BABY SITTING

November 11, 1949

“Baby Sitting” (aka “Liz Takes Up Baby Sitting”) is episode #62 of the radio series MY FAVORITE HUSBAND broadcast on November 11, 1949, sponsored by Jell-O.

This was the tenth episode of the second season of MY FAVORITE HUSBAND. There were 43 new episodes, with the season ending on June 25, 1950.

Synopsis ~ Liz takes up baby sitting to balance her financial books and earn money for George’s Christmas present.

This episode shares plot elements with the “I Love Lucy” episode “The Amateur Hour” (ILL S1;E14) in 1952. Like Liz Cooper, Lucy Ricardo makes extra money by baby sitting.

“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 Cooper. 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.

Gale Gordon (Rudolph Atterbury) had worked with Lucille Ball on “The Wonder Show” on radio in 1938. One of the front-runners to play Fred Mertz on “I Love Lucy,” he eventually played Alvin Littlefield, owner of the Tropicana, during two episodes in 1952. After playing a Judge in an episode of “The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour” in 1958, he would re-team with Lucy for all of her subsequent series’: as Theodore J. Mooney in ”The Lucy Show”; as Harrison Otis Carter in “Here’s Lucy”; and as Curtis McGibbon on "Life with Lucy.” Gordon died in 1995 at the age of 89.

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 Ricardo’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.

GUEST CAST

Hans Conried (Mr. 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.  

Mr. Wood has eleven children: Bob, Madelyn, Adele, Lucille, Ruth, Lucius, Jessie, Walter, Jess, Joanne, and Hugo.  

Jacob "Jack” Kruschen (Mr. Pearson) was a Canadian character actor who worked in film, television and radio. During the 1940s, he became a staple of West Coast radio drama. He had several roles in programs made especially for the Armed Forces Radio Service (AFRS) broadcast for the benefit of members on active duty in the military in the 1940s and 1950s.

He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Dr. Dreyfuss in the 1960 comedy-drama The Apartment. He played a mechanic in The Long, Long Trailer (1954). 

Mr. Pearson is the father of Tommy, the child Liz is baby sitting.

EPISODE

ANNOUNCER: “As we look in on the Coopers it’s morning. George Cooper is in the dining room eating breakfast, and Liz is hiding in the kitchen with Katie the maid.” 

Liz is avoiding seeing George because it is the day he wants to go over their  Christmas list and Liz has not put a penny in the Christmas Club account all year long!  She reluctantly goes into the dining room to try the ‘smooch’ treatment on him. George wants to take half the money in the account and pay bills. Liz tries to ‘Christmas’ him out of the plan, calling him a Scrooge. He relents but that still leaves Liz with an empty Christmas Club account and a full list. 

Atomic Beanies were previously known as propeller hats. In the 1940s they became a big hit with kids and were widely sold. The word atomic was adopted just a few years after the detonation of the first atomic bomb.  

Lucy Ricardo wore one in “Don Juan is Shelved” (ILL S4;E22) in 1955. 

Mr. Wood suggests she try to take his daughter Adele’s old job – baby sitting!  

Liz dresses up to go on her first baby sitting assignment to take care of Tommy Pearson, who is a sure shot with a pea shooter!  She tells George she is going to a lecture with Iris Atterbury.  

Twenty minutes later, George is pacing the living room without Liz. He figures if Liz is with Iris, Rudolph is available to go to a movie. Iris picks up the phone and knows nothing about the lecture – until she suddenly realizes Liz has lied to George and covers her tracks. But too late!  The cat is out of the bag and both wonder where Liz can be! 

After a commercial for Jell-O, the story resumes with Liz arriving home from babysitting, driven by Mr. Pearson, Tommy’s father (Jack Kruschen). George is waiting up for her to ask her about the lecture. Liz lies and says the lecture was about financial matters.

LIZ: “He said not to put your money in fiscals this year. The frost ruined them all.”

About the British pound:

LIZ: “It’s being invalidated. It won’t be long before the pound only weighs eight ounces. It makes easier to carry their money around.”

George finally confronts her that he knows there was no lecture. Liz can’t tell him where she really was, so George assumes that he has a rival. Liz, having no other choice, plays along.

LIZ: “You just punched yourself out of a Christmas present!”

In the live Jell-O commercial Lucy and Bob LeMond adopt a western theme. Hopalong Lucidy is tracking down the notorious Jell-O family.

LUCIDY: “Yippe-yi-o-ky-ah!”

Coincidentally, when Lucy Ricardo babysits in “The Amateur Hour” (ILL S1;E14) the song she performs with the Hudson Twins is also a western. 

After the commercial Bob LeMond does a PSA for CARE, who are sending food packages to impoverished people overseas. There is also a commercial for Log Cabin Syrup, another General Foods product.