MovieChat Forums > I Love Lucy (1951) Discussion > Creepy Moments

Creepy Moments

posted 6 years ago by [email protected] (1732)
9 replies | jump to latest

While ILL is far from "The Twilight Zone", "The Outer Limits" and "The X Files", it does have
rare moments of "the creep factor". I can think of four:

Sales Resistance

Even though this scene isn't meant to be creepy (I believe), I find the (overlong) scene
with Sheldon Leonard, the head of the "Handy Dandy" Company, to be a bit eerie. Not only
is he manipulating Lucy, but his physical behavior is spooky. The way he steps on the vacuum
to prevent Lucy from picking it up (or thinking she owns "the works" before spending way
more money) is odd to say the least, but the way he holds out that electrical cord makes
him look like a potential strangler!! I just find this scene a bit unsettling. Lucy looks so
vulnerable there without Ricky, Fred, or Ethel. Plus, in two early season four episodes, the
subject of door-to-door imposters is posed.

Lucy knew who he was, and she was expecting him to drop by, but still...

Lucy is Envious

Already posted this, but those martian outfits Ricky and Fred wear used to scare the
hell out of me as a kid, and I still find them very spooky. Those costumes would creep
people out NOW if somebody wore them and walked down the dark street. I think the
faces are somewhat like Michael Myer's mask from "Halloween." Simple but scary.

Too Many Crooks

Madame X! Need I say more? And call me sexist, but the fact that it's a female burglar,
only adds to the creep factor.

Lucy Cries Wolf

As much as she deserves what she gets for her INCREDIBLY childish and selfish behavior
(even for HER), those two kidnappers who haul Lucy away really get the spook ticket!!
Every time I watch this scene, I try and think of something Lucy could've done differently
to get help, but I can't think of anything! To think of her being kidnapped and tied up
in the basement is pretty scary (she could've been raped - or worse!).

And it brings to mind that Lucy does the same thing to that dancer in "The Diet!!" Talk
about just desserts! Also, to borrow from another recent thread...does anyone think
Lucy EVER convinced Ricky, Fred and Ethel that this happened??? I want to say "no",
but certainly these two guys could've been seen/reported elsewhere in the building that
same night. Would kind of lend credence to Lucy's story.

Thoughts?

[–] [email protected] (5871) 6 years ago

Lucy Cries Wolf is a favorite of mine. But yes, she could have been seriously injured by those crooks if they meant to do her harm.

Madame X- That did have a scary element to it.

The Martian costumes were scary too. I don't blame Lucy and Ethel for feeling "creeped out" when they thought that there was an actual Martian invasion.

It was also scary when they were "marooned" on what they thought was a desert island in the Florida episode. Claude Akins scared the heck out of the girls and Ricky thought it was funny. I would've been furious.

[–] [email protected] (1732) 6 years ago

Yes, you're right! I'd forgotten how creepy Akins looks when they first look in Lucy's compact mirror. Very funny
scene, though.

FRED: (chasing after Akins) Hey, wait a minute!!!
ETHEL: Atta boy, Fred!
FRED: You forgot one! Lol!

I have a close friend from high school who has been an actor for over 35 years. About 30 years ago, he was privileged
to work with Atkins in a horror movie (which was pure junk, by the way). Atkins was there for a paycheck, but he
was, according to my friend, funny, generous, and warm. Nice to hear that were SOME nice folks in that biz.

[–] Galactus03 (4373) 6 years ago

Sheldon Leonard always had a creepy way about him....lol

[–] AndrewHNPX (42) 6 years ago

Yeah, there's a couple moments I guess.

The Courtroom - I don't know if "creepy" is necessarily the right word, but I've always found something a bit disquieting about this episode. Just how purely vicious the two couples are to each other here never sat right with me, and the judge seems like kind of a creepy guy.

Ricky's Hawaiian Vacation - Now I find it a hysterically funny bit, which it is. But I remember as a kid being unnerved by Lucy getting covered with all that crap on the game show, I'm not really sure why though.

The Tour - All those animal heads in Richard Widmark's house used to give me the creeps.

Nursery School - That operation scene with the doctor speaking. It feels very out of place for the show and comes across as a bit eerie.

[–] [email protected] (1732) 6 years ago

I agree with your last two examples...especially the hospital stuff. The operating room is a bit unnerving. Sweet
episode, though.

I guess Richard Widmark really was a hunter (which disappoints me, but those kinds of guys exist), otherwise all
that wouldn't have been written so heavily into the script (I would imagine if he wasn't a hunter, he'd be very
against being perceived in such a fashion).

[–] [email protected] (5871) 6 years ago

Yes, all of Richard Widmark's stuffed heads in his "trophy" room give me the creeps today, especially when you know how many of those animals are endangered species.

On a different show, Bonanza, there was an episode from 1960 called "The Last Trophy". I absolutely hate that episode! A man who is a big game hunter visits the Ponderosa with his wife. She's really disappointed in him because he somehow has lost his "nerve" and won't go hunting anymore. She calls him a coward.

What the heck is so "brave" about blasting innocent animals just to have their heads or tusks to mount on your wall? I can understand hunting for food, but trophies? Bleech!!

[–] [email protected] (1732) 6 years ago

I never got into "Bonanza", and still don't know HOW ON EARTH that show ran 12 years (!).

It IS cool, however, that it was first broadcast in color - very rare in those days (1959).

I'm a "Big Valley" fan. I absolutely love Barbara Stanwyck (in anything), and also loved the rest of the cast.
The writing was so strong, and, as one astute reviewer pointed out, each episode looks as though it was
shot for the BIG screen. Lots of outdoors shooting, and expensive and expansive sets.

Lorne Greene, by the way, was really ticked off when "Big Valley" started. He felt it was a "Bonanza" rip-off,
with simply replacing a gray-haired patriarch with a gray-haired MATRIARCH! He was probably right, but I
couldn't stand his show.

[–] [email protected] (5871) 6 years ago

And I thought I knew all the trivia about Bonanza! I've belonged to a BZ site for years and we discuss all things Ponderosa. I never knew Lorne Greene had a problem with The Big Valley. I don't know what his gripe was though. The late fifties and sixties had dozens of westerns. So what was the problem with one more? And the show only ran for four seasons, not like it put Bonanza out of business!

I really liked The Big Valley too. I've recently started watching it again on a western channel. I also bought the first season on DVD. The series was actually based on a real family who lived in California during that time period.

Barbara Stanwyck is a favorite of mine too. 'Christmas in Connecticut' is my favorite holiday movie.

[–] [email protected] (1732) 6 years ago

I can see where BV got its "inspiration", so, clearly, did Greene. For a while, Greene and Stanwcyk got
all "Kardashian" on each other, with Greene kicking off a series of back-and-forth "shots" at BV. Stanwyck
fought back, stating, "At least we FIGHT on our show!" I guess Greene and sons rarely argued. Again,
I wouldn't know, as I couldn't get into "Bananza."

Similar situation with "I Dream of Jeannie" following in the footsteps of "Bewitched." Liz Montgomery was
none too happy about "Jeannie."