Lucy did so many things that were "way out there". like falling off a balcony or falling into a vat of starch.
But some of her antics were semi-normal. So if you had the choice, would you do a dance number with Van Johnson or stomp on those grapes?
I think I'd pick the grapes. They seemed gross and squishy. But I'd be better suited to stomping through a vat of grapes than dancing. I have two left feet (both good for stomping grapes!)
Good choice, P.J. Van was gay - better leave him to me!
And, no, I would not want to stomp on grapes.
My brother and his wife live in Northern California. They make their own wine, but use a machine to crush the grapes.
He was? Didn't know that. He was one of my favorite stars from the Hollywood episodes.
Your brother and his wife make their own wine? Do they give out free samples? lol
Don't know if you ever watched Monk, the OCD, germaphobe detective. There's an episode that takes place in a Northern California winery/hotel. In one scene they show how the vineyard still makes one of their wines the old fashioned way by stomping grapes.
Monk was aghast. "It's foot wine. It's foot wine!"
I wouldn't mind stomping on grapes. But I don't think I would've gotten into a brawl with the other woman in the middle of the vat. Grape juice stains!
I could imagine you and Van dancing together, but not the particular number Lucy did with him. Society wouldn't have been ready for that in the 1950's. lol
Van was open about this with his friends, but MGM insisted he "marry" in 1947. They divorced in 1968, after many years of a in-name-only union.
I'm not a great lover of wine myself. I prefer Diet Coke, Fresca, and an occasional beer (especially with Mexican food).
I like Coors Light when it's a hot day. Obviously I'm not a beer expert!
Not a wine expert either, but I like Pinot Grigio.
I guess Van Johnson's marriage was a lot like Rock Hudson's. Amazing how the studios could dictate their stars' personal lives.
Back to the grape stomping, I just wonder how Lucy got back to the hotel in her condition! I mean, she was drenched in grape juice. Would a cab driver have picked her up? She would've ruined the upholstery in the taxi.
She probably got a ride back in some hay wagon or something. I don't see her walking all that way, and she wasn't carrying a purse, so a cab was out. Once more, a slight question mark in the scripting.
In the chocolate candy scene, Lucy is quite chipper and wants to be buddies with the lady. Big mistake. The fight scene starts when Lucy slaps her face (thinking a fly has landed on her cheek).
I think it's the Italian lady who starts with Lucy in the grape vat.
Wouldn't it be terrible if Lucy and Ethel were cramming AYDS into their mouths!!??
The Italian grape stomper pushes Lucy to get back to work. But it was Lucy's own fault when she tried to kick her and lost her balance! LOL
I think I would've stomped for a while and then left if I was tired. It's not like the vineyard owner was going to fire her! ha
The candy factory scene! Would you have preferred that to "Vancing with Dan"!
Big mistake for Lucy to slap the chocolate maker on the face when she heard a fly.
As a child, that was my dream episode...an endless conveyor belt of candy to shove in my mouth. Now it just makes me slightly nauseous.
C'mon, be honest - your big fantasy was a conveyor belt with passing AYDS! (Why can't I let this go??).
The candy scene: no, the big mistake was Desilu hiring a glacial-faced non-actress for the supposedly "pissed-off" co-worker! (Why can't I let THIS go??).
I never suspected Van Johnson was gay either, but it's now common knowledge. Anyway, he was never my type. Now Hy Averback - he was ca-ute! (And quite a respected director, with the 1968 classic "Alice B. Toklas, I Love You" to his credit).
Maybe you had a secret desire to try those candies?? lol
My childhood fantasy would have been chocolate peanut butter cups passing in front of me.
The non-actress candy maker? You probably just have higher standards for comedy than I do. I always thought the scene played well because it was purely Lucy and her antics. The candy maker just provided the "blank canvas" for Lucy to paint her comedy on.
She was unnaturally devoid of emotions. I have a theory. Desilu went on to produce Star Trek. Maybe that's where they got the idea for Mr. Spock.
Hy Averback was good as Charlie Appleby. I thought he was funnier as Ricky's agent in The Hedda Hopper Story. Yeah, I can see his appeal.