May 28, 1950
“Liz Sells Dresses” (aka “Selling Dresses”) is episode #90 of the radio series MY FAVORITE HUSBAND broadcast on May 28, 1950.
Synopsis ~ Liz accidentally returns a dress to a more expensive store than where she bought it, and makes money on the deal. She then decides to go into business buying dresses at one store and returning them at another.
Note: This was a re-write of episode #14 aired on October 16, 1948. At the time, the characters were known as Liz and George Cugat. Jell-O had not yet come aboard as a sponsor.
“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 Benadaret 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) is not heard in this episode.
Bea Benadaret (Iris Atterbury / Little Old Lady Shopper) 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.
In the 1948 version of the script, Benadaret played a Dress Store Clerk. The character of Iris Atterbury had not yet been introduced. She does, however, once again play the role of the old lady shopper. Virtually all little old ladies on the series were voiced by Benadaret.
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
Hans Conried (Mr. Quigley, Returns Clerk at Gordons) 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.
Conried played the same role in the 1948 version of “Liz Sells Dresses”.
Florence Halop (Kramer’s Sales Clerk) was cast to replace Bea Benadaret in a radio show moving to CBS TV called “Meet Millie” when she was hired to play on of the two women on Lucy Ricardo’s party line in “Redecorating” (ILL S2;E8) also featuring Hans Conried. She wouldn’t work for Lucy again until 1974, when she played a Little Old Lady on a Western-themed episode of “Here’s Lucy.” In 1985, she replaced Selma Diamond (who had died of lung cancer) as the bailiff on “Night Court.” Coincidentally, Halop, also a heavy smoker, died less than a year later of the same disease.
In the 1948 version of the script, the role was played by Sandra Gould.
THE EPISODE
ANNOUNCER: “And now lets look in on the Coopers. It’s evening and George is reading the newspaper and Liz has just sat down on the arm of his chair with something obviously on her mind.”
Liz adopts a kittenish mood, kissing and cooing at George. Liz says she was a Kramer’s Department Store and saw the perfect spring dress to add to her wardrobe. Liz says it was only $39.50. George is aghast at the price. Liz explains that she actually made $20 on the dress by buying it at Kramer’s because the same dress was selling at Gordon’s for $59.50.
GEORGE: “Yes, but you don’t actually have the twenty dollars.”
LIZ: “I know I don’t. I spent it on a hat to go with the dress!”
On “I Love Lucy” Kramer’s was the name of the Candy Kitchen where Lucy and Ethel cause havoc in “Job Switching” (ILL S2;E1). Gordon’s may be a nod to Gale Gordon, who plays Mr. Atterbury on “My Favorite Husband.” Previously, the Sheridan Falls Department Store most often mentioned was Miller’s, but Kramer’s and Gordon’s were the names used in the 1948 version of the script, so they are used again here.
George insists Liz take the dress back and get a refund! Liz protests – she adores the dress. She describes it as “navy blue with white polka dots, and a little white collar with a sash in the back.”
Eerily, Liz is pretty accurately describing the look that would be most associated with Lucy Ricardo on “I Love Lucy”! It was designed by Elois Jenssen in 1953 and was worn in more than 25 episodes.
After pleading and crying, Liz gives in and agrees to take back the dress.
Next day at the store, Liz reports to the refund department. The weepy clerk (Hans Conried) says that money is cheerfully refunded if unsatisfied. He asks Liz why she is returning it. She is perfectly happy with it. He finally says he can’t refund her money because she IS satisfied. The fact that her husband won’t let her keep it is not good enough.
REFUND CLERK: “This fourteen story mass of steel and concrete was built on money that husbands can’t afford to spend!”
Liz insists and he finally gives in giving her her money back – with a laugh and a whimper. Before she leaves the store, she runs into Iris. Liz explains that she had to take her dress back. Liz counts out the money she got back and finds it is $59.50, not $39.50. Liz realizes that she is in Gordon’s, not Kramer’s where she originally bought the dress! Iris says she should spend it quick. Liz realizes that if she could make twenty dollars on one dress – she could do it with more than one! She heads off to Kramer’s!
This is similar to the plot of “The Business Manager” (ILLS4;E1), in which Lucy Ricardo realizes that she can balance her books by buying and selling groceries on credit for the entire building.
End of Part One
Bob LeMond does a commercial for Jell-O puddings.
ANNOUNCER: “As we return to the Coopers, we find Liz at a little gold mine called Kramer’s Department Store, in the hope that she can dig up a few more polka-dot dresses for $39.50 and return them to Gordon’s for $59.50.”
Liz approaches the salesgirl (Florence Halop), who is confused when Liz isn’t particular about the size. She recognizes Liz from yesterday and wants to know why she wants two more dresses in the same style. Liz facetiously says she’s one of the Andrews Sisters.
CLERK: “Which one are you? Patty, Maxine, or LaVerne?”
LIZ: “Neither. I’m their brother Dana.”
The Andrews Sisters were a very successful trio of singing sisters during World War II with 19 gold records and sales of nearly 100 million copies. The sisters began performing in the early 1930s when the Depression wiped out their father’s business. In 1937, the sisters scored their first big hit with “Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen.” In addition to “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy,” their best-known songs included “Don’t Sit Under the Apple Tree” and “Rum and Coca Cola.” The trio officially broke up after the death of LaVerne in 1967, when a suitable replacement could not be found. Patty Andrews guest starred on “Here’s Lucy” as herself in 1969. The plot had Lucy Carter and her daughter Kim (Lucie Arnaz) stepping in for the other two singers for a charity show. During a poker game in “Be a Pal” (ILL S1;E2), Lucy calls her two queens ‘sisters.’ When Fred looks at his newly-dealt hand he quips “You can tell your two Andrews Sisters not to wait up for LaVerne.”
Dana Andrews (1909-92) was not related to the Andrews Sisters, but was a successful actor. He had been in the Oscar-winning film The Best Years of Our Lives in 1946, and had three films released in 1948 alone. In 1961, Dana Andrews and Lucille Ball both presented awards on the “Bob Hope Sports Show.”
At Gordon’s, Iris sees George, who is there to buy Liz a surprise gift: the dress he made her return.
Meanwhile, at Kramer’s, Liz has brought her newly-purchased dresses to get her refund. Mr. Quigley shrieks at Liz’s request – two more identical dresses. He has a breakdown.
MR. QUIGLEY: “I should have never taken this job. I was so happy in ladies lingerie.”
He notices that they ordered 35 of the blue polka dot dresses and now they have 36. The jig is up! Mr. Quigley demands that Liz give him the money he refunded her earlier! He even gives her back the dress she returned earlier and sends her away.
OLD LADY: “We all went to Arthur Murray’s and learned the Lindy Crawl.”
LIZ: “You mean the Lindy Hop.”
OLD LADY: “Not the way we do it!”
Arthur Murray (1895-1991) was a ballroom dancer and businessman, whose name is most often associated with the chain of dance studios that bear his name. He was mentioned in Desi Arnaz’s song “Cuban Pete” and in “The Young Fans” (ILL S1;E20). One of the dances taught there was The Lindy Hop, a very popular during the swing era of the 1930s and ‘40s. Lindy was described as a jazz dance and is a member of the swing dance family.
Liz sells the dress to the little old lady for $59.50, making a profit of $20! She decides if she sold one, she can sell another, and develops a slick line of sales talk in order to sell the other dresses to customers in the store already!
LIZ: (to Customer) “Hey lady, step in a little closer. You’re blocking traffic.”
SALES CLERK: “Hey! This is my customer.”
LIZ (fast talking): “Get away kid, ya bother me. (To Customer) Honest Liz Cooper, the biggest used dress dealer in town. Gimme $39.50 and I’m losing money on the deal. Come back tomorrow and I’ll give myself a hot foot and have a fire sale!”
Liz is approached by the indignant Floor Walker who believes her to be a sales girl poaching customers from her co-workers. He directs her to go sell something to a gentlemen who just happens to be her husband George. So she won’t be recognized, Liz grabs a black hat with a veil. She adopts a Brooklyn accent that matches the salesgirl’s.
George pretends not to recognize Liz and tells her his wife is dumpy – nothing like her figure, but he’ll buy the dress anyway. George flirts with Liz! Insulted, Liz slaps him across the face!
Ricky Ricardo did the same thing when Lucy went ‘undercover’ wearing “The Black Wig” (ILL S3;E26).
Later, at home, George presents Liz with the dress, continuing his charade.
GEORGE: “You should have seen the sales girl who waited on me! She was a real creep! I’m glad you like the dress and I’ll tell you what else I’m going to do (Brooklyn accent) I’m gonna buy ya a hat to go with it!”
LIZ (Brooklyn accent): “Well, how do you like that! He knew about it all the time!”
End of Part Two
In the live Jell-O commercial, Lucille Ball plays is a little old miner. With a deep voice (as if she has no teeth) she sings a bar or two of “My Darlin’ Clementine”. Bob LeMond plays a Census Taker.
MINER / LUCILLE: “You can’t take mine! Folks say I aint’ got no senses!”
The miner (and his faithful mule Sam) says he is a desert rat who used to live in the city. It’s just him and Sam. They mine a little and play a little canasta. He says they have a puddin’ mine.
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