April 1, 1949
“April Fool’s Day” is episode #37 of the radio series MY FAVORITE HUSBAND broadcast on April 1, 1949 on the CBS radio network.
Synopsis ~
As an April Fool’s joke, Liz plans to plant a lipstick-smeared handkerchief in George’s coat pocket.
“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, George’s Boss) 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 does not appear in this episode.
Ruth Perrott (Katie, the Maid) was also later seen on “I Love Lucy.” She first played Mrs. Pomerantz (above right), 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
Gerald Mohr (Joe Ridgely) played psychiatrist Henry Molin, who masquerades as Ricky’s old friend Chuck Stewart in “The Inferiority Complex” (ILL S2;E18 ~ February 2, 1953), his only appearance on “I Love Lucy”. In return, Lucy and Desi appeared on his show “Sunday Showcase” that same year. He also made an appearance on “The Lucy Show” in “Lucy and Phil Harris” (TLS S6;E20 ~ February 5, 1968).
Jerry Hausner (Charley, a friend of George’s) was best known as Ricky Ricardo’s agent in “I Love Lucy” and as the voice of Waldo in “Mr. Magoo” and several characters such as Hemlock Holmes, The Mole, Broodles and Itchy in “The Dick Tracy Show.” On Broadway, Hausner had the role of Sammy Schmaltz in Queer People (1934). On radio, he was a regular on such shows as “Blondie”, “The Jim Backus Show”, “The Judy Canova Show”, “Too Many Cooks”, and “Young Love”. Hausner died of heart failure on April 1, 1993. He was 83 years old.
Jack Edwards (Felix, the Druggist) was a prolific radio actor and writer, making his only appearance on “My Favorite Husband”.
EPISODE
ANNOUNCER: “As we look in on the Coopers tonight, George hasn’t returned from work and Liz is in the kitchen, talking to Katie the Maid.”
Liz reminds Katie that since it is April Fool’s Day, she intends to plant a lipstick stained handkerchief in his over coat pocket. She recruits Katie to help.
George has stopped off at the drugstore to buy a prank to play on Liz: itching powder, a dribble glass, or candy with soap in it. They don’t stock pranks, but Felix the druggist suggests he play the joke he played on his girlfriend Imogene, pretend he has lost his job.
George comes home and Liz immediately senses something is wrong. He finally admits that he has lost his job. George says he was fired.
GEORGE: “They ‘re already scraping my name off the door. When I left I was down it was already down to George Coop.”
George can’t carry on the charade any longer and shouts,
Liz tries to get George to keep his coat on long enough for Katie to slip the lipstick soiled hanky into his coat pocket. She kisses George and asks for a handkerchief to wipe the lipstick from his face. When Liz sees the lipstick, George starts to make up a story to cover himself, but Liz suddenly shouts,
Katie calls Liz into the kitchen where she admits that she was unable to plant the handkerchief in George’s coat. Liz angrily confronts George, who insists he’s been framed. He has no idea where the lipstick came from.
In the middle of the night, Liz wakes George to ask who the woman might be:
LIZ: “Who was she? Was it the blonde cashier at the bank? Anita Aarons? Dora Allburg? The A-1 Cleaning Company?”
Liz is going through the phone book. She gives George the third degree, shining a flashlight in his face.
At work the next day, Joe Ridgely, George’s co-worker, wakes up George at his desk. When George explains why he got no sleep, Joe agrees to call Liz and tell her that he planted the handkerchief on George as an April Fools joke.
Mr. Atterbury calls George into his office. He has learned of George’s troubles at home. He admits that it was him who planted the handkerchief on George, and shouts,
George storms out. Mr. Atterbury feels bad about his prank, and feels he should do something to help him out.
At home, Liz gets a call from Joe to confess he planted the handkerchief. Liz feels terrible that she was jealous. The phone rings. It is Mr. Atterbury, who admits that he slipped the handkerchief into George’s pocket. Liz accuses the men of colluding to cover up for George. Liz is angry again.
LIZ: “Which friend do you want me to believe? Which friend has the phony?”
Liz is punning on the popular ad campaign of Toni Home Permanents: “Which Twin has the Toni?” The campaign was so overwhelmingly successful, that the phrase could often be found in pop culture, like “My Favorite Husband!”
George spanks Liz for her jealous behavior, which only makes Liz angrier! She threatens to leave him. He doesn’t try to stop her.
At the drugstore, Liz drowns her sorrows with three lemon cokes. She confesses to Felix that she has left George. George bursts in, but Liz insists he’s not speaking to him. They communicate through Felix. Charley, a friend of George’s (Jerry Hausner), comes in to the store and tells him that he accidentally took George’s overcoat at lunch the other day. He brags that he had a heavy date the night before and warns them not to look in the pocket! Liz apologizes for being suspicious of George. They leave together. Once the are gone, Charley and Felix talk about how wonderful the Coopers are.
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