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LIFE WITHOUT GEORGE (1961) by Irene Kampen – was the basis for “The Lucy Show” (1962). It is the story of two divorcees living in suburban Connecticut. Desi Arnaz purchased the rights to the book for Lucy thinking she and Vivian Vance would be ideal to play the characters, both of whom were recently divorced themselves. In the series, however, Lucy’s character became a widow and Viv became the first divorced running character on a network TV show.
“Every time ‘The Lucy Show’ appears on a TV screen, and it appears a lot, I get a royalty check. I love Lucy.” ~ Irene Kampen (1922-1998)
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The Lucy Show “Lucy is a Referee” (S1;E3 ~ October 15, 1962)
While Lucy and the gang are on the football field, Lucille Ball’s canvas director’s chair, clearly marked LUCY is visible in the background left, behind the chain link fencing.
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“The Golf Game”
(S3;E30 ~ May 17, 1954) Directed by William Asher. Written by Jess Oppenheimer, Madelyn Pugh, and Bob Carroll, Jr. Filmed April 15, 1954 at Ren-Mar Studio. Rating: 54.2/81
Synopsis ~ Frustrated that their husbands seem to prefer golf to them, Lucy and Ethel insist that Ricky and Fred teach them the fundamentals of the game. The boys end up teaching the girls a lesson by making up a lot of ridiculous rules. When the girls meet professional golfer Jimmy Demaret and correct his play, they realize what their husbands have been up to.
On May 17, 1954, the same date this episode was aired for the first time, the United States Supreme Court decided a case that changed the course of American history. In the case of Brown v. Board of Education, the Supreme Court ruled that racial segregation of schools was unconstitutional.
The day this episode was filmed was the last time that April 15th was NOT tax day in the United States.* In 1954 there were extensive revisions to the tax codes, and the date was moved from March 15 to April 15. In “Lucy Gets Ricky on the Radio” (S1;E32), the first of the original questions Ricky was to answer on Freddie Filmore’s “Mr. and Mrs. Quiz” is:
“To whom do you make your federal tax check out on March 15?”
The correct answer, is The Collector of Internal Revenue. Unfortunately for Lucy (who is cheating), Filmore changes the question at the last minute to:
“What is the name of the animal that fastens itself to you and drains you of your blood?”
Lucy, of course, still answers The Collector of Internal Revenue!
* Note: Due to the worldwide Covid-19 pandemic, Tax Day in the US was altered in 2020 and 2021. In 2021, it coincidentally was moved to May 17, the 67th anniversary of this episode’s first airing!
A week after this episode first aired, Lucy was still perfecting her game of golf! Lucy Van Pelt, that is! It was one of the rare instances where actual adults were drawn by Charles Schultz – although only their lower bodies, not their faces.
Pettebone & Percy: A Pip-Pip / Pioneer Pince-Nez Party!
The date this episode was filmed would have been the 66th birthday of Florence Bates, who played the snooty and imperious Mrs. Pettebone in “Pioneer Women” (S1;E25). Sadly, Bates died six weeks before this episode aired. Also celebrating a birthday the day the cameras rolled on “The Golf Game” is Hans Conried, who was 37. He first worked with Lucille Ball in the 1942 film The Big Street and on her radio show “My Favorite Husband.” On “I Love Lucy” he played Percy Livermore when “Lucy Hires an English Tutor” (S2;E13). He also played Mr. Jenkins, used furniture salesman in “Redecorating” (S2;E8).
On “The Lucy Show” he made two appearances as Dr. Gitterman, a drama / music coach. The first was in “Lucy’s Barbershop Quartet” (TLS S1;E19) in 1963 and in “Lucy Plays Cleopatra” (TLS S2;E1) in 1963. In 1973 he appeared on an episode of “Here’s Lucy” starring Danny Thomas, who he was then intractably associated with because of “Make Room for Daddy.” Conried died in 1982 at the age of 64.
Some elements of this script were first used in “Hobbies”, an episode of Lucille Ball’s radio series “My Favorite Husband” aired on April 9, 1950. In it, Liz and Iris decide that rather than fight their husbands’ golf obsession, they will join them instead – even though they know nothing about the game.
This episode is set up in “Sentimental Anniversary” (S3;E16, above) when Lucy gives Ricky brand new MacGregor golf clubs for an anniversary present. Early in this episode, Ethel mentions it and blames Lucy for their golf obsession. A golf devotee himself, Desi Arnaz really enjoyed this episode.
Desi was such a golf nut that he built a second home on the 17th fairway of the Thunderbird Golf Club in Rancho Mirage, California. In 1957, he opened a hotel in Palm Springs at the Indian Wells Country Club called the Desi Arnaz-Western Hills Hotel.
In the show Ricky and Fred are playing in a tournament to benefit the USO and the National Golf Fund during the 3rd Annual National Golf Day, which was held on June 5, 1954, just three weeks after the episode was first broadcast. During World War II, Desi Arnaz was classified for limited service in the Army due to a knee injury so he was assigned to direct USO (United Service Organization) programs at a military hospital in the San Fernando Valley. In 1954, National Golf Day raised $68,000 for the Fund.
Despite the episode being about golf, in the first scenes, Lucy turns the apartment into a basketball court! This is the only mention of basketball on the series. As the boys go downstairs to practice their stroke, Fred says “So long, bloomer girls.”
Amelia Bloomer designed and wore the loose-fitting, Turkish-style trousers that carried her name, and made sports more practical for women athletes. In the 1890s, scores of “Bloomer Girls” baseball teams were formed all over the country. The Bloomer Girls era lasted from the 1890s until 1934.
Louis Nicoletti (above), a veteran extra on the show, plays the Tournament Chairman, one of his 15 appearances on the series.
Spectators at the golf tournament include Desi’s stand-in Bennett Green (knee up on bench) and Vivian’s stand-in Renita Reachi.
As Ricky and Fred look up a rule in their golfing book, Lucy and Ethel drop the bombshell that they are going to learn the game, too. Ricky slams the book closed on Fred’s finger. The book cover, seen on screen, identifies it as Jimmy Demaret’s book, My Partner, Ben Hogan (McGraw Hill, 1954).
Jimmy Demaret (1910-83) was the Tiger Woods of his day. He won the Masters Tournament in 1940, 1947 and 1950. Although mostly only remembered today by golf aficionados, his appearance on the show was a big deal at the time since he was still playing professionally. In fact, the year this episode was first aired, he came in 3 under par at the 1954 Open Championship.
Oops! Desi Arnaz wears a hat with the insignia of The Thunderbird Ranch & Gold Club, Rancho Mirage, California. It is unlikely that New Yorker Ricky Ricardo would have played there. Desi ad-libs a verbal mention of the club at the start of “The Charm School” (S3;E15) earlier in 1954.
RICKY: “You know, the whole membership of the Thunderbird Club was around the 18th hole. All I had to do was make this measly two-foot putt to win, and I missed it!
When Ricky wants to dissuade the girls from taking up golf, he says “Mamie doesn’t play,” referring to First Lady Mamie Eisenhower. Her husband, however, did – a lot! During his eight years in office, Ike played more than 800 rounds, a quarter of them at Augusta National Golf Club, where he was a member.
LUCY: “There’s a rotten Cuban in Denmark.”
ETHEL: “And he’s got a fat friend.”Lucy is paraphrasing Shakespeare’s play HAMLET:
“Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.” An officer of the palace guard says this after the ghost of the dead King appears on the castle ramparts. The line has become synonymous with suspecting wrong-doing.
FAST FORWARD!
Jimmy Demaret would go on to play himself again in a 1964 episode of “The Lucy Show” titled “Lucy Takes Up Golf” (TLS S2;E17).
Ironically, in that show Lucy Carmichael fakes knowledge of the game to impress her new boyfriend, Gary Stewart, played by her second husband Gary Morton. Lucille Ball divorced one golf nut to marry another. Both Desi and Gary were both obsessed with the sport.
In addition to Lucille Ball and Jimmy Demaret, this episode includes several actors from the “I Love Lucy” golf episode: Vivian Vance as Viv Bagley, Louis Nicoletti as a spectator, and George Pierrone as a caddy in both shows.
In a 1971 episode of “Here’s Lucy,” Harry Carter (Gale Gordon) played a round of golf with his psychiatrist (Parley Baer). Instead of the links, the scene is set in the country club restaurant.
A little more than a year later, “The Honeymooners” also did a golf-themed episode (October 15, 1955). Ralph (Jackie Gleason) must learn how to play golf in less than a week to impress a links-loving bus company executive who could give him a promotion. Both episodes were released on VHS. Like Desi Arnaz, Gleason was a big golf fan in real-life. Like Lucy, Gleason also did a second golf-themed episode with his side-kick (Art Carney) in color during the 1960s.
In 1973 Lucille Ball endorsed a Milton Bradley game called Pivot Golf with her name and photo on the box. The year before, she had done the same with their game Pivot Pool. While Lucy played golf, she preferred board games like backgammon and scrabble.
LEFT: In 2008, Cleo Smith (Lucy’s cousin) offered the golf bag and clubs used in this episode for auction. The final bid was $3,125.
RIGHT: In 2010, Gary Morton’s widow offered Lucille Ball’s personalized golf clubs, bag and shoes for auction. The final bid was undisclosed.
Golf Gifts!
1954, Augusta National Golf Course, CBS, Desi Arnaz, Eisenhower, Ethel Mertz, Fred Mertz, golf, I love lucy, Jimmy Demaret, Life Magazine, Louis Nicoletti, Lucille Ball, Lucy Ricardo, Mamie Eisenhower, National Golf Day, Ricky Ricardo, The Golf Fund, The Golf Game, The Lucy Show, tv, USO, Vivian Vance, William Frawley -
“Home Movies”
(S3;E20 ~ March 1, 1954) Directed by William Asher. Written by Jess Oppenheimer, Madelyn Pugh, and Bob Carroll, Jr. Filmed on January 28, 1954 at Ren-Mar Studios. Rating: 58.5/83
“If I want to see old movies, I’ll watch television.”
Synopsis ~ When his feelings get hurt that no one is interested in his home movies, Ricky refuses to include Lucy, Fred and Ethel in his new TV pilot film. Lucy, however, has a plan to get into the action anyway!
The day this episode first aired, actor / director Ron Howard was born in Oklahoma. At the age of six he created the role of Opie in “The Andy Griffith Show” which was filmed on the Desilu backlot. Howard shared the screen with Keith Thibodeaux (Little Rick), who did several episodes of “Andy Griffith” after “I Love Lucy” had ended. In 1978, Lucille Ball and Howard both appeared on the dais on an “AFI Salute To Henry Fonda.”
The episode opens in the recently redecorated Mertz apartment (S3;E8). Setting more scenes at the Mertzes’ was one of the goals of the redecoration.
As
an old Cuban philosopher once said “We have plugged in the electric
blanket, now let’s take the snooze.”The episode continues the themes established in “Baby Pictures” (S3;E5) – except with moving pictures. Home movie technology was new in the 1950s, but that doesn’t stop Ricky. Although the Mayer Twins play Little Ricky in this episode, their footage was previously shot.
Hoping Ricky won’t show his movies, Fred starts babbling about how he recently bought an “all-around strawberry soda,” meaning the sweet treat contained both strawberry flavoring and strawberry ice cream. In “Redecorating” (S2;E8, above photo) Fred and Ricky are at the corner drugstore and Fred orders a double chocolate malted. Clearly Fred has quite a sweet tooth! Note the prominent advertising for the series’ main sponsor, Philip Morris.
Oops! Lucy says that she visited a movie studio in Hollywood once, but when the California trip is planned in season 4, she says she’s never been there before!
Lucy and the Mertzes turn the Ricardo apartment into a mini movie studio to film their own Western musical drama to show to “the most powerful man in show business, Mr. Bennett Green.” In reality, Bennett Green was the name of Desi’s stand-in! He also made 20 appearances on the show as well as “The Lucy Show” (inset photo), but in this instance the character is played not by Green, but by Stanley Farrar. Farrar would return to play the Ferry Officer in “Staten Island Ferry” (S5;E12) as well as appear in two episodes of “The Lucy Show.” In 1964 he was in the TV movie Mr. & Mrs. starring Lucille, Gale Gordon, and Bob Hope.
Her home movie starts musically with “I’m an Old Cow Hand (from the Rio Grande),” a song written by Johnny Mercer for the film Rhythm on the Range and originally sung by Bing Crosby. The Western Writers of America chose it as one of the Top 100 Western songs of all time. Irving Bacon, who would play Ethel’s father in “Ethel’s Hometown” (S4;E15), played a rodeo announcer in the film.
In their Western skit, Lucy plays a cowboy named Tex and Ethel is named Nevada. Clips of Ricky singing “Vaya con Dios” are from “Lucy and Ethel Buy the Same Dress” (S3;E3), performed just prior to Lucy and Ethel singing “Friendship.”
When Ricky warns that Mr. Green will only have time to watch one film, Lucy decides to edit them both together, even including some footage of Little Ricky. Not being an experienced film editor, the result is a horrible mess. Surprisingly, Mr. Green loves it! Parts of both home movie reels, Ricky’s original baby clips, and the messed-up end product, were cut shorter for syndication. The DVD restores the full scenes.
Technical Technicalities! The camera equipment Lucy uses to make her Western drama is an 8mm camera, the type used for home movies in the 1950s. Later, when she is seen editing the film, it is 16mm. When Fred sees the setup, he points to one machine that he calls a projector and asks what it is for. Lucy explains that it’s one of those “new ones”, that records the sound right on the film. Sound on film, while rare on home movies in the 1950s, would have been recorded in the camera, not on the projector.
The prop that Lucy uses is a Bell & Howell 200 movie camera.
When Lucy later edits her film, it is a Bell & Howell / B&H 75-175-A editor film type AN-1.
ETHEL: (About Ricky’s home movies) “We’d really like to see them, but it hurts our eyes on that wrinkled old sheet you use for a screen.”
Ricky surprises everyone by proudly producing a brand new home movie screen. It is a Radiant DeLuxe Champion home movie screen.
It was advertised at a price of $15 and described as made from a new glass beaded fabric called Vyna-Flect “which overcomes the hazards of fire and mildew”.
The Finished Film!
Due to logistics, this episode was filmed without an audience. Once the gag reel of Ricky’s audition had been created, the entire episode was shown to an audience and their laughter recorded for the final broadcast.
“We say a fond farewell to the Ricardo apartment and it’s charming inhabitants. This is a Ricky Ricardo production! Bom bom bom bom bom bom!”
FAST FORWARD
In a 1965 episode of “The Lucy Show” titled “Lucy the Stunt Man” (TLS S4;E5), Lucy Carmichael goes in disguise as a stuntman in a cowboy film. Lucille Ball’s make-up and costume are eerily reminiscent of Tex in “Home Movies”. The image of Lucy Carmichael chewing tobacco made its way into the series’ opening credits!
In a 1970 episode of “Here’s Lucy” titled “Lucy, The American Mother” (HL S3;E7) Lucy Carter’s son Craig (Desi Arnaz Jr.) becomes obsessed by making home movies. He recruits his Uncle Harry (Gale Gordon) as his director.
In 1993, Lucille Ball’s daughter Lucie Arnaz put together an award-winning documentary about her mother and father titled “Lucy and Desi: A Home Movie” utilizing home movie footage of the Arnaz family.
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“Oil Wells”
(S3;E18 ~ February 15, 1954) Directed by William Asher. Written by Jess Oppenheimer, Madelyn Pugh, and Bob Carroll, Jr. Filmed January 14, 1954 at Ren-Mar Studios. It was the 84th episode filmed. Rating: 63.9/85
Synopsis ~ Sam and Nancy Johnson are new tenants at 623 East 68th Street. They hale from Texas and they are in oil. (LUCY: “Hair, suntan, cod liver, or castor?”) Buying some shares in their latest well, the gang is soon dreaming of striking it rich. But when Fred’s detective friend Ken comes poking around, Lucy gets suspicious that the new neighbors are scam artists.
The day this episode first aired, LIFE Magazine’s cover story was about Gina Lollobrigida’s changing her Italian hairstyle. In two months time, “I Love Lucy” will tackle the same subject with “The Black Wig” (S3;E26). In it, Lucy will even wear the same red and blue flared skirt dress she does in this one. Movie star Lollobrigida would be mentioned on two season 5 episodes of the series.
This episode aired on Mary Jane Croft’s 38th birthday. At the time, she was playing Daisy Enright on Desilu’s “Our Miss Brooks” and would make her first appearance on “I Love Lucy” in March 1954 (above). She went on to be one of Lucille Ball’s regular co-stars in all of her sitcoms.
Born on the day this episode first aired in 1954 was Matt Groening, the creator of the animated hit “The Simpsons”. The show has satirized Lucille Ball on several occasions.
Four years earlier, Lucy and Desi were in the newspapers concerning oil wells. Seems the Arnaz’s did not own the oil rights to their Chatsworth Ranch. As predicted, they moved out a few years later.
Lucy and Ethel are spying on the moving men as the Johnsons move in. Their eagle-eyed inventory of the items being moved into apartment 4B includes:
- A refrigerator
- A chrome dinette set
- An automatic washer & dryer
- A fox stole
- A full-length mink coat from Saks
- A green sofa
- A modern desk
In “New Neighbors” (S1;E21, above), Lucy and Ethel also spied on the moving men when the O’Briens moved in. Like the Johnsons, who also move into apartment 4B, Lucy jumps to the wrong conclusion about her new neighbors and they promptly move out.
Harry Cheshire (Sam Johnson) most often played bankers and western townsmen, but could also be an effective villain. His best-known role was as Judge Ben Wiley in the TV series “Buffalo Bill, Jr.” (1955). He appeared with Lucille Ball in the films Her Husband’s Affairs (1947), Miss Grant Takes Richmond (1949), and A Woman of Distinction (1950).
Sandra Gould (Nancy Johnson) is probably best remembered as the second actor to play Gladys Kravitz on “Bewitched” (1966-71), also directed by William Asher. Later on “I Love Lucy,” she makes a brief appearance as an alarmed strap-hanger in “Lucy and the Loving Cup” (S6;E12). She appeared in the fourth episode of “The Lucy Show” in 1962, alongside veteran characters actors Charles Lane and Reta Shaw.
Ken Christy (Ken, Private Detective) later returned to the show to play the dock agent who directs Lucy to the helicopter that lowers her onto the deck of the S.S. Constitution in “Bon Voyage” (S5;E13).
Little Ricky is mentioned, but remains off-screen.
Upon hearing that the Johnsons are millionaire oil tycoons, Ricky is immediately suspicious:
RICKY: “Look, if he’s a millionaire, what’s he doing living in a dump like this?”
FRED & ETHEL: “Dump!?!”
RICKY: “Yeah, to a millionaire, this is a dump!”
FRED: “I accept that.”
LUCY: “Millionaire. Millionaire. You know, I’ve said it so often, it doesn’t mean much any more.”
ETHEL: “You know something… we might even get to be billionaires.”
LUCY: “Yeah, or even trillionaires.”
ETHEL: “Or even zillionaires.”
LUCY: “Yeah, or even… what comes after zillionaires?”
FRED: “The Income Tax Department.”With dollar signs in his eyes, Ricky has secretly arranged to purchase a periwinkle blue custom Cadillac whose horn plays “Babalu” that will cost $12,000. In today’s economy, that would be about $116,000! At the time, a standard new 1954 Cadillac cost about $6,500, so the customization must have been extensive. In season 4 Fred will buy a vintage 1923 Cadillac for the trip to California, which Ricky then trades in for a new two-tone blue and white Pontiac.
Dreaming of riches, Lucy and Ethel compare themselves to Rockefeller and Dupont. The Dupont and Rockefeller families were considered to be two of the richest and most influential families in the world during the late 19th and early 20th century. Rockefeller made his riches in oil, and Dupont in gunpowder. The above article dates from 1927.
Ethel tries to convince Fred to invest in Mr. Johnson’s oil stock.
ETHEL: “Fred, this is our one big chance. What are you going to do about it? Are you going to be a dumb bunny, too?”
FRED: “What’s up, Doc?”Fred is referencing one of the world’s best-known ‘bunnies’ – Bugs Bunny, whose catch phrase was “What’s up, Doc?” The animated character was created by Warner Brothers in the 1930s and voiced by Mel Blanc. Blanc appeared in two films with Lucille Ball, G.I. Journal (1944) and The Fuller Brush Girl (1950). In July 1952, Warner Brothers produced the animated short “Oily Hare” which had a similar plot to this episode of “I Love Lucy.”
This Elois Jenssen dress makes its third of four appearances on the series.
Lucy also wears this familiar look during the episode.
Lucy spots Ethel in the hallway and asks for a five minute truce to discuss how they can get their money back. In the hallway is a framed print of a painting by Edgar Degas, “L’école de dance” (School of Dance) 1873, oil on canvas.
We only get to see ¾ of it on screen, but here is what the full painting looks like in color. The Degas painting “The Star” (also a ballet themed print) hangs in the Ricardo corridor leading to the bedroom.
To catch the Johnsons in what they think is a scam, Lucy is wired to a tape recorder!
The Crestwood Tape Recorder was a new model that was widely promoted that year.
Reporting on its appearance on the show, an article in Tape Recording magazine (proving there was a magazine for everything!) included a photo from the episode.
At the end of the initial airing, Lucy and Desi did a quick promo for their new movie The Long, Long Trailer which went into general release three days later.
The next time Lucy would get close to oil wells was as Wildcat Jackson in the 1960 Broadway musical Wildcat where she introduced the song “Hey, Look Me Over.” Vivian Vance attended the opening night!
1954, Broadway, Bugs Bunny, Cadillac, Crestwood Tape Recorder, Desi Arnaz, DuPont, Elois Jenssen, Ethel Mertz, Fred Mertz, gina lollobrigida, Harry Cheshire, I love lucy, Ken Christy, Lucille Ball, Lucy Ricardo, Mary Jane Croft, Matt Groening, Mel Blanc, Oil Wells, Oily Hare, Ricky Ricardo, Rockefeller, Sandra Gould, The Long Long Trailer, tv, Vivian Vance, Wildcat, William Asher, William Frawley -
“Redecorating the Mertzes’ Apartment”
“From now on your channel doesn’t come in on my set.”
(S3;E8 ~ November 23, 1953) Directed by William Asher. Written by Jess Oppenheimer, Madelyn Pugh and Bob Carroll, Jr. Filmed October 22, 1953 at Ren-Mar Studios. Rating: N/A
Synopsis ~ Ethel is embarrassed to hold the club meetings at her shabby apartment, so Lucy volunteers to throw the Mertzes a painting party to redecorate, not knowing it would cost her a promised mink stole.
Set designer Ted Offenbecker didn’t like the Ricardo’s sectional couch so replacing it was the inspiration for this episode. The writers also reasoned that if Fred and Ethel had some better-looking furniture, more scenes might take place in the Mertz apartment. This is the third and final living room set changes at the Ricardo apartment, but it is also the one that lasts longest.
A year earlier, in “Redecorating” (S2;E8) Lucy also undertakes home redecorating (their home this time) with dubious results.
Just a few months later, “Lucy Wants New Furniture” (S2;E28) again!
The next redecorating project will be for their Westport home in season six. Lucy thinks her old furniture doesn’t fit in with their new Early American surroundings.
A still photo from this episode of Lucy hugging Ricky tightly (showing her appreciation for his promise to buy her a mink stole), has been reprinted on lots of “I Love Lucy” merchandise, such as the above Hamilton Collection plate. Most often the still is called “The Big Squeeze” and does not reference the title of the episode.
At the start of the episode, Lucy is monopolizing the telephone bragging about her new mink stole to Caroline (Appleby) and Marge, someone Lucy frequently chats with on the phone. When Ricky forbids Lucy to tell anyone else about her mink and Ethel stops by, she takes it as an opportunity for a game of charades. This is something Lucille Ball did expertly and at every opportunity, most notably in “The Gossip” (S1;E24), which also opens with Lucy on the phone to Marge and follows up with a pantomime to communicate something to Ethel.
In addition to Marge and Caroline, others mentioned in this episode, but not seen include:
- Marco [Rizo], Ricky’s accompanist and arranger.
- Mrs. Trumbull (Elizabeth Patterson), who always babysits Little Ricky for free.
Little Ricky takes his first steps in this episode. Before he does, Lucy hands off his toy to Ricky. Buzzy Bee, a pull toy, was made by Fisher-Price from 1950 to 1985. It also makes an appearance in several other episodes.
Little Ricky’s first words will also be captured on screen, albeit on expensive long distance telephone when the gang is in a Texas hotel on the way to “Ethel’s Hometown” (S4;E16).
In a moment of product placement, Ricky reaches into the desk to get a pack of Philip Morris cigarettes from the carton.
Lucy and Ricky are coming over to play canasta, so Fred puts on a tie! Two episodes later, in “Changing the Boys’ Wardrobe” (S3;E10), Fred will again be reluctant to dress up for company.
We hear Ethel sing a bit of “Lily of the Valley” from “The Operetta” (S2;E5) when she’s setting up to play cards with the Ricardos. This is something Vivian Vance did from time to time when called upon to hum or sing something. Since the rights were already owned by Desilu, no song clearances were necessary!
The trick lamp with the slowly lowering shade is a gag that will be repeated in the season closer, “The Sublease” (S3;E31). In that episode Fred is sitting under it at the time.
The painting on the wall above the lamp is entitled “Roses with a Blue Tit by a Stream” by Jean Baptiste Claude Robie (1821-1910).
Lucy gets the idea for the painting party from the October 1953 edition of Better Homes and Gardens. It gets plenty of airtime here because the writers felt they owed it to the magazine after their ‘Better Homes and Garbage’ joke in “Men Are Messy” (S1;E8).
Oops! Lucille Ball is supposed to suggest that they “paint the apartment and upholster the old furniture,” but instead she slips and says, “paint the furniture and upholster the old furniture.” Thanks to Desi Arnaz’s quick thinking and ad-libbing, the scene was able to go on without a re-take.
Sitcom Logic Alert! Although Lucy mentions the fading wallpaper in the Mertz apartment, she fails to realize that wallpaper cannot just be ‘painted over’ – it must be removed before painting, something that would be a large part of any redecorating project. We never seen the wallpaper being removed, just the walls being painted.
ETHEL: “That’s the most hair he’s had on his head in thirty years!”
Just to make sure audiences get the joke, there is a brief insert shot of Fred plugging in the fan in (what he says is) the kitchen. When the cord catches on something and the fan suddenly stops, naturally the blades keep turning for a few moments. William Frawley knows that if he puts the fan down too quickly, it will start blowing the feathers and kill the big joke, so he stalls for a moment or two. Still, when the camera cuts to the side view of the fan pointing toward the open window, the blades, which were slowly rotating in the previous shot, are now completely still.
Architectural Anomaly! In order to facilitate this gag, there’s a window on the left wall of the Mertz apartment.
In “Lucy Wants New Furniture” (S2;E28), there is a door in that wall that leads to the kitchen and back door, although every other time we see the Mertz living room, the kitchen door is on the right, not the left.
At the end of the episode, the redecoration is such a disaster that the Ricardos end up giving the Mertzes their furniture and buying all new for themselves.
Oops! A stray feather from the previous scene wafts down over Lucy’s shoulder during the epilogue.
ETHEL: “What happened to your mink stole?”
LUCY: “We’re sitting on it.”FAST FORWARD!
The feathers fly again when Lucy Carmichael hosts her son’s football team for a sleep over in a 1962 episode of “The Lucy Show.”
Lucy Carmichael also decided to redecorate her Danfield home in a 1963 episode that was actually shot over two seasons. The first 22 minutes of the show were filmed before the summer hiatus after season 1 and the last scene (right) showing the home’s new look was filmed after production resumed in September. Instead of Better Homes and Gardens, Mrs. Carmichael was inspired by Young Moderns magazine.
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“Lucy Tells the Truth”
(S3;E6 ~ November 9, 1953) Directed by William Asher. Written by Jess Oppenheimer, Madelyn Pugh and Bob Carroll, Jr. Filmed October 8, 1953 at Ren-Mar Studios. Rating: 61.4/84
Synopsis ~ When Ricky and the Mertzes bet Lucy she can’t go a day without fibbing, everyone feels more than a bit stung by her brutal honesty.
This episode is based on Lucy’s “My Favorite Husband” radio show titled “The Absolute Truth” (#29) broadcast January 29, 1949.
Jess Oppenheimer’s original script lists a character named Harriet, who was eventually replaced by Marion Strong. Originally, the final scene was Ricky being interrogated by a tax official (Mr. Miller) and not Lucy at the audition. Desi Arnaz refused to perform the scene, necessitating the re-writes.
The episode opens with Ricky and the Mertzes talking about their past in show business. In yet another of the series’ Rodgers & Hammerstein references, Lucy fibs that she was the star of Oklahoma!
ETHEL: “What was your maiden name, Alfred Drake?”
LUCY: “Well, maybe I wasn’t exactly the star, but would you believe I was a featured player? (no reply) Chorus girl? (no reply) Ticket taker?”
Alfred Drake (1914-92) originated the leading role of Curly when the musical Oklahoma! premiered in 1943. A month after this episode first aired he opened on Broadway in the musical Kismet. Meanwhile, Oklahoma! had just closed it’s second New York City revival at City Center starring Florence Henderson (”The Brady Bunch”). The Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals South Pacific had been a punch line in “No Children Allowed” (S2;E22) and The King and I will be mentioned in “The Celebrity Next Door” (LDCH 1957).
Lucy is forced to admit that the closest she’s been to Oklahoma! is spending two weeks in Tulsa. Fred says “Molly McGee should have such a fibber,” making a pun on the title of the long-running radio show “Fibber McGee and Molly” (1935-59). Their most memorable gag was the overstuffed closet, a joke included in all of Lucille Ball’s sitcoms. The show moved to NBC television in 1959, with one episode inspired by the Lucy / Desi film The Long, Long Trailer, and also featuring Charles Lane!
Flowers are delivered for Ricky from Jim and Dorothy Wynn, wishing him a speedy recovery during his sprained ankle – another Lucy lie to get out of a dinner invitation. In “Lucy’s Club Dance” (S3;E25) the women of the Wednesday Afternoon Fine Arts League are gossiping about how Jim gave Dorothy a black eye! The flower delivery man goes uncredited and his face is not seen close-up, but he is probably played by Bennett Green, Desi’s camera and lighting stand-by and frequent series extra.
This is the first of five times that movie star Cary Grant is mentioned on “I Love Lucy”. Although he never appeared on the series, he attended the “All-Star Party for Lucille Ball” in 1984.
After making the bet, Lucy realizes that she is supposed to play cards with Caroline the next day, and starts to telephone her to tell her she is sick. When she realizes that playing sick would be a lie and she’d lose the bet, Lucy does her famous “Ewww” spider face.
As the scene opens in Caroline’s apartment, she is taking a pack of cigarettes out of a Philip Morris carton in her chest of drawers. It seems everyone Lucy knows smokes the sponsor’s product!
At the weekly bridge game, Lucy tells Caroline (sometimes spelled ‘Carolyn’) Appleby (Doris Singleton) her new Chinese modern furniture is “like a bad dream you’d have after eating too much Chinese food.” Caroline has obviously been very busy decorating since the previous episode, “Baby Pictures,” when her apartment was all early American.
Lucy slams Marion Strong (Shirley Mitchell) for her “silly” feathered hat and inane cackling.
LUCY: “I’ve been waiting ten years for you to lay that egg.”
Forced to be honest about herself, Lucy reveals that she is 33 years old, weighs 129 pounds, and her natural hair color is mousy brown. In real life, Lucille Ball’s natural hair color was indeed brown. When this episode was filmed, Lucille Ball was really 42 years old. Lucy Ricardo was consistently 10 years younger than Lucille Ball’s real age. Lucy still weighs as much as she did in the "The Diet” (S1;E3).
The Mayer Twins play Little Ricky. Ricky and Fred try to get him to wave goodbye, but the child isn’t cooperative.
LUCY: (looking at the messy coffee table) “It looks like you fed a whole nursery full of babies.”
On the table in front of Fred is Mr. Squawker, a rubber duck squeeze toy manufactured by Rempel Manufacturing of Akron, Ohio.
When Lucy and Ricky are at the audition, Lucy says Mrs. Trumbull is babysitting, although she does not appear on camera. Because it was known to the TV audience that Lucille Ball was a mother in real life as well, the writers were careful to account for the baby’s well-being while his parents were off solving their comic predicaments.
Ricky arranges for Lucy to audition for a casting director, knowing she’ll probably embroider her experience to get the part and he’ll win the bet. Veteran character actor Charles Lane plays the casting director. This was Lane’s second of four appearances on the show, having already played Mr. Stanley, the expectant father in “Lucy Goes to the Hospital” (S2;E16).
LUCY (trying not to lie): “I was in 3D.”
LANE: “So you were in third dimension?”
LUCY: “No, sir.”
LANE: “Well, what’s 3D if it isn’t third dimension?”
LUCY: “It’s the number on our apartment.”
Although after the Ricardos switched apartments their new apartment number was 3B, starting with this episode it was changed to 3D to make this joke pay off. The early 1950’s was considered the ‘golden era’ of 3D with House of Wax (1953) perhaps one of the most successful films of the genre, released just months before this episode aired.
The same year this episode aired, “I Love Lucy” got on the bandwagon by issuing a 3D photo book, complete with glasses. The idea resurfaced years later when “I Love Lucy Comics” published a 3D edition.
At the audition, Dorothy Lloyd plays Mercedes Minch, the woman who sings like a chicken. Lloyd often contributed animal voices to children’s recordings for Columbia Records, a division of CBS. Sadly, her hysterical song is generally cut in syndication.
Mario Siletti played the knife-throwing Professor Falconi. The actor would return to the show as the Italian farmer who gives the gang shelter in his barn in “The Bicycle Trip” (S5;E24). Lucy has great fun pretending to understand the Professor’s verbose Italian.
The episode breaks the cardinal rule of magic when Ricky explains that the knives actually come from the back and are not thrown.
The original script ended with Lucy finding out that Ricky lied on his tax return and the Ricardos finding out that they will have to undergo an audit.
In the lost un-filmed scene we learn that Ricky went to Kentucky to play with the band, and won some money at the Kentucky Derby, which he failed to report.
It is likely that Charles Lane was scheduled to play Mr. Miller, but when the scene was re-written, the actor was cast as the unnamed casting director at the audition. A smug tax official is certainly the kind of role Lane specialized in and is very similar to his role of Mr. Hickox in “The Business Manager” (S4;E1, above) and banker Barnsdahl on “The Lucy Show”.
Desi Arnaz was very proud of his nationalized status as an American citizen and didn’t want Ricky to lie to the government. The tax scene was scrapped and the knife-throwing scene was written instead. The original ending is reprinted in writer Jess Oppenheimer’s book Laughs, Luck…and Lucy.
FAST FORWARD!
Lucy Carter also was also a knife thrower’s target in a 1969 episode of “Here’s Lucy” when Paul Winchell played a Frenchman named the Great Pierre!
“LUCY SELLS THE TRUTH”
1953, 3D, Barbie Doll, Carolyn Appleby, Cary Grant, Charles Lane, Desi Arnaz, Doris Singleton, Dorothy Lloyd, Ethel Mertz, Fibber McGee and Molly, Fred Mertz, Guyana, I love lucy, knife throwing, Little Ricky, Lucille Ball, Lucy Ricardo, Lucy Tells The Truth, Mario Siletti, Marion Strong, My Favorite Husband, Oklahoma!, Ricky Ricardo, Rodgers and Hammerstein, tv, Vivian Vance, William Frawley -
“Lucy’s Last Birthday”
(S2;E25 ~ May 11, 1953) Directed by William Asher. Written by
Jess Oppenheimer, Madelyn Pugh and Bob Carroll, Jr. Filmed April 16, 1953 at General Service Studios.
Rating: 56.7/86
This episode is based on Lucille Ball’s radio show, “My Favorite Husband” #106 titled "Liz’s Birthday" broadcast November 25, 1950.
Synopsis ~ Lucy doesn’t want a fuss made about her birthday, but she doesn’t want it to be completely forgotten either. When the only one who says she remembers is Mrs. Trumbull, Lucy joins up with a rag-tag group called the Friends of the Friendless, only to discover that Ricky has a huge party planned for her at the Tropicana.
Ten days before this episode went before the cameras, the Arnaz family was on the cover of LIFE. On the day this episode first aired, the issue on the right hit the newsstands.
As a way of thanking LIFE for their publicity, the May 11, 1953 issue was featured in “Ricky’s Life Story” (S3;E1) and “The Great Train Robbery” (S5;E5).
The series celebrated Ethel’s Birthday with a memorable episode, but there is no episode centered around Ricky or Fred’s birthdays. Typical of the 1950s, it was unusual for adult men to publicly celebrate their birthdays.
Ricky’s birthday present to Lucy is a song called “I Love Lucy.” This is the first and only time we get to hear the lyrics to the theme song. The words were written by Harold Adamson.
Columbia Records released it on a 45rpm disc in 1953 with “There’s a Brand New Baby at Our House” on the flip-side.
Other music performed on this episode included “Happy Birthday to You” and the “Friend of the Friendless” original song. In the first Tropicana scene Ricky is just finishing up rehearsing “The Lady in Red”. The song was sung in full when Lucy and Ethel disguise themselves as scrub women to spy on Renita and Ricky as they rehearse during “Cuban Pals” (S1;E28).
The fact that this episode aired on May 11th and filmed on April 16th should not infer that either of these dates are supposed to be Lucy Ricardo’s birth date! In “Lucy’s Mother-in-Law” (S4;E8), Lucy says:
MIND READER’S ASSISTANT: (whispering) “What’s your birthday?”
LUCY: (whispering) “August the sixth.”
MIND READER’S ASSISTANT: “August the sixth what?”
LUCY: “August the sixth period. He’s a mind reader, let him tell you.”Lucille Ball’s actual birthday is August 6th, a date when the company was generally on summer hiatus. Although Lucy claims her age is holding at 29, Lucille Ball was actually 41 at the time this episode was filmed.
Instead of a birthday card, Lucy gets is an invitation to attend the opening of Joe’s Delicatessen. Instead of a birthday present, Ricky gives her his broken watch to be repaired. Waaaaa!
Fred obviously is headed to a jazz club with this busy necktie!
Ricky’s invitation list to Lucy’s birthday bash includes the Orsattis, the Sedgwicks, the Morgans, and the Van Vlacks. These names were inside references to real-life people Lucy and Desi’s life:
- Dolores and Victor Orsatti, a producer and talent agent, one of the Arnazes real-life neighbors;
- Ebba and Edward Sedgwick, the director of “I Love Lucy” and godfather to the Arnaz children;
- Cleo and Ken Morgan, Lucy’s cousins;
- Norm and Marion Van Vlack, Lucy’s friends from Jamestown.
The Morgans and the Sedgwicks even appear in the final scene as party guests.
Ed Sedgewick, who would die of a heart attack three weeks later, was just finishing work on the proposed “I Love Lucy” movie.
This is the second of ten appearances by Elizabeth Patterson as Mrs. Trumbull, the Ricardo’s neighbor and Little Ricky’s go-to baby sitter. Patterson got Lucille Ball right in the eye with this party favor. Ouch!
Patterson also threw confetti at Lucy Ricardo when she played ‘Mother’ Willoughby in “The Marriage License” (S1;E26). Both times she shouts “Weee!”
At this point, infant Little Ricky is being played by Richard and Ronald Lee Simmons. The insert shot of the baby was done after the studio audience had left. The scene between Lucy and Mrs. Trumbull was likely played with an empty bassinet or with a doll stand-in.
Lucy always gets hiccups when she cries; she claims that this has been happening ever since she was a little girl. Mrs. Trumbull tells her to hold her breath for 20 seconds. Unfortunately for Lucy, Mrs. Trumbull has forgotten to wind her watch! Lucille Ball holds out for just over 30 seconds.
Most times, hiccups in comedy indicate inebriation, like when “Lucy Does a TV Commercial” (S1;E30) selling Vitameatavegamin, which contained 23% alcohol.
When questioned if she is sad because she is broke, Lucy replies:
LUCY: “Oh, I’ve got plenty of money.”
FOF LEADER: “Oh, we’re sure of that.”
LUCY: “No, really! (Hiccups) I’m loaded.”
FOF LEADER: “We’re sure of THAT, too.”
As the scene opens at the Tropicana, Ricky thanks “Pugh and Carroll – the two greatest contortionists in America today.” This is an inside joke about “I Love Lucy” writers Madelyn Pugh and Bob Carroll, Jr. Desi’s joke likely refers to the fact that the writers tried out all of Lucy’s stunts before they wrote them into the script.
This is the only time the series visits what appears to be Central Park, which is located just down 68th Street from the Ricardo’s apartment building. This is only the second episode to be set in an exterior location (trees!). The first was “The Marriage License” (S1;E26). More greenery would be used in “The Camping Trip” (S2;E29). In 1961 Lucille Ball played softball in Central Park with the cast of Wildcat and also had an apartment on Central Park South.
The Friends of the Friendless bears more than a passing resemblance to the Salvation Army Mission Band, most famously depicted in the stage musical and film Guys and Dolls.
Both bands include a trombonist, bass drum, and a leader in uniform. Even the show’s “Follow the Fold” Mission Band song is similar to the anthem of the FOF! A scene from the MGM film was included in the original airing of “Lucy and The Dummy” in 1955. The Broadway musical’s star Robert Alda would be seen in several episodes of “The Lucy Show.”
Leading the Friends of the Friendless (FOF) is Byron Foulger. A busy character actor, he would turn up on two episodes of “The Lucy Show” but is perhaps best remembered as the conductor of the Cannonball Express on “Petticoat Junction."
One member of the FOF steps forward to share his tale of woe, Ransom M. Sherman. His speech sounds purposely rehearsed to reflect a 12 step program veteran. Sherman starred as Herbert Dunstan in the TV series "Father of the Bride” (1961-62), also seen on CBS.
The only female FOF was Barbara Pepper, another busy character actor who had already appeared in four episodes of the series, and would go on to appear in four more. She met Lucille Ball early in their careers and two remained life-long friends. She is probably best known for playing mother to Arnold Ziffel The Pig in “Green Acres.” In one 1966 episode she co-starred with fellow FOF Byron Foulger!
Oops! When the Friends of the Friendless first arrive in the park, Barbara Pepper is wearing a hat. As she passes under a tree, her hat gets caught and it falls off. She doesn’t stop to pick it up and she is hat-less for the remainder of the scene and in her next scene in the Tropicana.
Double Duty ‘Boner! During the first rehearsal scene, the Ricky Ricardo orchestra has two trombone players, but in the second scene, one of them is missing. He shows up again with the Friends of the Friendless marching band. So as not to draw attention to the doubling – even his conga drum-shaped music stand was removed!
Vivian Vance gets some comic mileage with just her facial expressions of disbelief and resentment when Ethel has to carry in the huge birthday cake all by herself, with Fred and Ricky standing by and simply admiring the cake, but not helping her at all!
This is William Hamel’s third and final appearance as the Tropicana Maitre d’. Hamel died in 1958 at age 51.
Although not mentioned in the script, Jerry Hausner (Jerry the Agent, right) turns up at the party in the final scene. Hausner had been part of the “I Love Lucy” family since the show’s inception despite his role being minimized after the pilot.
Among the many formally dressed background performers at the Tropicana is Joan Carey (top right above) who later became Lucille Ball’s standby on “The Lucy Show”. Carey turned up in the background of many episodes, especially at the Tropicana.
The bear that celebrates this episode also has Lucille Ball’s birthday on its foot.
FAST FORWARD!
We see Lucy crying a lot during the series, but “Lucy’s Last Birthday” is the only time it triggers hiccups. In “Lucy Takes a Cruise to Havana” (1957), Lucy McGillicuddy tells Susie MacNamara (Ann Sothern) that she doesn’t get the hiccups very often!
In “Lucy and the Sleeping Beauty” (TLS S4;E9), Lucy Carmichael says she always gets the hiccups when she’s hungry.
In Lucy Gets a Roommate (TLS S5;E7) Carol Bradford (Carol Burnett) says she always gets the hiccups when she gets nervous.
Lucy Carter celebrates her birthday at a Chinese Restaurant in this 1968 episode of “Here’s Lucy.” Once again, the traditional song “Happy Birthday To You” is sung – but in Chinese!
1953, Barbara Pepper, Bob Carroll Jr., Byron Foulger, Desi Arnaz, Elizabeth Patterson, Friends of the Friendless, I love lucy, Joan Carey, Little Ricky, Lucille Ball, Lucy Ricardo, Lucy’s Last Birthday, Madelyn Pugh, Mrs. Trumbull, Ransom M. Sherman, Ricky Ricardo, Theme Song, Tropicana, tv, William Hamel -
“The Black Eye”
Readers keepers, losers go look at television!
(S2;E20 ~ March 9, 1953) Directed by William Asher. Written by Jess Oppenheimer, Madelyn Pugh and Bob Carroll, Jr. Filmed September 15, 1952 at General Service Studios. Rating: 67.5/92
The script is based on “The Misunderstanding of the Black Eye,” episode #118 of Lucille Ball’s radio show “My Favorite Husband” aired on February 10, 1951.
This was the last episode filmed before Lucille Ball went on maternity leave. It would be aired with a flashback intro in which Ricky makes reference to the ‘kid’ sleeping in the next room. Ethel comes over looking for Lucy and accidentally opens the door on Fred, bumping his nose! When Ricky warns it may cause a black eye, they recall when they were in a similar predicament.
This was not Lucille Ball’s first on-screen shiner. When she met Desi Arnaz for the very first time she’d been filming a fight scene for the film Dance, Girl, Dance (1940) and sported a black eye.
Nobody ever believes the real story of a black eye!
Synopsis ~ Lucy gets the first shiner when Ricky tosses a book to her, although Fred and Ethel overhear Lucy and Ricky reading the torrid book (above) aloud to one another and won’t believe Lucy’s story. Fred decides the best way for the Ricardos to patch things up is for Ricky to send Lucy flowers, but when Ricky refuses, Fred sends them anyway but in his haste, he signs the card with his own name instead of Ricky’s! Ethel is present when Lucy opens the flowers and then finds Fred hiding in the closet, causing jealous Ethel to hit Fred with the flower box – black eye number two! Fred slugs Ricky n anger – resulting in black eye number three! In the final scene, Ethel arrives to complete the black-eyed foursome confirming that you can indeed get a black-eye from a tossed book!
Although the novel read aloud in the episode was made up by the writers, the prop book is actually The D.A. Takes a Chance by Erle Stanley Gardner, who is also the author of the Perry Mason novels.
The hard cover of Lucy’s book looks like the 1st edition from 1948 without its dust jacket.
In this episode, the Evans Cornucopia Lighter and Cigarette Server is displayed on the Ricardo’s coffee table.
Highly collectible today, these items were endorsed by actress Jane Wyman in print ads during the 1950s.
The upright vacuum Lucy uses in this episode was not a Handy Dandy product but a Hoover model 62. The cleaner was reproduced by Vandor as collectible ceramic salt and pepper shakers.
In order to patch things up between Lucy and Ricky (who he believes are feuding) Fred orders Lucy some flowers from Ricky with the help of Pete the florist played by Bennett Green, Desi’s camera and lighting stand-in.
Hazel Pierce, Lucille Ball’s camera and lighting stand-in, does a quick walk by on the the street in front of the florist shop.
Oops! Before shutting the box and hastily scribbling the card, Fred tells Pete to put in some gladiolas, too. (An incongruous combination that sounds like an ad-lib by William Frawley.) When Lucy later opens the box, however, the gladdies are nowhere to be seen!
Lucy reads the card aloud, signed “Eternally yours, Fred.”
LUCY: “Oh, now, Ethel, you certainly don’t think that these are from Fred Mertz, do you?”
ETHEL: “Well, this card certainly wasn’t written by Fred MacMurray.”
Fred MacMurray and William Frawley had starred together in a 1935 police drama called Car 99. In 1958, MacMurray would guest star on “Lucy Hunts Uranium” (above) an episode of “The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour.” Starting in 1960 Frawley would co-star with MacMurray on the family sitcom “My Three Sons” as Uncle Bub, playing the role for five years, until declining health forced his replacement by another William, William Demarest.
In the radio script that this episode is closely based upon, the character equivalent of Fred was named Rudolph. So when the box of flowers is opened Iris (Ethel’s equivalent) says, “Well, it isn’t Rudolph Valentino!”
ETHEL: “Boy, that rat really gave you a mouse!”
The comedy trope of putting a raw steak on a black eye dates back to before home freezers, when raw meet had to be kept cold thus they were as good a cold pack to keep swelling down. In modern times another grocery item – a bag of frozen peas – has supplanted the raw steak. From steak and peas to….
Bananas!
This is one of many episodes where Ethel / Vivian Vance enjoys her favorite fruit: the banana!
Was this subliminal sexual imagery or is Ethel subconsciously manifesting her untapped passions due to her love-less marriage to Fred?
Vance’s proclivity for bananas continued on “The Lucy Show” where she played Vivian Bagley – a divorcee. Here she enjoys a banana in bed. Draw your own conclusions!
FAST FORWARD
The end of “Fan Magazine Interview” (S3;E17) finds Ricky with a black eye from a punch thrown by Joe, Minnie Finch’s jealous husband!
Black eyes are also a major part of “Lucy Goes To Sun Valley”, a 1958 episode of “The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour” where both Ricky and guest star Fernando Lamas end up with black eyes.
Lucy Carmichael’s son Jerry (Jimmy Garret) got a shiner on a 1963 episode of “The Lucy Show.”
1953, Bananas, Bennett Green, Cigarette Lighters, Desi Arnaz, Ethel Mertz, Fan Magazine Interview, Fernando Lamas, Fred MacMurray, Fred Mertz, Hoover Vacuum, I love lucy, Jimmy Garrett, Katherine Card, Lucille Ball, Lucy, Lucy Goes To Sun Valley, Lucy Hunts Uranium, Lucy Ricardo, Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour, My Favorite Husband, Ricky Ricardo, Rudolph Valentino, Seinfeld, steak, The Black Eye, The Lucy Show, tv, Vivian Vance, William Frawley -
Actual photo of Vivian Vance as a bathing beauty used in “Ethel’s Hometown” 
Photo-shopped snapshot of Fred & Ethel’s wedding! 
Ethel Mae Potter – We Never Forgot Her! 
Just when Fred gets amorous….Ethel looks her most un-glamorous! 
As ‘leading home economist’ Mary Margaret McMertz! 
On the floor with Lucy mopping her backside – Vivian was a trouper! 
Looking fairly glam waiting for the rain to stop “In Palm Springs”. 
Ethel discovers new-found cash after her women from Mars stunt! 
Ethel was usually on the phone to warn Lucy her schemes were about to unravel! 
Giving Fred the evil eye! Happy Birthday to the best side-kick ever – Miss Vivian Vance!
She was born on July 26, 1909, in Cherryvale, Kansas, although just like her TV counterpart Ethel Mertz, she soon moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico, where she was encouraged by her teachers to become a performer. The role of Ethel Mertz was originally intended for Lucy’s radio co-star Bea Benaderet, but Desi Arnaz saw Vivian performing onstage in “The Voice of the Turtle” and cast her in the role just a couple of months before filming began in fall 1951. The rest is television history!
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