MovieChat Forums > I Love Lucy (1951) Discussion > Comedy Moments That are Just Plain BAD

Comedy Moments That are Just Plain BAD

posted 6 years ago by [email protected] (1732)
10 replies | jump to latest

This is a highly SUBJECTIVE thread, and also one that's fairly difficult to respond to, as
this great series rarely had truly BAD moments, even in run-of-the-mill offerings.

For me, the all-time worst comedy bit is in the "Be a Pal" episode, an early show from
season one. Lucy is dialing Ethel on the phone, and while awaiting her reply via the
phone, Ethel walks into the kitchen, out of Lucy's vision. When Ethel starts to respond
to Lucy's "What're you doing?" with "I'm eating a donut", we know we're in trouble
(is Lucy so dumb she can't tell that a live person is speaking NEXT to her while Ethel's
phone is still ringing through the phone???). But when Lucy sees Ethel, and says, "Well,
I have to go now, Ethel, Ethel is here", then hangs up and SCREAMS, I cringe.

This is writing that third-graders would come up with, and it's just plain rotten. It's very
brief, and this piece of subpar comedy is rare for this show.

Thoughts? Any others?

[–] [email protected] (5490) 6 years ago

That is a dumb (and unfunny) moment.

There's another moment I am thinking of and I apologize in advance because I CAN'T remember which episode it's from!

But there's a scene between the Ricardos where Ricky doesn't want Lucy to do something.

She replies, "But why?"

It's not the line that's bad. I just get the feeling that they were going for a laugh because Lucy says it while aping Ricky's accent. It almost sounds like she is drunk because it comes out slurred like, "Bu whyyy?" She doesn't pronounce the letter t.

There's silence after that line and I think they expected a laugh from the audience.

Another moment that falls flat (for me) is in the episode where they are preparing to leave Hollywood. Lucy sends Fred out to buy Q-tips and he comes back with POOL cues.

They wouldn't sell him just the tips. He had to buy the whole cue. Kinda dumb.

Wouldn't Lucy have just said, "I need a box of Q-tips for the baby."???

And if Fred really thought she meant tips from pool cues, you'd think he would've asked, "What the heck do you need those for?"

I never liked the other silly moments in that episode like " the shaving cream in Lucy's purse" scene. Why in the world would Lucy be dumping it out in the living room? Using the sink would've made more sense.

And Ricky's razor taped to little Ricky's toy gun. Yikes! That scene makes me cringe. Gee, they were inattentive parents! How did a three year old get hold of a razor?

[–] [email protected] (1732) 6 years ago

I know exactly what you mean with "Bu whyyy?", and, no, it doesn't get a laugh (and, I, too, can't think of the episode).

"Ricky Sells the Car" is actually a pretty mediocre episode. Those scenes at the beginning were always the one's cut
when I was a kid. Other than the motorcycle scene, and Ethel's general bitchiness, the episode doesn't offer much,
as it doesn't have much story to it. But believe it or not, I like it much better than the jewel thief ep when they return
to New York on the train. I don't know what it is about that episode, but I just don't like it.

[–] [email protected] (5490) 6 years ago

The episode with the jewel thief on the train was never a big favorite of mine. But I like some parts of it.

I suppose they tried to come up with a plausible reason for Lucy to keep pulling the emergency cord. But her panic and yelling were a bit over the top.

The best part of the episode was Frank Nelson as the very annoyed conductor!

I also enjoyed Lucy's remark when she thought she was going undercover to catch a jewel thief.

"I was a woman for the F.B.I."

The only part that didn't make sense to me was the ending when Lucy posed with her hand on the emergency cord and the conductor panicked and tried to pull her away. The train came to a sudden stop (again!). But why was it moving in the first place? There were reporters and photographers on board interviewing Lucy. Why would the train be moving? I just assumed that they were going to get off the train after the interview. They weren't passengers.

[–] [email protected] (1732) 6 years ago

What I find odd is that I don't know WHY I don't like this episode, when it's tightly written and fairly clever (Ricky
hitting the back of the train; the food gag with Fred and Ethel). For some reason, the episode leaves me cold.

When I was small kid and watched this every night at 7:00 (as long as I'd done my homework), my father would
lie on the den floor, reading the paper. He didn't like the show, but occasionally he'd look up and chuckle (mainly
at Fred). I remember watching this, and when Fred and Ethel came from dinner at the end, wrapped in slickers,
my dad howled. And I didn't get it! He said something to the effect of my being to young to understand.

Curiously, I also remember my dad laughing when WET Ricky and Lucy came up from the pool, as well as Ethel's
line, "Oh, he IS tired!" in "First Stop." Strange, the things you remember.

[–] funkychicken (606) 6 years ago

This show was jam packed with groan worthy "comedy" moments imo.

[–] [email protected] (1732) 6 years ago

Disagree. Really only about 7 or 8 weak offerings (mostly in the first season), and even run-of-the-mill eps usually
have plenty of laughs. The comedy was based on human behavior, not bad jokes.

"Jam packed" would stuff like "The Munsters" or "Gilligan's Island", or (worse) "Three's Company."

[–] funkychicken (606) 6 years ago

I love Threes Company :)

John Ritter was awesome. And it was probably Don Knotts finest moment?

[–] [email protected] (1732) 6 years ago

"Three's Company" gets my vote as one of the top five worst sitcoms ever made. Ritter was talented, but
it was a sheer waste of Don Knotts. The fact that you would consider this his "finest moment" (ever watch
his glorious work on Andy Griffith??) says more about you than the terrible "Three's Company."

In any case, since you don't like "I Love Lucy", and DO enjoy "Three's Company", why not post over on that
board, rather than troll over here?

[–] funkychicken (606) 6 years ago

You like your comedy, I'll like mine. Simple.
You're right though Knotts was very funny on Andy Griffith too.

And if you think one on topic post was "trolling" you're an idiot.

That shill voice of Lucy's was like nails on a chalkboard sometimes. lol

[–] [email protected] (5490) 6 years ago

Oh yes, Don Knotts had his finest moments on Andy Griffith! He was a comedy gem on those shows.

His character of Mr. Furley on Three's Company reminds me of Lucille Ball on her later sitcoms. Both actors were great in their original roles, but somehow they seemed to have lost their comedy timing in their later shows. There was just something in their performances that was "lost".