THEATRE CONCEPT

August 10, 1954

The concept of treating “I Love Lucy” as a theater play, with the camera representing the audience, was Desi Arnaz’s, according to Bill Asher, the program’s director. 

“Nothing is supposed to be done you could not do in a theater,“ he said. (1)

“There is no fourth wall,” Asher added. ‘‘Something is wrong if the impression is given there is one.“ (2)

“Desi believes in letting the public use its imagination,” remarked the director. “When Lucy went across a plank from one building to another, a shot was suggested to give the idea she would fall some distance if she slipped. This was not acceptable to Desi.” (3)

PROCEDURE 

After Arnaz, Lucille Ball, Vivian Vance, and William Frawley and any other members of the cast have worked together on a show a day and a half or two days, Jess Oppenheimer the chief writer comes in pencil in hand. He may look in the camera as well as sit and listen and observe.

The next night, Thursday, Bob Carroll and Madelyn Pugh, the other writers, see a performance. Their written comments are turned into Oppenheimer. The stars, Asher, and the writers, hold a round table. 

No major changes are made after a show is filmed before studio audience.

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FOOTNOTES FROM THE FUTURE

(1) Making “I Love Lucy” like a theatre play had its drawbacks. In early episodes, before the techniques of filming before a live audience were established, Lucy and Vivian sometimes had to under-dress their costumes (wearing one under another) to make sure they had time to change clothes between scenes where time passed. Filming under hot lights wearing two costumes can’t have been pleasant.  Anything distracting, like changing lighting for close-ups, was done after the show was filmed, and edited into the final film, rather than make the audience stop and wait for something they could not see.  

(2) Fourth Wall is a theatrical term referring to the wall of a stage setting that must be missing to allow the audience in a proscenium arch theatre see the production.  Sometimes audiences get so used to the fourth wall being imaginary, that when it is not, it can be disorienting to the viewer.  A good example of the fourth wall suddenly appearing is in “New Neighbors” (above) where a window shows up in a wall that previously was never seen! 

Breaking the Fourth Wall means that the actor is playing to the audience or the camera. This was a rarity on “I Love Lucy.” In the Christmas Special (above) the cast (dressed in Santa Suits) turn to the camera / audience to say “Merry Christmas, everybody.”  In general, breaking the fourth wall is discouraged. 

(3) The article is referring to the rooftop scene from “Vacation from Marriage” (ILL S2;E6) aired on October 27, 1952. 

By 1957, however, this type of shot seemed okay when Lucy is on the ledge dressed as Superman in “Lucy and Superman” (ILL S6;E13).  What changed?

Zuma Palmer was a Hollywood columnist who pioneered coverage of radio. A native of Minnesota, Palmer was educated at USC and became radio editor of the Hollywood Citizen-News in 1928. Eddie Cantor and Ben Alexander were among radio performers who praised her at an appreciation banquet given by the Hollywood Advertising Club. After covering the development of radio and television entertainment, Palmer retired in 1961. She died in 1999 at the age of 94.