MovieChat Forums > I Love Lucy (1951) Discussion > The Perfection of "The Charm School"

The Perfection of "The Charm School"

posted 5 years ago by [email protected] (1732)
24 replies | jump to latest

Ran this ep early in the week, and while I've always considered it a gem, I really
took note of how great an episode it truly is.

What's curious about this offering is how leisurely paced it is. The opening scene could've
easily been penned in half the time, yet it doesn't feel slow in the least. Ditto for the
first scene with Natalie Schaffer. There are great episodes where a lot happens in 25
minutes, yet this is an example of a very simple story that takes its sweet time, yet doesn't
come across padded at all. I credit the writers, the general youth of the series, as well
as William Asher's assured direction. I would even go so far as to call this episode among
the truly great offerings of the entire series. It just clicks on every level. And I can't think
of another time when Vivian Vance got a "screaming with laughter" reaction all by herself.
(When Lucy opens the door to reveal Ethel in that horrid leopard print dress). Perhaps
Vance's only other single-handed laugh of this magnitude is when Ethel comes out of that
motel bathroom with all the toothpaste on her face!!

Footnote: For years and years, I never understood why the actors cast as Bill Hall and his
wife looked markedly older than Lucy and Ricky - both looking well over 40. The SCRIPT
has Louann commenting on "babies", so in the writing, she's supposed to be
younger. I've come to the conclusion that casting went after older looking actors so
Lucy's line about "old GOATS needing a young kid!" would work. Ricky was NOT "an old
goat", but having Fred intermingled with another gray-haired man sells the line.

[–] [email protected] (5497) 5 years ago

It is one of my favorite episodes. It does move at a leisurely pace. But yes, it does NOT seem padded. Every scene builds up to the hilarious finale.

I never thought that Louann Hall was too old to say women discuss babies. After all, even when Little Ricky was out of babyhood, Lucy still referred to him as the baby. A lot of women always think of their children as their "babies". And even women who have older kids often discuss the babies of their friends.

The "old goats need a young kid" line was funny. But the model Eve Whitney looked to be about Lucy's age. She was hardly "a young kid". Well maybe she was to Fred, lol. Eve Whitney was about a decade younger than Lucille Ball. But Lucy Ricardo was supposed to be in her early thirties according to "Lucy Tells the Truth". There was something about Eve, maybe her clothes or her hairdo that made her look a bit older than her age

In contrast, Barbara Eden was definitely a lot younger than the wives in "Country Club Dance" ( a remake of Charm School).

[–] [email protected] (1732) 5 years ago

I agree that Louann doesn't look that much older than Ethel, but she does looks a bit older than Lucy. And Bill
looks ten to fifteen years older than Ricky, but younger than Fred. I still bet they cast older-looking actors, so the
line about "old goats" worked. (I don't think it would've if the couple were youthful Charlie and Carolyn Appleby).

You have a point about the (ultra weird) Eve Whitney. She does't look younger than 30, but she looks much younger
surrounded by Bill Hall and Fred!

Ironic dialogue: PJ, you and I seem to be the only holdouts on not colorizing the series. How odd that the guys
are in the kitchen discussing when color will come to TV!

Ouch: Louann's line that women don't want to discuss politics! I'll wager women ALWAYS did, but in the '50's,
they had to keep many of their opinions to themselves, and let their husband's decide which political angle
they took. Thank God times have changed (another valuable aspect to watching the series - we see how far we've
come! Remember those eps where Ricky got REALLY weirded out at even a hint of homosexuality?? He was
NOT initially comfortable with Mr. Merriweather...a very obvious gay character. And he looked like he was going
to throw up when Mr. Jenkins pressed his pencil into Ricky's chest and said he "loved" the way Ricky sang
Babalu. In all fairness, though, Mr. Jenkins WAS sleazy!!).

[–] [email protected] (5497) 5 years ago

It is kind of funny how the guys discuss color TV while they are in black and white! I remember reading that the decision to film Bonanza in color from the very beginning was prompted by the hope that it would sell color TVs.

Totally unrelated show, but it's interesting to view certain scenes of old shows in light of what happens later. For instance, I recently watched a Big Valley episode where Heath gave an old friend the job of busting a bronco. Of course the man fell off the horse and he lost the use of his legs. He tried to guilt Heath into giving him a lot of money so he could invest it.
He says to Heath, "I don't know how much a pair of legs are worth."
I immediately yelled at the TV, "Six Million Dollars!"

I suppose a lot of women liked to discuss politics back then. But I have to admit, when my mom got together with friends, her sisters-in-law, neighbors,etc., they rarely discussed politics. They talked about their jobs. They discussed their kids a lot more than my dad and his friends did. And the women I knew never talked about sports. The only time the subject of sports came up was when they complained about how much sports their husbands watched.

Mr Jenkins seemed like a sleazy businessman. Ricky was irritated at the way Jenkins acted. It was like he was doing the Ricardos a big favor because he liked the way Ricky sang Babalu.

[–] [email protected] (1732) 5 years ago

You have a point in that I think we've gotten so politically correct that we have almost numbed genders down
to not just equal, but the SAME. The fact is, many, many more men are into sports than women. Even today.
But the bigger point is if a young girl wants to succeed in soccer, it's totally fine. And many more women
(compared to 60 years ago) join their hubbies in cheering on the Nicks!

There is a fabulous TV special on Youtube - Fred Astaire's very first time on TV (and the very first special to
be TAPED in color). At any rate, the commercials are included. In the first, they are advertising Chevrolet,
or something, and they show a family "admiring" a new '58 model. The father and son (the kid looks 5!)
naturally open the hood and ooh and aah over the motor, while the mother and daughter (maybe 6)
instantly go and "pet" the interior, the little girl wearing white gloves (!). It's so gender-specific! As if ALL
little boys cared about a motor, and all little girls couldn't wait to run their glove-covered hands over the
interior of a new car (!!).

Funny coincidence: My friend, who is a professional actor, was very good friends with Peter Haskall,
who played that jerk in that "Big Valley" episode. He was a very nice guy, but when I met him and told
him I liked him in that very same BV episode, he looked puzzled, then said, "Oh, yeah, that." He had
accrued so many TV credits by that point, he barely remembered. He's since passed away.

[–] [email protected] (5497) 5 years ago

Interesting coincidence about Peter Haskell. I've read about other actors who have had such long resumes that they didn't recall some of their roles.

Remember Bonnie Franklin? She was the redhead who starred in One Day at a Time. She had a brief part in a Munsters episode. I read that she didn't even remember being on that show. Well, her scene WAS brief and she was not in it with any of the Munster regulars. (She probably would have remembered if she had a scene with Herman Munster!)

[–] [email protected] (1732) 5 years ago

Bonnie Franklin, RIP, although I hated "One Day at a Time", even though everyone I knew watched it. She
was too perky and '70's "wise", always sipping from her coffee mug. I didn't care for the actresses who
played her daughters, although for very different reasons.

Yes, actors don't really recall their TV guest spots. Barbara Feldon, who starred as agent 99 in "Get
Smart" (one of my all-time faves) said she noticed the huge difference between starring in a show, and
then spending years "jobbing" on programs. She remembered not bothering to really know guest actors
because they weren't there for more than a week, and "You didn't want to get too close", when they
were outside the regulars. She then knew the other side of that feeling when she "jobbed" on TV series,
and the main actors were cliquish with each other, but not her.

My actor friend did a play in the '80's with the lovely Lois Nettleton. She was very friendly, so he felt
comfortable asking about her memories of appearing in TZ's "The Midnight Sun." To his naïve surprise
(he was new to the business then) she recalled virtually nothing, as she only worked for a week on the
series back in 1961. It was just a gig among many.

Flash forward to the early 2000's. Shortly before her death, Nettleton did the commentary track for the
episode. I watched it and howled because she would only comment on scenes AFTER they were under
way, and clearly struggled to recall BEING there. She sounded like a normal viewer, rather than somebody
who experienced it. She couldn't even recall actors names, although she was generous in praising them.

Very strange business.

[–] [email protected] (5497) 5 years ago

I used to watch One Day at a Time. But I can't stand it now! I've seen some of the reruns recently. And the show hasn't aged well. Or else it was never really funny to begin with and I never noticed!

I always liked Lois Nettleton. Interesting how actors forget episodes that the fans love. I've always been a TZ fan and "Midnight Sun" is considered one of the classic episodes. I wonder if she remembered her guest stint on Hawaii-Five O?

The commentaries on The Dick van Dick Show are fun to listen to. However, Carl Reiner and Dick van Dyke don't seem to remember the episodes very well. They will ask each other, "What was this episode about?" or "Who was the guest star?". They start laughing at the episodes and say that they haven't seen them in years, so it's fun to see them again

[–] [email protected] (1732) 5 years ago

Since I've always lived in L.A., I was privileged to see about ten tapings of "The Golden Girls." I
was lucky, as several I saw wound up being classics.

My very first was with Lois Nettleton, who played Dorothy's (Bea Arthur) old school chum. She
was a lesbian who had recently lost her lifetime partner. She ends up falling in love with Rose
(Betty White). A very funny, sensitive episode. I think the following exchange got the biggest
laugh from us in the studio audience:

Sophia: "She's a LESBIAN!"

Blanche: "Well, I've never known any personally, but isn't Danny Thomas one?"

Dorothy: "Not LEBANESE, Blanche. LESBIAN." Classic.

[–] ProductionNow (1072) 5 years ago

Charm School eps.was good until the very end with the boy's unfunny (and unnecessary) change of clothes.

Bonnie Franklin was straight from Norman Lear's desire to discover Tv stars from the stage; underrated Shelly Faberes stole Franklin's thunder. I noticed from the first episode that the studio audience laughter was noticeably extra loud (toned down later in the series' run) which was somewhat infectious and made the show seem funnier than it was.

[–] [email protected] (5497) 5 years ago

Charm School was great , but now that you mention it, the ending with the boys change of clothes wasn't funny. It seems like the writers didn't know how to end this very funny episode. It was totally unrealistic that Ricky and Fred would have those costumes in their closets.

I liked One Day at a Time when it first came on. I never really thought it was funny. I just liked the premise. The story of a newly divorced woman striking out with her two daughters was interesting and hadn't been done on TV before. My favorite character was David Kane played by Richard Masur. He was Ann's divorce lawyer turned boyfriend.
I never thought the show was very funny. To me it was one of those sitcoms that was more "sit" than "com". There were a number of sitcoms which I found amusing but not laugh out loud funny. The audience laughter (and I think some of it was canned laughter) didn't influence me.

Shelley Fabares was funny though. Next to her, Bonnie Franklin was totally unfunny. Not that her character of Ann ever had a really amusing line anyway. I didn't know Bonnie Franklin was a Broadway performer.

When I laugh at a show that has no laugh track, then I consider it funny. Did you ever see the Denis Leary show "The Job" which had a brief run in 2000-2001? That was a funny show. I recently bought the DVD. It made me laugh all over again. It was a long time before I realized that there was NO laugh track.

[–] [email protected] (1732) 5 years ago

Can't say I agree with either one of you. I think the guys changing at the end was pure gold,
and Fred, in particular, looks just like "Mr. Peanut."

To me, it's a flawless episode from start to finish.

[–] [email protected] (5497) 5 years ago

The guys in their costumes was a funny sight gag. It's just one of those moments where I have to think, where did they get those costumes?? I know Fred had a trunk full of costumes from his vaudeville days, but did he have a Mr. Peanut costume?

And after many repeat viewings, the guys' stunt seems a bit cold. I mean, Lucy and Ethel worked hard to get themselves "well groomed, charming and attractive". They were only doing it to keep their husbands interested. You'd think they'd get an E for effort!

Ricky was correct that the look they adopted (heavy make up and dresses) was not for them. But you think he would've appreciated the effort that went into it.

[–] ProductionNow (1072) 5 years ago

The husbands' showing no appreciation for their efforts (Lucy says "maybe it's out fault" at the breakfast table before their plan) and somewhat humiliating them is part of it, and that Ball/Vance are just funnier at that type of stunt. It was the formulaic teach-them-a-lesson-plotline (like the Martian episode, though that was a different situation) If Lucy had one of her classic funny reactions after the men's change, it would have made a difference.

Bonnie Franklin was Tony nominated for a musical-comedy, I believe. Another redhead from the stage, Sandy Duncan (among other actresses), would had been a funnier series lead. Franklin seemed more like a reactor in comedy. The best parts of One Day at a Time were dramatic moments. Valerie Bertinelli was even luckier: she was scouted/cast from being seen in acting class. She went from her constant same cutey-reactions in the beginning and grew into a competent actress.

[–] [email protected] (1732) 5 years ago

I don't think it's cold at all. Lucy and Ethel did NOT explain what they were doing all week,
and then POW - they walk in dressed ODDLY and acting even stranger. Ricky and Fred
simply brought them down a peg by playing the same stunt. It was clever because if
Ricky had just said "Go and change, then we'll take you out to dinner", the girls would've
been furious. By SHOWING them exactly what THEY experienced when the women
sauntered in, it was both comical and clear.

And as for where did they get their clothes, the men were in show business, so it's not
the hardest moment to buy, especially on "I Love Lucy."

[–] Dwarfboy (12) 5 years ago

bad show..

[–] [email protected] (5497) 5 years ago

Gee, the more I complain about the end of this episode, the more it seems as if I don't like it. And nothing could be further from the truth! This remains a top favorite of mine.

The ending is funny. But I can laugh AND still think the boys were in the wrong here and the women didn't deserve to be "brought down a peg".

I totally agree that there were many episodes where Lucy deserved a comeuppance, like in "Ricky Loses His temper". She already lost the bet by buying a hat. But she put Ricky through all that torture for nothing.
In Hollywood, Lucy tried to blackmail Ricky into giving her a part in a show. Or else she'd turn in the unflattering version of the magazine article she wrote about Ricky.

She really deserved to be taken down a peg by staging that phony hunger strike in Paris in order to get Ricky to buy her a dress.

But in "Charm School", Lucy was only trying to rekindle her husband's interest in her. True, she went typically overboard as she always did. Most women would've just gotten a much simpler make-over, maybe bought a new dress (not a skintight gown).
I'm sure both men knew how upset their wives were when they ignored them at the party and then hung all over Eve Whitney's every word. And Lucy did get the idea for charm school from Eve herself.
It was a very funny finale in keeping with the ILL tradition. It's just that I don't think the fellas had a reason to "get back" at their wives, maybe tease them a little, okay.

As a formerly married woman, I can attest that it is pretty sad when your husband seems to ignore you. I never went to the lengths Lucy did! Who does? But I can empathize with her attempt to get Ricky to pay attention to her.

[–] [email protected] (1732) 5 years ago

But Lucy and Ethel do NOT explain what they were trying to accomplish until AFTER
Ricky and Fred do the same thing. Ricky says, "But this isn't you." And he was
RIGHT! And by dressing oddly themselves, they further that point. And it's funny -
at least to me.

Again, Lucy and Ethel act like snobs in their overblown, overly made up costumes.
I also don't think that Ricky and Fred are mean! They're just having fun AND
bringing their wives back down to earth!

To say Lucy and Ethel were pretentious is an understatement! They asked for the
same shock they gave the boys.

[–] [email protected] (5497) 5 years ago

Well...Fred thought they were trying out their Halloween costumes! He was waiting for Ethel to say "trick or treat". lol

I agree that it wasn't their style. Lucy and Ethel were just trying something they thought would attract the boys' attention. But there's no way Lucy could have maintained that look on a daily basis. Hard to do housework in a skintight gown!
I think the women were going for the "shock value"!! Like they were asking, "You ignored us when we dressed in our usual way. Will you pay attention to us NOW?"

I think they did get their point across though. Ricky and Fred agreed to "stick like glue" to them at parties from now on. Lucy and Ethel seemed to try to shake up the status quo and let their husbands know that they wanted some attention.

[–] ProductionNow (1072) 5 years ago

I haven't see the eps. in awhile, but If Lucy's explanation came after the men changed clothes, it doesn't sound right in a narrative-sense. Her explanation: "whats what, darlin?":. Yes, that's it .darlin".. "you ignored us so.. we took a class at Phoebe Emersons" .."that's awfully sweet of you" (referring to the men offering to change) sounds like it came before the men's stunt. Or was those lines divided before/ after the men changed clothes? Otherwise, the plot-timing would be off.

With the men changing, I'm viewing this particular scene on whether the actors are intrinsically funny, not just a funny act--similar to when a line is funny, but the actor does not say it in a funny way. When Lucy made that very funny exaggerated-hip movement at the mantle on her way to opening the door for Ethel, other actresses couldn't get away with that (I wish that had been a 3/4 shot instead to get a better look, though) I wonder if it was scripted also, or improvised.

[–] ProductionNow (1072) 5 years ago

And though the men were shocked, Lucy did explain ("we knew you didn't like us the way we were...") the reason for her and Ethel's change of dress/demeanor before the men played their gag.

[–] Gubbio (3893) 5 years ago

And I can't think of another time when Vivian Vance got a "screaming with laughter" reaction all by herself. (When Lucy opens the door to reveal Ethel in that horrid leopard print dress).

FRED: "I was waiting for Ethel to say 'Trick or Treat'." 😁

[–] [email protected] (1732) 5 years ago

Mike, you DISAPPEAR for a few years, then when you DO return, you give us ONE line???

Reminds me of one of Garland's favorite jokes:

Two hypos are standing perfectly still, entrapped in the La Brea Tar pits for hundreds of years. Finally one day, one
of them looks up at the other and says, "I keep thinking it's Wednesday."

[–] [email protected] (5497) 5 years ago

Lucy suggests that they go and show their gowns to Mrs. Trumbull I love the way Ethel tries to sound so classy and refined.

"Yes, let's let her get a load of us."

I do remember the Golden Girls episode with Lois Nettleton. That was one of Rose's funniest lines. "Isn't Danny Thomas one?" lol

[–] [email protected] (1732) 5 years ago

Know this is a bit off-subject, but I'm having problems with my account here. If I just log in and go to the
"I Love Lucy" site, it doesn't show me any new replies. I have to scroll down to my thread list, then check
individual thread titles I made to see if I have any replies to anything. Weird.