The Hollywood (and while we're on the topic, European) sets were rather elaborate. The difference,
though, is that there weren't necessarily more than one or two, maybe three, used per
episode. In "Nursery School", I count five, if you include the Ricardo apartment set (only "struck"
when they were in L.A. and Europe).
The most elaborate set ever built and used for the show was the exterior of the Constitution
set. It was large and detailed, and the whole thing had to MOVE when Lucy misses the boat.
I recall reading in the Desilu book that Desi and Jesse O. actually met with the Navy (!) so they
could properly replicate the ship!!
On top of it having to move, there are the interior quarters for the Ricardo suite, the helicopter
set, the admissions desk, and the helicopter office (with Jack Albertson). There was also
quite a lot of exterior footage shot for the episode (and it doesn't look like stock
footage - the element is too clean). Whew!
Think how big that ship set is, and how many people are standing on the deck. Plus, they
had to lower Lucy all the way down from the "sky."
Hollywood pool: I always wondered about that , too, as a kid. I now know they did it one of
two ways. It was either built on a platform, so the pool could have depth, or they simply
were able to remove floor boards and build the pool into the "basement" part of the sound
stage. (Hitchcock did this in "Rear Window").
Also if you look carefully, the pool has no "deep end." It's about three feet feet deep all across
the pool. I also suspect it was a "permanent" set while they were in Hollywood, as striking it
would've been counterproductive when it was used in so many L.A. episodes.
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[email protected] (5497)
5 years ago
Yes, that pool was very shallow. I could never understand how Ricky would be a "hero" for rescuing Lucy when she is shown standing up with water only to her waist!
The only real danger would have been to her dress if it was dry clean only. lol
Still, the floppy hat that she wore was a great sight gag. When it got wet, it really flopped!
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[email protected] (1732)
5 years ago
Historically, it would've been very interesting to be in the studio audience for "The
Ricardos Change Apartments" and "Lucy Wants to Move to the Country."
In both episodes (shot years apart, of course), the studio audience got to see the
current apartment on the same sound stages as the new apartment/house.
That country house was actually quite large, much wider than the apartment sets.
I recall seeing the writers interviewed, and they said that in the beginning, they
struggled to write enough "disposable" dialogue as the characters crossed from the
front door to the kitchen door, as it was many steps.
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[email protected] (5497)
5 years ago
I recall reading something similar in one of my Lucy books. The Connecticut set was larger than it appeared on TV and the actors had to cross a wide expanse.
I thought it was interesting that there was only one scene in the Ricardo's bedroom in all of the country episodes. It's the scene when they had just moved in and they couldn't sleep because of all the quiet.
I wonder if it was too much trouble to use the bedroom set because it would entail the characters climbing the stairs. The bedroom was no longer conveniently close by.
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[email protected] (1732)
5 years ago
I would guess it was just coincidence, as there are only 13 country episodes, and
only one I don't like - "Lucy's Ragtime Band." I'd watch it 3 times in a row before I'd
watch "The Courtroom" or "The Black Eye" once, though.
Regarding your comment about "The Matchmaker": I find it distracting that Eddie's
hotel room is the Ricardo bedroom. They didn't do ANYTHING to "redress" it. In the
very next episode, that same "hotel" room is suddenly Lucy and Ricky's bedroom
in "Lucy Buys New Furniture."
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