MovieChat Forums > I Love Lucy (1951) Discussion > The Train Robbery Episode

The Train Robbery Episode

posted 3 years ago by MovieChatUser497 (18943)
10 replies | jump to latest

Something that has always bugged me is Lucy decides to spy on the guy in the compartment next to her because she thinks he’s a jewel thief, so she opens the door to see what he’s doing and the guy immediately pulls his gun out and tells her to come in because he “wants to speak to her”.

Ummmmm that is assault with a deadly weapon and he could have been arrested right then and there. Not a responsible gun owner, your gun ALWAYS stays holstered until you have a justifiable reason to use it.

[–] Garyandfilm (530) 3 years ago

I've never liked this episode anyway. It's funny and action-packed, so I'm not sure why I dislike it. It feels so anticlimactic after the Hollywood arc, so I rarely watch it.

[–] MovieChatUser497 (18943) 3 years ago

Eh I enjoyed it but the one before it when Ricky Sells The Car that was hilarious.

[–] Garyandfilm (530) 3 years ago

"Ricky Sells the Car" is, to me, distinguished only by, perhaps, the single funniest Fred and Ethel scene ever. I'm talking, of course, about the motorcycle debacle. Aside from the obviously funny physical comedy, what makes me howl is how offended they are! As if they would be so upset that they would even consider
traveling home in such a fashion!

That being said, the story is only worth one scene, not an entire episode and it falls into the category of a one-joke show (Desi Arnaz was reputed to have hated the script) . Still, it's a laugh-filled treat for Fred and Ethel fans.

[–] MovieChatUser497 (18943) 3 years ago

LOL William Frawley owned that episode. One of the funniest moments in the whole series was when after Fred crashed the motorcycle and Lucy tells him “Ricky will pay for the tickets” and Fred just goes “well who’s gonna pay for that?”

[–] [email protected] (5854) 2 years ago

It does seem like a letdown after all the excitement of Hollywood. But maybe it's just my personal feelings coming into play about the end of a vacation. I always feel a bit sad on the way home. I'm glad to be going home, but the anticipation and excitement are over.

One interesting bit about the episode is that it caught the attention of J. Edgar Hoover! He got a kick out of it and sent Lucille Ball a fan letter. You can see the letter in the "extras" section on the DVD.

[–] AndrewHNPX (42) 3 years ago

I completely agree and that scene has always bothered me. Sure she was acting nutty but he crossed the line there. I felt like it served him right to get knocked out and robbed by the actual jewel thief.

[–] [email protected] (5854) 2 years ago

This episode also has one big mistake at the end. In the final moments, newspaper reporters are doing an interview and taking Lucy's picture. One of them asks her to pose with her hand on the emergency cord. The conductor comes by at that moment and in a second of, "Oh no, not again!" panic, grabs Lucy's arm and inadvertently pulls the cord and the train slams to a stop.

But why was the train moving at ALL? Presumably the reporters were from a local newspaper and planning to get OFF the train! Why would it start with people on board who weren't passengers?

[–] Garyandfilm (530) 2 years ago

Good point, PJ. Never noticed that.

[–] tyrannosaurus_sex (496) a year ago

Not xactly assault, he didn't pull the trigger, he just; as cops would say "brandished a fire arm."

[–] MovieChatUser497 (18943) a year ago

No, pointing a gun at someone is assault with a deadly weapon. General rule of thumb: Never pull your gun out of the holster until you have a justified reason to use it.