1956 Part One – JANUARY to JUNE
“I Love Lucy” finishes its fifth season with the gang planning their next big trip – Europe! Lucy and Desi make a variety of appearances to promote their new film ‘Forever Darling.’
“Staten Island Ferry" (ILL S5;E12) ~ January 2, 1956
This episode contains the only lengthy interaction between Fred (William Frawley) and Lucy alone.
The ferry boat seen in the episode’s second unit footage is named the ‘Gold Star Mother,’ which entered service in 1937. Another appearance by character actor Charles Lane. Filmed November 24, 1955.
“Bon Voyage” (ILL S5;E13) ~ January 16, 1956
This was the most expensive episode of “I Love Lucy” ever produced. Second unit footage of the S.S. Constitution, recreating the liner on the Desilu soundstage, Lucy’s elaborate helicopter drop to the deck, and the shear number of actors and crew drove costs. Jack Albertson (”Chico and the Man”) plays a small role. Filmed December 1, 1955.
“Second Honeymoon” (ILL S5;E14) ~ January 23, 1956
The plot of this episode was inspired by key incidents in the film Gentlemen Prefer Blondes starring Marilyn Monroe. Desilu recreated public rooms and decks of the S.S. Constitution on their Hollywood soundstage. Filmed December 8, 1955.
“Lucy Meets the Queen” (ILL S5;E15) ~ January 30, 1956
Set in London. The costume Lucy wears during the pony routine (above) is the same one that she wore when upstaging Ethel’s act in “Ethel’s Home Town”. It was refashioned from the Marilyn Monroe gown she wore in “Ricky’s Movie Offer”. A Cockney chamber maid is played by Nancy Culp (”The Beverly Hillbillies”). Filmed December 15, 1955.
“The Ed Sullivan Show” (S8;E20) ~ February 5, 1956
Lucy and Desi appear to promote their new film Forever Darling. A clip from the film is screened. The Ames Brothers join Desi to sing the title song. Lucille is disguised as a fifth Ames Brother. Ed Sullivan presents Ball with a trophy.
“The Fox Hunt”
(ILL S5;E16) ~ February 6, 1956
Set in London and the English countryside and featuring several live horses and hounds. After the initial airing, a tag at the end of the episode showed Lucy and Desi talking about the premiere of their new movie Forever, Darling, which took place in Lucy’s hometown of Jamestown, New York, the next day. The last episode filmed (December 22, 1955) before the Christmas break.
“I’ve Got A Secret” ~ February 8, 1956
Lucille is a guest panelist, and Desi Arnaz turns up as a mystery guest. Desi has plays a trick on his wife by telling everyone else on the panel his ‘secret’ and telling them to pass their turn to Lucille. Desi’s secret is “I love Lucy.” Naturally, the couple also promote their film Forever, Darling.
“MGM Parade” ~ February 10, 1956
An ABC series hosted by George Murphy, Desi and Lucille present a scene from their upcoming feature film, Forever Darling, in which they also played husband and wife.
The clip from Forever Darling is the scene where Susie and Lorenzo capsize their raft while Lorenzo is collecting insect specimens for his research.
“Lucy Goes to Scotland” (ILL S5;E17) ~ February 20, 1956
Lucy has a dream after seeing a West End musical (probably “Brigadoon”) that she revisits her Scottish homeland. The dream is presented as a musical comedy, with an original score of five songs by Larry Orenstein. A colorized version was only released as a bonus feature on DVD and is the only one of the colorized episodes not aired on broadcast television. Filmed January 6, 1956.
“Paris at Last” (ILL S5;E18) ~ February 27, 1956
Set in Paris, the episode features stock footage of the City of Light. Lucy encounters painters and forgers, but the most memorable moment is Lucy eating snails. Filmed January 12, 1956.
“Lucy Meets Charles Boyer” (ILL S5;E19) ~ March 5, 1956
Set in Paris, Lucy meets the French movie star Charles Boyer. Boyer was friends with Desi Arnaz from when Eleanor Roosevelt recruited them to be part of her Hollywood Victory Caravan after World War Two. Filmed January 19, 1956.
“The
8th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards” ~ March 17, 1956
Lucille Ball won for Best Actress in a Continuing Performance. The series was not nominated. William Frawley lost to Art Carney in “The Honeymooners.” The writers were nominated but lost to “The Phil Silvers Show.” Vivian Vance and Desi Arnaz (once again) were not nominated.
“Lucy Gets a Paris Gown” (ILL S5;E20) ~ March 19, 1956
One of the most memorable episodes for Lucy and Ethel’s burlap sack fashions. Cher’s mother Georgia Holt plays one of the models. “I Love Lucy” costume designer Edward Stevenson designed the fake fashions. The last of the Paris-set episodes. Filmed February 16, 1956.
“Lucy in the Swiss Alps”
(ILL S5;E21) ~ March 26, 1956
The plot of being stranded after an avalanche allows references to MGM’s Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. Filmed February 23, 1956.
“Lucy Gets Homesick in Italy”
(ILL S5;E22) ~ April 9, 1956
Set in Florence, the episode is notable for the appearance of a ten-year-old Bart Braverman (”Vega$”) as Giuseppe the shoeshine boy with a birthday. This is the last time that Little Ricky will be played by the Mayer Twins. Filmed March 1, 1956.
“Lucy’s Italian Movie”
(ILL S5;E23) ~ April 16, 1956
Set in Rome (and the fictional town of Turo), one of the most memorable episodes in television history and generally one of the top three fan favorites (with “Lucy Does a TV Commercial” and “Job Switching”). Filmed March 8, 1956. Colorized for broadcast in December 2013.
“Lucy’s Bicycle Trip”
(ILL S5;E24) ~ April 23, 1956
Set on the Italian / French Riviera, the cast includes a barn full of animals. Lucy milks a cow, something Lucille had done on her Chatsworth Ranch. Filmed March 22, 1956, after taking a week off for the Emmy Awards.
“Lucy Goes to Monte Carlo” (ILL S5;E25) ~ May 7, 1956
The French Francs Lucy wins in the casino were printed by a Hollywood props maker called the Earl Hays Press, most famous for fake newspapers used on screen This is the penultimate episode set in Europe before the gang returns home. Filmed March 29, 1956.
“Return Home from Europe”
(ILL S5;E26) ~ May 14, 1956
Memorable for Lucy smuggling a cheese aboard the airplane disguised as a baby! Frank Nelson (the Customs Officer) and Mary Jane Croft (Evelyn Bigsby) both appear in this episode, just nine months before returning as Westport neighbors Ralph and Betty Ramsey. Filmed April 5, 1956.
“The
Ed Sullivan Show” ~ June 24, 1956
The CBS Sunday night tradition celebrates its eighth anniversary. Broadcast from New York, celebrities In
Hollywood such as Ronald Reagan, Natalie Wood, Robert Walker, Walt Disney,
Lucille Ball, and Desi Arnaz sing “Happy Anniversary” to Ed Sullivan.
Also in 1956…
“December Bride” (S2;E20) ~ February 20, 1956
Desi Arnaz played himself on an episode of the CBS / Desilu series entitled “The Sunken Den” in which his living room begins to sink due to a construction error. The series starred Verna Felton as Hilda Crocker and Oscar-nominee Spring Byington (”The Desilu Revue”) as Lily Ruskin. Felton had played Lucy’s intimidating maid Mrs. Porter as well as the woman without electricity Lucy tries to sell a Handy Dandy vacuum cleaner. The episode also featured Joseph Kearns (”The Kleptomaniac” and “Lucy’s Night in Town”) as Desi’s Agent and Richard Deacon (”The Celebrity Next Door” and Desi’s series “The Mothers-in-Law.”) as Desi’s butler. Lucille Ball does not appear but is mentioned twice. Desi jokes that she has 2 million fans compared with his 738. She is also called “scatterbrained” by the Agent, something often attributed to Lucy Ricardo, but not Lucille Ball!
The Golden Globes Awards ~ February 23, 1956
Desi Arnaz was given a trailblazer award for his contributions to TV comedy. Not broadcast on television, but honoring it none-the-less, it was called “the most successful of all Golden Globe Awards,” and Lucille Ball evoked a colossal laugh from attendees when she exclaimed, “This is a most frightening audience!”
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