September 30, 1949
“Women’s Club Election” (aka “Liz Is Elected Women’s Club Treasurer”) is episode #56 of the radio series MY FAVORITE HUSBAND broadcast on September 30, 1949.
This was the fifth episode of the second season of MY FAVORITE HUSBAND. There were 43 new episodes, with the season ending on June 25, 1950.
The script was later adapted for television as “The Club Election” (ILL S2;E19) first aired on February 16, 1953.
Synopsis ~ George has cause for alarm when Liz is elected treasurer of the local women’s club because he knows how much trouble she has with figures but Liz has a surprise for him.
“My Favorite Husband” was based on the novels Mr. and Mrs. Cugat, the Record of a Happy Marriage (1940) and Outside Eden (1945) by Isabel Scott Rorick, which had previously been adapted into the film Are Husbands Necessary? (1942). “My Favorite Husband” was first broadcast as a one-time special on July 5, 1948. Lucille Ball and Lee Bowman played the characters of Liz and George Cugat, and a positive response to this broadcast convinced CBS to launch “My Favorite Husband” as a series. Bowman was not available Richard Denning was cast as George. On January 7, 1949, confusion with bandleader Xavier Cugat prompted a name change to Cooper. On this same episode Jell-O became its sponsor. A total of 124 episodes of the program aired from July 23, 1948 through March 31, 1951. After about ten episodes had been written, writers Fox and Davenport departed and three new writers took over – Bob Carroll, Jr., Madelyn Pugh, and head writer/producer Jess Oppenheimer. In March 1949 Gale Gordon took over the existing role of George’s boss, Rudolph Atterbury, and Bea Benaderet was added as his wife, Iris. CBS brought “My Favorite Husband” to television in 1953, starring Joan Caulfield and Barry Nelson as Liz and George Coope. The television version ran two-and-a-half seasons, from September 1953 through December 1955, running concurrently with “I Love Lucy.” It was produced live at CBS Television City for most of its run, until switching to film for a truncated third season filmed (ironically) at Desilu and recasting Liz Cooper with Vanessa Brown.
MAIN CAST
Lucille Ball (Liz Cooper) 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.
Richard Denning (George Cooper) was born Louis Albert Heindrich Denninger Jr., in Poughkeepsie, New York. When he was 18 months old, his family moved to Los Angeles. Plans called for him to take over his father’s garment manufacturing business, but he developed an interest in acting. Denning enlisted in the US Navy during World War II. He is best known for his roles in various science fiction and horror films of the 1950s. Although he teamed with Lucille Ball on radio in “My Favorite Husband,” the two never acted together on screen. While “I Love Lucy” was on the air, he was seen on another CBS TV series, “Mr. & Mrs. North.” From 1968 to 1980 he played the Governor on “Hawaii 5-0″, his final role. He died in 1998 at age 84.
Bea Benadaret (Iris Atterbury) was considered the front-runner to be cast as Ethel Mertz but when “I Love Lucy” was ready to start production she was already playing a similar role on TV’s “The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show” so Vivian Vance was cast instead. On “I Love Lucy” she was cast as Lucy Ricarodo’s spinster neighbor, Miss Lewis, in “Lucy Plays Cupid” (ILL S1;E15) in early 1952. Later, she was a success in her own show, “Petticoat Junction” as Shady Rest Hotel proprietress Kate Bradley. She starred in the series until her death in 1968.
Ruth Perrott (Katie, the Maid) was also later seen on “I Love Lucy.” She first played Mrs. Pomerantz, a member of the surprise investigating committee for the Society Matrons League in “Pioneer Women” (ILL S1;E25), as one of the member of the Wednesday Afternoon Fine Arts League in “Lucy and Ethel Buy the Same Dress” (ILL S3;E3), and also played a nurse when “Lucy Goes to the Hospital” (ILL S2;E16). She died in 1996 at the age of 96.
Bob LeMond (Announcer) also served as the announcer for the pilot episode of “I Love Lucy”. When the long-lost pilot was finally discovered in 1990, a few moments of the opening narration were damaged and lost, so LeMond – fifty years later – recreated the narration for the CBS special and subsequent DVD release.
Gale Gordon (Rudolph Atterbury) does not appear in this episode.
GUEST CAST
Hans Conried (Mr. Benjamin Wood) first co-starred with Lucille Ball in The Big Street (1942). He then appeared on “I Love Lucy” as used furniture man Dan Jenkins in “Redecorating” (ILL S2;E8) and later that same season as Percy Livermore in “Lucy Hires an English Tutor” (ILL S2;E13) – both in 1952. The following year he began an association with Disney by voicing Captain Hook in Peter Pan. On “The Lucy Show” he played Professor Gitterman in “Lucy’s Barbershop Quartet” (TLS S1;E19) and in “Lucy Plays Cleopatra” (TLS S2;E1). He was probably best known as Uncle Tonoose on “Make Room for Daddy” starring Danny Thomas, which was filmed on the Desilu lot. He joined Thomas on a season 6 episode of “Here’s Lucy” in 1973. He died in 1982 at age 64.
Conried played Mr. Wood on several episodes. Wood is a neighbor of the Coopers with eleven children!
Frank Nelson (Derelict) was born on May 6, 1911 (three months before Lucille Ball) in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He started working as a radio announcer at the age of 15. He later appeared on such popular radio shows as “The Great Gildersleeve,” “Burns and Allen,” and “Fibber McGee & Molly”. Aside from Lucille Ball, Nelson is perhaps most associated with Jack Benny and was a fifteen-year regular on his radio and television programs. His trademark was playing clerks and other working stiffs, suddenly turning to Benny with a drawn out “Yeeeeeeeeees?”
Nelson appeared in 11 episodes of “I Love Lucy”, including three as quiz master Freddy Fillmore, and two as Ralph Ramsey, plus appearance on “The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour” – making him the only actor to play two different recurring roles on “I Love Lucy.”
Nelson returned to the role of the frazzled Train Conductor for an episode of “The Lucy Show” in 1963. This marks his final appearance on a Lucille Ball sitcom.
Elvia Allman (Marge Van Tassel) was born on September 19, 1904 in Enochville, North Carolina. She started her performing career on radio in the 1920s, as both a storyteller and singer. This led to work voicing cartoon characters for Warner Brothers. Simultaneously, she was pursuing stage acting, appearing at the Pasadena Playhouse. Allman made her film debut as an actress in 1940’s The Road to Singapore as a homely woman who pursues Bob Hope. Allman played the strident forewoman of Kramer’s Kandy Kitchen in “Job Switching” (ILL S2;E1). She would return to the show as one of Minnie Finch’s neighbors in “Fan Magazine” (ILL S3;E17) and as reporter Nancy Graham in “The Homecoming” (ILL S5;E6). She made two appearances each on The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour“ and ”The Lucy Show.“
On “I Love Lucy,” Lucy Ricardo frequently was heard talking to a club woman named Marge on the telephone, but her last name was never mentioned. When we finally get to meet Marge she is played by Charlotte Lawrence.
Naomi Brubaker and other Women’s Club Members are played by uncredited performers.
EPISODE
The episode opens late evening at the Cooper’s where Liz is typing and George is reading a book. Liz complains about Mr. Woods’ kids ringing the doorbell – but it is just the bell on the typewriter. Liz is typing her acceptance speech for tomorrow’s women’s club election. She reads the speech aloud for George:
LIZ: “Ladies of the Sheridan Falls Women’s Club: First, I want to thank everyone who voted for me. You will not be disappointed. I’ll do my best to be a good _______ this year.”
On "I Love Lucy” the Sheridan Falls Women’s Club was known as The Wednesday Afternoon Fine Arts League.
Liz will fill in the blanks once she is elected. She is sure to be elected to some office, as everyone in the club is an officer – all 25! The only office Liz is not expected to be elected to is Treasurer, which always goes to Naomi Brubaker, whose husband is a CPA.
Next day at the Club meeting, Iris (as President) makes announcements and reads the election results. As Iris owns the clubhouse furniture, she is naturally re-elected President. Vice President goes to Phyllis Brown, though Liz assumes it will be her. Secretary goes to Marge Van Tassell (Elvia Allman), although Liz expects it to be her. Instead, Liz has been elected 25th Honorary Exalted Alternate. The bad news is that although Naomi is re-elected treasurer, she must resign as her husband the CPA has been transferred to California. Because Liz’s husband George is a banker, Liz’s nomination and election is rushed through, much to her dismay.
IRIS: “Liz, you’ve been elected! This is a democracy! It’s the will of the people!”
LIZ: “It is not! I’m a people and I didn’t even get a chance to peep!”
Liz’s rush to read her acceptance speech before her name is even announced is very similar to Lucy Ricardo’s rising to acknowledge her nomination before her name is read aloud in “The Club Election”. Liz and Lucy’s hopes are dashed each time Madam President announces a new result.
George is concerned about Liz’s election to treasurer because of her inability to do her household accounts. He lays down the law: if her household accounts don’t balance, then she must resign! Liz confides in Katie the Maid that the Club’s books are a real disaster.
On “I Love Lucy,” Lucy Ricardo’s household accounts became so messy that Ricky hired “The Business Manager” (ILL S4;E1) to try to make sense of them. Charles Lane played Mr. Hickox.
Liz asks neighbor Mr. Wood (Hans Conried) for help with the club’s books. She has plans to build a new clubhouse, but she doesn’t know the difference between income and expenses and can’t add 9 and 9. Mr. Wood says the club only has forty cents in their ledger!
LIZ: “What kind of a clubhouse can you buy for forty cents!?”
MR. WOOD: “Maybe you should settle on a club sandwich.”
After a commercial by announcer Bob LeMond for Jello Vanilla Tapioca Pudding, the story resumes. It is the first of the month and George wants to see Liz’s household books, but she is forty dollars short, so she tricks him into thinking he is late for work by setting the clocks forward. Liz gets an idea to transfer the money from the club to the household accounts and back again!
At the meeting, Liz reports a surplus of $100. Marge wants to contribute the money to the Sheridan Falls Boys Club. The donation is voted through although Liz knows this will spoil her scheme to juggle the books.
Back at home, she confesses to Katie that she didn’t give the Boy’s Club the full amount. To clear her guilty conscience she decides to give the rest of the money to the first needy charity she sees. She opens the front door and coincidentally a derelict (Frank Nelson) is passing by. She give him the forty dollars.
When George comes home to see her books, Liz faces the music, fearing the worst. Just then the doorbell rings. It is the Derelict who hands her $740. He took her $40 and bet it on a horse at Belmont who came in 16 to 1! Liz gladly returns to face George!
- At one time, early in her career, Lucille Ball went by the name Diane Belmont, naming herself after the New York Racetrack!
In a live Jello commercial, Lucy plays a tourist in sunny France and Bob LeMond a Frenchman flirting with her. He says he reminds her of Jello Tapioca Pudding!
LUCY: “Well, tap my ‘oka’ – these Frenchmen really know how to make love!”
Bob LeMond reads a pitch for men to join the military, highlighting educational opportunities. He reminds listeners that Lucille Ball can be seen in the film Miss Grant Takes Richmond. The film had premiered just ten days before this broadcast.
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