1953 Part One ~ JANUARY to JUNE
The new year kicks off with a baby – two babies – Little Ricky and Desi Jr.
“Ricky Has Labor Pains” (ILL S2;E14) ~ January 5, 1953
Filmed on Halloween 1952, the episode show’s a very pregnant Lucy reading McCall’s with the words “I Love Lucy” very clearly on the cover! Apropos of the holiday, it ends with Lucy and Ethel in drag as male newspaper reporters crashing Ricky’s daddy shower.
“Lucy Becomes a Sculptress” (ILL S2;E15) ~ January 12, 1953
The episode begins with insert shots of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz as children. Filmed November 7, 1952. Ironically, the final episode of “I Love Lucy” also featured Lucy as a statue!
“Lucy Goes to the Hospital” (ILL S2;E16) ~ January 19, 1953
“This is it!” The birth of Little Ricky landed Desi Arnaz Jr. on the cover of the first nationally distributed issue of TV Guide and resulted in ratings that overshadowed those for the week’s other big TV event: the inauguration of President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Little Desi was born 12 hours before the broadcast of the episode in which his TV counterpart took his first bow. Filmed November 14, 1952, the last before Lucille had the baby.
“Sales Resistance” (ILL S2:E17) ~ January 26, 1953
Sheldon Leonard guest stars as Harry Martin of the Handy Dandy Company. Lucy will sell Handy Dandy vacuums on “The Lucy Show.” Filmed August 29, 1952.
“The Inferiority Complex”
(ILL S2;E18) ~ February 3, 1953
“Treatment, Ricky! Treatment!” This is one of the ‘flashback’ episodes, where Lucy is supposedly still in the hospital when the story of her ‘complex’ comes up. Filmed September 6, 1952. There would be no new episode on February 9, 1953.
“The 1953 Primetime Emmy Awards” ~ February 5, 1953
The 5th Annual Awards is only broadcast on local television KLAC in Los Angeles. Both “I Love Lucy” and Lucille Ball walk away winners! Lucille is also nominated for Outstanding New Personality, but loses to Bishop Fulton J. Sheen!
“The Club Election”
(ILL S2;E19) ~ February 16, 1953
The first appearance of Doris Singleton as Carolyn Appleby (known for this episode only as Lillian Appleby). Lucy mentions the Republican National Convention that was held in July 1952. A story has Adlai Stevenson receiving a telegram from a Lucy fan that read: “I love Lucy, but I hate you.” Filmed September 12, 1952. There would be no new episodes for the next two weeks.
“The Black Eye”
(ILL S2;20) ~ March 9, 1953
This was the last one of the last episodes filmed before Lucy went on maternity leave. It was a flashback episode where Ricky makes an early reference to the ‘kid’ sleeping in the next room because the gender of Lucy’s baby had not yet been decided. Black eyes would be part of the plot again on a 1958 episode of “The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour.” There was no new episode for the next two weeks.
“Lucy Changes Her Mind”
(ILL S2;E21) ~ March 30, 1953
Frank Nelson is back, this time as a near-sighted waiter. Filmed on September 26, 1952, this episode was on the shelf for more than six months before airing. The next new episode is not for three weeks.
“No Children Allowed”
(ILL S2;E22) ~ April 20, 1953
This episode was filmed on March 20, 1953, Lucille Ball’s first episode back after her pregnancy leave. Lucy’s hair is styled differently here but it returned to its classic bun style the very next episode.
This is the first appearance of Mrs. Trumbull (Elizabeth Patterson).
“Lucy Hires a Maid”
(ILL S2;E23) ~ April 27, 1953
The status symbol of having a maid was revisited in Lucille’s subsequent sitcoms. Here, the ‘Hazel from Hell’ is played by Verna Felton. The series is now back on its regular schedule, with just one month lag between filming and airing.
“The Indian Show”
(ILL S2;E24) ~ May 4, 1953
Stereotypes of indigenous Americans was an acceptable form of entertainment in the 1950s and well into the 1970s. This is the second appearance of twins Richard and Ronald Lee Simmons as infant Little Ricky. Filmed April 3, 1953.
“Lucy’s Last Birthday” (ILL S2:E25) ~ May 11, 1953
This episode features Ricky singing “I Love Lucy,” the first and last time the lyrics would be heard on the series. Filmed April 10, 1953.
“The Ricardos Change Apartments”
(ILL S2;E26) ~ May 18, 1953
After this episode, the Ricardo apartment will have a window! Norma Varden plays the weepy neighbor Mrs. Benson, who agrees to the swap. Filmed April 16, 1953. At the end of the episode, Fred and Ethel join Lucy in doing her iconic ‘spider face’: “Ewwww!”
“Lucy Is Matchmaker”
(ILL S2;E27) ~ May 25, 1953
This is the very first time we see the new nursery. Unfortunately, the short scene of Lucy putting the baby to bed (
“you’ve got your own little bed in your own little room”) was cut for syndication, but restored for the DVD. Filmed April 25, 1953.
“Lucy Wants New Furniture”
(ILL S2;E28) ~ June 1, 1953
The day after this episode first aired, Queen Elizabeth II was officially crowned. It was the first coronation to be televised. but failed to match the ratings received by “Lucy Goes to the Hospital” (ILL S2;E16) just six months earlier. Filmed May 1, 1953.
“The Camping Trip” (ILL S2;E29) ~ June 8, 1953
A rare trip out of the concrete jungle for Lucy and Ricky. In the ‘first time / last time’ department, we hear of Fred’s brother; Ethel knows how to drive, but only a year and a half later, she claims she’s never learned; Ethel tells Fred she’ll be visiting her mother – a character we never meet. Filmed May 8, 1953.
“Ricky and Fred Are TV Fans”
(ILL S2;E30) ~ June 22, 1953
This episode skillfully combines concerns about urban crime with America’s growing television obsession. By April 1953 more than one-third of all US homes owned a set. Frank Nelson returns as a policeman, along with Allen Jenkins (later the voice of Top Cat). Filmed May 22, 1953. There was no new episode the previous week.
“Never Do Business With Friends”
(ILL S2;E31) ~ June 29, 1953
The season ends with an argument over a second hand washing machine. Herb Vigran plays Joe the repairman, Mrs. Trumbull’s nephew. This season was extended further into the summer than any other – June 29. Filmed May 29, 1953.
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