IS THERE ANOTHER WOMAN?

January 6, 1950

“Is There Another Woman” (aka “The Other Woman” aka “The Question of Another Woman”) is episode #70 of the radio series MY FAVORITE HUSBAND broadcast on January 6, 1950. 

Synopsis ~ Liz buys a book that lists the danger signs to look out for to tell if your husband is being unfaithful, and George has them all! 

Liz then she finds herself innocently coupled with her husband’s boss!

This was the 19th episode of the second season of MY FAVORITE HUSBAND, the first of the new year and of the new decade (1950). There were 43 new episodes, with the season ending on June 25, 1950.

“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 (Mrs. Finley, Bookstore Owner / 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.

For Mrs. Finley, Benadaret uses the same ‘elderly’ voice she adopted to play Miss Lewis on “I Love Lucy”.

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.

EPISODE

ANNOUNCER: “As we look in on the Coopers tonight, George is on his way to work and is about to drop Liz off at Finley’s bookstore, where she is going to practice that quaint American custom known as exchanging your Christmas presents.”

Liz didn’t like the book George gave her, but she read it anyway. When Liz asks for a kiss goodbye, George gets out of the car, which makes Liz think he is going to open her door for her, but his coat is just caught in the door. 

LIZ: “Well!  Thank you Sir Walter Raleigh!”

The story goes that Sir Walter Raleigh (1552-1618), a courtier to Queen Elizabeth I, laid his cape down over a puddle in the street so that Her Majesty would not get her feet wet. Although it is a good story, historians believe it really never happened. The Queen sentenced Raleigh to death, despite his gallantry. 

Inside the bookshop, Liz is greeted by Mrs. Finley (Bea Benadaret), the proprietor. Mrs. Finley tries to tempt Liz with a spicy historical novel but when Liz isn’t interested pitches her “The Second Ten Years Are The Hardest” by Thomas J. Krandelston. Mrs. Finley reads out some of the danger signs to determine if a husband is losing interest:

MRS. FINLEY: “Does your husband read the newspaper at the breakfast table?”

Not only is this a continuing comedy trope on “My Favorite Husband,” it was also a habit of Ricky Ricardo’s that frustrated Lucy in numerous episodes of “I Love Lucy.” 

MRS. FINLEY: “Number two: Does your husband remember to kiss you goodbye?”

At this point someone in the studio audience can be heard to say “Yes”!  In fact, George just did! 

MRS. FINLEY: “Does your husband open the car door for you?”
LIZ: “Wrap that book up, Mrs. Finley. That man knows what he’s talking about!”  

“The Second Ten Years Are The Hardest” by Thomas J. Krandelston starts to sound like the inspiration for “How to Keep the Honeymoon From Ending” by Dr. Humphries read by Lucy Ricardo in “Be A Pal” (ILL S1;E2). 

At home, Katie the Maid (Ruth Perrott) wonders why Liz is so engrossed in the book. The book gives several tests. The first one is for indifference: 

1. He doesn’t stand up when you enter the room.
2. He doesn’t remember your anniversary.
3. He has stopped doing nice little things for you, such as picking up a handkerchief or other items you may drop. 

Liz resolves that she will test George after dinner, pretending that he has forgotten their anniversary. 

• At dinner, Liz enters the dining room. George fails to stand up. 
• Liz drops her handkerchief. George doesn’t pick it up. 

When Liz asks George what day it is, he gives her a box of candy from the desk drawer. Liz has discovered his ‘emergency present’ – stowed away for three years just in case he should forget a special occasion. 

This same gag was later used in “Ethel’s Birthday” (ILL S4;E9) in which Ricky misinterprets hints about Ethel’s birthday and immediately produces an emergency box of chocolates for Lucy, with cards for every ‘missed’ occasion!

Liz runs off crying!

Next day at the Bank, Mr. Atterbury (Gale Gordon) calls George into the office to ask why he has been looking so troubled – the bank auditors are coming. George tells his boss that Liz has been acting very strange.

MR. ATTERBURY: “Strange for Liz or strange for a normal person?”

This very funny line was recycled in “Lucy Thinks Ricky Is Trying To Murder Her” (ILL S1;E4), the very first episode of “I Love Lucy” filmed. 

Ricky: “Lucy’s acting crazy!”
Fred: “Crazy for Lucy or crazy for ordinary people?”

It was rewritten yet again for “Drafted” (ILL S1;E11):

Ricky: “Lucy’s been acting strange lately.”
Fred: “Strange? How can you tell?”

Mr. Atterbury says that his wife Iris went through the same phase. He tells George to make Liz feel special by taking her home some flowers, and then taking her out for dinner and dancing. 

At home, Liz is still reading the book. She tells Katie what it says about husbands who seems disinterested:

1. He feels inferior to you because you have a greater mentality. 
2. Perhaps there’s another woman. 

This last item that makes Liz think. She reads out the sure signs of unfaithfulness:

1. If for no reason at all he brings home a gift like a bouquet of flowers.
2. If your husband suddenly starts romancing you and suggests dinner and dancing. 

When George comes home with compliments, flowers, and an invitation to dinner and dancing, Liz dissolves into tears. 

End of Part One

Bob LeMond does a live Jell-O commercial. 

ANNOUNCER: “Well, it’s the next morning and Liz Cooper is feeling pretty blue because of ‘quote’ another woman ‘unquote’ in George’s life.  Katie the Maid is commiserating with her. 

When George comes down for breakfast, Liz gives him the cold shoulder.  Katie does too!  George goes into the other room to make a phone call to Mr. Atterbury, but Iris (Bea Benadaret) picks up. While George is talking to her, he asks if she knows why Liz is acting strangely toward him. He proposes they meet for lunch to talk about it. 

In the kitchen, Liz fears he is calling ‘her’ and cracks open the door enough to hear the end of his conversation, saying goodbye to Iris. Liz is shocked and angry that she’s been betrayed by her best friend, so she marches down to the bank to confront Mr. Atterbury. 

At the Bank, Liz is in tears, she can hardly tell him that George is having an affair, let alone that it is with Iris. When he finally gets it out of her, an angry Mr. Atterbury decides to fire George for poor judgment. 

MR. ATTERBURY: “You know what that young upstart needs?”
LIZ: “Glasses?” 

 Iris and George are having lunch when George says that he thinks Liz is having an affair – with Thomas J. Krandelston!  Mr. Atterbury and Liz enter the restaurant, only to be be angrily confronted by Iris and George.

IRIS: “Well!  If it isn’t Rudolph the red-nosed philanderer!” 

In the live Jell-O commercial, Lucy and Bob LeMond are Napoleon and Josephine.

BOB / NAPOLEON: “Hi Josephine!”
LUCY / JOSEPHINE: “Hi Nap!  Let’s cut a rug!”
BOB / NAPOLEON: “Why?”
LUCY / JOSEPHINE: “I’ve always wanted to cut a rug with a short nap!”

BOB / NAPOLEON: “The heck with Waterloo, I – Napoleon – will stay her and have Jell-O with you!”
LUCY / JOSEPHINE: “Goodnight, Nappy!”