucy
says that as far as television, she spends most of her time watching
PBS.
A
directing student (first name Lucille) asks Lucy for tips on staging
comedy. Lucy says casting is key but also be aware of projection and
‘telegraphing’ upcoming jokes. Although she had no interest in
directing outside projects, she has directed her own shows. [Lucille
Ball only ‘officially’ directed one episode of “Here’s Lucy” in
1974, when she fired Coby Ruskin mid-episode. In 1981 she directed a
pilot called “Bungle Abbey” that was not picked up for series.]
A
young lady (last name Ball) asks Lucy is she want’s another
daughter! Lucy quickly replies “Yes!”
Michael
Stern stands up to ask a question and Lucy identifies him as her
“number one fan.” He asks Lucy if she brought the Lucy character
home or left it at the studio. Gary answers for her, saying she came
home as “Mrs. Morton.” He adds that she sometimes does
“Lucy-like” things at home, like tripping over a rug. [Stern
developed a friendship with Ball and wrote the book “I Had A Ball:
My Friendship with Lucille Ball” in 1978. In the book, he recounts
attending this event, including watching it air on a department store
on a wall of television sets.]
Another
student asks Lucy to compare her stage work with television. Lucy
says stage work is the greatest and that they should take every
opportunity to perform in front of an audience.
A
student asks for tips about playing older characters. Lucy first
credits her make-up people and then says that studying body movement
is invaluable. Even studying animals can be helpful.
After
a break, a young man asks of all her series, which was her favorite.
Lucy says that it was “I Love Lucy” because she was learning so
much.
David
Sheehan says that some students want to see her demonstrate some bit
of facial humor. Lucy quickly says no, but then goes into her
“waaaa” crying routine while still protesting. She adds a quick
“spider face” (aka “ewww”) and her “pekingese dog” face
just to satisfy the crowd.
An
man says that early in her career Lucy did some dramatic roles and
wonders if she wanted to do more. Lucy quickly replies “Not
really. They were inadvertent.” Lucy says she never wanted to do
Shakespeare.
A
young actress looking for her first break wonders if Lucy’s first big
break was as a flower girl in Top
Hat.
Lucy, surprised at the young woman’s knowledge, says “Just about, yes. You shouldn’t stay up that late.”
[Lucy’s estimation “just about” is correct. Top
Hat
was released in 1935, by which time Lucille Ball had done more than
25 films for RKO where she started in 1933.
Roman Scandals
is generally considered her first film.]
A
female film production student wants to know how to have marriage,
children, and be a success in the business. Lucy is noticeably more
thoughtful before answering. She insists that it doesn’t matter what
business a woman is in, just worry about being a success, the rest
follows naturally. Lucy appears a bit annoyed by the question.
A
student from West Orange, New Jersey, asks about the [then lost] “I Love Lucy”
Christmas Special. Lucy explains that it wasn’t syndicated because
they knew that they would be airing episodes all through the year and
didn’t think audiences wanted to see a Christmas show when it wasn’t
Christmas. [Another reason is that the Christmas special was
primarily made up of clips of previous episodes.CBS finally aired
the ‘lost’ episode as a Christmas Special in 1989 with portions
colorized. It has become an annual event – teaming it with a second
colorized episode.]
A
well-dressed young man who is interested in mime is asked by Lucy
about male performers (aside from Marcel Marceau) who use mime. She
lists Red Skelton, Dick Van Dyke, and Anthony Newley. Lucy says that
mime training is important.
A
young lady asks about comedy writing. Lucy gets short with the
student and cuts her off impatiently.
Lucy:
“They’re
trying to make comedy out of abortions, mastectomies, name it –
vasectomies. Who the hell wants to hear that for fun?”
A
young man asks Lucy for her most famous blooper, but Lucy says she
can’t say because it is too dirty. She says she got in a lot of
trouble for it – but she’ll tell him later.
A
young lady asks Lucy the difference to getting started today as
opposed to when she began. Lucy reiterates that the studio system
was her umbrella and she feels sorry that students today have to do
everything for themselves.
This
Date in Lucy History – November 10th
“The
Courtroom”
(ILL S2;E7) – November 10, 1952
“Lucy
at the Drive-In Movie"
(HL S2;E8) – November 10, 1969
Papermoon Loves Lucy 
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