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DICK SARGENT
April 19, 1930
Dick Sargent was born Richard Stanford Cox in Carmel, California. His mother was an actress and his father was an entertainment industry manager.
Sargent attended the San Rafael Military Academy before majoring in drama at Stanford University. He was most famous for being the ‘second Darrin’ on “Bewitched”.
His first screen appearance was on “I Married Joan,” NBC TV’s answer to “I Love Lucy,” on February 10, 1954.
His only time working for Desilu was on a 1962 episode of “Kraft Mystery Theatre” produced by Desi Arnaz and filmed at Desilu. For some reason, the episode was filmed in 1960 and not aired for two years.
In December 1969 he took over the role of Darrin Stephens on “Bewitched” due to the illness of Dick York, who created the character on the long-running sitcom. She series was produced by Harry Ackerman and Bill Asher, both of whom had worked on “I Love Lucy.” Sargent did 84 episodes of the series, which ended in March 1972.
On New Year’s Eve 1973, Sargent was seen on “Here’s Lucy” in “Lucy Plays Cops and Robbers” (HL S6;E14). Sargent played a policeman named Officer Spencer. His partner was played by Gary Crosby, son of Bing Crosby. This was Sargent’s only time acting opposite Lucille Ball.
He continued to act on television and in films until his death on July 8, 1984.
Shortly before his death, Sargent publicly proclaimed he was gay, and became what he called “a retroactive role model” in the battle for gay rights.
His final screen appearance was in the film Acting On Impulse starring C. Thomas Howell. The cast also included an 88 year-old Charles Lane as a bellhop.
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SUNDAY NEWS COLOROTO
April 19, 1942
Lucille Ball appeared on the Coloroto supplement section of the Sunday New York News on April 19, 1942.
The blurb inside uses the usual studio publicity for Lucille, some of it exaggeration. She was not born in Butte, Montana (Jamestown, New York), nor was she 28 in 1942 (30). While Lucy was employed in a few stage shows, Broadway eluded her until 1960. Desi Arnaz is unusually called a “dancer” rather than “singer”.
ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHERS
Well before color reproductions and color snapshots became commonplace, pioneering photographer Harry Warnecke (1900–84) and Robert F. Cranston (1898-78) at the New York Daily News’ Color Studio created brilliant, richly-hued portraits for the newspaper’s Sunday News magazine.
Employing a special one-shot camera of his own design, Warnecke began producing color images for the Daily News in the 1930s by utilizing the technically demanding, tri-color carbro process—an early form of color photography. Over the course of several decades, Warnecke and his team photographed hundreds of people in the news, from popular film stars and athletes to military leaders and government officials.
This photographic portrait of Lucille Ball by Wareneke and Cranston was done in 1944 and today hangs in the National Portrait Gallery in Washington DC.
The headline of the paper that contained this Coloroto section. The Doolittle Raid, also known as the Tokyo Raid, was an air raid on April 18, 1942 by the United States on the Japanese capital Tokyo and other places on Honshu during World War II. It was the first air operation to strike the Japanese archipelago. It demonstrated that the Japanese mainland was vulnerable to American air attack, served as retaliation for the attack on Pearl Harbor, and provided an important boost to American morale.
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TV WEEK
April 18, 1964
On Saturday, April 18, 1964, Lucille Ball and Bob Hope appeared on the cover of the Chicago Tribune’s television listings supplement TV Week. The cover was a promotion for their TV special “Mr. and Mrs.” aka “The Lucille Ball Comedy Hour” on Sunday, April 19, 1964.
The Los Angeles Times also used a photo from the same shoot on the same date to promote the special in their supplement, TV Times.
The next evening saw the premiere of “Lucy is a Process Server” (TLS S2;E27), which also featured Gale Gordon. This is the penultimate episode of season two, and was originally aired by CBS in black and white, although filmed in color.
As if a double dose of Lucy wasn’t enough, on Friday the Chicago area enjoyed Look Who’s Laughing (1941), Lucille Ball’s 53rd feature film. The Tribune only rates it Fair!
On April 18, 1964, here’s the headline of the newspaper that contained this TV Week.
The television markets served by Chicago Tribune’s TV Week included the three major networks, and three independent stations.
Lucille Ball also appeared on the cover of Chicago Tribune’s TV Week on September 17, 1956, November 2, 1957, October 5, 1963, and May 16, 1964.
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BOB HASTINGS
April 18, 1925
Robert Francis Hastings was born in Brooklyn, New York. He started out as a boy singer on “National Barn Dance”, “Doug Gray’s Singing Gang” and “Coast to Coast on a Bus”. He also portrayed Jerry on the radio program “The Sea Hound.” Hastings served during World War II in the United States Army Air Corps.
He was best known for his portrayal of annoying suck-up Lt. Elroy Carpenter on “McHale’s Navy” (1962-66).
The good-looking Hastings made the transition from radio to television in 1949 in “Captain Video and His Video Rangers” in which his younger brother Don played the leading role.
His first recurring role was as Lieutenant Wilson on “The Phil Silvers Show” aka “Sgt. Bilko” doing eight episodes between 1955 and 1959. He did not appear in the one which featured Lucille Ball in March 1959.
In 1959 he appeared in an episode of Desilu’s “The Real McCoys” (above left), his first time working for Desilu, quickly followed by an episode of Desilu’s “The Untouchables.” In 1961, he was seen on “Angel”, a series filmed at Desilu Studios.
Little known fact: Hastings was the voice of the wise-cracking raven in the clock on “The Munsters”! He shared the role with voice artist Mel Blanc, although Hastings did more episodes. The clock itself later found it’s way to “Here’s Lucy” (just like Hastings), the raven did not come with it! It was replaced by a cardinal.
On October 12, 1970, Hastings played Martin Phillips, a man with a malfunctioning doll, in “Lucy, the Crusader” (HL S3;E5). Phillips complains about a doll that is supposed to walk, talk, and wet. It only does two of the three properly. (Guess which one!)
Hastings’ final screen appearance was in the 1992 film Shadow Force starring Dirk Benedict. He played a mayor.
After this, he worked exclusively in voice-over for animation and video games, becoming known as the voice of Batman’s Commissioner Gordon. He has played the character on four different series: “Batman: The Animated Series” (1992), “Superman: The Animated Series” (1996), “The New Batman Adventures” (1997) and “Static Shock” (2000).
He died on June 30, 2014 at age 89. From 1948 until his death he was married to Joan Marie Rice. They had four children.
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6 WEEKS turns into 3 YEARS
April 17, 1938
Lucille Ball’s 6-Week Stay In Filmland Lasts 3 Years
By Harriet Parsons (Special to The Examiner) HOLLYWOOD
Practically everyone who saw “Stage Door" wanted to know the name of “the funny tail girl who went home to Oregon to marry a lumberman." They know now she’s Lucille Ball… and she’s since been promoted to comedy leads.
Three years ago Lucille was a fashion mannequin in New York City. Samuel Goldwyn brought her to Hollywood to be a showgirl in "Roman Scandals”. She expected to stay exactly six weeks… but she got a break in the Ginger Rogers-Fred Astaire musical, “Roberta” and was immediately signed by RKO.
There she went Into training under Mrs. Leila Rogers, then head of the studio talent school. Good performances in Little Theater plays on the lot brought her to the attention of producers. There followed small roles In “Top Hat,” “Chatterbox,” “Follow the Fleet” and “Winterset."
Her first real chance came with the second femme lead in "That Girl From Paris.” “Stage Door” convinced the studio she was a valuable property and she was handed important roles in “Having Wonderful Time” and “The Joy of Living.” She’s just finished playing opposite Joe Penner in “Go Chase Yourself” and RKO is planning on building her into a star comedienne. Originally picked as a beauty and glamour girl, she’s developed a fine flair for comedy.
Born in Butte, Mont. (1) moved to Jamestown, N. Y. as a baby and calls that city ‘home.’ Graduated from the Chautauqua Institute of Music. Family planned a musical career for her, but she wanted to be an actress and enrolled with the John Murray Anderson School In New York City, played in stock and with road companies, was chosen by the late Florenz Ziegfeld as a show girl in “Rio Rita.” Interludes of starving and living in cheap hall room between shows sent her into the mannequin model business for Hattie Carnegie.
For three years was a star also posed for posters advertising a famous brand of cigarettes, got plenty of jobs In shows but never had money enough to last her through rehearsals, would always quit and return to modeling.
Since coming to Hollywood she’s only returned to Broadway once, went back for eight weeks last fall to appear in “Hey, Diddle, Diddle.” (2)
Has blue eyes and blond hair (3), is 5 feet 6 ½ inches tall and weighs 120 pounds. Has to eat fattening food to keep her weight up. The height and slenderness which made her an ideal mannequin now aid her as a comic.
(Formatting, punctuation, and spelling errors have been corrected from the original.)
FOOTNOTES
(1) Lucille Ball claimed to come from Butte, Montana, for most of her film career. She originally thought it sounded more interesting than Jamestown, New York.
(2) Although she did appear in “Hey Diddle Diddle” the play did not go to Broadway. It opened at McCarter Theatre in New Jersey and was headed to Broadway when a cast member got ill and the engagement was cancelled. Lucille’s Broadway debut came in 1960 with “Wildcat.”
(3) A natural brunette, Lucille dyed her hair blonde at first, and was later convinced to try red to attract more attention in color movies. She became known as Technicolor Tessie.
Author Harriet Parsons (1906-83) was the daughter of famed gossip maven Louella Parsons, who was mentioned several times on “I Love Lucy”. Like Louella, Harriet was a shrewd professional who combated the prejudices of her contemporaries in order to achieve success in the Hollywood film industry. Upon signing with Columbia Pictures to direct and produce in 1934, Harriet became the only woman producer and, with the exception of Dorothy Arzner, the only woman director working in Hollywood at that time.
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TV GUIDE: TOTEM POLE
April 17, 1953
On April 17, 1953, just two weeks after the first edition of TV Guide featuring Lucy and Desi Jr. on the cover was published, Lucy and Little Ricky were on the cover of TV Guide in a drawing by Jack Weaver. Lucy is depicted as the top of a TV totem pole featuring Cid Caesar, Imogene Coca, Milton Berle, and Arthur Godfrey – all TV pioneers. Lucy is holding a pack of Philip Morris cigarettes and Little Ricky’s rattle has a TV antenna on it! The artwork is by Jack Weaver.
“Fun Factory” Television comics Labor Where Movie Stars Reigned
Photographs include Gale Gordon on the set of “Our Miss Brooks,” Ann Sothern on the set of “Private Secretary”…
…and Desi Arnaz setting a camera distance (with a tape measure) for “I Love Lucy”.
All photos were taken at busy General Service Studios, where “Lucy” was filmed during its initial few seasons.
Everyone is reading TV Guide! The issue they have in their hands is the very first one featuring Desi Jr. and Lucille Ball!
The back cover of the April 17, 1953 edition featured the premiere issue with Lucy and Little Desi, on top of a television set.
The week this issue hit the newsstands, America saw the premiere of “No Children Allowed” (ILL S2;E22) on April 20, 1953.
Meanwhile, the cast and crew had just wrapped “The Ricardos Change Apartments” filmed on filmed April 16, 1953.
This is not the last time Lucy would be at the top of a totem pole. In “Lucy, the Rain Goddess” (TLS S4;E15) aired on January 3, 1966, Lucy Carmichael is the spitting image of a native American rain goddess on the outskirts of a dude ranch.
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WILLIAM HOLDEN
April 17, 1918
William Holden was born as William Franklin Beedle Jr. in O’Fallon, Illinois.
His family moved to South Pasadena when he was three. After graduating from South Pasadena High School, Holden attended Pasadena Junior College, where he became involved in local radio plays.
He made his screen debut in an uncredited role in Paramount’s Prison Farm (1938).
In 1949, he appeared with Lucille Ball in the film Miss Grant Takes Richmond.
“The Screen Guild Theater” broadcast a 60 minute radio adaptation of the movie on February 22, 1951 with William Holden reprising his film role.
His first scripted television show was playing himself on “I Love Lucy” in their very first California episode “Hollywood at Last!” aka “L.A. at Last!” (ILL S4;E16) filmed on December 2, 1954 and first aired on February 7, 1955. Holden had the privilege of appearing in not one, but two iconic Lucy stunts:
Getting a pie in the face at the Brown Derby;
And watching Lucy light her putty nose on fire.
Holden is the first and only actor on “I Love Lucy” to have won a competitive acting Oscar at the time of his appearance on the show. It was for Stalag 17 (1953). He was first nominated in 1950 for Sunset Boulevard, and was nominated again in 1976 for Network.
“Take any picture you can. One out of four will be good, one out of ten will be very good, and one out of 15 will get you an Academy Award.” ~ William Holden
In return for his appearance in this episode, Holden got to promote his most recent film, The Country Girl (1954) with Bing Crosby and Grace Kelly. The movie was first seen in Los Angeles just nine days after this episode was filmed.
LUCY: (on the phone) “Would you like me to give a message to any of the gang out there? Oh, all right. (writing) Tell Bill Holden that Marion Van Vlack saw ‘Sabrina’ five times!
Before she even left New York, Lucy was talking about Bill Holden. His film Sabrina was released a month prior to this episode being filmed on October 21, 1954. In 1955 it was nominated for six Oscars, winning for costumes.
As the first actor Ball encountered (aside from Eve Arden) in Hollywood, Holden was often mentioned in future series dialogue.
When “Lucy Meets Charles Boyer” (ILL S5;E19) in Paris, Ricky warns the star about Lucy’s messy encounter with Bill Holden at the Brown Derby. Boyer decides it is better to be Maurice DuBois than himself!
Holden’s wife, Brenda Marshall, appeared in “The Fashion Show” (ILL S4;E20), although she is only referred to as “Mrs. William Holden.” The couple were married from 1941 to 1971.
After “Hollywood at Last!”, Lucille Ball and William Holden were seen together only twice more. The first time was in isolated cameos on “The Dean Martin Christmas Show” in 1968. The second was a celebration of the work of director George Marshall on “The Merv Griffin Show” in July 1971.
His final screen appearance was in Blake Edwards’ S.O.B. (1981) starring Julie Andrews.
He died on November 12, 1981 at age 63.
In an episode of “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” (2018), Midge takes her friend Imogene to New York’s Stage Deli where she expects to see famous people like Bill Holden, but is disappointed. The scene takes place in Fall 1959.
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JOHNNY SILVER
April 16, 1918
Johnny Silver was born John Silverman in East Chicago, Indiana. Silver’s performing arts career started early, singing as a youth, and then expanded to acting. His early career involved performing with actor John Raitt at L.A. City College as well as radio work. He also worked as a burlesque comic.
He made his big screen debut in the screen adaptation of Guys and Dolls (1955) playing Benny Southstreet (above center). A clip from the Damon Runyon musical was included in the original airing of “I Love Lucy” episode “Lucy and the Dummy” (ILL S5;E3) on October 17, 1955 as part of the MGM show. The clip was removed after the first airing and has never since been part of the episode. Ruskin did not appear in the clip.
Prior to that, he made his small screen debut on “NBC Television Opera Theatre” doing three episodes in 1950.
It should be no surprise that he made his Desilu debut on “The Untouchables,” doing two episodes in 1959, and 1960. Both times he played uncredited ‘gangsters’.
From 1956 to 1961, Silver appeared as various characters on seven episodes of “The Danny Thomas Show” aka “Make Room for Daddy”, shot at Desilu, twice playing Mr. Shermahorn. The series did cross-over episodes with “The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour” in 1958, although Silver was not part of it.
From 1961 to 1965, Silver appeared as various characters on five episodes of “The Joey Bishop Show”, shot a Desilu Studios.
From 1963 to 1965, Silver appeared as various character on fifteen episodes of “The Dick Van Dyke Show,” also shot at Desilu.
Back on the Desilu lot in October 1966, Silver played an alien (actually an actor playing an alien) on an episode of “Gomer Pyle USMC” (above right), cast because of his height, 4′11″. “The Lucy Show” did a cross-over episode with “Gomer Pyle” a month later, although Silver was not part of it.
From 1962 to 1972, Silver did four episodes of “My Three Sons” shot at Desilu, the first two opposite William Frawley.
In February 1971, he finally joined Lucille Ball on the “Here’s Lucy” episode “The Hollywood Unemployment Follies” starring Carol Burnett. He plays the shortest of four Canadian Mounties singing “Stout-hearted Men,” a song by Sigmund Romberg and Oscar Hammerstein II.
He returned to the series in November 1972 to play Benny in “Dirty Gertie” (HL S5;E10) in a nod to his character Benny Southstreet in Guys and Dolls.
His final screen appearance was a small role on “Seinfeld” on May 18, 1955.
He died on February 1, 2003 at age 84.
He was married to Gloria Manos and was survived by their two daughters: Stephanie Silver and Jennie Silver, who work together as a singing duet called The Silver Belles.
“If you can’t laugh at life, you might as well blow your brains out.” ~ Johnny Silver
For the record, he died of heart and kidney failure.
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EDIE ADAMS
April 16, 1927
Edie Adams was born Edith Elizabeth Enke in Kingston, Pennsylvania. Her family moved around before settling in Tenafly, New Jersey, where she attended Tenafly High School. Ada Enke taught her daughter singing and piano. Adams’s grandmother, a seamstress, taught her how to sew. She earned a vocal degree from Juilliard and then graduated from Columbia School of Drama. She studied at the Actors Studio in New York and at the Traphagen School of Fashion. Initially, Adams could not decide whether to pursue a career in fashion or music, so she tossed a coin, and music won.
In August 1949, she joined the cast of “Versatile Varieties” an early television variety show. In 1951, she became a vocalist for “Ernie in Kovacsland” and by 1954, she had married its star, comedian Ernie Kovacs.
“Here was this guy with the big moustache, the big cigar, and the silly hat. I thought, ‘I don’t know what this is, but it’s for me’.“ ~ Edie Adams, about Ernie Kovacs
She made her Broadway debut in the musical Wonderful Town in 1952, which earned her the Theatre World Award for Best Newcomer. A few years later, she won a supporting actress Tony Award for playing Daisy Mae in the musical Li’l Abner (1956, above). In 1956, she promoted the musical on Desilu’s “The Walter Winchell Show.” Following that were more musical and dramatic ventures on the stage, as well as joining Kovacs on his various television shows.
In April 1960, Adams and Kovacs were the very last guest stars to encounter the Ricardos as they guest-starred as themselves in “Lucy Meets the Mustache” on “The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour.”
In it, Adams showed off her bravura musical talents by singing the poignant ballad “That’s All” – a fitting goodbye to characters America had come to know and love.
In a interview later in her life, Adams told a story that when she arrived on set, she was approached by Lucy’s hairstylist who insisted that she needed her hair done. Adams told her that she had just had it down that morning and the stylist confided that “Lucy doesn’t like it”. Adams’ hair was then washed, set, and styled. Lucy took one look at it and realized it was too much like her own and told them to change it back. So Adams’ hair was again washed, set, and styled. All for a half-day shoot! Desi apologized on behalf of his wife, explaining that Lucy was in a bad mood that day.
In 1961 and 1962, Adams was interviewed on the Desilu show “Here’s Hollywood.” The series talked to celebrities in their own homes.
In 1962 and 1963, she had her own show “Here’s Edie” for which she even got to design some of the costumes. The show was nominated for two Emmy Awards.
In 1968, Edie Adams appeared on an episode of “The Lucy Show” as an old flame of Mr. Mooney (Gale Gordon) looking to take him away from his wife.
To scare her off, Lucy pretends to be “Mooney’s Other Wife” (TLS S6;E18).
In 2000, Adams participated in interviews for “American Masters’ Finding Lucy.”
She died on October 15, 2008 at age 81. After Kovacs died in 1962, she married twice more. She had two children – Josh and Mia. Like Kovacs, Mia was killed in a car crash in 1982.
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FLORENCE BATES
April 15, 1888
Florence Bates (nee Florence Rabe) was born in San Antonio, Texas.
After earning her degree in mathematics, Florence went to law school and became the first woman attorney in the history of the state of Texas. She traveled abroad extensively and was fluent in many languages. After the crash of 1929, she moved to California where she auditioned for the part of Miss Bates in the Pasadena Playhouse production of Jane Austen’s Emma. It launched a career playing snooty matrons and demanding dowagers. As a nod to her good fortune, she changed her last name to Bates.
Her screen debut came in an uncredited role in The Man in Blue (1937).
In 1940, she was cast by Alfred Hitchcock as Mrs. Edythe Van Hopper in Rebecca (above). She was equally adept at comedy, appearing as Danny Kaye’s prospective mother-in-law in The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (1947) and as the inebriated Russian dance teacher, Madame Dilyovska, in On the Town (1949).
Her first television appearance was an episode of “Oboler Comedy Theatre” titled “Love, Love, Love” in October 1949. The episode also featured Hans Conried, with whom she shares a birthday. Other “Lucy” cast members in the episode included Gloria Blondell, Jerry Hausner, Benny Rubin, and Mary Shipp.
Florence Bates played Mrs. Pettebone, surprise investigating committee chair for the “Pioneer Women” (ILL S1;E25) filmed on February 22, 1952 and first aired on March 31, 1952.
On December 14, 2018 CBS presented a colorized version of this episode as part of their annual “I Love Lucy” Christmas Special.
Mrs. Pomerantz (right) was played by Ruth Perrott, who had played Katie, the maid on Lucille Ball’s radio show “My Favorite Husband.”
In December 1952, she did an episode of “Our Miss Brooks” filmed by Desilu. It also featured Eve Arden, Gale Gordon, Paula Winslowe, and Richard Crenna. Bates played a woman in the exchange office of a department store.
Bates was an avid knitter, and could usually be found knitting between takes. She continued acting in films until her death in January 1954. Her final appearance was on an episode of “The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet” in December 1953. She was 65 years old.
She was married twice and had one child. Bates was a true pioneer woman!
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