Every Film I Watch In 2023:

82. Four Samosas (2022)

LUCY GETS LUCKY

March 1, 1975

Directed by Jack Donohue ~ Written by Robert O'Brien

Synopsis

Lucy Collins comes to Las Vegas to see Dean Martin perform at the newly-opened MGM Grand Hotel. When Lucy's reservation falls through, she hears that Martin is doing a special show for employees and promptly gets herself hired. Naturally, Lucy causes chaos in each department she is transferred to: valet parking, cocktail waitress, Keno girl. But Lucy gets lucky when Dean Martin takes a liking to her and arranges a front row seat at his show.  

Cast

Lucille Ball (Lucy Collins) was born on August 6, 1911 in Jamestown, New York. She began her screen career in 1933 and was known in Hollywood as ‘Queen of the B’s’ due to her many appearances in ‘B’ movies. With Richard Denning, she starred in a radio program titled “My Favorite Husband” which eventually led to the creation of “I Love Lucy,” a television situation comedy in which she co-starred with her real-life husband, Latin bandleader Desi Arnaz. The program was phenomenally successful, allowing the couple to purchase what was once RKO Studios, re-naming it Desilu. When the show ended in 1960 (in an hour-long format known as “The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour”) so did Lucy and Desi’s marriage. In 1962, hoping to keep Desilu financially solvent, Lucy returned to the sitcom format with “The Lucy Show,” which lasted six seasons. She followed that with a similar sitcom “Here’s Lucy” co-starring with her real-life children, Lucie and Desi Jr., as well as Gale Gordon, who had joined the cast of “The Lucy Show” during season two. Before her death in 1989, Lucy made one more attempt at a sitcom with “Life With Lucy,” also with Gordon.

Lucy Collins lives in Los Angeles and took the bus to Las Vegas.

Dean Martin (Himself) also played himself (and his stunt man doppelganger Eddie Feldman) in “Lucy Dates Dean Martin” (TLS S4;E21) in 1966.  He was born Dino Paul Crocetti in Steubenville, Ohio, in 1917. He made his screen debut in a short playing a singer in Art Mooney’s band, but his first big screen role was 1949’s My Friend Irma with Jerry Lewis. This began a partnership that would be one of the most successful screen pairings in cinema history. Later, he also worked frequently members of “the Rat Pack”: Frank Sinatra, Joey Bishop, Peter Lawford, and Sammy Davis Jr.  His persona was that of a playboy, usually seen with a glass of booze and a cigarette. Martin and Lucille Ball appeared on many TV variety and award shows together. He died on Christmas Day in 1995 at age 78.     

Jackie Coogan (Gus L. Mitchell, below center) was a child actor. In “Ricky’s Screen Test” (ILL S4;E6) Lucy Ricardo hopes Little Ricky will be “the next Jackie Coogan.” Coogan was once married to Flower Parry, who was a frequent extra on “I Love Lucy.”  He is, of course, best remembered as Uncle Fester on TV’s “The Addams Family” (1964-66). He made two appearances on “The Lucy Show” and on one episode of “Here's Lucy.” He died in 1984 at age 69.

Gus Mitchell is head of personnel at the MGM Grand.

Bruce Gordon (Max Siegel / Vogel, above right) is best known for playing Frank Nitti on the Desilu series “The Untouchables” (1959-63).  He played a version of the character when “The Lucy Show” parodied “The Untouchables” in 1966. He was also seen in “Lucy and the Ex-Con” (HL S1;E15) in 1969.

Although the final credits list him as Max Vogel, in the special Gordon clearly says his name is Max Siegel. He is a toy company executive with a business that has been suffering due to shipping problems with their baby dolls.

Paul Picerni (Packy West) was a also cast member of Desilu’s “The Untouchables” from 1959 to 1963. He was seen in four episodes of “Here’s Lucy.”

Lee Delano (Chuck Murdock) previously appeared on the Desilu shows “Star Trek” and “Mission: Impossible.”  

Packy and Chuck are Max's gambling buddies.

Ken Lane (Himself) was Dean Martin's musical arranger, pianist, and, alongside Nelson Riddle, also served as composer for this special, although he was uncredited for that work.

Hal England (Dean Martin's Arranger) was an experienced Broadway actor who began screen acting in 1960. He previously appeared in “Lucy and the Astronauts” (HL S4;E5) and “My Fair Buzzi” (HL S5;E13). England died in 2003.

Joey Forman (Eddie) had a nightclub act with Mickey Rooney during the 1950s that led to his appearance on many TV variety shows.  He will also appear in “Lucy Calls the President” in 1979.

Eddie is the head of valet parking at the MGM Grand.

Gino Conforti (Antonio) began his TV acting career in 1968 and has been continually working since, although mostly as one-off characters. He had a recurring role as Felipe on “Three’s Company” from 1980 to 1982, a series Lucille Ball admired. He played the burglar in “Lucy Plays Cops and Robbers” (HL S6;E14) in 1974. He will also be seen in and “Three for Two” later in 1975.  

Antonio is the Maitre D' at the Celebrity Room. His name is never mentioned in the dialogue.

Vanda Barra (Gladys) made over two dozen appearances on “Here’s Lucy” as well as appearing in Ball’s “Three for Two” (with Jackie Gleason). She was seen in half a dozen episodes of “The Lucy Show.” Barra was Lucille Ball’s cousin-in-law by marriage to Sid Gould. 

Gladys is the desk clerk (possibly owner) of the Cactus Flower Motel.

Sid Gould (Taxi Driver) made more than 45 appearances on “The Lucy Show” and nearly as many on “Here’s Lucy.” Gould (born Sydney Greenfader) was Lucille Ball’s cousin by marriage to Gary Morton. He was previously in the Lucille Ball Special “Happy Anniversary and Goodbye.”  

Gary Morton (Al) was a comedian who worked the famed ‘Borscht Belt’ in the Catskills Mountains. He met Lucille Ball shortly after her divorce from Desi Arnaz and they married in November 1961. At her request, Morton gave up his nightclub career and became a producer of “The Lucy Show.” Morton also served as a warm-up comic for the show’s studio audience. He is also Producer of this special. Morton passed away in 1999.

Al is a pit boss at the MGM Grand.  His name is not spoken in the dialogue.

Bonnie Boland (Sally) played Mabel on “Chico and the Man.” The last of her six episodes aired two weeks after this special was first broadcast.

Sally is a waitress at the MGM Grand Coffee Shop.

Jack Donohue (Ralph) was the director of this special, as well as many episodes of “The Lucy Show” and “Here's Lucy.” He would sometimes make cameo appearances in the episodes he directed.

Joan Swift (Dawn) made six appearances on the “The Lucy Show” as well as two episodes of “Here’s Lucy.” This special is her final screen credit.

Dawn is Ralph's wife. Lucy parks their car when they arrive at the MGM Grand.

Judith Wright (Peggy, Keno Girl)

Jane Aull (Keno Girl) was a background performer making her fifth and final screen appearance.

While making a telephone call, the character is mistaken from the back for Lucy.

Jay Jones (Maintenance Man) makes his screen debut with this special.

Roy Rowan (Voice Over Announcer, uncredited) was Lucille Ball’s announcer for all of her sitcoms. He also made occasional on-camera appearances. 

During his introductions, Rowan doesn’t use the show's title, but calls it “The Lucille Ball Special.”  This was also the case with “Happy Anniversary and Goodbye,” which had nearly identical voice-over announcements introducing the show.

This was Lucille Ball's second primetime special after the end of “Here's Lucy” in 1974. The first was “Happy Anniversary and Goodbye” four months earlier.  After playing a character named Norma in that special, Ball is back to playing a character named Lucy. This time her last name is Collins. 

In 1953's “Lucy is Matchmaker” (ILL S3;E27), Lucy tried to fix up Eddie Grant with a girl named Sylvia Collins, although the character remained off-screen. 

On “The Lucy Show” Viv’s on-again-off-again boyfriend was named Eddie Collins. 

Collins is the surname assigned to Robert Cummings on a 1972 episode of “Here’s Lucy”. 

In the film Follow The Fleet (1936), Lucille Ball’s character is named Kitty Collins.

On a 1966 “The Lucy Show” Mr. Mooney and Lucy Carmichael meet the hip hypnotist Pat Collins (her real name)!

This special is available on DVD from MPI video or can be streamed online. It was originally aired on CBS in the USA and ITV in the UK. Like “Happy Anniversary and Goodbye”, this show is sponsored by Timex, which gets opening title credit.

Writer Robert O'Brien had written 54 episodes of “The Lucy Show” and 24 of “Here's Lucy,” many of which were directed by Jack Donohue.

The biggest departure for this special is there is no studio audience or laugh track.  

Lucille Ball reunites with many of her “Here's Lucy” production staff, including hairstylist Irma Kusely, prop master Kenneth Westcott, costumer Renita Reachi, production manager William Maginetti, and script supervisor Dorothy Aldworth.

Location shooting was done at the (then) newly opened MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas. Scenes set inside the Cactus Flower Motel were shot at Paramount Studios in Hollywood. This is the second time Lucille Ball has shot on location in Las Vegas, the first being at Caesars for “Happy Anniversary and Goodbye.” Although episodes of her television shows were set in the city, actor doubles and second unit footage were used while Ball remained in Hollywood.  

Dean Martin's name was seen on the marquee of the Riviera Hotel when Lucy Carter went to Las Vegas in 1970's “Lucy and Wayne Newton” (HL S2;E22, above), three years before the MGM Grand was built. Lucille Ball first used location footage of Las Vegas in “Lucy Hunts Uranium” (LDCH 1958). Lucy Carmichael also visited the town in 1965's “Lucy Goes to Vegas” (TLS S3;E17), however no establishing or location footage was shot, and the episode was filmed entirely on the Desilu soundstage in Hollywood.

The show opens with a montage of the the Las Vegas strip that includes the marquees of the Caesars Palace, the Flamingo, the Frontier, the Stardust, the Sands, and the Dunes, before ending on the exterior of the MGM Grand. This montage is an aerial view at night, instead of the daytime street view in “Lucy and Wayne Newton” (HL S2;E22).

The MGM Grand opened as one of Las Vegas's first mega resorts on December 5, 1973. Dean Martin was the entertainer on opening night. It was the largest hotel in the world at its opening and would remain so for several years. “The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts” were filmed at the hotel. The property was sold in 1986 and the name was changed to Bally's. The MGM Grand name was transferred to the former Marina Hotel, now known as MGM Grand Las Vegas.  

When Lucy Collins arrives at the MGM Grand with suitcases in hand, she walks through the casino and down their 'Hall of Fame' lined with illuminated posters of movie stars. The soundtrack plays a wistful  version of “Hooray for Hollywood.” 

Lucy pauses at posters of Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn;  

She blows kisses to Cary Grant, whose poster is alongside Grace Kelly.

She gazes lovingly at photos of Frank Sinatra, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. Rogers played herself on a 1971 episode of “Here's Lucy.”

Lucy does a 'ha-cha-cha-cha' in front of a poster of Jimmy Durante, who Lucy Ricardo disguised herself as in “Lucy Meets Harpo Marx” (ILL S4;E28). Durante later did a brief cameo on a 1966 “Lucy Show.”  

In a meta moment, Lucy Collins then stops and primps her hair in front of a poster of Lucille Ball!  Lucy Carter also stood before a poster of Lucille Ball in “Lucy and the Andrews Sisters” (HL S2;E6) and later shared scenes with movie star Ball in “Lucy Carter Meets Lucille Ball” (HL S6;E22).  Although her recent film Mame had been released by Warner Brothers, Lucille Ball had done several films with MGM, like The Long, Long Trailer (1954) and Forever Darling (1956).

Walking out the employees back entrance and trekking through the desert, it becomes clear that Lucy was only using the MGM Grand lobby as a shortcut to get to her actual lodgings, the Cactus Flower Motel, managed by her friend Gladys (Vanda Barra).

Lucy: (about her dress choices for Dean Martin's opening night) “The other one is older, but its got a Gucci label.” Gladys: “You have an outfit from Gucci?”  Lucy: “No. Just the label.”

In the MGM Grand coffee shop having a cup of tea in a back booth, Dean Martin sings a few bars of “Volare,” a song written by Franco Migliacci and Domenico Modugno. Martin was one of the first to cover the song in 1958. His orchestra will reprise the song at the end of the special while Lucy and Martin dance.

When Lucy phoned for a reservation for Dean Martin's opening night, she lied and said there'd be eight guests. Talking to Antonio the maître d' she must now make excuses for the absence of the seven others.  

Mr. and Mrs. Winters are expecting a baby;

Mr. and Mrs. Nichols, Mrs. Winters mother and father, naturally won't be coming either;

Mabel and Henry, Mr. Winters mother and father also aren't coming because of the baby;

Gregory is Mrs. Winters doctor, so he also won't be there;

So it is just Lucy.

Unfortunately, Antonio won't give Lucy a table for one!

Lucy: “I have been a fan of yours from bobby socks to suphose.” Dean Martin: “Do you think those suphose would help my problem?” Lucy: “What's your problem?” Dean Martin: “I fall down a lot.”

Lucy Collins gets a job as a cocktail waitress and causes chaos at the roulette tables. Lucy Ricardo had some luck (then lost it all) playing roulette in “Lucy Goes to Monte Carlo” (ILL S5;E25). In 1965, Lucy Carmichael had some luck (then lost it all) playing roulette in “Lucy Goes to Vegas” (TLS S3;E17).    

The character of Max Siegel (credited as Vogel) is likely named for gangster Bugsy Siegel, who was primarily responsible for the development of the Vegas strip in the 1950s. The fact that Max is being played by Bruce Gordon, famous for playing real-life gangster Frank Nitti on Desilu's “Untouchables,” pretty much assures the comparison. Naturally, Lucy overhears Siegel and his friends talking about “busted up dolls” and thinks they are talking about women, as the term was often used for females in the Damon Runyon musical Guys and Dolls.

Max Siegel's gambling buddy is played by Paul Picerni, another “Untouchables” alumni. His character name is Packy West, which is an obscure reference to Lucy's pal Bob Hope. In July 1919, a 16-year-old Hope entered the Ohio State Boxing Amateurs tournament under the name “Packy East,” a nod to light and welterweight boxer Patrick “Packy” McFarland and Hope's own school, “East” High.

A chase sequence involving Lucy and Max Siegel's gambling buddies ends up backstage at “Hallelujah Hollywood,” a lavish stage show conceived, produced, and directed by Don Arden, It was a 3 million dollar tribute to classic MGM Hollywood musicals which played The Ziegfeld Room (which at the time was the largest stage in the world, with the largest backstage area in the world), at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas. The show opened in 1974, and ran until 1980. Its flamboyant finale was a tribute to the Ziegfeld Follies, featuring The Grand Stairway and The Great Ziegfeld Walk. The show featured over a 700 costumes (designed by Ray Aghayan and Bob Mackie). Lucille Ball played a lavishly attired Ziegfeld showgirl in the 1946 MGM film Ziegfeld Follies.

On stage with Lucy in the front row, Dean sings “Everybody Loves Somebody,” a song written in 1947 by Sam Coslow, Irving Taylor. Although it had been recorded by others, it was Dean Martin’s 1964 recording that hit #1 on the Billboard Pop Charts. He also sang it in “Lucy Dates Dean Martin” (TLS S4;E21, above). He then launches into “Tie a Yellow Ribbon 'Round the Old Oak Tree” written by Irwin Levine and L. Russell Brown in early 1973. It was a #1 hit for Tony Orlando and Dawn. The song was referred to by Steve Lawrence (but not sung) in “Lucy, the Peacemaker” (HL S6;E3).

This Date in Lucy History - March 1

“Home Movies” (ILL S3;E20) – March 1, 1954

“Lucy and the Old Mansion” (TLS S3;E22) – March 1, 1965

This is one of the best post-”Lucy” outings of Lucille Ball's career. The reason is simple: She sticks close to what she does best – and she does it without the cloying addition of a laugh track. Had she decided to call the character Lucy Carter instead of Lucy Collins, it might well have been billed as a “Here's Lucy” special.  As Lucy Carmichael, she did a similar filmed special titled “Lucy in London” during “The Lucy Show.”  Lucy Carmichael dated Dean Martin for one episode, so it would only have worked with Lucy Carter. Perhaps Ball thought people wouldn't remember “Here's Lucy” a year later. But whatever she's named, this special gives us old school, celebrity-hunting, anything-goes, Lucy and it is terrific!

5 creatives I would like to interview

1. Maria Qamar (a.k.a hatecopy)- a  Canadian ‘Desi Pop Artist’ who depicts the life and times of first generation Indians living in the west. The south Asian diasporic themes in her work are relevant to my own work and life, so interviewing her would be great! (Also be great to get an insight into the Canadian- Indian experience and compare it to the Australian-Indian experience)

2. Hieu Nguyen (a.k.a kelogsloops)- a Melbourne based digital and watercolour artist, who also attends RMIT (studying animation)! However is very very popular with 462,000 Instagram followers so very hard to reach L  

3. Shevin Dissanayake (a.k.a shevindphoto) - a 20 year old music, portraiture and event photographer based in Melbourne, Australia. He’s photographed some very cool people (eg. Justin Bieber, ASAP rocky, Childish Gambino, etc.) and he also went to my high school!

4. Sha’an D’anthes (a.k.a furrylittlepeach) - one of my favourite illustrators who is based in Sydney. I have been following her work for a long time now and I really don’t know what it is about it that I am so drawn to- because it isn’t particularly similar to my style.

5. Stephanie Mente (@surrealartist) - a young artist I know from my area whose work involves portraiture filled with surrealistic elements.

Hey /r/Entrepreneur. I am Rich Clominson, from Failory, a community where we weekly interview failed startups. A few weeks ago, we published a great interview with Dave Desi, one of the founding partners of The Nerd CaveThe Nerd Cave was a new kind of retail model, a truly safe space for gamers of all kinds to go and enjoy their passion and hobby. They were doing it great, earning $16,000 AUD/month. But when they moved to a new location, they saw a big loss of income, which provoked the closure of their doors. Here are some of the main points:The Nerd Cave was a new kind of retail model. A truly safe space for gamers of all kinds.Their idea came from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle movie.Super tight budget so they had to find the cheapest equipment.Their biggest marketing strategy was word of mouth.They were making $16,000 AUD/month.They moved to a new location, further away from the universities. This meant a big loss of revenue. After 5 months they had to close their doors.They ended up losing $100,000 AUD ($77,000 USD)They are planning to try again in a near future... Let's get into the interview!Hi Dave! Who are you?Heya! My name is Dave Desi, one of the founding partners of The Nerd Cave in Sydney, Australia. Longtime retail manager and 2-time business owner. What was The Nerd Cave about?The Nerd Cave was supposed to be a new kind of retail model. One that blends community centers, retail and hobby store all into one place. Our focus was on building a truly safe space for gamers of all kinds to come and enjoy their passion and hobby, without the pressure that is generally present in a standard retail store.The idea was rattling around in my head for many years, but (believe it or not) the idea actually comes from the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle live action film. There is a scene where April O’Niell’s editor’s kid heads to the foot clans city hideout. When he arrives, he is greeted into a massive space where kids are playing arcade games, gambling, skateboarding and more. My plan was to make that place a reality, minus the gambling, drinking, and smoking… and foot clan.Our plan was to approach it slowly and build the play space rather than being purely focused on retail. We were always working with key people in the community to facilitate events and make The Cave the most desirable location to run games/events. How did you build it?I initially started by finding some business partners. I knew that I wouldn’t be able to get the loans out I needed by myself. After we gathered and all worked out our individual loans, we pooled our money and began building.We did everything on an EXTREMELY tight budget. This meant fine tooth combing almost every aspect and finding the most affordable means of achieving every goal (this became known as doing it “Cave style” between us). That’s not to say the equipment we purchased was bad, but it was always on a budget. We were worried about stepping really deep into it without being able to 100% ensure our methods would work.We built each of the 10 PC’s by hand, ordering parts from the cheapest locations we could find. Those PC’s lasted the full 4 years of operation.Through our time being open, our focus was always smaller upgrades as we felt comfortable. When we had more people using our board game tables than we used to be able to seat, we upgraded our tables and seating to be more functional and space efficient. When certain games weren’t playing or selling as well, we moved them on as quickly as possible to maximize retail space for only current best-selling items (where possible).When we found the first location to be overly full and capped out with customers, we moved to a new location.We only made changes once it was past the tipping point. This kept our setup constantly changing and flowing with what worked.Initially, the business plan was a gym membership style model, but this quickly changed as we heard from our original (and small) community that they would only be willing to pay for use of the electronic items, rather than the “analogue” stuff like board games. Which marketing strategies did you use to attract your first customers?Our strategy was simple. Approach the existing gaming clubs, find out their needs and fill them. Offer the local ones a new location to run their meetups and events. Once we had that ball rolling there, we moved onto more consistent social media advertising which always worked for us.Our biggest generator (as for most business’) was word of mouth. We made sure to always have time for our customers, this really helped with word of mouth as we became the store that had staff that was interested in interacting with people.We utilized multiple different websites to advertise events, local “things to do” guides and websites like Eventbrite. We didn’t always sell tickets online, but it always generated traffic. Which were the causes of The Nerd Cave's failure?Much like any failure, I don’t personally think it was due to any one singular reason.Through the Cave’s lifetime, we moved 3 times. Our first move was based on a lack of space within our store. We had people sitting on the floor and we were turning customers away at the door. It was obvious that we had outgrown our first tiny location.The 2nd location was the longest-term location and it proved to be our best. It was, however, within a fairly decent proximity to 2 other game/hobby stores (both franchises of the same company) which caused many issues for us. Our retail sales dropped off after this move and we had to adapt a larger portion of the store towards a wider variety of retail items to be able to compete with them.Our 3rd location was a move we weren’t all that excited about. The 2nd location’s building was slated to be knocked down and the owners refused to settle a new lease agreement with us, leaving us on a month by month lease with an axe dangling above our necks. It took us 8 months to find the 3rd location, mainly due to the constraints on location and size.In our 3rd location, our demographic shifted. We were further away from the universities, meaning we lost a little bit of the 20-30 age bracket. This caused a shift on what was selling well for us and generally less income. We closed our doors after being in the new location for only 5 months.I believe during our time of operation, board gaming and gaming clubs evolved around us to be similar to what we were trying to do but distanced enough away from a normal gaming store to stand out.A lot of “gaming bars” have come about in the last few years (we never sold alcohol) and many other locations offering table space for board games. The market became more diluted than when we started and I am not sure we did enough to set ourselves apart.Near the end of the business, I spoke with a few other store owners about our situation and someone said something that struck me as quite prolific; when people start a business, we all think that the “thing” that will set us apart is “us”. We all say, “Well I will treat my customers well and always have time for them”. The problem with this mentality and thought process is that we aren’t selling ourselves. Your customers don’t know you are a nice guy until they have already become a customer. So, find the “thing” that makes your location unique. What were the biggest challenges you faced and obstacles you overcame?We started with a very low capital ($75,000AUD). This meant that our start was slow and we really had to prove ourselves in the early portion of the Cave’s existence.Another challenge we had was defining ourselves. We had a little of everything, which meant some people were confused as to what we were actually doing. This was generally overcome once they stepped through the door and experienced it for themselves, but we definitely should have had a stronger identity to really breakthrough. Which were your investments? Did you achieve some revenue? Did you lose any money?As stated above, we had an initial capital of $75,000AUD. We took on one additional partner in our second year to help with moving and equipment costs which added $25,000AUD to the initial investment.I am quite happy to say that we all only have a very minimal debt after the 4 years of operation, with the majority of it being rental debt based on exiting our lease early. If you had to start over, what would you do differently?This is a tricky one. Me and the other partners have had lots of thoughts on this one, but if I’m being honest I am not sure I want to share them! Keep your eyes peeled in the future.What I can say is that having a strong identity and selling point would be key. What did you learn?Apart from general retail management, I learned skills that I am not sure they have come from any other experience. Negotiation, interpersonal skills, economic, the list goes on and on.The most valuable lessons are the ones you learn through experience and running a store gives you plenty. Which are your favorite entrepreneurial resources?The only thing I ever looked at in regards to business was /r/Entrepreneur. Me and my partners have never been a “by the book” group of people, so it never made sense to us to follow old practices.We did, however, seek advice from other store owners in similar industries, in an attempt to widen our knowledge pool where necessary. Where can we go to learn more?The only living vestige is Facebook! Feel free to drop us a line there and we will always try to answer as best we can. Original interview published at https://failory.com/interview/the-nerd-cave

MR. & MRS. aka THE LUCILLE BALL COMEDY HOUR

April 19, 1964

Directed by Jack Donohue ~ Written by Richard Powell, based on the play by Sherwood Schwartz, with special material by Arthur Julian

Synopsis

Lucille Ball plays the head of a studio trying to track down Bob Hope to star in a TV special about husband and wife television stars. The first half concerns Lucy's tracking the elusive Hope all around the world. The second half presents the special that they eventually do together.

Cast

Lucille Ball (’Herself’ / Bonnie Blakely) was born on August 6, 1911 in Jamestown, New York. She began her screen career in 1933 and was known in Hollywood as ‘Queen of the B’s’ due to her many appearances in ‘B’ movies. With Richard Denning, she starred in a radio program titled “My Favorite Husband” which eventually led to the creation of “I Love Lucy,” a television situation comedy in which she co-starred with her real-life husband, Latin bandleader Desi Arnaz. The program was phenomenally successful, allowing the couple to purchase what was once RKO Studios, re-naming it Desilu. When the show ended in 1960 (in an hour-long format known as “The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour”) so did Lucy and Desi’s marriage. In 1962, hoping to keep Desilu financially solvent, Lucy returned to the sitcom format with “The Lucy Show,” which lasted six seasons. She followed that with a similar sitcom “Here’s Lucy” co-starring with her real-life children, Lucie and Desi Jr., as well as Gale Gordon, who had joined the cast of “The Lucy Show” during season two. Before her death in 1989, Lucy made one more attempt at a sitcom with “Life With Lucy,” also with Gordon.

‘Lucille Ball’ is the president of Consolidated Pictures. Bonnie Blakely is a television star. 

Bob Hope (’Himself’ / Bill Blakely) was born Lesley Townes Hope in England in 1903. During his extensive career in virtually all forms of media he received five honorary Academy Awards. In 1945, Desi Arnaz was the orchestra leader on Bob Hope’s radio show. Ball and Hope did four films together. He appeared as himself on the season 6 opener of “I Love Lucy.” He did a brief cameo in a 1964 episode of “The Lucy Show.”  He died in 2003 at age 100.

Bill Blakely is a television star. 

Gale Gordon (Elliott Harvey) was said to be the highest paid radio artist of the 1930’s and was in such demand that he often did two or more radio shows a day. His professional collaboration with Lucille Ball started in 1938 as the announcer of Jack Haley’s “The Wonder Show” (Wonder Bread was their sponsor). He played Mr. Atterbury on Lucy’s “My Favorite Husband” and was a front-runner for the part of Fred Mertz on “I Love Lucy.” When scheduling prevented his participation, he appeared as Mr. Littlefield, the Tropicana’s owner in two episodes of the show. In addition to Mr. Littlefield, he played a Judge in “Lucy Makes Room for Danny,” a 1958 episode of “The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour.” “The Lucy Show” solidified his partnership with Lucille Ball for the rest of their careers. He went on to play Harrison Otis Carter in “Here’s Lucy” and Curtis McGibbon in “Life with Lucy.” He died in 1995 at the age of 89.

Mr. Harvey is the Chairman of the Board of Consolidated Pictures.

John Dehner (Mr. Henderson, below right) was seen alongside Ball and Hope in Critic's Choice, released the year before this special. Dehner's career started in 1941 and lasted until 1989, amassing nearly three hundred screen credits. He died in 1992 at age 76.  

Mr. Henderson is a full partner in the ad agency Henderson Grisby Beane and Smith.

William Lanteau (Mr. Potter, above left) first appeared with Lucille Ball in The Facts of Life (1960). In addition to an episode of “The Lucy Show,” Lanteau did four episodes of “Here’s Lucy.” He is best remembered for playing Charlie the Mailman in the play and the film On Golden Pond (1981).

Mr. Potter works for Henderson Grisby Beane and Smith.

Jack Weston (Cash) started acting on television one month after the premiere of “I Love Lucy” in 1951. He made three appearances on “The Westinghouse-Desilu Playhouse” from 1958 to 1960. Weston's final screen credit was Short Circuit 2 in 1988. He died in 1996 at age 71.

Cash is Bonnie and Bill's agent and manager. 

Max Showalter (Walter Creighton) was born in Kansas in 1917. He got the acting bug as a toddler when mother took him to the local theater where she played piano for silent movies. He acted in 92 shows at the Pasadena Playhouse between 1935 and 1938 and made his Broadway debut in Knights of Song. On Broadway he played the role of Horace Vandergelder in Hello, Dolly! more than 3,000 times opposite such luminaries as Carol Channing, Betty Grable, and Ginger Rogers. Showalter made more than a thousand TV and film appearances. He was seen on two episodes of “The Lucy Show.” Toward the end of his life he lived in Connecticut and died there in 2000.  

Walter is Bonnie's fiancee, masquerading as her brother.

Joseph Mell (Sam) played Bailiffs in “Lucy the Meter Maid” (TLS S3;E7) and “Lucy is Her Own Lawyer” (TLS S2;E23). His first role on “The Lucy Show” was as a Butcher in “Together for Christmas” (S1;E13). Mell also appeared in a 1969 episode of “Here’s Lucy.” In 1971, he was a Taxi Driver on “Lucy and the Lecher,” a cross-over episode of Danny Thomas’s “Make Room for Granddaddy” in which Lucille Ball played Lucy Carter, her character from “Here’s Lucy.”

Sam is a tailor working for Lucille Ball.

Sid Gould (Sid) made more than 45 appearances on ��The Lucy Show,” all as background characters. He also did nearly 50 episodes of “Here’s Lucy.” Gould (born Sydney Greenfader) was Lucille Ball’s cousin by marriage to Gary Morton. He was married to Vanda Barra, who also appeared on “The Lucy Show” and “Here’s Lucy.” 

Sid is a composer working for Lucille Ball.

Eddie Ryder (Mike) appeared as Bones Snodgrass on the “Our Miss Brooks” (also starring Gale Gordon) from 1953-54 under the name Eddie Riley. He was also seen in “Lucy and the Submarine” (TLS S5;E22) in 1966. From 1961 to 1966 Ryder played Dr. Simon Agurski in 22 episodes of “Dr. Kildare.” He died in 1997 at age 74.

Mike is an executive at Consolidated Pictures. Ryder is the only actor who gets a final credit using his character name (“Eddie Ryder as Mike”), but the name is never spoken aloud in the show.

Danny Klega (Russian Translator) was a Czech-born actor who was often cast as German. His first screen credit was 1962's The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse and his last was 1970's Which Way to the Front? He died in 2015 at age 91. 

John Banner (Lieutenant Gitterman, German Border Guard, below left) was born in Vienna in 1910. He achieved television immortality for his portrayal of the POW camp guard Sergeant Schultz in the TV series “Hogan’s Heroes.” Ironically, Banner was a Jew and had been in a German concentration camp himself. He was in all 168 episodes of the series, the only actor aside from leading man Bob Crane to have that distinction. His catchphrase as Schultz was “I know nothing!” which he repeated in a cameo as Schultz on “Lucy and Bob Crane” (TLS S4;E22) in 1966. He died in his home city of Vienna in 1973.  

Gitterman was also the name used for Hans Conreid's acting and music professor character on “The Lucy Show.”

Rudy Dolan (German Border Guard #2, above right) was active from 1957 to 1964, often cast as policemen and other officials.

Sally Mills (TWA Flight Attendant) played small roles on television from 1961 to 1971, appearing on Desilu's “The Andy Griffith Show” and “Gomer Pyle: USMC.” For eight years, Mills was a spokesperson for Safeway Supermarkets.

Stanley Farrar (Consolidated Board Member) was seen on “I Love Lucy” in “Home Movies” (ILL S3;E20) where he played a character named Bennett Green, who actually appears with him on this special and “Staten Island Ferry” (ILL S5;E12). He was seen in two celebrity-themed episodes of “The Lucy Show” in 1964 and 1965, one of which also starred Max Showalter, who appears in this special.  

Bennett Green (Consolidated Board Member, uncredited) was Desi Arnaz’s camera and lighting stand-in during “I Love Lucy.” He did frequent background work on “The Lucy Show.”

Joan Swift (Consolidated Board Secretary, uncredited) made six appearances on the “The Lucy Show” as well as two episodes of “Here’s Lucy.” Her final screen credit was in “Lucy's  Gets Lucky” in 1975.  

Charles Field

Roy Rowan (Announcer, uncredited) was the announcer for all of Lucille Ball's sitcoms. He even made a a couple of on camera appearances on “The Lucy Show.”

During contractual negotiations with CBS for a second season of “The Lucy Show,” Lucille Ball signed for $30,000 to co-star in “The Lucille Ball Comedy Hour” to be aired in the spring of 1964.

This special was broadcast in color, one of Lucy's first major appearances in color on television. Although “The Lucy Show” had started filming in color in the fall of 1963, CBS declined to air the series in color until September 1965.

On ABC, the second half hour of “Mr. and Mrs.” was up against an episode of “Arrest and Trial” that also starred Jack Weston. Meanwhile, NBC ran a show starring another funny redhead, Imogene Coca, in “Grindl.” The special's lead-in was another Sherwood Schwartz show, “My Favorite Martian.”  

Director Jack Donohue also served in the same capacity for 107 episodes of “The Lucy Show,” and 35 of “Here’s Lucy.” His final screen credit was “Lucy Gets Lucky” in 1980.

The day after this special premiered, CBS aired “Lucy Is a Process Server” (TLS S2;E27), also directed by Jack Donohue and co-starring Gale Gordon.

“Mr. and Mrs.” is based on an un-produced full-length stage play of the same name by Sherwood Schwartz. It was boiled down to 30 minutes by Richard Powell (teleplay) with special material by Arthur Julian, who were both writers for Red Skelton during the 1950s. Sherwood Schwartz won his only Primetime Emmy Award in 1961 as the head writer for “The Red Skelton Hour.” Schwartz was the creative genius behind “The Brady Bunch” (1969-74) and “Gilligan's Island,” which would start airing in the fall of 1964. “The Brady Bunch” was based in part on Lucille Ball's film Yours, Mine and Ours (1968). Ball declined to make the TV version, opting instead to do “Here's Lucy.” At age 90, after his TV successes, Schwartz returned to writing for the theatre with Rockers, a play about a retirement home.

Lucille Ball's gowns for the special were by the Oscar-winning Edith Head. Head had dressed Lucille Ball in both of her film collaborations with Bob Hope, Critic's Choice (1963) and The Facts of Life (1960). Della Fox was the costumer and Kenneth Westcott was the props master, both of whom also worked on “The Lucy Show.” Lucille Ball's usual hairstylist Irma Kusely and make-up artist Hal King were also involved in this special. Jess Oppenheimer, creator and longtime producer/head-writer of “I Love Lucy,” served as Executive Producer.  

Once, during rehearsal, Bob Hope got too close to the camera, a fact promptly noted by director Jack Donohue. Ball roughly shoved Hope to his proper mark. “Lucy,” said Donohue soothingly, “Please don't touch the actors. You never know where they've been.”  A little later, when Ball had her way with the handling of a scene, Hope said, “That's what I like to work with—pliable producers and flexible direc­tors.”  This story appeared in the 1993 book Desilu: The Story of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz by Steven Sanders and Tom Gilbert. 

Bob Hope and Lucille Ball rehearsed three full days, just as she would have her regular half-hour television series. The show was then filmed before a live studio audience with three cameras recording the action and a laugh track added later to 'sweeten' the comedy. The next day, Hope returned to film the single jungle scene in which Ball finally locates him. The wrap-around story was true-to-life, not only because it depicted Lucy as the president of a major studio (albeit not named Desilu), but because it featured Bob as a world-traveler. Known in show-business circles as "Rapid Robert," Hope was famous for dashing from a movie set to a benefit to a television special – all in different cities. The day before Hope reported to Desilu for rehearsals, he was in Washington on behalf of the 1964 Easter Seals campaign. He had flown there after finishing a one-hour segment of his own Chrysler TV series. As soon as he finished his stint with Lucy, he was off to promote his latest movie. "While I'm flying across the country," Hope quipped at the time, "Lucy will be talking about me. That's why it's a coveted role."  Lucy had her say in the matter: "All those scenes showing me trying to catch up with Bob is from real life. If the world only knew what I went through to get him on this stage to work with me in this project!"

In the special Lucille Ball is the President of Consolidated Studios. Mr. Harvey (Gale Gordon) is the chairman of the board and represents a bank that has extended a significant loan to the studio. Gale Gordon was also playing a banker named Mr. Mooney on “The Lucy Show” when the special was filmed.

Lucy: “Just because I'm an actress does not mean I'm not a good president!”

The wardrobe designer in Lucy's busy office is holding the actual Edith Head costume renderings for Lucille Ball's outfits in the special.

After doing some checking behind Lucy's back, Mr. Harvey discovers that Bob Hope is not available until the week of July 4, 1976, after he emcees the 200th Anniversary of America's Independence. Twelve years later, the writers were proved absolutely right when Bob Hope hosted the NBC TV special “Bob Hope's Bicentennial Star Spangled Spectacular” on July 4, 1976.

SAN FRANCISCO

Mr. Harvey and Lucy fly to San Francisco to track down Bob Hope. Footage of a jet landing was supplied courtesy of TWA, a carrier that went out of business in 2001.

Lucy: “This is not business, it's show business.” Mr. Harvey: “Business is business.”

In San Francisco, the TWA flight attendant mistakes Mr. Harvey for Gary Morton, Lucy's real-life husband. She says she saw him on “The Ed Sullivan Show.” Morton made two appearances on “Ed Sullivan,” in 1961 and 1962, but it is hard to fathom how anyone could visually mistake Gale Gordon for Gary Morton. The Flight Attendant informs them that Bob Hope was in first class, while they were in coach, but he was rushed aboard an Army bomber across the tarmac headed for...

ALASKA

Lucy and Mr. Harvey travel to Alaska to track him down using a dog sled. This is not the first time Lucille Ball has done scenes set in the 50th state. In “Lucy Goes To Alaska,” a 1959 episode of “The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour” when the Ricardos and Mertzes flew there to perform with Red Skelton (coincidentally) in honor of their recent statehood. In Alaska, Lucy and Mr. Harvey find out Bob Hope has already gone to...

MOSCOW

In a Kremlin office, a translator tells a man with his back to us that Lucy and Mr. Harvey are looking for Bob Hope. The unseen man laughs and pounds a shoe on his desk. During a 1960 meeting at the United Nations, Soviet Leader Khrushchev pounded his shoe on his desk in protest of a speech by Philippine delegate Lorenzo Sumulong. 

The translator shows off an autographed copy of Bob Hope's new book. This is a plug for Hope's 1963 book I Owe Russia $1,200, which Hope wrote with ghostwriter Mort Lachman after his trip to Russia. Lucy and Mr. Harvey learn that Bob Hope just left Moscow headed to...   

GERMANY

Lucy and Mr. Harvey cross the border into Germany driving a single scooter. The two other vehicles in the studio-filmed scene are Volkswagens, naturally. The guards (one of them “Hogan's Heroes” star John Banner, who did a cameo as Sergeant Schultz on a 1966 “The Lucy Show”) tell them that Bob Hope has already been through and gone on to the airport to... 

THE PHILIPPINES 

In a jungle clearing, holding a golf club, Bob Hope is finally found singing “Thanks for the Memory” to a group of American GIs in camouflage gear. The song was written in 1938 by Ralph Rainger and Leo Robin for the film The Big Broadcast of 1938 starring Hope and Dorothy Lamour. It became associated with Bob Hope, who used it as his theme song. He sang it at the end of his guest-appearance on “I Love Lucy” in 1956 and during his cameo in “Lucy Moves to NBC” in 1980.  

As Lucy explains the script of the special to Hope amid a downpour, the show cross-fades to the first scene of... 

“MR. & MRS.” 

starring Lucille Ball and Bob Hope as Bonnie and Bill Blakely, the stars of America's number one television show.

Fighting off autograph seekers to get through their front door of their swanky Manhattan apartment, Bill says “I signed mine 'Ringo'.” He is referring to Ringo Starr, one of the Beatles. In 1964 they became an international success when they made their first appearance on “The Ed Sullivan Show.” The same date this special aired in the USA, “Around the Beatles” was taped at Wembley Stadium for ITV in England. It was aired in America on November 15, 1964.

Bill brags that a Cleveland newspaper compared him with Cary Grant. Grant’s name was often mentioned on “I Love Lucy” during their stay in Hollywood. 

Walter tells Cash he works at Peerless Department Store in Newark. His father owns the store. (This implies that “Mr. and Mrs.” takes place in New York City, not Hollywood, where most TV shows are shot today.) They are opening a branch of their store in Japan, which will keep Walter out of the country for several months.  

To boost ratings the ad agency wants Bonnie and Bill to have a baby as their characters and in real life.

Bonnie (indignant): “Having a child happens to be an act of God.” Mr. Henderson: “We cleared this with the sponsor.”

Bonnie and Walter head for the door to go to the opera.

Mr. Henderson: “Bonnie, please. The sponsor is expecting a baby.” Bonnie: “I'll throw him a shower.”

When Lucy Ricardo was to give birth on “I Love Lucy” in 1953, the story line had to be approved by the sponsor and the network. Lucy Ricardo and Lucille Ball gave birth at the same time – with the episode timed to coincide with Ball's Cesarean. Lucy and Ethel also threw a 'daddy shower' for Ricky, to make him feel more a part of her pregnancy. 

Eight months later, Bonnie comes waddling into the living room extremely pregnant. The underscoring plays "Funeral March of a Marionette” written by Charles Gounod around 1879. It is probably more familiar as the theme tune of “Alfred Hitchcock Presents” (1955). Ball makes sure she stands in profile so the joke visually pays off. The tune was also used during “Little Ricky's Pageant” (ILL S6;E10) in 1956 during the entrance of the gnomes. 

Lucille Ball does the same physical comedy business to lower herself into a chair that she did as pregnant Lucy Ricardo. The Blakely apartment is a mess with baby items and various gifts from fans. Bonnie claims they've received 300 pair of baby socks.

Walter thinks Bill is the father and Bill thinks Walter is the father. They realize that Bonnie is not really pregnant after all. Lucy Carter will also fake her pregnancy (using a well-placed pillow) in “Lucy, the Part-Time Wife” (HL S3;E14, above) in 1970. While filming “Mr. and Mrs.” Lucille Ball was 52 years old.

Thinking Bonnie is actually with child, Henderson's agency runs a contest to name the baby. The winning names are Gunther and Pandora.

Oops! John Dehner (Mr. Henderson) says that name of his firm is “Henderson Beane Grisby and Smith” instead of what Lucy previously said, “Henderson Grisby Beane and Smith.”  When Bob Hope mentions the firm, he gets the names in the same order as Dehner, so likely Lucy is the one who jumbled the list.

A couple of times, it is apparent that Bob Hope is looking at cue cards, not unusual for “rapid Robert” who had little time for memorizing lines. 

As Bonnie and Bill kiss, the scene becomes the Consolidated Board of Directors watching the special in a screening room. Lucy enters dressed like a tramp, something she also did with Red Skelton in “Lucy Goes To Alaska” in 1959. The flower in her lapel squirts water in Mr. Harvey's face and the credits roll.  

This Date in Lucy History – April 19th

"The Black Wig" (ILL S3;E26) – April 19, 1954

The first half of this rarely seen special is oddly different from the second.  Lucy and Gale Gordon’s comic travelogue on ‘the search for Hope’ is clever and often laugh out loud funny.  But the second half, boiled down from Sherwood Schwartz’s play, is a bit less engaging.  The half hour starts well enough, but fizzles and feels very stage-bound.  Still, lots of fun and an interesting footnote to “The Lucy Show” years.

LUCY AND ANDY GRIFFITH

S6;E8 ~ October 29, 1973

Directed by Coby Ruskin ~ Written by Robert O'Brien

Synopsis

When Lucy meets a charismatic man (Andy Griffith) raising money for underprivileged youth in the park, Kim decides to investigate to see if he's really who he says he is.  

Regular Cast

Lucille Ball (Lucy Carter), Gale Gordon (Harrison Otis Carter), Lucie Arnaz (Kim Carter)

Guest Cast

Andy Griffith (Andy Johnson) was a former music teacher.  He began his screen career in 1948 on variety shows hosted by Ed Sullivan and Steve Allen.  In 1955 he was nominated for a Tony Award for his appearance on Broadway in No Time for Sergeants. He also appeared in the 1958 film version of the play.  In 1960 he appeared with Danny Thomas on “Make Room for Daddy” as Sheriff Andy Taylor and the character was spun-off into his own series “The Andy Griffith Show.”  He stayed with the show until 1968.  That same year he appeared on “The Tennessee Ernie Ford Special” on NBC with Lucille Ball.  He also appeared as Andy Taylor on two episodes of “Gomer Pyle: USMC.” In 1971 he starred in “The New Andy Griffith Show” which lasted only one season.  He had another hit series in 1986 with “Matlock” which ran until 1995. Griffith died in 2012 at age 86.

Sid Gould (Policeman) made more than 45 appearances on “The Lucy Show,” all as background characters. This is one of his nearly 50 episodes of “Here’s Lucy.” Gould (born Sydney Greenfader) was Lucille Ball’s cousin by marriage to Gary Morton.  

Randall Carver (Henry, left) began his career in 1969 and is best remembered as John Burns on the first season of “Taxi” (1978-79). This is his only appearance with Lucille Ball. He was 27 years old when he appeared in this episode.

Rick Kellman (Jerry, above right) played Lucille Ball and Bob Hope's son in the film Critic's Choice in 1963. He started acting at age 6 and is best remembered for playing Randy in “The Dennis O'Keefe Show” (1959-60) and Tommy in “Our Man Higgins” (1962-63).  A year after this appearance on “Here's Lucy” he left show business.  

The character's name is not spoken aloud, just listed in the final credits.

Hank Stohl (Bill Adams) began his career in 1959 and was the voice on the radio on “The Waltons” from 1977 to 1980. This is his only appearance with Lucille Ball.  

Bob Whitney (Stage Manager) appeared with Lucille Ball in The Facts of Life (1960). This is the second of his five appearances on the series.

The character has no lines. He tallies the donations on a chalk board at the end of the episode.

Marl Young (Conductor) was the musical director for “Here's Lucy” as well as making several on-camera appearances when the shows included live music.  

Vocalists: Nancy La Mar, Rosemary O'Brien, Dave Anderson Stuart, and Marvin Robinson

The musicians and others in the park and restaurant are played by uncredited background performers.

In March 1965, Lucille Ball interviewed Andy Griffith for two installments of her CBS radio show “Let's Talk To Lucy” while he was still playing Sheriff Andy Taylor on TV.  

Six Degrees of Lucy! Although none of Lucille Ball's TV incarnations ever came face to face with Sheriff Andy Taylor, they traveled in the same TV world:

In 1959, the year before Andy Taylor met Danny Williams on “Make Room for Daddy”, Danny Williams and family met Lucy Ricardo and family on a 1958 episode of “The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour.”  

Keith Thibodeaux, who played Lucy Ricardo's son, Little Ricky, played Opie's pal Johnny Paul Jason in 13 episodes of “The Andy Griffith Show” between 1962 and 1966.  

Gomer Pyle, who lived in Mayberry, joined the Marines and was spun off in his own series “Gomer Pyle USMC” when he made a brief appearance on “The Lucy Show” in 1966.  

“The Andy Griffith Show” had a sequel series titled “Mayberry RFD” starring Ken Berry, a protégé of Lucille Ball's who had appeared on “The Lucy Show” in 1968.  

All of these shows were filmed on the Desilu backlot (formerly RKO, later Paramount).  

Don Knotts, who played Andy Griffith's bumbling sidekick Deputy Barney Fife, guest starred in “Lucy Goes on Her Last Blind Date” (S5;E6). Some other “Lucy” actors who frequently showed up in Mayberry include Hal Smith, Parley Baer, Norman Leavitt, Amzie Strickland, Dub Taylor, Stanley Farrar, Will Wright, Herbie Faye, Jonathan Hole, Byron Foulger, Tol Avery, Reta Shaw, Lurene Tuttle, Ruth McDevitt, Ruta Lee, Jay Novello, Ross Elliot, Maxine Semon, Herb Vigran, and Sid Melton.

There are some very basic similarities between “The Lucy Show” and “The Andy Griffith Show.” 

Both Griffith and Ball used their own first names, which consist of four letters ending in ‘y’ and also appear in the title. 

Both characters have spouses that died before the series' begins. 

Both have children and faithful sidekicks. 

Both started filming in black and white and eventually aired in color. 

Both shows ended in early 1968 only to be re-born in the fall as newly-titled shows: “Here's Lucy” and “Mayberry RFD.”  

The Christian overtones in this episode are unusual for this series. A few weeks earlier Kim jokingly said that they missed church on Sunday!

When Lucy and Andy are in the same shot together it becomes visibly clear that Lucille Ball is being filmed by a camera with a filtered lens to soften her look, while the other camera remains unfiltered. The contrast is especially noticeable when Lucy is standing next to Andy in the motel room and goes in and out of soft focus depending on which camera angle is used.

The show opens with Andy and his back-up singers performing “I'll Fly Away” by Albert E. Brumley. First published in 1932 it has been called the most recorded Gospel song of all time. Andy passes the hat for donations for his Right Path Youth Camp in Northern California – only getting thirty eight cents.

At a local restaurant, Andy Johnson tells Lucy that after he came out of the service he became a Sheriff. Lucy responds with disbelief: “A Sheriff!” Although he had left the role of Sheriff Taylor in 1969, Griffith would play him again in the 1986 TV movie “Return to Mayberry.” He would play another Sheriff on “Adams of Eagle Lake,” a 1975 police drama that lasted just two episodes on ABC. The two episodes were later issued on DVD under the titles “Deadly Game” and “Winter Kill.”  

Andy tells Lucy his fiancee Alice ran off with his best man Charlie.

Dressed in her downmarket blue jeans, Kim says “What do I look like? Jackie Onassis.” Jacqueline Lee Bouvier Kennedy Onassis (1929-94) was first mentioned in “Lucy Visits the White House” (TLS S1;E25) in 1963, when she was First Lady of the United States. She married Greek millionaire Aristotle Onassis in 1968.  

On Bill Adams' TV show, Andy and his singers perform “I'm Gonna Write a Song” by Jerry Reed and released in 1973. They raise $464.00 for the Right Path Youth Camp – quite a step up from their initial take of thirty eight cents!

The TV camera is labeled ‘KBEX COLOR.’  KBEX were the call letters for fictional TV and radio stations. They were used in many TV shows and films, including in Desilu’s “Mannix” and “Mission: Impossible.”  They were first used on “Here’s Lucy” in “Lucy Is Really in a Pickle” (S5;E15) and most recently in "Lucy, the Wealthy Widow" (S6;E4). Starting in 2005, the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) started using KBEX for actual broadcast stations. Similarly, the 555 telephone exchange is used exclusively for fictional numbers seen in films and television.  Here, the telethon number on the chalkboard is 555-8732.  

Lucy Ricardo also meet a charity organization in a public park in “Lucy's Last Birthday” (ILL S2;E25). They were called The Friends of the Friendless.  

Recycling! The exterior plaza where Andy sings in the first scene is the same one used for the gallery courtyard in “Lucy and Danny Thomas” (S6;E1). The red booth in the restaurant also makes the rounds.  It has been seen many different restaurants throughout the series.  

Character Consistency! Lucy says that Kim works for a talent agency.  In “Kim Cuts You-Know-Whose Apron String” (S3;E24) she said she worked for a Public Relations firm.

“Lucy and Andy Griffith” rates 1 Paper Heart out of 5 

This is an unusual and awkward episode – not funny or serious. The chemistry between Andy and Lucy is given short shrift in favor of Kim's suspicions about his veracity.  When she allows Andy (an older, single man from out of town) to bring her to his run-down motel room things just get weird. Then he turns her over his knee and spanks her with his slipper, and things turn from weird to uncomfortable. This sort of thing might have passed for funny in 1953, but not in 1973. She leaves the room through a window (luckily they were on the first floor) after writing on the mirror in shaving cream “You are a nice man.”  Huh? There's also an undertone of religion (gospel songs, mentions of 'the Lord'), something that Lucy meticulously avoided throughout her television career. The only exception to this unpleasantness is the brief scene where Lucy schools Andy in how to relax on television. This must have been something that Lucille Ball did when coaching young actors as part of the Desilu Playhouse. There are so many ways Andy Griffith could have been used on “Here's Lucy,” but this seems the least satisfactory showcase for his talents.  

LUCY AND HARRY’S ITALIAN BOMBSHELL

S4;E3 ~ September 27, 1971

Directed by Coby Ruskin ~ Written by Fred S. Fox and Seaman Jacobs

Synopsis

Harry is expecting a visit from Donna (Kaye Ballard), an Italian girl he met during the war.  Hoping to appeal to her by looking his best, Lucy and Kim put Harry through a serious exercise and diet routine. When she appears, however, she is not exactly what Harry expected.

Regular Cast

Lucille Ball (Lucy Carter), Gale Gordon (Harrison Otis Carter), Lucie Arnaz (Kim Carter)  

Guest Cast

Kaye Ballard (Donna Colucci) was a theatre actor and singer when cast by Desi Arnaz Sr. opposite Eve Arden on “The Mothers-In-Law” (1967-69).  Ballard also played the recurring character of Angie Pallucci on “The Doris Day Show” which followed “Here's Lucy” on CBS, a character she next played immediately after “Won't You Calm Down, Dan Daily” (S4;E9) on November 15, 1971.  Kaye Ballard has a film titled Senior Moments currently in post-production for 2018.

Although Ballard, a recognizable television star, is the guest star, she doesn't appear until 19 minutes into the episode!  

Vanda Barra (Arvin Saleslady) was married to Sid Gould so is Lucille Ball’s cousin-in-law. This is just one of her over two dozen appearances on “Here’s Lucy” as well as appearing in Ball’s two 1975 TV movies “Lucy Gets Lucky” (with Dean Martin) and “Three for Two” (with Jackie Gleason). She was seen in half a dozen episodes of “The Lucy Show.”

'Arvin' is obviously meant to stand in for Avon, a famous cosmetics company generally sold by woman in their community going door to door.

Herbie Faye (Burglar) was a character whose first major acting role (at age 56) was Corporal Sam Fender in “The Phil Silvers Show” (1955). He also appeared with Silvers on Broadway in Top Banana (1951) and also did the film version (1954) with Silvers. He appeared in a 1968 episode of “The Lucy Show.”  This is the third of his four “Here’s Lucy” episodes.

Sid Gould (Mr. Ferguson, the Postman) made more than 45 appearances on “The Lucy Show,” and nearly as many on “Here’s Lucy.” Gould (born Sydney Greenfader) was Lucille Ball’s cousin by marriage to Gary Morton.  He was married to Vanda Barra (Arvin Saleslady).  

Emile Autuori (Alfredo Colucci) makes the fourth of his five appearances on “Here’s Lucy.”  He passed away in early 2017.  He was the uncle of writer / director P.J. Castalleneta.

The Colucci children: Ricardo, Anna Maria, Louisa, Luigi, Vincenzo, Dino, Lucrezia, Alfredo Jr., Margarito, Bruno, Rosa, and Frederico all appear uncredited. 

The names Luigi and Rosa were taken from the CBS radio and television series “Life With Luigi” (1948-53).  

Dino may be a nod to Arnaz friend and singer Dean Martin, who was nicknamed Dino.  

Ricardo is an obvious nod to Lucy’s first TV character, Lucy Ricardo on “I Love Lucy.”

Frederico could be a reference to Lucille Ball’s brother, Fred Hunt, as well as the character of Fred Mertz on “I Love Lucy.”

Anna Maria may be a nod to a popular Italian-American actress and singer, Anna Maria Alberghetti. 

The title, perhaps coincidentally, cleverly puns on the word ‘bombshell’ - using its literal meaning regarding something used in war, and a female whose charms and good looks can cause the downfall of a man.  Harry met Donna (the ‘bombshell’ of the title) during World War II. 

In the DVD introduction to the episode, Kaye Ballard says that at Lucille Ball’s insistence she was padded for the part of Donna and was furious about it. She says she was promised a return engagement where she would not be padded, but the call never came.

Lucy sees Harry's huge lunch and remarks that there's enough there for the King Family. The King Family was a family musical group that had great success on records and television in the 1960s. They had a TV show on ABC that ran until 1969. They were previously mentioned on “Lucy and Liberace” (S2;E16).  

Harry says he met Donna while stationed in Italy during World War II. Harry called her 'Bella Donna' and she called him her 'Dog Face.' Her pet name for Harry was 'Pepperoni'.  

Kim knows how to read Italian from taking a few classes in school.  

Instead of robbing them, the Burglar (Herbie Faye) gives Kim and Lucy five dollars!  Perhaps because of this twist, he gets exit applause from the studio audience!

Kaye Ballard uses an exaggerated Italian accent that she mostly makes believable; except maybe on words like “fan-a-tastic.”  

Lucy uses a rare double entendre when she asks Donna if Harry told her that in addition to claiming that he was an All American quarterback, that he was a toreador.  She replies “You mean he throw the bull?”

In “Lucy and Miss Shelley Winters” (S1;E4) Lucy helped movie star Shelley Summers diet and exercise to get in shape for a new motion picture.

Lucy Carmichael dieted and exercised at a fat farm in “Lucy and the Countess Lose Weight” (TLS S3;E21) in 1965 where Mr. Mooney (Gale Gordon) was the task-master. Many of the same types of weight loss machines were used in this episode of “Here's Lucy.”  

This episode ends exactly the same way as “Lucy Plays Cupid” (ILL S1;E15) in 1952. Knowing Mr. Ritter (Edward Everett Horton) doesn’t like children, Lucy Ricardo trots out a stream of youngsters as her offspring in order to thwart his affections. Ten uncredited child performers were featured in the episode, one even dressed as a “little” Ricky playing a conga drum - many years before Little Ricky actually played the conga drum!  Coincidentally, the first Colucci child that enters in “Lucy and Harry's Bombshell” is named Ricardo!

Donna pronounces Lucille as “Lou Silly” which is similar to Eva Von Graunitz's pronunciation of it as “Loosel” in “Lucy and Eva Gabor” (S1;E7).  

Character Consistency!  In “Lucy's House Guest, Harry” (S3;E20), Harry is depicted as a health fanatic, complete with a rigorous morning exercise regimen. Quite the opposite of how he is presented here.

Rosetta Stoned!  If Harry was stationed in Italy, why can't he even pronounce 'Bon Giorno' correctly?

Ring Around the Collar!  As usual when Gale Gordon sweats, his pancake make-up comes off on his collar. The tan marks can be seen on his sweatshirt during the exercise scene.

Scenic Status!  Harry's living room is differently furnished than the last time it was seen.  

Epic Corpsing!  This episode contains a true rarity in the Lucy universe – Lucille Ball breaking up on camera!  After being pummeled with the purse of the cosmetics saleswoman (Vanda Barra), Gale Gordon ad libbed the line “I'm glad she wasn't selling door knobs!” Lucille Ball and Lucie Arnaz both laugh, with Lucy turning away for a moment to get her composure. It must have taken some convincing for Ball, who generally disliked straying from the script, to allow this to remain in the final cut!  But it is priceless to see them enjoy each others’ work so spontaneously.  

“Lucy and Harry’s Italian Bombshell” rates 4 Paper Hearts out of 5

This episode is generally well-regarded for two reasons: the robust performance of Kaye Ballard and Lucy corpsing at Gale Gordon's ad-lib.  But I'm conflicted because the premise is that fat is equated with ugly and unattractive and (therefore) funny – right down to Lucille Ball's insistence that Kaye Ballard be padded.  Both Harry and Donna are deemed less attractive if they are fat and old, which is not something that seems very funny in today's world.  

Lucy Gets Caught Up in the Draft

S5;E9 ~ November 14, 1966

Synopsis

Lucy Carmichael gets an induction letter for a “Lou C” Carmichael telling her to report for military duty. While Mr. Mooney is trying to get it straightened out, a drill sergeant puts Lucy through the paces rather than ignore protocol.  

Regular Cast

Lucille Ball (Lucy Carmichael), Gale Gordon (Theodore J. Mooney)

Mary Jane Croft (Mary Jane Lewis) does not appear in this episode, but Lucy does have a telephone conversation with her. 

Guest Cast

Clark Howat (Army Lieutenant Howat) was known for playing sobering law enforcement officials as well as military, doctors and politicos. He was a member of Jack Webb's stock company and had a recurring role as Webb's police captain on "Dragnet."  This marks his only appearance with Lucille Ball.

Although the character's surname is not spoken aloud, it is written on his office door.

Herb Vigran (Major Cooper, the Doctor) played Jule, Ricky Ricardo’s music agent on two episodes of “I Love Lucy” in addition to playing movie publicist Hal Sparks in “Lucy is Envious” (ILL S3;23). He was seen in the Lucy-Desi film The Long, Long Trailer. This is the last of his six episodes of “The Lucy Show.” He played doctors in four of them!  A month after this episode, he made his second of four appearances on “Gomer Pyle: USMC” with Jim Nabors.  

Although the character's surname and rank are not spoken aloud, it is written on his office door.  

Harry Hickox (Marine Drill Sergeant) was best known for playing anvil salesman Charlie Cowell in the 1962 film The Music Man. He also played a Sergeant named King on “No Time for Sergeants” (1964-65). When not playing sergeants, he specialized in sheriffs. He will do three episodes of “Here's Lucy,” all as policemen, once as a sergeant!    

Ben Gage (Marine Lieutenant) was once married to Hollywood swimming starlet Esther Williams. His first screen appearance was as an uncredited swimmer in her 1954 film Dangerous When Wet. Their names were mentioned as attending Lucy and Ricky's Mocambo anniversary party in “Hollywood Anniversary” (ILL S4;E23, below). 

They couple divorced in 1959. This is the first of Gage's two “Lucy Show” appearances. He will next play a policeman in “Lucy and Sid Caesar” (S6;E23).  

Jim Nabors (“Gomer Pyle”) was a square-jawed and amiable singer and actor born in 1930 in Alabama. He started playing Gomer Pyle on “The Andy Griffith Show” in 1962, which followed “The Lucy Show” on CBS prime time and was filmed on the Desilu backlot. In 1964 his character was spun off into his own series “Gomer Pyle: USMC” with Gomer enlisting in the US Marines. The series continued until 1969, although Nabors sometimes played the character in TV specials and reunions. In 2013, the 82-year-old Nabors married his life partner of 38 years, retired firefighter Stan Cadwallader. He died in 2017 at age 87.

Nabors enters at the very end of the episode, but does not state his name nor is he listed in the final credits. The gag depends on the TV viewing audience having seen “Gomer Pyle: USMC.”  

Sid Gould (Joe, the Postman) made more than 45 appearances on “The Lucy Show,” all as background characters. He also did 40 episodes of “Here’s Lucy.” Gould (born Sydney Greenfader) was Lucille Ball’s cousin by marriage to Gary Morton.

Marine Sergeant Pierce (who demonstrates the rifle drill) and eight male background performers play the other recruits and are not listed in the credits. 

The final draft of this script was dated June 15, 1966. The episode was filmed on August 11, 1966. It is sometimes referred to by the title “Lucy Gets Caught in the Draft” (no “Up”) which could infer she was feeling a “draft” from an open door or window, not that she was conscripted into military service.  

From 1940 until 1973, during both peacetime and periods of conflict, men were drafted to fill vacancies in the United States Armed Forces that could not be filled through voluntary means. The draft ended when the US moved to an all-volunteer military force. However, the Selective Service System remains in place as a contingency plan; all male civilians between the ages of 18 and 25 are required to register so that a draft can be readily resumed if needed. Women have never had to register for the US draft, although a 2016 bill came close to making it a requirement.

Lucy Carmichael has already served her country, as a WAVE in the US Navy during World War II. This fact was often mentioned back in Danfield, but hasn't been discussed at all in California.  

Gale Gordon gets some tepid entrance applause from the studio audience.

Mr. Mooney buys Lucy a sandwich that costs thirty five cents (around $2.80 in today, adjusting for inflation). Lucy's manicure cost $2 plus a fifty cent tip!  That would be nearly $20 today.

This is the first mention of Lucy's son since his appearance in “Lucy the Choirmaster” (S4;E14), more than a year earlier.  At the end of the episode, Mr. Mooney notes that Lucy is exempt from the draft because she has two children. Her daughter, Chris Carmichael, however, has not been mentioned by name since season 4 when Lucy said she was attending college in Northern California.

Mr. Mooney brags that he was an officer in the last war. In “Lucy and the Submarine” (S5;E2) he also brags about his military experience, but we later learned that he was a Navy housing officer stationed outside of Wichita. 

Lucy compares Mr. Mooney to Simon Legree, the tyrannical slave owner in the Harriet Beacher Stowe's 1852 novel Uncle Tom's Cabin. The book was previously referenced in “Lucy and the Countess Lose Weight” (S3;E21) and “Lucy is Her Own Lawyer” (S2;E23).

Most of the humor in the episode comes from Lucy being a female in a male-oriented environment like the US military (circa 1966). When the doctor first sees Lucy, he infers that she may be a man in a dress, a tactic that some used in order to be classified as homosexual or transvestite, which was then considered an instant “4-F” (rejection) from military service. The best example of this ploy (although he was not successful) was the character of Klinger (played by Jamie Farr, above) on TV's “M*A*S*H.” Farr had guest starred on “Lucy, the Rain Goddess” (S4;E15).  

In the TV universe, this Gomer Pyle crossover brings the loop of shows filmed at Desilu full circle:

Lucy Ricardo would meet Danny Williams (Danny Thomas) and his TV family on an episode of “The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour”; 

Danny Williams drives through Mayberry and meets Sheriff Taylor, which spawns “The Andy Griffith Show”; 

“The Andy Griffith Show” is where the Gomer Pyle (Jim Neighbors) character began before getting his own show; 

and now Gomer, although unnamed and uncredited, turns up on “The Lucy Show,” although here she is Lucy Carmichael, not Lucy Ricardo (even though both women share the maiden name McGillacuddy). 

The upshot of all of this is that Lucy Ricardo and Lucy Carmichael both exist in the same world. Ponder that, fans!

Jim Nabors' cameo as Gomer Pyle is similar to the way “Here's Lucy” presents a cameo by Jackie Gleason as Ralph Kramden from “The Honeymooners” in “Lucy Meets Jack Benny” (HL S1;E2): 

Both arrive at the end of the episode, 

Do not give their names, 

Play a recognizable TV character dressed in their character's costumes from the show, 

And get laughs based on viewers having watched their TV shows!  

Callbacks!

The plot of this episode is similar to 1951's “Drafted” (ILL S1;E11), where Lucy Ricardo reads a letter from the Army that Ricky is to report to Fort Dix. Lucy thinks he has been drafted, but he is simply going there to entertain. Like many early episodes of “I Love Lucy,” this plot is almost identical to “George Is Drafted,” a January 1951 episode of Lucy’s radio show (co-starring Gale Gordon) “My Favorite Husband.”

In “Lucy Meets Orson Welles” (ILL S6;E3) Welles calls Lucy “the Princess Loo Cee” during his magic act, another homonym of Lucy.  

Lucy Carmichael previously wore fatigues in “Lucy and the Military Academy” (S2;E10) where she went undercover as a male soldier in order to visit her son. She also faced an obstacle course consisting of a tire step, landing net climb, and a tunnel crawl. Naturally, Lucy has trouble with every one of them in both episodes. 

In this episode, the tunnel crawl is made out of wire and present on the course, but is not attempted by the recruits. Coincidentally, both episodes begin with Sid Gould playing a mailman delivering a letter from Lucy's son in Military School.

Blooper Alerts!

What’s In A Name? When Lucy receives a letter from her son in the beginning of this episode, she calls him 'Jimmy' instead of correctly calling him 'Jerry.' According to Geoffrey Mark Fidelman's The Lucy Book, when Lucille Ball was handed the script for the first time, she complained that they had used the wrong name. She was reminded that it was 'Jimmy' Garrett who played 'Jerry' Carmichael. Ball still insisted that she was right and (picking their battles, probably) the crew left the reference as 'Jimmy.' However it came about, it certainly is one of the biggest mistakes of the series.

Hair & Make-Up! Although Lucy was at first mistaken for a man during the episode, her hair wasn't cut nearly as short as the other recruits and she still wears her thick eyelashes.

Period of Adjustment! In clarifying the name error to the Doctor, Lucy says the letter was meant for “Lou period C period.” Why would there be a period after “Lou”?  

Say It Again! If Lucille Ball thought another actor's line was not heard due to loud audience laughter, she would say “What did you say?” to cue them to repeat it, which is just what she does with Jim Nabors' only line.  

His Reputation Precedes Him! When Nabors announces he is Lucy Carmichael's replacement, Lucy laughs and says to the Drill Sergeant “Good luck, buddy!” and the Sergeant rolls his eyes in dismay. They both seem to know who the new soldier is and his reputation for being a screw-up. But how?  

“Lucy Gets Caught Up in the Draft” rates 3 Paper Hearts out of 5

MILTON BERLE IS THE LIFE OF THE PARTY

S6;E19 ~ February 11, 1974

Directed by Jack Donohue ~ Written by Bob Carroll Jr. and Madelyn Davis

Synopsis

Lucy's parties are a bore, so she calls a telethon to make a very low bid on Milton Berle to attend her next soiree – and wins!  

Regular Cast

Lucille Ball (Lucy Carter), Gale Gordon (Harrison Otis Carter)

Lucie Arnaz (Kim Carter) does not appear in this episode, although the final credits do state “Lucie Arnaz Wardrobe by Alroe”

Guest Cast

Milton Berle (Himself) previously played Cheerful Charlie in “Lucy and the Used Car Dealer” (S2;E9), the first time that Milton Berle has not played Milton Berle on a Lucille Ball sitcom. He was born Milton Berlinger in New York City on July 12, 1908. He started performing at the age of five. Berle perfected his comedy in vaudeville, early silent films, and then on radio, before taking his act to the small screen, where he would be proclaimed “Mr. Television” and later “Uncle Miltie.” He hosted “Texaco Star Theater” on NBC from 1948 to 1956. The variety show was re-titled “The Milton Berle Show” in 1954 when Texaco dropped their sponsorship. The program was briefly revived in 1958, but lasted only one season. In 1959 he played himself in “Milton Berle Hides out at the Ricardos.” Berle continued to perform live, in films, and on television specials for the remainder of his career. Berle previously appeared on “The Lucy Show” in “Lucy Saves Milton Berle” (S4;E13) and did a cameo in “Lucy Meets John Wayne” (S5;E10). Berle died of cancer in 2002.

Elliott Reid (Elliott, Telethon Emcee) played Edward Warren, a parody of Edward R. Murrow, in “The Ricardos Are Interviewed” (ILL S5;E7) and appeared in two episodes of “The Lucy Show.” This is his third appearance on “Here’s Lucy.”

Reid is only credited as “Emcee” but Milton Berle calls him Elliott.

James Joyce (Man at TV Station) passed away just three months after this episode was first aired. He posthumously appeared in the film A Woman Under the Influence (1974).  He was 53 years old.

Mary Jane Croft (Mary Jane, left) played Betty Ramsey during season six of “I Love Lucy.” She also played Cynthia Harcourt in “Lucy is Envious” (ILL S3;E23) and Evelyn Bigsby in “Return Home from Europe” (ILL S5;E26). She played Audrey Simmons on “The Lucy Show” but when Lucy Carmichael moved to California, she played Mary Jane Lewis, the actor’s married name and the same one she uses on all 31 of her episodes of “Here’s Lucy. Her final acting credit was playing Midge Bowser on “Lucy Calls the President” (1977). She died in 1999 at the age of 83. 

Vanda Barra (Vanda, right) makes one of over two dozen appearances on “Here’s Lucy” as well as appearing in Ball’s two 1975 TV movies “Lucy Gets Lucky” and “Three for Two”. She was seen in half a dozen episodes of “The Lucy Show.” Barra was Lucille Ball’s cousin-in-law by marriage to Sid Gould.

Sid Gould (Sam, above right center) made more than 45 appearances on “The Lucy Show” and nearly as many on “Here’s Lucy.” Gould (born Sydney Greenfader) was Lucille Ball’s cousin by marriage to Gary Morton.  

Robert Hitchcock (Marvin, uncredited, above left center) was seen in in one episode of “The Lucy Show.” This is his sixth and final appearance on “Here’s Lucy.”

Marvin has no lines and no 'date' for the party.  Hitchcock appears uncredited.

John Clavin (Bill McCormick) makes his very first screen appearance with this episode of “Here's Lucy.”  

Shirley Anthony (Mrs. Thalken) makes the tenth of her 13 appearances of “Here’s Lucy.”

Bob Whitney (Mr. Thalken, uncredited) appeared with Lucille Ball in The Facts of Life (1960).  He played one of the jurors (unnamed but credited) in “Lucy and Joan Do Jury Duty” (S6;E9).

Whitney has no lines.    

Joyce McNeal (Mrs. Helen Maurer) was a stunt performer and actor making her very first screen appearance with this episode. She later worked extensively on the “Star Trek” franchise, which began at Desilu.

John Calvin (Bob Maurer, uncredited) grew up in New York City and started his film career in 1971 at age 24.

Helen and Bob Mauer are the names of Lucille Ball's in-laws. Helen is Gary Morton's siter.  John Calvin has no lines. 

Jack Berle (Telethon Stage Manager, uncredited) was the older brother of Milton Berle. This is one of his eleven uncredited appearances on the series.  He previously did two episodes of “The Lucy Show.” 

Bob Harks (Telethon Cameraman, uncredited) was seen in the background of Mame (1974). In 1970 he popped up on his first television show and was seen in more than a dozen episodes of “Here's Lucy.” He died at age 83 in 2010.

Those working the phone bank at the telethon appear uncredited.

There was no new episode of “Here's Lucy” on Monday, February 4, 1974.

Director Jack Donohue replaces Coby Ruskin, who Lucille Ball fired during “Lucy, the Sheriff” (S6;E19).  Donohue was the first director of the series, having staged 29 episodes from 1968 to 1971.

At the start of the episode, Lucy, Mary Jane and Harry are playing cards. Harry asks Lucy, “Don't you ever get tired of playing games?” Lucy bluntly replies “No!” In real life, Lucille Ball adored games. She was well-known for her addiction to backgammon, Scrabble, and charades, the latter two being incorporated into several scripts. She even endorsed a couple of mass marketed games with her photo appearing on the box.

Harry and Mary Jane suggest an alternative to party games: singing barbershop quartet – launching into a chorus of “You Tell Me Your Dream, I'll Tell You Mine.” The song was written in 1899 by Seymour Rice and Albert Brown.

Everyone seems to have an excuse NOT to attend Lucy's party. Harry has to go to Santa Barbara to see an ill client, Mary Jane has to go to Laguna to see her sick aunt, Vanda and Sam are going to Arrowhead, the Maurers are going to Palm Springs, and the Thalkens are going to San Diego. 

Instead of playing another game, they watch a TV telethon auction raising money for a Day Care Center Fund. When they tune in, the Emcee is just thanking Mrs. Dorothy Culbertson, who phoned in the highest bid to hear The Franklin Brothers' latest song. The bidding is still open on one of Lawrence Welk's autographed batons. It ends up fetching $780 from the Sun City Shuffleboard Club. Combining Sun City (a 55+ gated community) and shuffleboard, a game associated with senior citizens, the writers are making a joke about Welk's old fashioned music and style. What's even funnier is the idea of signing a baton – essentially a thin dowel of wood!

The KBEX TV camera is seen for the third time on the series. KBEX are the fictional call letters used for broadcast stations depicted in movies and on TV. The telethon's phone number is 555-7236, which utilizes the 555 prefix generally assigned to on-screen phone numbers.  

Milton Berle offers his services as a guest at a party thrown by the highest bidder. The first bid is phoned in by (an unseen) Don Rickles, an insult comedian who Berle calls “the Merchant of Venom,” a pun on Shakespeare title The Merchant of Venice.

Just in case she wins, Lucy gives Berle directions to her home. Westlake is a planned community of similar homes that straddles the Los Angeles and Ventura county line. 

Harry isn't going to change his RSVP because Milton Berle will be the guest of honor.  He says he wouldn't be influenced by Elizabeth Taylor, Frank Sinatra, Clint Eastwood, or Princess Anne and her new husband. Anne, the Princess Royal, and Queen Elizabeth's daughter, married Mark Phillips on November 14, 1973, which indicates that this episode was filmed sometime after that date. The couple divorced on April 23, 1992.

When Harry rushes through the living room headed to the barbecue with two chickens on a spit, Lucy calls him the Galloping Gourmet. That is the name of the persona of Graham Kerr, an English chef who is best known for his 1969–71 television cooking show “The Galloping Gourmet.”

Milton Berle tries in vain to tell a joke about a foursome at Hillcrest County Club but is constantly interrupted by latecomers to Lucy's party. Hillcrest Country Club is a private social club located in the Cheviot Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles. For years, many of the city's top comedians, including Jack Benny, George Burns, George Jessel, Groucho Marx, Danny Kaye, and later Milton Berle and Don Rickles, got together for a regular Friday lunch at Hillcrest, where they would socialize, try new material out on their friends, and talk "shop."

Harry and Milton Berle mention his old TV sobriquet “Uncle Miltie” as well as his well-known gag of appearing in drag, something he did on “The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour” in 1959.  

This episode includes a lot of name dropping of Hollywood celebrities. Click on the names to read about their appearance and/or mention on a “Lucy” show (if any)! 

Kirk Douglas

Bert Parks

Pinky Lee

Soupy Sales

Durwood Kirby

Lawrence Welk

Elizabeth Taylor

Frank Sinatra

Clint Eastwood

Princess Anne and her Husband (Mark Phillips)

Don Rickles

Dean Martin

Jack Benny

Buddy Hackett

The Galloping Gourmet (aka Graham Kerr)

In “Lucy and the Good Skate” (TLS S3;E1) a country club doorman announces “Mr. and Mrs. Robert Maurer.” at a dinner dance where Lucy Carmichael is hiding roller skates under her evening gown.

The Emcee tells Milton Berle that someone bid five – which Berle thinks is $500. This is what happened to Lucy Ricardo when she pledged money to the charity of philanthropist Cynthia Harcourt (coincidentally played by Mary Jane Croft) in “Lucy is Envious” (ILL S3;E23).  

The Maurer's cancel their trip to Palm Springs because of a forecast of rain, just as it does when Lucy Ricardo and Ethel Mertz travel there during “In Palm Springs” (ILL S4;E26). Rainstorms are a rarity for the California desert resort.

Wardrobe Malfunction! Lucy fiddles with the collar of her jacket during the first scene. Unbeknownst to her, it gets stuck with one side up and the other down.

“Milton Berle is the Life of the Party” rates 3 Paper Hearts out of 5

Lots of inside references, Hollywood name-dropping, and “Lucy” alumni make this fun, though not stellar, viewing.