HELLS LUCY

Lucy & Motorcycles

Lucille Ball was a motorcyle fan. She owned Hondas, Suzukis, and a Harley Davidson. In her personal ife, she rode on the back of Clark Gable’s motorcycle. Lucy reluctantly gave up motorcycling after she hit a curb and her bike fell on her.

A GIrl, a Guy, and a Gob (1941) ~ Dot (Lucille Ball) disapproves of ‘Coffee Cup’ (George Murphy) riding a motorcyle. 

DOT: That’s how angels are made. 

“Liz the Matchmaker” (1949) ~ In this episode of Lucille Ball’s radio series “My Favorite Husband” Liz (Lucille Ball) is worried about her maid Katie’s romance with Mr. Negley, the postman (Jay Novello), because he always takes her to a drive-in theater on a motorcycle.

“The Sleigh Ride” (1949) ~ Mr. Negley decides to use his motorcycle to pull the holiday sleigh, but the load proves to much and the milkman’s old horse is pressed into service. 

“Safe Driving Week” (1950) ~ Liz and Marge (Elvia Allman) are pulled over by a motorcycle cop for driving too close to the curb. The policeman insists on driving their car away from the curb himself, but runs over his own motorcycle in the process!  Marge and Liz drive away, leaving the motorcycle cop in tears, clutching only his handlebars. 

This visual gag was brought to life on “I Love Lucy” in….

“Ricky Sells the Car” (1955) ~ Doubtful that Ricky will spring for their train fare home, Fred purchases an antique motorcycle. He weighs it down with all their belongings, just like the Pontiac in “California, Here We Come!”  The Mertzes are even attired in vintage leather riding outfits!  Viewers who know their motorbikes guess that it is a Harley-Davidson Model DL 750cc from about 1929.

• LUCY: Ethel, are you seriously considering going all the way to New York on a motorcycle? 
• ETHEL: Well, Fred gave me a choice and this beats hitchhiking.

Oops! The sound of the motorcycle crashing happens before it is even off the screen. In the above screen shot you can see the wire that pulled the motorcycle backward.  

“Lucy Hunts Uranium” (1958) ~ The Ricardos and Fred MacMurray get pulled over for speeding by a morotcycle cop. 

“Lucy Drives a Dump Truck” (1963) ~ This Brewster policeman (Richard Reeves) drives a three-wheeled motorbike. 

“Lucy the Meter Maid” (1964) ~ A hybrid vehicle, Lucy drives a Cushman Minute Miser Truckster. These vehicles were especially created for traffic police who checked meters. 

“Mr. and Mrs. aka The Lucille Ball Comedy Hour” (1964) ~ Lucille Ball and Gale Gordon travel across the German border driving a Vespa motor scooter searching for the elusive Bob Hope. 

“Lucy in the Music World” (1965) ~ Lucy’s neighbor Mel Tinker (Mel Torme) keeps his 1962 Honda Dream motorcycle in his apartment!. The question is – how did he get it up the stairs?

“Lucy Goes to a Hollywood Premiere” (1966) ~  A motorcycle zooms by Lucy Carmichael, who is selling maps to the movie stars homes. This time it is the driver who is old, not the motorcycle.  As the old lady races off, Lucy shouts “Say hello to Steve McQueen!”  Two of McQueen’s favorite things were racing and motorcycles. He famously rode a motorcycle in 1963’s The Great Escape.

“Lucy in London” (1966) ~ Lucy Carmichael and Anthony Newley get around mod London any way they can – including motorcycle and rocket-shaped side-car.

The special was shot on location in London. Ball and Newley did the driving themselves! 

“Viv Visits Lucy” (1967) ~ Trying to track down a Danfield boy, they go down to the Sunset Strip dressed as ‘hippies’ and go into a biker bar.  The Police Officer’s motorcycle is a 1958 Harley-Davidson Duo Glide. 

Several other motorcycles are also parked on the street in front of Hamburger Hovel, home of the ‘Biker Burger’!  

“Lucy Gets Involved” (1968) ~ At the drive in burger joint were Lucy is moonlighting, Tommy Watkins (Phil Vandervoort) rides a white 1962 Honda Dream motorcycle. The cycle was previously seen parked inside Mel Tinker’s apartment in “Lucy in the Music World”.  

Yours, Mine & Ours (1968) ~ In the Lucille Ball / Henry Fonda film, the neighbor boy’s motorcycle is run over by the Beardsley’s station wagon.  Helen (Lucille Ball) disapproves of her teenage daughter’s crush on the cycle-riding boy.

“Lucy and the Diamond Cutter” (1970) ~ Craig talks to his pal Steve on the telephone about a part for his motorcycle. It turns out to be an air horn. Only problem is, Motorcycles don’t usually have air horns! Oops!

“Lucy the Skydiver” (1970) ~ Craig takes up spear fishing while Kim joins a motorcycle club. When Lucy sees her daughter wearing a motorcycle helmet she asks if she’s playing for the Rams football team. Lucy says she doesn’t want Kim to be another Steve McQueen.

“Circus of the Stars II” (1977) ~ Lucille Ball is the ringmaster and Peter Fonda performs a daredevil motorcycle stunt on a high wire.  In 1969, Fonda (son of Lucille Ball’s friend and co-star, Henry) starred in the film Easy Rider, possibly the most famous motorcycle-themed film in history.

In a taped segment, singer / songwriter Paul Williams goes skydiving. Once he alights (just outside his circus ring target) Williams and a dozen men waiting for him on the ground mount motorbikes and zoom away through the desert.

“Lucy Moves to NBC” (1980) ~ In the pilot “The Music Mart” (produced by Lucy), Scotty Plummer (Scotty Coogan) wants a motorcycle for his 18th birthday. He even tries to pawn his prized banjo to buy one. 

1999 ~ Postage stamps from Republic of Turkmenistan feature Americana artwork of Lucille Ball in a diner with Carmen Miranda and Humphrey Bogart, looking at Marilyn Monroe standing outside next to a motorcycle. 

2020 ~ A Lucille Ball impersonator at Universal Studios Hollywood poses for photos plopped in the sidecar of a Royal Enfield motorcycle. The Royal Enfield brandis the oldest global motorcycle brand in continuous production!

VROOM!