As funny as Lucy, Ricky, Fred and Ethel were, let's give a shout-out to some of the funny
(non-celebrity) guest actors, and how they handled their funny lines!
Lucy and Superman
Husband: "Was it a bird?..."
Wife: "Noooo..."
Husband: "Was it a plane?...
Wife: "Noooo..."
Husband: "Well, what was it??"
Wife: "It was SUPERMAN!"
Lol!
Any others?
Almost anything Charles Lane said!
In the father's waiting room...
Ricky: Is this your first?
Lane: It's my last.
As Mr. Hickox the business manager...
"Congratulations Mrs. Ricardo. I finally found a set of books I CAN'T figure out."
According to William Asher, Lane was just as cranky as his characters, especially by the time of "Bewitched." He was
impatient with sitting around while they lit special effects, and so forth.
Another from "The Business Manager."
Lucy: "I can always take Little Ricky and leave you, you selfish beast!"
Mr. Hickox" (pause) "You'd better save that for Mr. Ricardo."
The interesting thing I found about Charles Lane, aside from his very long career, was that I thought he was way OLDER than he was. When he was in the father's waiting room, I used to think that he was really old to be having a baby! Of course children often think all adults look old. But he really looked much older than his age.
When he passed away about ten years ago I was so surprised. I thought that he'd died a long time ago! I figured to lived to be 130! He actually did live a long life. He died at 102. But while he was in those ILL episodes he was actually a lot younger than actors like George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Ralph Macchio (who looks like a perpetual teen-ager!)
He was a great character actor but he did have that "old man" look his whole life. As far as his personality, maybe he was only cranky and impatient at work. I've read that he was actually a warm and friendly guy. He had one of those rare Hollywood marriages, married for seventy years.
Oh, I've seen him in movies dating as far back as the 1930's. Handsome he wasn't.
My mom told me his son escorted him to The TV Land Awards the year he turned 100. His son joked that his
father was still willing to work!
I guess that is a plus for character actors! They never have to worry about losing their looks and losing out on the handsome "leading man" roles. They work steadily.
I thought Mrs. Benson was funny, at least one comment of hers makes me laugh. Lucy and Ethel were consoling "poor Mrs. Benson" because she was missing her daughter and she was all alone.
They said, "You still have Mr. Benson" and she made a face and said "Blech!!'
Just about every long time married woman says that about her husband. My sister and her husband just took their youngest away to college. My sister is feeling sad about her empty nest and having no one to talk to.
Someone reminded her that she still has Tom, her husband.
She said to me before they left, "What do I want to talk to HIM for?" lol
When I hear comments like that, I remain relieved I never married (and, no, I've never had the desire to
be married to a man, either. And if it weren't for that little thing known as sex, I believe I would've
been happier married to a woman, in terms of companionship, as I get along much better with women).
Yes, I, too, laugh at Mrs. Benson. Beside the "Blech!!" line, I love the way her voice cracks when she says,
"My baby, my baby!" And when she first starts to bawl, it's hilarious.
That actress was great. I love her in the Bewitched episode about the popcorn. She plays Mrs. Dumont.
I love when she eats a sweet before leaving, and says, "I'll just hate myself in the morning!"
Oh i just like to tease my sister about being "so mean" to her husband. She was madly in love with him when she was seventeen. She was always crazy about him, but Tom knew she was too young. He's ten years older and was already divorced when they met. They didn't get married until years later after she went away to school, traveled,etc.
It's just that this will be the first time in 25 years that they will be living without kids in the house. She got pregnant on their honeymoon.
I remember her telling me, "We took a condom along on the honeymoon, but we forgot to use it."
I told her that they don't work if you don't take them out of the wrapper! lol
So now they have to get used to just being a couple again.