TV GUIDE: TOTEM POLE

April 17, 1953

On April 17, 1953, just two weeks after the first edition of TV Guide featuring Lucy and Desi Jr. on the cover was published, Lucy and Little Ricky were on the cover of TV Guide in a drawing by Jack Weaver. Lucy is depicted as the top of a TV totem pole featuring Cid Caesar, Imogene Coca, Milton Berle, and Arthur Godfrey – all TV pioneers. Lucy is holding a pack of Philip Morris cigarettes and Little Ricky’s rattle has a TV antenna on it! The artwork is by Jack Weaver. 

“Fun Factory” Television comics Labor Where Movie Stars Reigned

Photographs include Gale Gordon on the set of “Our Miss Brooks,” Ann Sothern on the set of “Private Secretary”… 

…and Desi Arnaz setting a camera distance (with a tape measure) for “I Love Lucy”.  

All photos were taken at busy General Service Studios, where “Lucy” was filmed during its initial few seasons. 

Everyone is reading TV Guide!  The issue they have in their hands is the very first one featuring Desi Jr. and Lucille Ball! 

The back cover of the April 17, 1953 edition featured the premiere issue with Lucy and Little Desi, on top of a television set.  

The week this issue hit the newsstands, America saw the premiere of “No Children Allowed” (ILL S2;E22) on April 20, 1953.

Meanwhile, the cast and crew had just wrapped “The Ricardos Change Apartments” filmed on filmed April 16, 1953.

This is not the last time Lucy would be at the top of a totem pole. In “Lucy, the Rain Goddess” (TLS S4;E15) aired on  January 3, 1966, Lucy Carmichael is the spitting image of a native American rain goddess on the outskirts of a dude ranch.