Staff Picks: Celebrating 63 Years of ‘I Love Lucy’
Yesterday marked 63 years since I Love Lucy premiered on CBS. Most people know that the concept of an all-American woman married to a Cuban bandleader was controversial, and that Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz actually shopped the show on the road in order to convince execs to produce it. But what was entirely unexpected was the cultural shift as a result of the rather progressive and definitely outlandish plots. For one, Ricky Ricardo was a huge influence on the music industry and is credited with at least partially sparking the Latin and Spanish craze in the 1950s. Lucy broke barriers by appearing pregnant on television, and, possibly for the first time ever, traditional “husband and wife” roles were redefined almost weekly, particularly in episodes like “Lucy’s Schedule,” that downright mocked male dominance.
So, in celebration of the everlasting timelessness that is I Love Lucy, three of us REBEATers pick our favorite moments and episodes.
1) “Ricky Asks For A Raise” (Season 1, Episode 35)
http://youtu.be/vpUKTmjIfdA?t=21m29s
Picked by: AJB
The premise of this episode is pretty standard Lucy fare: Ricky asks for raise, Ricky loses job, Lucy tries to get job back. In one of her signature madcap schemes, Lucy enlists faithful sidekicks Fred and Ethel in a quick-change act that involves the trio booking up every table at Ricky’s former place of employ, showing up, then walking out when they realize he’s not performing. Though it has kind of a large build-up to the best part, it’s worth slogging through for the 30 seconds or so of William Frawley as the ugliest woman you’ve ever seen — complete with red lipstick, fur coat, and sassy hip sway. I’ve seen this particular episode so many times that not only can I name every single one of the pseudonyms used for reservations, but also pretty much quote the whole damn thing.
2) “Lucy Changes Her Mind” (Season 2, Episode 21)
Picked by: Erika
Ricky, Ethel, and Fred are so frustrated: Lucy just can’t make up her mind about anything and never finishes anything she started! When Ricky scolds her, demanding she completes all her unfinished projects, Lucy cooks up a crazy scheme to get back at him, pretending an 11-year old (still unfinished) letter to an old boyfriend is current and that she’s been seeing him all along. Ethel can’t keep the secret (of course!), and tells Fred, who tells Ricky, who has the time of his life foiling Lucy’s attempts to make him jealous. Hilarity ensues, involving a fur shop, a “tall, dark, and handsome” man who became “short, fat, and dumpy,” and Lucy dancing with a legless mannequin, much to Ricky’s amusement. My favorite part of the episode is the flashback scene that illustrates just how infuriating Lucy’s indecision can be; a scene so awkwardly hilarious it would make Larry David cringe.
3) “Lucy’s Italian Movie” (Season 5, Episode 23)
Picked by: Pam
This is the episode that contains one of Lucille Ball’s infamous slapstick sequences that would define I Love Lucy: the grape fight. During a trip to Italy with Ricky, Fred, and Ethel, the always star-struck Lucy meets an Italian film producer who thinks she would be perfect to audition for a role in his latest project, Bitter Grapes. Thinking that it’s an “earthy” movie about wine production, she sneaks away to the Italian countryside to research the part at a local wine vineyard. The vineyard turns out to be the only local one left where grape mashing is still done the old-fashioned way: by stomping. Lucy’s facial expressions and antics once she enters the grape barrel are still priceless comedy today. Then things get ugly. But did all of her trouble making help her land the movie role, or jeopardize it? Watch the Hulu episode above to find out.
What are your favorite Lucy moments? Let us know in the comments!
