LUCY’S THIN BLUE LINE

Lucy and Law Enforcement ~ Part 1

For a simple housewife and a bandleader, Lucy and Ricky got involved with the police on a surprising number of occasions. Here’s a line-up of Lucy’s encounters with the men in blue. 

“Liz Learns To Drive” (1948) ~ Liz (Lucille Ball) goes to the police station to get her driver’s license. The officer is played by Frank Nelson.

NELSON: “Name?”

LIZ: “Elizabeth Cugat.”

NELSON: “Address?”

LIZ: “321 Bundy.”

NELSON: “Race?”

LIZ: “Of course not!  I don’t even have a driver’s license!”

After much rhetorical to-ing and fro-ing, he takes her fingerprints and gives her the eye test:

NELSON: “Read the letters on the wall over there.”

LIZ: “M-E-N.”

Later in the complicated plot, Liz finds herself back at the police station, this time being questioned by Sergeant Lewis (Herb Vigran). She’s a suspect in a murder case!

“Safe Driving Week” (1950) ~ Liz is pulled over by a motorcycle cop (Sheldon Leonard), although she’s unclear why. He says that Liz made the wrong arm signal when turning left. When Liz asks what he is writing, he facetiously calls it a story for Reader’s Digest about ‘The Most Unforgettable Person I’ve Ever Met’!  Naturally, it is a traffic ticket. Later, Liz passes a car on the wrong side of the road because she’s three feet from the left curb!  A policeman pulls them over – the same officer who issued Liz the ticket. To explain her driving on the left, Liz decides to adopt a British accent. 

LIZ: “Pip-pip, cheerio, hallo there, Bobbie!”

The Officer tests her by asking her to sing the British Anthem. Liz sings “London Bridge is Falling Down.” The policeman insists on driving the car away from the curb, but runs over his own motorcycle in the process!  Liz drives away, leaving the motorcycle cop in tears, clutching only his handlebars. 

“New Neighbors” (1952) ~ Believing their new neighbors are dangerous spies, Lucy forms a militia and calls the police. Sergeant Morton (Allen Jenkins) is nearly killed when they open fire at the sound of the doorbell!

LUCY: “These people are agents of some foreign government!” 

SGT. MORTON: “What’s their name?” 

LUCY: “O’Brien!”

Morton apathetically ask if she’s been nipping at the cooking sherry.

David Allen Curtis Jenkins (Sergeant Morton) made a career out of playing policemen and tough guys in films throughout the ’30s and ’40s including Five Came Back (1939) with Lucille Ball. This was the first of his three appearances as a policeman on “I Love Lucy.”  From 1961-62, Jenkins voice Officer Dribble on the animated series “Top Cat”. 

“The Courtoom” (1952) ~ Robert B. Williams played the Bailiff. Williams was a busy Hollywood day player who had recurring roles on “Dennis the Menace” and “Hazel.” His last role was as Garth Gimble Sr. (Martin Mull’s father) on “Fernwood Tonight” in 1977.

“Lucy Goes to the Hospital” (1953) ~ Ricky creates pandemonium at the hospital by showing up for the birth of his son in full Voodoo make-up!  Ralph Montgomery plays the policeman called to the scene. He had appeared with Lucille Ball in the 1949 film Sorrowful Jones.

“Ricky and Fred are TV Fans” (1953) ~ When they are caught stealing from a diner cash register and trying to cut the wires to their apartment building, Lucy and Ethel are hauled down to the station (Precinct 31) by Officer Jenkins (Allen Jenkins) where they encounter Desk Sergeant Nelson (Frank Nelson). This is not the first time these actors have worn blue for Desilu – nor the last. 

“The Girls Go Into Business” (1953) ~ Emory Parnell plays the cop on the beat. Although this is his only series appearance, the veteran character actor was in three films with Lucille Ball and seven with William Frawley.  

“Equal Rights” (1953) ~ The arresting officers are played by Fred Aldrich (left), who appeared in four other episodes, and Louis Nicoletti, who was a veteran of 15 episodes. 

When Ricky and Fred are jailed, the police officer in the final scene is Richard Reeves, who played Bill Foster for two episodes, but was also seen as the tall Indian in “The Indian Show” (1953).

“Too Many Crooks” (1953) ~ When the building is in an uproar over the identity of Madam X, a policeman arrives to sort things out. Once again, the officer on the scene is played by Allen Jenkins. 

“Tennessee Bound” (1955) ~ While driving too quickly through Tennessee, the gang is arrested by the Sheriff of Bent Fork, played by Will Wright. He previously played Mr. Walters, the locksmith from Yonkers in “The Handcuffs” (1953). In 1949, he appeared with Lucille Ball in the film Miss Grant Takes Richmond.

“Lucy Visits Graumans” (1955) ~ While trying to steal John Wayne’s footprints, Lucy and Ethel are interupted by two cops on the beat, who indulge themselves trying to fit their feet into the cement shoe prints of celebrities. Clarence Straight and Ben Neims play the policemen. This is just one of many law enforcement officials Straight played throughout his career. Neims also played an officer (of another sort) on the S.S. Consitution in “Bon Voyage” (1956). His final role was as a Police Chief in the 1974 film Dirty Mary Crazy Larry. 

“The Great Train Robbery” (1956) ~ The plainclothes Police Detective is played by Joseph Crehan, who had previously appeared with Lucille Ball in There Goes My Girl (1937), Ziegfeld Follies (1947), and The Fuller Brush Girl (1950). Throughout his fifty year screen career he played Ulysses S. Grant nine times!

“Paris at Last” (1956) ~ Lucy is implicated in a conterfeiting scheme and arrested. Trevor Ward plays the gendarme who arrests Lucy for passing the fake Francs. He had just appeared as the Cockney groom at the English country estate in “The Fox Hunt” (1956) two episodes earlier. In real life Ward was not French, American, or English – he was Welsh!  

At the police station, two more gendarmes are introduced. Ramsay Hill plays the police desk sergeant who only speaks French. This is his one and only role on the series, but he served as technical adviser on the 1947 film Lured starring Lucille Ball..Johnny Mylong plays the gendarme who speaks both French and German. He soon returns to the series as the Casino Manager in “Lucy Goes To Monte Carlo” (1956).

“Lucy’s Bicycle Trip” (1956) ~ Biking along the Med, Lucy encounters Border Control Officers for Italy and France. Henry Dar Boggia (left) plays the Italian Border Guard. Francis Ravel (in the booth) plays the French Border Guard.  Felix Romano plays the Italian Border Guard who comes on duty in the episode’s final moments.  For the record, Border Guards are considered Law Enforcement Officials in both France and Italy. 

“Return Home from Europe” (1956) ~ Frank Nelson plays the Customs Officer who tries to solve the mystery of the cheese / baby. Nelson will soon take on his second recurring role on the series as Ralph Ramsey. A Customs Officer is considered a  federal law enforcement officer.

“Visitor from Italy” (1956) ~ James Flavin plays the Immigration Officer searghing for Mario (Jay Novello). Flavin also appeared with Novello in “Lucy and the Safe Cracker” (1962) where he played a cop named Sergeant Wilcox. He returned two episodes later to play Sergeant Wilcox again in another bank-themed episode, “Lucy and the Bank Scandal” (1963). Flavin appeared in four films with Lucille Ball, including playing a police sergeant in Without Love (1945). During his long career he played so many officers of the law that his IMDB photo is of him in a police uniform!  

“Lucy Hunts Uranium” (1958) ~ Racing through the Nevada desert the Ricardos and Fred MacMurray are pulled over by a motorcyle cop in this press photo for the episode. 

“Lucy Goes to Mexico” (1958) ~ Returning to San Diego, Lucy and Ethel get stopped by a Border Guard played by Charles Lane, who suspects they may be smugglers. 

In the opening scene, a Tijuana traffic cop tries to keep order when a donkey painted like a zebra rests in the middle of a busy street!  The actor appears uncredited. 

“Lucy Upsets the Williams Household” (1959) ~ Lucy and Desi play the Ricardos on “Make Room for Daddy” aka “The Danny Thomas Show”.  Lucy gets in trouble with the law when out on a shopping spree. The policeman is played by an uncredited performer.