December
8, 1965 on NBC
Directed
by Alan Handley
Written
by Hugh Wedlock Jr., Allan Manings
Flying
by Peter Foy
Comedy
Consultant Herbie Faye
Danny
Thomas
(Himself, Host / Dr. Vivian Throckmorton) and
Lucille Ball’s careers are forever linked. “Make Room for Daddy”
was filmed at Desilu Studios and when it moved to CBS the characters
did a cross-over episode of “The
Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour,“ exchanging
homes with the Ricardos. In return, Lucy and Desi played Lucy and
Ricky on an episode of “Make Room for Daddy.” When Thomas starred
in a sequel titled “Make
Room for Granddaddy”
Ball guest-starred and did the same when he starred in the
short-lived series “The
Practice.”
Thomas
appeared as himself in a 1965 episode of “The
Lucy Show”
and as an eccentric artist on “Here’s
Lucy”
in 1973.
Lucille
Ball
(Herself / Gertie / Tondelayo) 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.
Jerry
Lewis
(Himself / Morty Cockinlocker / Phil Thropingham) was
a comedian, actor, and singer born in Newark, New Jersey in 1926. He
was known for his slapstick humor and was originally paired up with
Dean Martin, forming the famed comedy team of Martin and Lewis. His
long-standing commitment to hosting the annual Muscular Dystrophy
telethon in 2010, after 44 years, earning him a nomination for the
Nobel Peace Prize in 1977. He was also presented the French Legion of
Honor in 1984. Lewis died in 2014.
Shirley
Jones
(Herself / Trixie) starred
as wholesome characters in a number of well-known musical
films,
such as Oklahoma!
(1955),
Carousel
(1956),
and The
Music Man
(1962).
She won the Academy
Award for Best Supporting Actress
for
playing a vengeful prostitute in Elmer
Gantry
(1960).
She played the lead role of Shirley Partridge, the widowed mother of
five children, in the television series The
Partridge Family
(1970–74),
which co-starred her real-life stepson, David
Cassidy,
son of Jack
Cassidy,
a guest star on “The Lucy Show” in 1965.
Jimmy
Durante (Handsome
New Englishman) was
a multi-talented performer who was distinguished by his bulbous nose.
In “Lucy
Meets Harpo Marx” (ILL S4;E28)
Lucy
Ricardo dons a novelty store mask and trench coat to impersonate
Durante for a nearsighted Carolyn Appleby.
Durante did a cameo as himself in “Lucy Goes To A Hollywood
Premiere” (TLS S4;E20). Two years later, Lucy
Carmichael and guest star Carol Burnett imitate Jimmy Durante as they
sing his 1944 song “Start
Out Each Day with a Song.” He first appeared with Lucille Ball in
1935’s Carnival.
He died in 1980.
Sheldon
Leonard (Cigar
Vendor) was
born Leonard Sheldon Bershad in New York City in 1907. In 1953 he
played fast-talking salesman Harry Martin, who sells Lucy Ricardo the
Handy Dandy vacuum cleaner in “Sales
Resistance” (ILL S2;E17).
Leonard was an integral part of the Desilu family off-screen as well,
directing “Make Room for Daddy” including an episode that
featured Lucy and Ricky Ricardo in 1959. He was one of the creators
of “The Andy Griffith Show,” also filmed at Desilu. He played
himself in a 1967 episode of “The Lucy Show.” Leonard may be best
remembered as the Nick, the bartender in the classic film It’s
a Wonderful Life
(1945).
He died in 1997.
In
the final bows, Danny Thomas refers to Leonard’s character as “the
Candy Butcher.”
Frank
DeVol and
his Orchestra
The
Headwaiter, the Drunk, a Waiter, and the Card Girl, are all played by
uncredited performers.
This
was the second edition of “The Wonderful World of Burlesque.”
The first program aired in March 1965 and starred Jack Benny, Mickey
Rooney, and Frank Sinatra. A third edition aired in December 1966
starring Carol Channing and Dean Martin. The fourth and final
edition was aired in September 1967 featuring Phil Silvers and
Nanette Fabray.
The
program was nominated for one 1966 Primetime Emmy Award for costumes
by Bob Mackie and Ray Aghayan.
Lucille
Ball played burlesque performer Bubbles in the 1940 film Dance,
Girl, Dance.
"Lucy
Saves Milton Berle”
(TLS S4;E12) premiered on CBS two days prior to
this special.
Lucy’s
“Butterfly Ballet” is included (in color) on “The Lucy Show”
season 4 video set as a DVD extra.
In the final credits, the program is listed as “The Danny Thomas Show.” Like many of the Danny Thomas and Bob Hope specials on NBC, the main sponsor is Timex.
Danny
Thomas comes through the curtain to thank the audience for coming to
the second “Wonderful World of Burlesque.” He apologizes for
omitting references to many burlesque greats in the first broadcast.
He tells a story in the manner of Bert Williams, a black
vaudevillian.
Thomas
introduces Jerry
Lewis,
who sashays onto the stage waving a silk handkerchief like a
burlesque dancer. Thomas tells him that they’re not doing ‘that’ sort
of burlesque!
Jerry
Lewis:
“Oh! I thought this was ‘Hullabaloo!’”
“Hullabaloo”
(1965-66) was
a pop rock variety show on NBC. As with ABC’s “Shindig”,
which began four months earlier, it combined the musical trends of the
day: The British Invasion, Detroit’s Motown sound, and the emerging
folk rock trend.
As
the orchestra strikes up a few bars of “76 Trombones” from The
Music Man, Shirley
Jones joins Thomas and Lewis on stage. To the strains of “Hey Look Me
Over” from Wildcat, Lucille
Ball enters
and joins the group. All four are dressed in elegant formal wear.
The ladies’ gowns were designed by Bob Mackie.
Lucy:
“Whenever
I do a show like this, I’m always a little nervous. Especially when
I’m working with a great singer.”
Danny:
“Thank
you, Lucy.”
Lucy:
“I
meant Shirley! Of course, it’s not easy being onstage with such a
great actor.”
Danny:
“Thank
you, Lucy.”
Lucy:
“I
meant Jerry! And it’s always a thrill working with an old-fashioned
type comic who isn’t afraid to stoop to pratfalls and baggy
pants.”
Danny:
“Thank
you, Lucy.”
Lucy:
“I
meant me!”
[This
is a terrific example of an ideal burlesque / vaudeville joke. It
contains three parts, repetition, and a surprise ending!]
Danny
Thomas and Jerry Lewis perform a comedy routine as two broke guys
going on a double date with two dolls (Lucy and Shirley) that they
can ill-afford to entertain. The women order everything on the menu
– including champagne!
Blooper
Warning!
When the waiter arrives with the check just as the foursome down a
sip of champagne, Jerry Lewis does a spit-take that results in him
spitting out his false buck teeth! Lewis says to someone off camera
“Give me my teeth” and the dentures are tossed to him and he pops them back in his mouth. All the other performers dissolve in
laughter.
During
the scene change, Danny has a comic exchange with a vendor in the
theatre aisle (Sheldon Leonard) who is selling Dutch Masters Cigars.
This is actually an integrated commercial with Thomas singing the Dutch Masters jingle at its conclusion.
Shirley
Jones introduces a burlesque parody of the Broadway hit White
Cargo,
the story of two proper Englishmen and a tempestuous woman of the
islands. White Cargo by Leon Gordon played two engagements, one
downtown in 1923 and one uptown in 1926. It is best remembered as
the first Broadway show to depict a white man married to a black
woman.
It was made into a motion picture in 1942 starring Watler
Pidgeon, Richard Carlson, and Hedy Lamaar as Tondelayo, the native
woman. The Englishmen in the sketch are Danny Thomas as Dr.
Throckmorton and Jerry Lewis as Phil Thropingham.
Throckmorton:
“Welcome
to the island of Pango.”
Thropingham:
“Pango?
I thought it was Pango Pango.”
Throckmorton:
“It’s
not half the island it used to be!”
Wearing
a leopard print shift and a black wig, Lucille Ball struts in an
announces “I am Tondelayo.” She seduces Throckmorton into
surrendering his pocket watch. Jerry Lewis works in a mention for
the evening’s sponsor, Timex.
Thropingham
[to Throckmorton]: “Have
you forgotten the vow you made to bring back the rare Goona Goona
butterfly?”
Tondelayo:
“It’s
just Goona butterfly now.”
Thropingham:
“Goona?”
Tondelayo:
“Yeah.
It’s not half the butterfly it used to be.”
With
Throckmorton out hunting the rare Goona, Tondelayo turns her
attention to Thropingham. Twenty four hours later (as a card girl
informs us), Throckmorton returns, and Tondelayo is still embracing
Thropingham, his clothing now in tatters.
Throckmorton:
“Well, Thropingham. I see the island and Tondelayo have gotten to
you, too.”
Tondelayo:
“No
call him Thropingham. Call him Throp. He not half the man he used
to be.”
Competition
for the affections of Tondelayo drives everyone to thoughts of murder!
Throckmorton
[aside]: “Little
does he realize, but he’s had it.”
Thropingham
[aside]:
“Little does HE realize, but HE’S had it.”
Tondelayo
[aside]: “Little
do they realize, but Tondelayo’s gonna knock ’em both off!”
When
Tondelayo pours the poison tea, Lucille Ball earns a round of
applause from the studio audience due to the fact that the spout of
the prop teapot has a bifurcated spout and pours simultaneously into
two different cups!
As
the two take their last breath, a ship’s horn signals a new arrival
(played by Jimmy Durante).
Blooper
Alert! Both
Danny Thomas and Jerry Lewis are supposed to be ‘dead’ but crack up
laughing at the sound of Durante’s voice. Even Durante starts to
break character as the sketch ends.
For
the final act, Lucille Ball performs “The Butterfly Ballet”
suspended on a wire above the stage and the auditorium. For this act,
Peter Foy, of the famous Foy Family (who did flying on Broadway for
Peter Pan and other shows) were brought in to supply rigging and
supervise. Film of the act later became part of their archives. The
ballet lasts two and a half minutes and is underscored by the Frank DeVol orchestra.
For
the final bows Danny Thomas brings out Jerry Lewis (who has toilet
paper stuck to his show), Shirley Jones, and Lucille Ball to say (and
sing) goodnight.
LUCY TAKES FLIGHT!
This is not the first time Lucille Ball had been hoisted in the air on wires, nor would it be the last. Generally, it was for accomplishing death-defying stunts, but sometimes Lucy got to fly!
“Little
Ricky’s School Pageant” (ILL S6;E10) as The Witch in ‘The Enchanted
Forest’
In the Dinah Shore TV special “Like
Hep” (April 13, 1969), Lucy appeared as Mary Poppins in a sketch titled ‘The
Fairy Godmother’s Revenge’.
The second time she is airborn, Lucy collides mid-air with the Flying Nun!
“Kiddie
Parties Inc.” (TLS S2;E2)
This
Date in Lucy History ~ December 8
“Lucy
Is Enceinte”
(ILL S2;E10) – December 8, 1952
“Lucy
and the Generation Gap”
(HL S4;E12) – December 8, 1969
Papermoon Loves Lucy 
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