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Corryveckan45 (133)
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Episodes When Lucy Cleaned Up Her Own "Mess"
First Rate Film Noir
Her Rise to Top Stardom at MGM Took Some Time
Presenting Lily Mars
What Were Some of the Nicest Things Lucy Did?
Such a Sexy Lady
Would Anyone Like to See More of Grace Foster?
Lucy Gets a Paris Gown
MMISL Blu Ray: Can't hear the vocals during the musical numbers
How Much Older Was Ethel Than Lucy?
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Lucy and Ethel hawking that salad dressing was one of the best Ball/Vance routines in the entire series, and wasn't Ethel terrific as "Mary Margaret MacMertz"?! I think she actually could have made a living as a commercial chef/spokesperson.
And yes, I agree they would have been n tremendous legal trouble (Fraud anyone?) if their customers found out they'd been sold a previously marketed brand of dressing.
That pizza delivery man was indeed fortunate that your son and his roommate were so forgiving. He'd likely have been in real trouble if they had decided to pursue charges against him, though they might have felt it wasn't worth all the hassle over a couple of pizzas.
Just shows how Art can imitate life, no? lol!
Right on, PJ!
It's a funny setup, but I never understood how Lucy and Ethel were supposed to get down the apartment house stairs with those shopping carts, and on ROLLER SKATES yet!
After all, weren't these the same dangerous steps a preoccupied dancing "Arthur Morton" fell down after he took one too many "sidesteps"? lol
And he didn't even have a shopping cart to contend with.
I always get a kick out of Ricky's reaction to the girls playing. After trying to encourage them by syaing the tune should be "bright, lively, etc." and the girls all agree. Ricky gives them the tempo and right after they start, he practically falls down when he hears how bad it sounds.
I also like Ricky's later comment to Lucy: "I am not going to be responsible for your sour sextet! (or is it "septet"? lol).
An unusual coda to this episode and "Ragtime Band": In the episode of The Lucy/Desi Comedy Hour with Ernie Kovacs and Edie Adams, Ethel provides a lovely understated accompaniment to Adams' rendition of the standard "That's All." Guess she found a great piano teacher to bring out the genuine talent/ability she had under all those earlier sour notes.
She also plays the piano pretty well in the "Breaking the Lease" episode.
I agree. I don't think the "All Girl Orchestra" fooled anyone, and the men, understandably, all looked embarrassed and upset as they came onstage.
I realize Ricky didn't want to upset Lucy, or hurt any of the other ladies' feelings, but it's frustrating that he couldn't just be honest with all of them and tell them that none of them had the talent/training to be an effective orchestra. Sometimes you have to be honest, even if it hurts.
Of course, it's also incredible that each of these ladies thought she was talented enough to play professionally.
Gppd Examples, PJ,
I thought of the Don Loper episode, but didn't include it for the reason you've mentioned: that Lucy apparently kept the $500 check Ricky left. I've always been puzzled by this episode because in the Paris episode when Lucy wants a Paris gown, Ricky produces a photocopy of an agreement Lucy signed in which she promised never to ask for another expensive dress if Ricky bought her "a Don Loper original." Did Lucy buy another Don Loper dress with the check Ricky gave her?
You're right about Lucy apologizing in the "Ethel's Birthday" episode, but I tend to blame Ethel a little more for this mess than I do Lucy. Granted, Lucy made an inappropriate choice for Ethel's gift, and Ethel was freely venting her frustration over it while "Fred" wasn't there, but at least it wasn't one of "Fred's" crazy presents that no one could even figure out what they were! (I also felt really sorry for the poor guy who was just trying to watch the play and kept having it spoiled by Lucy and Ethel's bickering.)
She definitely figures a way out of the "girl orchestra" dilemma. Once again, I feel really bad for the band members who have to dress in drag (I hope Ricky gave them all bonuses!) but even though we don't see the performance, we're led to believe that the audience bought it.
Presenting Lily Mars and Meet Me in St. Louis.
Hi PJ,
Yes, I love MY COUSIN VINNY. Fred Gwynne is terrific as the judge, as is the rest of the cast, and it's very realistic when he warns Joe Pesci that the next time Pesci appears in his courtroom he will look "Lawyerly!"
I don't know when people became so lax about their appearance. Of course, I suppose people who grew up in the 1930s/40s probably would be aghast at the way people dressed i nthe 1960s/70s. I recall an episode of I LOVE LUCY where Ethel refused to get on the subway in Blue Jeans! And in movies like THE ANDY HARDY films, Mickey Rooney, "America's Teenager" is often dressed in a shirt and tie (and hat!) even when he's just running around "Carvel!"
Even Lucy, as wacky as she was, only dressed "inappropriately" when she was trying to pull off one of her schemes/make a point, as in the episode where Ricky refuses to keep their apartment neat. Then, of course, she got her "Just deserts" by having her photograph appear on the cover of LOOK Magazine.
No problems with the "rant," PJ,
I agree. I mean, you don't have to dress formally for a casual night out, but you like to dress as if you respect yourself and other people and you should want to make a good appearance.
I knew a judge who sat in a local court. When the list of the day's cases were called and the defendant came forward in response to the call of his/her case, if the defendant's shirt wasn't tucked in or they were otherwise sloppily dressed, the judge would order him/her out of the courtroom with an order that he/she fix his/her appearance.
The defendant's case would be put at the bottom of the list for further call. This meant that the person's case would not be called until at or near the end of the list at second call, which meant that they might have to wait for hours just to get a further date or something else that would only have taken a minute or two.
Good point about dropping the clothes off anonymously, but, as you've pointed out, where would the comedy come from if Lucy and Ethel had just dropped the clothes off?
I've often thought what Lucy, and perhaps even Ethel, should have done was to tell their husbands that they (Lucy and Ethel) dress well, in part, because they want to look good for their husbands, and they're disappointed and hurt that Ricky and Fred don't reciprocate those feelings.
I will never forget one Saturday several years ago when I spent the morning cleaning out my office (moving boxes, files, dusting furniture, throwing things out, etc.). I was wearing old. comfortable, but definitely somewhat worn clothes and by the time I finished, I was what Fred might call "A nice big dusty mess." (Not that bad, but I think you get the idea.)
As I was leaving my office, I saw an advertisement for a free jazz concert by a local singer being given at the local concert hall, which was right across the street from my office. I wanted to attend the concert, and I was sure there wouldn't be a big audience, and, for a moment, I thought, "Well, I'll just go in my casual clothes, and sit in back where no one will see me." I immediately checked the thought, because I thought, as my parents taught me, "You never know who you might run into." I went home, got cleaned up, put on a sport coat and dressy casual shirt and slacks.
When I got back to the concert hall, I still thought I would sit in the back and as I made my way toward my projected seat, I ran into one of my bosses and his wife! So I think it's a rule well worth remembering.
Hi AnagramYYZ,
Thanks for your thoughts. What I meant was that MGM didn't follow up Garland's success in OZ with a series of "Judy Garland" musicals/films in which she was the central character/superstar attraction. I think she made 7 films between OZ and FOR ME AND MY GAL (1942), the first film where she received solo, above-the-title billing, an acknowledgement of her emerging superstar status. Of these 7, only one, "Little Nellie Kelly" (1940) could be considered a "Judy Garland movie."
In the others, she was cast as prominent support to other actors who had the leading role, most frequently Mickey Rooney in the ANDY HARDY and "Let's Put on a Show" films. You mentioned "Ziegfeld Girl (1941) and that's a perfect example. Even though Judy is billed second in the cast list (after James Stewart), an indication of her rising popularity, the film centers most on Lana Turner, and it's really a vehicle to enable Lana to graduate from starlet to star, much as OZ did for Judy.
Moreover, the "Garland vehicles" that Judy made at this time, "Little Nellie Kelly," "For Me and My Gal," and "Presenting Lily Mars," may have been "A" productions, but, if they were, they were modest "A" productions without the trappings of Technicolor, elaborate production numbers, original scores, etc. that Judy would get in her later films. In fact, Judy was so concerned about LILY MARS' modest budget that she reportedly went behind producer Joe Pasternak's back and complained to the front office that she thought it would fail, resulting in the film being turned over to the Arthur Freed Unit for an elaborate production number finale.
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