Review of Here`s Lucy: Best Loved Episodes

Introduction

From 1951 to 1986, a fiery-haired woman from Bute, Montana reigned undisputed as the Queen of American television. Unlike later pretenders who were newscasters and agony aunts, Lucille Ball was an actress and comedienne who had started in showbusiness back in the 1930s. Born in 1911, Lucy made her first movie aged 22 as a Goldwyn Girl, subsequently moving on to roles in movies including Top Hat (1935) and Stage Door (1937). By the late 1940s, she was starring opposite Bob Hope in Sorrowful Jones (1949) and Fancy Pants (1950). Although her screen career was no slouch (74 movies between 1933 and 1974), it was television that would make her a superstar.

In 1940, she had married a Cuban bandleader called Desi Arnaz and the couple developed an act together that combined Lucy`s daffy stage personality with Desi`s deadpan straight man. It was the basis of a situation comedy which they took to CBS television in 1951. In real life, Lucy was far from the screwball she portrayed on screen. She was one of the first women executives in films and television, and she and her husband had formed a production company - Desilu - which produced the series, entitled "I Love Lucy".

"I Love Lucy" was a groundbreaking sitcom that wrote all the rules for television comedy for decades to follow. It had a simple premise, Lucy was married to a bandleader called Ricky Ricardo (Desi), and she would get into scrapes and misunderstandings along with neighbours Ethel and Fred Mertz (Vivian Vance and William Frawley) which would inevitably cause Ricky to shout at some point "Lucy, ju got some `splainin to do" (sic). The show was an enormous hit and 180 half-hour episodes were made between 1951 and 1957. The true genius of the show, however, was that to maintain quality it was shot entirely on film rather than being telerecorded from a live transmission in Los Angeles for showing at a different time or day in New York. While this doesn`t sound revolutionary, it was for 1951 and had the rider in the contract with CBS that Desilu retained the rights to the episodes. This was subsequently worth a fortune when the show was later put into syndication.

In 1957, the show was rejigged as "The Lucille Ball Show" with a new hour-long running time. Only thirteen episodes were made between 1957 and 1960, the final eight episodes including some shows that were dramas shown under the "Desilu Playhouse" banner.

There was a two-year gap between the end of that show and Lucy`s next outing on television. During that time, she and Desi had divorced acrimoniously. "The Lucy Show" ran from 1962 to 1968, generating 156 half-hour episodes - 30 in black-and-white and 126 in colour. It was during this era that Desilu, which had bought up the former RKO lot, developed a number of properties outside the Lucy franchise - The Untouchables, Mannix, and a couple of other little shows - Mission Impossible and Star Trek.

In 1967, Lucy sold Desilu and its lot to neighbours Paramount for the then colossal sum of $20million. The following year, Lucille Ball Productions commenced making "Here`s Lucy".

"Here`s Lucy" continued the well-established Lucille Ball style. Lucy Carter was a scatterbrained widow raising her two teenage kids while working for her pompous brother-in-law Harry, played by Gale Gordon - a regular Lucyite since "The Lucy Show". From 1968 to 1974, Lucy continued her disaster-prone ways in 144 half-hour episodes. Her teenage children were played by her own offspring Lucie and Desi Arnaz Jr. As with her other shows, Lucy could call on the most astounding names as guest stars - Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, Carol Burnett, Johnny Carson, Jack Benny, Jackie Gleason, Johnny Carson and Ed McMahon, Helen Hayes, Shelley Winters, Lawrence Welk, Vivian Vance, Charles Nelson Reilly, Ginger Rogers, Wayne Newton, Sammy Davis, Jr., Donny Osmond, Milton Berle, Ann-Margret, Flip Wilson and George Burns.

This selection of the twenty-four best episodes of the series was selected by Lucie and Desi Jr.

Disc One contains six episodes:

Lucy Meets The Burtons - from 1970, one of the biggest episodes of the show as then-Hollywood royalty Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton guest as themselves. Lucy naturally mistakes Burton for a plumber and gets into a huge misunderstanding about a diamond ring. The episode has a commentary track from Lucie and Desi Jr reminiscing about the production.

Lucy and Johnny Carson - from 1969, one mainly for US viewers as Lucy drives Johnny Carson and Ed McMahon crazy on the set of The Johnny Carson Show.

Lucy and Carol Burnett - also from 1969, Lucy and Carol Burnett get into a beauty contest where they have to demonstrate their vocal skills. This musical show features a commentary from Lucie Arnaz and Carol Burnett.

Lucy and Laurence Welk - from 1970, Lucy claims to know Laurence Welk and has to blag a meeting with the singer for her friend Viv.

Lucy The Fixer - from 1969, Lucy trashes Harry`s home trying to fix an electrical wiring problem. The episode demonstrates Lucy`s talents for slapstick and more importantly Gale Gordon`s magnificent reactions. Carries a commentary track.

Lucy Visits Jack Benny - from 1968. Lucy takes the family to Jack Benny`s mansion for a vacation, but things don`t go smoothly.

There is also a ten-minute blooper reel, a number of bonus features to go with the Burtons episode including an alternative ending. Johnny Carson rehearsal footage and a bonus programme of Jack Benny`s Carnival Nights.

The six episodes on Disc Two are:

Lucy and Sammy Davis Jr. - from 1970, Sammy gets an unwanted minder in the shape of Lucy after he gets his nose repeatedly banged by doors. This episode features heavily in the extras section of the disc with a number of outtakes and trims of material incidental to the making of the show. The material includes footage of Gary Morton (the show`s executive producer who was also Lucy`s second husband and a key Paramount executive) doing the warm-up for the show.

Lucy and Miss Shelley Winters - from 1968, Shelley Winters (of Poseidon Adventure fame) is trying to lose weight and she enlists Lucy to help her. Not a good idea.

Lucy and the Generation Gap - from 1969. Aimed at Lucie and Desi`s set. The episode has a commentary track.

Lucy the Crusader - from 1970. Charles Nelson Reilly (the name will mean more to US viewers than UK viewers) tangles wits with Lucy over a vacuum cleaner.

Lucy and the Little Old Lady - from 1972, Academy Award Winning actress Helen Hayes (for Airport 1970) turns up as a sweet little old con artist.

Lucy and Donny Osmond - from 1972, Lucy encounters the best set of teeth in the US. This episode has a commentary track.

Disc Two also has bonus material including the Sammy Davis Jr material mentioned above, a Pepsodent commercial Lucy made and a CBS promo reel for the show that was believed lost until it turned up on Ebay.

Disc Three consists of the six episodes:

Lucy Sells Craig to Wayne Newton - made in 1968. Lucy bids to get son Craig (Desi Arnaz Jr) into Wayne Newton`s band. This episode has an audio commentary with Desi Jr and Wayne Newton.

Lucy the Matchmaker - also from 1968. Lucy plays matchmaker for brother-in-law Harry. Regular supporting actress from the earlier shows Vivian Vance makes the first of a number of guest appearances.

Lucy and Ann-Margret - from 1970. One of the most successful episodes of the entire series as Ann-Margret turns up to record a song Desi Jr has written. This episode is accompanied by a special bonus feature of an Ann-Margret Special: From Hollywood With Love.

Lucy and the Used Car Dealer - from 1969. Milton Berle guests as a used car salesman who rips off Lucie and Desi.

Lucy the Skydiver - a 1970 episode where Lucy calls the bluff of Lucie and Desi over the risks involved in their hobbies. In the bonus materials is some rehearsal footage shot by a documentary crew from this episode.

Ginger Rogers Comes to Tea - a 1971 episode where Lucy invites Ginger Rogers over for tea having found her purse.

Disc three also contains the second blooper reel of the set and another CBS Promo for the show that turned up on Ebay.

Disc 4

Lucy and Flip Go Legit - a 1971 episode with guest star Flip Wilson. Lucy causes havoc around a play of Gone With The Wind.

Lucy Joins the Air Force Academy Pt. 1 & 2 from 1969. Harry has to drive a motor home from California to Colorado and rashly agrees to take Lucy and the kids along for the ride. The trouble begins when Lucy takes over the driving so Harry can have a rest. Both these episodes feature audio commentaries by Lucie Arnaz and Desi Arnaz Jr.

Lucy and Jack Benny`s Biography - from 1970. Jack Benny is writing his autobiography and needs a secretary. Enter Lucy. The episode also features George Burns. The supplemental features include rehearsal footage and bloopers from this episode.

Lucy is Really in a Pickle - from 1973. Lucy bags a part in a commercial selling pickles (which she can`t stand). Then on the day, the director decides she should be wearing a pickle costume. This episode has an audio commentary track.

With Viv As a Friend, Who Needs an Enemy - from 1972. Vivian Vance`s swansong appearance in the Lucy franchise. This also has an audio commentary.

Disc Four also contains Lucie and Desi Jr at the Thalians Ball. A benefit for the Thalians Mental Health Center, Lucie and Desi Jr play their parents in a short sketch. This can be viewed with or without a commentary track. There is also a Syndication Sales Tape for the series hosted by Bob Hope, used by the company to sell the show to syndicated stations around the US. There is also a blooper reel for the sales tape.

Video

Here`s Lucy was shot on 35mm, with all production stages carried out in the celluloid domain (the show predated transfer to tape for post-production like many modern filmed comedy series). It was also made in an era when the industry was trying to get the public to buy their first colour televisions, so images can be a little gaudy at times. The quality of the episodes is quite outstanding considering their age.

Audio

The show was made with a no-frills Mono soundtrack, and no attempt to fiddle with the sound has been made other than to present it to its best advantage in Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono.

Features

The set includes 14 audio commentaries by Lucie and Desi, Jr., Carol Burnett and Wayne Newton, bloopers and deleted scenes, rehearsal and other behind-the-scenes footage, audience warm-up footage with Ball`s second husband Gary Morton and original network promos. Bonus material also includes a clip from the "Ann-Margret: From Hollywood With Love" television special featuring Lucy, the original series sales reel with Bob Hope bloopers, and footage from an event during which Lucie and Desi, Jr. perform as their parents in an "I Love Lucy" skit.

Conclusion

I remember Here`s Lucy running during my childhood alongside shows like Star Trek, The Beverley Hillbillies and Batman. It was harmless, jolly television about a scatterbrained, raucous-sounding woman who worked for a balding, rather pompous gentleman with a pencil moustache. When I started putting the discs on, the memories came flooding back and I found myself laughing out loud at some of the shows - not bad for a thirty-something American sitcom. The standout thing about these episodes is the support Lucy got from her frequent sparring partner Gale Gordon. I dimly recalled him from the series, but as the constant straight man. He was far more than that. His relationship with Lucy was his Jimmy Finlayson to her Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy; his Bud Abbott to her Lou Costello - somebody who thought they were superior but who was frequently brought crashing down to earth by Lucy`s shenanigans. The duo`s comedy timing was immaculate, and Gordon`s reactions frequently top whatever dizziness of Lucy`s he is reacting to. If there`s one genuine, dyed-in-the-wool classic among these episodes, it is disc one`s "Lucy The Fixer" which I would put on a par with Laurel and Hardy`s "Big Business" for sheer gleeful mayhem. Absolute bliss.