MovieChat Forums > I Love Lucy (1951) Discussion > More on "Ricky and the Dummy"

More on "Ricky and the Dummy"



Although this is not a super-classic of the Hollywood arc, it's certainly an important
entry into the "story" of WHY Lucy never made it as a successful performer.

She simply didn't want it badly enough.

If Lucy REALLY wanted this opportunity, she would've signed contracts. And while it's
doubtful that a mid-30's unknown female would've become a huge star, she certainly
would've had a chance with a six-month contract, some minor roles, and HUGE
experience.

But Lucy really WAS a "dreamer", not a "doer." Even Ricky admitted he couldn't stand
in her way, so his and the Mertz's manipulation of having to return to New York (which,
of course, Ricky did) wasn't very difficult.

But let's look at what the consequences would've been. For starters, she made not one,
but TWO enemies in Hollywood - the director in her showgirl death scene (Lucy REALLY
blew that one) and Mr. Reilly himself. Hollywood is an unforgiving town, and since, in
the end, MGM really had no long-lasting interest in Ricky Ricardo, it is doubtful Lucy
would've gotten far either. She was too much of an amateur. Furthermore, had she
made something of herself there, Ricky, Fred and Ethel probably would've resented her.
All three were longtime professional performers.

Thoughts?

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Yes I agree. That episode showed Lucy really loved her family and didn't really want the fame after all. Another episode that showed this was "Lucy wants a career" it was one of the Lucy Desi comedy hour episodes. Where she becomes co-host of a talk show and actually is successful. But doesn't see her family so she gives it up! That was another example of how she just didn't want it enough.

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I disagree that she didn't really want a show-biz career for the reason that family came first. The Mertz's and Ricky brainwashed her into believing that her life would be for the worse if she did stay in Hollywood, mostly due to her son. RICKY: "I CAN'T LET HER STAY OUT HERE BY HERSELF"...how does he know? That would mean Lucy was in denial or delusional her whole life over wanting a real show-biz career. People do not have a change of heart just like that. Let her stay in Hollywood, then she can decide if it's worth it.

This makes for the worst episode in the entire 6 years because it shows the deceit and presumption of her best friends and husband--and Lucy sacrificing her dream. That is a cheat (and plot-device) by the writers for the sake of one episode, so we'd still have a series called "I Love Lucy'. (what's more odd is that the studio would offer her a contract for that unfunny skit she did with the dummy)

Remember, she was also offered a contract before she had a baby in the first season after another unfunny skit but turned it down for Ricky's sake, though I attribute that to premature-writing, since it was too early in the series for that plot-result..

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I recall the long "back and forth" disagreement we had over this one, gb! lol At the very least, I thought that Lucy would have had some small chance to recognize her show biz dream if she had signed that contract. You pointed out that at her age and level of inexperience, it would not have been a BIG salary. And she wouldn't have become a star.

But Lucy did have a large degree of pushiness. From what I've heard and read, Hollywood performers have to be willing to get out there and "sell" themselves by doing all sorts of publicity. They can't be the shy and retiring type. They have to promote themselves. And Lucy certainly wasn't shy about promoting herself.

If Ethel and the baby had stayed with her, I think Lucy would have signed the contract. Her show biz career may very well have ended as a flop. But perhaps that would have gotten it out of her system for good!

Yes, the director in her big "death scene" would probably balk at working with Lucy again. But there were other directors at MGM. Speaking of movies, I wonder what type of vehicle they would put Lucy in. She would probably have had a scene or two in a musical comedy because of her dance with Raggedy Ricky. Of course, when she wrote home to Carolyn and all the girls, it would have become a STARRING role in MGM's latest technicolor musical.

If they didn't renew her contract at least Lucy would finally have something to put on her show business resume.

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But had Lucy stayed with Ethel and the baby, and Ricky went back to New York....

A) It would've ended her marriage (are we REALLY supposed to buy Ricky's fidelity, at least on THAT test??).
B) Lucy would've missed Ricky so much, she would've went home (and, hopefully, she wouldn't be sued by MGM).
C) Lucy would've screwed up her next opportunity, and MGM would've sent her packing.

What's curious about this episode, is it really DOES end the Lucy-wants-to-get-into the show (for the most part).

Other than the highly forgettable "Lucy and the Rodeo", and her wanting to be in the Paladium show in England,
Lucy pretty much outgrew trying to "get into the act." After "Lucy and the Dummy", Lucy's main interests are
Little Ricky's blooming talents, travel, clothes, and the country. She really only wants to be in the Paladium act
so she can meet the Queen, and really only wants to do Shakespeare with Orson Welles to impress her high
school teacher.

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True on all your points. Do we really think Ricky would've fooled around though? (Desi yes, Ricky maybe). But in any case, that type of separation would not have been good for the Ricardo marriage.

Lucy finally seemed to get over her desire for "trying to get into the act", especially when they moved to Connecticut. Lucy came to realize that her show biz dream was just that, a dream. When she got into the act in season six, it was always for Little Ricky's benefit. She played the witch in the school pageant that Little Ricky was in. She did that hilarious tango (with the eggs in her shirt). That was for the PTA.

Also, in Connecticut, Lucy couldn't run down to the Tropicana so easily. She seemed to embrace country living, raising chickens, growing prize winning (hopefully) tulips,etc. I think show biz was finally out of her system.

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Of course, Lucy swings BACK into wanting to get into the act with the totally unnecessary
Lucy/Desi Comedy Hour.

The aforementioned TV morning show (with guest star Paul Douglas) is awful, with Lucy coming across as
an IDIOT! And while the Talulah Bankhead show is among the few worth watching, Lucy's behavior is really
atrocious and childish.

They went too far with this lumpy, hour-long show because we no longer related to Lucy. She picked
FIGHTS with celebrities, rather than longing to meet them (the Fred MacMurray offering is super bad).

But those six half-hour seasons hold up really well, and tell a nice story of four people and their adventures
as friends and couples.

I would've been more open to the Lucy/Desi Comedy Shows if they did some WITHOUT guest stars, a sorry
trend that Lucy employed for the next FIFTEEN years (minus the first three of The Lucy Show).

Curiously, I never knew - for years - why Danny Thomas and Marjorie Lord played their TV characters, rather
than themselves. I recently learned it's because Lucy and Desi played THEIR TV characters on their show,
so they really had no choice. It's no coincidence, then, that this Lucy/Desi ep is one of the stronger ones,
with Ball employing some terrific comedy.

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I haven't seen the hour long episodes in years with the exception of The Tallulah Bankhead episode. I watched that one on youtube recently. It really is salvaged by Miss Bankhead's performance (I never knew she could do comedy so well) because Lucy acts so childish in that one. They also re-use the ploy that Ethel used to impress Fred's old partner Barney Kurtz. In that one, Lucy pretended to be their maid. In the hour long episode, the Mertzes pretended to be Lucy's maid and butler.

It was unbelievable that Lucy would run into so MANY celebrities. It made total sense in the Hollywood episodes. But here, it just strains credulity.

I barely recall Lucy's stint on a TV morning show with Paul Douglas. But I remember being puzzled that Lucy finally landed a TV role and then decided she didn't want it.

The Lucy/Desi Comedy Show would have been so much better if it had continued the ILL format instead of trying to make every episode a "big" celebrity vehicle. There were still a lot of material that could be mined out of the country episodes.

One other episode that I did see about five years ago was the one when they visited Japan. I sort of remember Lucy wanting real pearls because she didn't have any. I guess she forgot that Ricky bought her some for their anniversary!

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Yes, the Tallulah Bankhead offering is actually very well done, and carries its length nicely (50 minutes).

Ball is very good here, and other than her final scenes of wanting to RUIN the show with Bankhead
(unthinkable on ILL), she has some funny moments. It's also her very last performance with the
classic "Lucy Ricardo" hairdo (already years out of fashion, but that's another topic: Ball HATED change).

Ethel is very funny as the "maid", as is Fred as the butler.

LUCY: "Ricky's from Cuba."
Tallulah: "Yes, I had a feeling he wasn't from Alabama."

Danny Thomas Spot: One of Ball's truly great scenes here is her trying to sneak into the guest room
and convince "Danny" that she's HIS wife. Virtually the entire scene features Lucy's facial expressions
carrying the scene. The look on her face when he nuzzles her neck is hilarious.

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Lucy was acting like she was acting underwater in the Comedy Hour. I don't know how to put it into words; no edge of-your-seat--interest to see what she (and the show) does next, compared to ILL. The things that are supposed to be funny on the Comedy Hour would have probably been very funny if done on the ILL series. Things were protracted and on auto-pilot with none of the spontaneous magic --or wit-- that Lucy normally intrinsically had.

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Lucille Ball acted like that in her later series too. Somehow she seemed to have lost the comedic timing that made Lucy Ricardo so funny. She just seemed to be reciting her lines without much feeling.

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What you're describing (comedic timing) was much more on Here's Lucy than TLS. She seemed to make less effort to be funny on Here's Lucy.

I mean something different about the Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour; like it was not filmed before a live audience and a remoteness/ non-spontaneity (for example, Lucy dropping her face in the cereal bowl on the TV morning show would likely have been hysterical if done on ILL; as it was, it lacked something).
A comparison is how some sitcoms are funnier on videotape than they would be on film, due to the immediacy of videotape, since some are not too funny to begin with and need the immediacy-factor.

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