MovieChat Forums > I Love Lucy (1951) Discussion > Anniversaries and Birthdays

Anniversaries and Birthdays



One of the recurring themes on ILL is remembering birthdays and anniversaries...or rather
NOT remembering them.

As fun as these episodes are, it's a little difficult to believe that Ricky couldn't remember
Lucy's birthday or their anniversary, especially when the writers were so inconsistent.

Ricky, of course, is planning a big powwow for Lucy's birthday at the club in season two,
yet on Ethel's birthday in season four, he rushes out to get his "emergency" box of chocolates,
stating loudly, "Happy birthday, Sweetheart!" Lucy mentions her birthday is "months from
now." How could Ricky be so off after all those years of marriage, and all those years of
remembering??

In Hollywood, not only can he not recall the date (he knows the month, as Lucy has given
him that much), neither can Fred or Ethel. Ethel, in particular, would surely remember!

Lastly, when Ethel states she's saved money for Fred's upcoming birthday (in the
Madame X outing), Lucy says, "Oh, Fred, I didn't know you had a birthday coming up."
After 13 years of friendship, wouldn't Lucy at least say, "Oh, Fred, I FORGOT you had
a birthday coming up."

But maybe I'm being too rough on the writers. My very best friend of over twenty years
NEVER remembers my birthday - not even the month, unless I bring it up. My oldest
friend (of over 40 years) remembers the month - but not the date. Oddly, I remember
ALL my friends' and family members' birthdays.

Thoughts?

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"Hollywood Anniversary" was a funny episode. It would've been even better if the Ricardo anniversary had never been mentioned BEFORE! But it had been and Ricky had no problem remembering it then.

He bought Lucy pearls for one anniversary and furs for another, but in California he suddenly developed amnesia.

There's also an inconsistency regarding the date. I forgot the exact dates, but in the "pearls" episode Lucy shows Ethel the date that she circled on the calendar. It's a different date than the one Ricky gets in the telegram when he's in California.

And yes, Lucy should've said that she just "forgot" that Fred had a birthday coming up.

Another thing that I get a kick out of regarding birthdays are Ethel and Lucy's astrological signs when they are doing horoscopes. Ethel says she's Leo which Vivian Vance actually was. (we share the same birthday, NOT the year though, LOL).
Lucy says she is Taurus. If that was the case, Ethel would be celebrating her birthday and Lucy's would not be coming up until the next spring. She would have had a birthday a few months ago if Ethel's was coming up. And we are to believe that Ricky forgot??
In the episode with the mind reading act, Lucy gives the assistant Lucille Ball's real birthday August 6th. That would make her Leo also.

Something ILL has in common with Bonanza. Three of the four main characters have a birthday episode and the fourth never does. In Bonanza, Adam's birthday is never celebrated. On ILL, Ricky never celebrates his birthday.

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Yeah, on Friends, the characters' birthdays change as well. Just a goof :)

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