TIME BUDGETING

April 22, 1949

“Time Budgeting” (aka “George and His Trained Seals”) is episode #40 of the radio series MY FAVORITE HUSBAND broadcast on April 22, 1949 on the CBS radio network.

Synopsis ~ George is so fed up with Liz’s being late for everything that he puts her on a strict schedule.

Note ~ This script was the basis for “Lucy’s Schedule” (ILL S1;E33) filmed on April 18, 1952, and first aired on May 26, 1952.  Directed by Marc Daniels. Written by Jess Oppenheimer, Madelyn Pugh, and Bob Carroll, Jr. 

“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.

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.

Benadaret had not yet become a series regular, but plays the role she would assume as Iris Atterbury. 

Gale Gordon does not appear in this episode. He had not yet been signed as a regular cast member in the role of Rudolph Atterbury, which is here played by Hans Conried. Coincidentally, however, he is the actor who will play Ricky’s boss, Alvin Littlefield, in “Lucy’s Schedule”

on “I Love Lucy” and would eventually speak most of the dialogue here taken by Hans Conried as Mr. Atterbury. 

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

Hans Conried (Rudolph Atterbury, George’s Boss) 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.

At this point in the series, the role of Rudolph Atterbury had not yet been assumed by Gale Gordon.

EPISODE

Announcer: “As we look in on the Coopers tonight, we find a familiar domestic drama taking place. They’re invited to the Atterbury’s for dinner. George is standing in the downstairs hall, fully dressed, with his top coat on. Liz is upstairs going through an ancient ritual known to wives as getting ready to go out, and known to husbands as ‘what do they do up there that takes so long?’. Right now George is looking at his watch for the eleventh time.” 

George gets tired of waiting and goes upstairs to discover that she’s still in her slip. He reminds her that the Atterburys like them to be on time.  Liz still hasn’t even chosen an outfit. George gets frustrated waiting for Liz. Just as she’s getting close to ready, she smears her nail polish and has to start all over again. 

LIZ: “I’ll be ready in a minute, dear!”

When she finally gets ready, she discovers him sitting on the bed in his shorts. He has turned the tables on Liz.  

GEORGE: “I’ll be ready in a minute, dear!”

Liz and George pull up to the Atterbury home. They are starving, but luckily George sees them in the living room and thinks they haven’t eaten yet.  George and Liz makes apologies for their lateness. 

They discover that the Atterburys’ have already eaten. Iris (Bea Benadaret) says they prepared pork chops knowing it was Liz’s favorite. Rudolph describes the meal in mouth-watering detail. While Liz would love their maid to prepare her a plate, George insists they have already eaten while waiting for the car to be fixed. 

While Liz and George try to make casual conversation, Liz wolfs down all their after-dinner mints and starts on their fruit bowl.  They foursome decide to go to the movies. Liz isn’t particular about which picture, as long as they sell popcorn. Mr. Atterbury suggests a film at the Strand: Chicken Every Sunday!

LIZ: “Oh, noooo!” 

Chicken Every Sunday premiered on January 18, 1949. It starred Dan Dailey and Celeste Holm, and featured Roy Roberts (Mr. Cheever) and in an uncredited role, Frank J. Scannell (Buffo the Clown). 

When they get home, George and Liz clean out the ice box, waking up Katie the Maid by their feasting. Katie has put a bowl of her hair wave treatment in the fridge, but Liz has devoured it thinking it was custard. 

LIZ: “Look at us, Katie.  Which stomach has the Toni?” 

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!”  Liz also joked about the slogan three episodes earlier in “April Fools Day” (episode #37) as well as in “Young Matrons League Tryouts” (episode #11). 

George is still mad at Liz for making them late and embarrassing him about dinner. He insists that she start budgeting her time, just like she budgets her money.  Well, like normal people budget money.

GEORGE: “I’ll make up a  chart for you. Fifteen minutes for this, half an hour for that, ten minutes for something else.”
LIZ: “I’ll need more than ten minutes for something else.” 

The next day, the schedule is posted on the kitchen door, but Katie is not eager to be told when to do what. That night, dinner is on the table promptly at six o’clock. She serves George dinner and  breakfast simultaneously to save time the next morning. 

A week later, Liz is thrilled that the time schedule has worked. Liz wants to spend all the free time she has saved smooching with her favorite husband. 

Next day, Mr. Atterbury tells George that the fourth Vice President of the bank is leaving to become a school teacher. He has George in mind for the open position, but is reluctant considering is tardiness at dinner. George says he’s fixed the problem, and has Liz and Katie hopping around like trained seals. He invites Mr. Atterbury over for dinner to prove it.  Mr. Atterbury is eager to show his wife that a home can be run on a schedule, so he accepts. 

Meanwhile, at the Cooper home, Liz gets a visit from Iris, who is appalled to discover that Liz is indeed using a schedule.  Iris calls Liz a ‘Benedict Arnold’ for being a traitor to women everywhere. 

Benedict Arnold (1741-1801) was a general during the American Revolutionary War, who fought for the American Continental Army, and later famously defected to the British Army. The name Benedict Arnold quickly became a byword for treason or betrayal. This comparison is also included in the television version of the script, but spoken by Mrs. Littlefield.  In 1965′s “Lucy the Disc Jockey” (TLS S3;E26), Lucy is angry that Mr. Mooney has also entered (and won) a radio contest after he said it was silly.  She calls him a “banking Benedict Arnold.”

Iris says that George is going around the bank saying he has her running around like a trained seals. This doesn’t sit well with Liz, who tears up the time charts and tells Iris that she is going to make it a dinner to remember.

LIZ: “Trained seals of the world unite.”

At dinner that evening, Liz rushes Mr. Atterbury through small talk, and right to the dinner table, claiming she must keep to schedule. Soup is served, and quickly un-served as Katie clears the plates before anyone can get a spoonful in their mouths. 

Mr. Atterbury finds a shirt button in his water glass. Liz explains that she’s washing the dishes and clothes together.  Katie serves a frozen roast and George finally has had enough.  Mr. Atterbury says that George has the new job. George admits he’s been to strict, and Liz is glad to be a trained seal married to a fourth Vice President!