THE SURPRISE PARTY

March 10, 1951

“The Surprise Party” is episode #122 of the radio series MY FAVORITE HUSBAND broadcast on March 10, 1951.

Synopsis ~ Iris lets slip that one of Liz’s friends is throwing a party Saturday night, and Liz and George aren’t invited. But which friend is it?

“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) is not heard in this episode. 

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

Elvia Allman (Sally Roman) 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. Allman’s first episode of “I Love Lucy” is also one of the most memorable in TV history: “Job Switching” (ILL S2;E1) in September 1952.  She played the strident foreman of Kramer’s Candy Kitchen. Allman returned to the show as one of Minnie Finch’s neighbors in “Fan Magazine Interview” (ILL S3;E17) in 1954. Changing gears once again she played prim magazine reporter Nancy Graham in “The Homecoming” (ILL S5;E6) in 1955. She made two appearances on “The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour“ – first as Ida Thompson, Westfield’s PTA director in “The Celebrity Next Door” (LDCH S1;E2) and as Milton Berle’s secretary when “Milton Berle Hides Out at the Ricardos” (LDCH S3;E1) in 1959. On “The Lucy Show” she was seen in “Lucy Bags a Bargain” (TLS S4;E17) and in “Lucy The Babysitter” (TLS S5;E16).  Allman died on March 6, 1992, aged 87.

Shirley Mitchell (Fran Lewis) was born in Toledo, Ohio, on November 4, 1919. She started her acting career on radio in Chicago but soon moved to Los Angeles. Mitchell was a regular on radio in series such as “Fibber McGee and Molly” and “The Great Gildersleeve”. She became friends with Lucille Ball in the late 1940s when she was featured in four episodes of “My Favorite Husband.” Mitchell reunited with Lucille Ball on “I Love Lucy” playing Marion Strong, a member of the Wednesday Afternoon Fine Arts League in “Lucy and Ethel Buy the Same Dress” (ILL S3;E3), “Lucy Tells the Truth” (ILL S3;E6) and “Lucy’s Club Dance” (ILL S3;E25).  Shirley Mitchell died of heart failure on November 11, 2013, seven days after her 94th birthday.

Fran’s husband is named Tom, although we do not meet him. 

EPISODE

ANNOUNCER: “As we look in on the Coopers  tonight, George and Liz have just finished dinner.”

LIZ: “The way we’ve been going you’d think the government was going to ration fun.”  

Rationing in the US was introduced in stages during World War II.

The Office of Price Administration (OPA) warned Americans of potential gasoline, steel, aluminum, and electricity shortages. Most rationing restrictions ended in August 1945 except for sugar rationing, which lasted until 1947 in some parts of the country.

The telephone rings and George tells Liz they should just let it ring, lest someone tempt them out of their homes. 

LIZ: “Maybe it’s ‘Sing It Again’ and we’re losing a jackpot.” 

“Sing It Again” first aired on CBS radio in September 1948. In several markets it was aired right after “My Favorite Husband,” which was true of this particular date (March 10, 1951). It worked like this: a song would be performed, then sung again (hence the show’s title) with new lyrics, describing a famous celebrity. If the contestant (or a listener, phoned at random) solved the puzzle, they would have the opportunity to try to identify the ‘Phantom Voice’ from clues from the preceding weeks. The jackpot was huge for its time: $25,000 in cash and prizes. In 1950, it became one of the few programs ever to be simulcast on both radio and television.

George tells her to grit her teeth, but Liz can’t bear it and picks up the phone. It is only Iris. She is calling to ask Liz what she will wear to the party on Saturday night. Before Liz can ask “what party” Iris realizes Liz may not have been invited. Iris quickly hangs up before explaining.  

Liz wonders who it is giving the party and why they weren’t invited. She doesn’t want to go, but wants to know who doesn’t like them enough not to invite them to a party. She dissolves into tears. George doesn’t care, but Liz can’t sleep until she knows who it is.  

Liz calls Sally Roman (Elvia Allman), who, Liz says, is invited everywhere. She will undoubtedly spill the beans. Sally says she is going to the party on Saturday night, but doesn’t say where or who is throwing it. 

SALLY: “Well, she’s your best friend!” 

After 17 phone calls, Liz still hasn’t found out who is throwing the party. She tells George to put on his coat; they are going to confront Iris – despite it being ten o’clock at night! Liz says she can’t sleep until she finds out where it is they’re not going. 

End of Part One

A public service announcement talks about community spirit in Western Germany, where US GIs built a playground for a children’s home in a town heavily bombed during the war. “We are Americans. As we go, so goes America.” 

Part Two

ANNOUNCER: “As we look in on the Coopers once again, we find them on their way over to the Atterburys. The Atterburys, not knowing that they are going to have the pleasure of late evening visitors, have already gone to bed.”

Rudolph and Iris are snoring loudly in bed when the phone rings. Rudolph picks it up but no one is there. He realizes it is the front doorbell.  Rudolph reluctantly goes to answer the door – without his bedroom slippers – stubbing his toe.  

Liz and George are at the door. Liz wants to ask Iris something, so Rudolph begrudgingly invites them in. Iris comes down to see who it is. Liz bluntly asks her who is having the party on Saturday night. Iris says she can’t tell her.  

LIZ: “Who? Who? Who?”
RUDOLPH: “George, will you take your owl and go home?”

A variation on this owl joke was used on the very first episode of “I Love Lucy,” “The Girls Want To Go To a Nightclub” (ILL S1;E1):

ETHEL MERTZ (to Lucy, who is dialing the phone): “Who are you calling? Who, who, who?”
LUCY RICARDO: “Quiet, you sound like an owl.”

And repeated in a new context on season one of “The Lucy Show,” “Lucy Buys a Sheep” (TLS S1;E5):

VIV BAGLEY: “Who got dinner last night? Who did the laundry last week? Who did the marketing yesterday? Who? Who?”
LUCY CARMICHAEL: “Apparently some crabby blonde owl.”  

Liz gets Iris to tell her that the ‘friend’ lives three blocks away from the Coopers. Liz is satisfied that she can figure it out from that clue. Rudolph falls asleep immediately – standing up!

Next morning, Liz’s breakfast is getting cold. She can’t stop thinking about the mystery party-thrower. She has come to the conclusion that it must be Fran Lewis. Now she has to call Fran and wangle an invitation. She doesn’t want to go – just to get invited – so she can decline! 

On the telephone, Fran (Shirley Mitchell) says she was just about to call Liz – about her missing cat. Liz invites her over to her house on Saturday night, knowing she’d have no choice but to invite her to the party Liz thinks she’s giving. But no – Fran accept her invitation. Liz hangs up. 

GEORGE: “Well? Did you find out who is giving the party?”
LIZ: “Yes. We are! My little plan backfired!” 

At the bank, Mr. Atterbury tells George that he only got three hours sleep last night due to heart-burn, which she attributes to Liz. Rudolph confides in George that the girls in the club are giving the party on Saturday night – in Liz’s honor. The party is being given at Marge Van Tassel’s on Saturday night. George calls Liz and tells her the truth about the party and that it is in her honor. 

Later, Liz is talking to Fran on the phone. She tells Fran that her mother fell down and broke her leg so they have to break their plans for Saturday night.  That takes care of that! Now all she has to do is wait for Marge’s invitation! 

GEORGE: “Sometimes you amaze me.”
LIZ: “Sometimes I amaze myself!” 

End of Episode