MovieChat Forums > I Love Lucy (1951) Discussion > If You HAD to Pick ONE Hollywood Favorit...

If You HAD to Pick ONE Hollywood Favorite...

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

Trying to pick ONE all-time favorite I Love Lucy would be, I think, impossible for me. But if
limited to the terrific Hollywood shows, I believe I can narrow it down to one:

Ricky Needs an Agent

While most people would pick the Bill Holden, or Harpo Marx offering, I would have to go
with this one. It's just an episode that starts out solid, then builds and builds and BUILDS
to its hilarity! Certainly, by the time Ricky starts smashing things, there have already been
laughs galore. But then it continues with Fred and Ethel actually thinking - believably - for
a moment, that Ricky has KILLED Lucy ("He KILLED her, and tried to hide her body under
the couch!!!"). Too funny.

Very arguable comment here. Anyone feel the same way, or would they pick another?

[–] Ken12602 (498) 6 years ago

My favorite is:

Don Juan and the Starlet.

Ricky trying to prove to Lucy that he did come home and all proof has been removed by the Maid.

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

Funny, I've always felt that episode is a bit of a letdown after the "traveling" shows, and the Bill Holden ep.

HOWEVER...what has always struck me about this offering is how well-ACTED it is. Lucy really looks PISSED, and her
timing is terrific, not just in comedy, but in the seriousness of what she thinks has happened, further reminding people
of what a wonderful actor Lucille Ball was. I just watched this one a few weeks ago, and while it's not a favorite, it is a
strong episode.

Nice pick!

[–] [email protected] (5854) 6 years ago

That is a pretty funny episode and it's so well crafted. Ricky does come home but he has no proof!

The only problem I ever had with it is that in a New York episode Lucy reads an article about all the female stars who were up for consideration as Don Juan's love interest (and she gets so jealous). The article mentions Ava Gardner, Lana Turner, Yvonne de Carlo,etc. Yet when Ricky arrives in Hollywood the studio goes the inexpensive route by casting unknown young "starlets" instead of any big name stars!

I guess it just goes to show you that you can't trust what you read in Variety. lol

[–] [email protected] (5854) 6 years ago

Ricky Needs an Agent is probably is the best Hollywood episode as far as how many laughs it generates.

Over the years I have really come to appreciate the Hedda Hopper episode more and more. Or as Ricky calls her, "Hedda Hooper".

Mrs. MacGillicuddy is hilarious when she laughs at the idea of Ricky becoming another heartthrob like her favorite ,"The Sheik of Araby", Rudolph Valentino.

Then there's Lucy at the pool, ready to fall in when Hedda arrives, the hunky lifeguard poised to save her at every turn, a totally soaked and droopy Lucy and Ricky meeting Hedda Hopper in their hotel room.
Of course my all time Hollywood favorite is when Lucy visits the Don Loper salon. (maybe it's a girl thing!)

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

Yes, PJ, YOU are the one that got me to rediscover the Hedda Hooper ep, and I really love it. Lucy's mother is a RIOT
("I CAN'T hear a word you're saying...You see...it's ONLY quarter past three. So, according to you, Mickey, I'm not
even HERE yet." Delicious). I had always overlooked this one, but now, I realize how terrific it really is.

Don't care for the Don Loper ep. Lucy is too nasty to Ethel in the shop for me, and the storyline isn't very interesting
for my tastes. But, yes, I can feel Lucy's agonizing sunburn (which she is conveniently recovered from in the very
next show!!! Lol!).

[–] [email protected] (5854) 6 years ago

Yes I know I'd never get you to be a fan of the Don Loper episode! I like it mostly for the clothes.

Ethel's behavior when she arrives at the salon reminds me of myself. "Fancy,shmancy!"

I'd probably say the same thing.

Lucy's attitude is typical of her prideful behavior. She likes to impress people and often gets in trouble when she does, e.g., donating "Five" to Cynthia Harcourt's charity drive, not admitting she can't afford all the new furniture that Betty Ramsey picks out for her.

When Lucy tries to shush Ethel for acting "like a rube", Ethel is not at all offended.

"Why must you act like such a rube?"

"Because I AM a rube. And so are you."

Ethel knows all of Lucy's tricks and pretensions, but she loves her anyway.

"Ricky Needs an Agent" is however, one of the cleverest and best written of the Hollywood episodes.

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

I think Lucy's character "hardened" a bit by the Hollywood story arc. Her behavior in "Ricky's Screen Test" is
beyond atrocious. And her treatment of Bobby the bellboy is also a bit much ("BOBBY TOLD EVERYONE CORNEL
WILDE IS STAYING IN THE PENTHOUSE...Co-rnel Willllde!") Also, Lucy's behavior on the bus is ridiculous.

Part of the difference is Ethel LETTING Lucy walk all over her by this point. I think it's funnier when Ethel gets
offended and bitchy, but as Lucy got meaner, Ethel got softer. Slight differences in the characters by the mid-
'50's.

[–] [email protected] (5854) 6 years ago

Interesting observations. Lucy WAS pretty mean to Bobby the Bellboy. Her behavior could have gotten him fired. And he really didn't do anything wrong except for allowing himself to be manipulated by Lucy.

I wonder if Lucy's behavior had anything to do with Lucille Ball's private life and miseries at this point. Maybe she was blowing off steam by allowing Lucy Ricardo to act so mean.

I also thought Lucy was over the top in the anniversary episode. After all, Ricky bought her pearls and Stone Martens (hideous if you ask me, by the way!) for their last few anniversaries. He was busy making a film in Hollywood. You'd think she would have cut him a break.

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

I actually don't blame Lucy for being angry at Ricky...not for forgetting their anniversary, but because he
went off on a TOTAL lie about a big party. True, Ross Elliot (a HOTTIE, by the way, but I digress...lol!)
put it in the press, but Lucy's disappointment was understandable. He lied all over the place, so Lucy
had several slaps in the face by the time she found out the party was a fake. But, again, she was a
spoiled character!

Interesting comment about Ball's personal life affecting her performance. There was frequent discussion
of how we all felt Elizabeth Montgomery's performance REALLY changed as her series aged, and as her
marriage to Asher fell apart. But I would think that Ball got much more satisfaction for her work than
Montgomery - she was a comic genius, she got instant, REAL laughs from the studio audience. Liz wanted
to be a serious actor, and clearly became bored with playing Samantha, who as charming as she was,
wasn't a particularly "funny" character. It was Moorehead, Lorne, and York who got the real laughs. Wonderful for her to shape Serena into a truly funny character!

[–] [email protected] (5854) 6 years ago

I don't blame Lucy either for being deceived about a big elaborate anniversary party.

But I also don't really buy the premise that Ricky totally forgot the date. I said before, it was established that he knew the date when he bought her the pearls and later, the furs. I can understand Ricky forgetting ABOUT their anniversary. He was busy making a movie and had other things on his mind. But forgetting the date entirely?

If he got a look of, "Uh oh, I forgot about it!", when Lucy mentioned it, I'd understand that.

It was unoriginal of the writers. How many times could they milk the anniversary theme? Hard to believe that they ran out of ideas for Hollywood episodes.

Yes, I think Lucille Ball lived to perform. It seemed to be the most important thing in her life. She had to be in front of an audience even when it was in a mediocre show like Here's Lucy.

I just notice a difference in Lucy Ricardo's demeanor and attitude towards Ricky from the first season to the Hollywood episodes. In the first season they were married ten years. So they were hardly newlyweds. But Lucy still had a dreamy look in her eyes when she looked at him. She seemed in love.

Remember a first season comment of hers? (I forget the episode).
"I'm sticky about Ricky."

By season four she's angry a lot with Ricky and almost ruins his screen test

Yes, Ross Elliott was pretty cute. I thought that they could have used him in more scenes. He had a certain charm.

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

And it would've been nice if they had GIVEN him a character name, rather than having him use his
own name. Pretty distracting, I would think, and very cheesy.

[–] AndrewHNPX (42) 6 years ago

Completely agree, Ricky Needs an Agent is the best one for me.