#Jack Berle | papermoonloveslucy (2024)

papermoonloveslucy

S3;E5 ~ October 12, 1970

Directed by Herbert Kenwith ~ Written by Milt Josefsberg and Al Schwartz

Synopsis

When Lucy buys Craig a stereo for his birthday, it turns out to be a lemon. Lucy goes on a crusade to have the manufacturer honor their guarantee at the point of sale.

Regular Cast

Lucille Ball (Lucy Carter), Gale Gordon (Harrison Otis Carter), Desi Arnaz Jr. (Craig Carter), Lucie Arnaz (Kim Carter)

Guest Cast

Charles Nelson Reilly (Elroy P. Clunk) started acting off-Broadway in the 1950s and made his Broadway debut in 1960's Bye Bye Birdie. He also created roles in How To Succeed... and Hello, Dolly! On TV his first regular role was as Claymore Gregg in “The Ghost and Mrs. Muir,” which ended its two-season run in 1970. Reilly is perhaps best remembered as a panelist on the game show “Match Game.” He did a week of shows with Lucille Ball on the game show “Body Language” in 1984. Charles Nelson Reilly died in 2007.

John J. “Red” Fox(Mr. Fox, Salesman) was best known for playing policemen, which is what he did on five of his eight appearances on “The Lucy Show” as well as three of his five episodes of “Here’s Lucy.” This is one of two exceptions!

Fox is trying to sell Lucy and Harry the Jiffy Jolly Adding Machine.

Carole Cook (Mrs. Sheila Kasten) played Thelma Green on “The Lucy Show” as well as many other characters. She was a protege of Lucille Ball’s during the Desilu Playhouse years. Although born as Mildred Cook, Ball suggested she take the name Carole, in honor of Lucy’s great friend, Carole Lombard. Cook appeared in five episodes of “Here’s Lucy.”

The character's surname was also the name of Phil Silvers' character in “Lucy and the Efficiency Expert” (TLS S5;E13). Cook purchased a faulty toaster made by the Prime Ultrasonics Company.

Kathleen Hughes (Mrs. Clara Portnoy) makes her only appearance with Lucille Ball, but did three episodes of “The Ghost and Mrs. Muir” with Charles Nelson Reilly as Mrs. Coburn.

When Lucy asks for complaints, Clara stands up. The character is likely named after the principal character in the controversial 1969 novel by Philip Roth, Portnoy's Complaint (inset). The character purchased a malfunctioning garage door opener from the Prime Ultrasonics Company.

Bob Hastings (Martin Phillips) was a character actor who turned to voice acting toward the end of his career. He was featured in four of the “Batman” television projects, mostly as Commissioner Gordon.

Phillips complains about a doll that is supposed to walk, talk, and wet. It only does two of the three properly. (Guess which one doesn't operate as promised!)

Leoda Richards (Woman at Lucy's Complaints Meeting, uncredited) made at least three background appearances on “I Love Lucy.” She was in four episodes of “The Lucy Show” and was also in the Lucille Ball filmYours, Mine and Ours(1968). This is the first of her two “Here's Lucy” episodes. Her main claim to fame is her appearance at the party given by Captain Von Trapp inThe Sound of Music, standing next to Christopher Plummer during the song “So Long, Farewell.”

Richards is the grey-haired woman sitting behind Carole Cook.

Jerome Cowan (Mr. Gary, Chairman of the Board of Prime Ultrasonics Company) had appeared with Lucille Ball inThe Fuller Brush Girl(1950) andCritic’sChoice(1963). He was featured in such films as 1947’sMiracle on 34thStreet(with William Frawley) and as Miles Archer in 1941’sThe Maltese Falcon. He appeared in one episode of “The Lucy Show” in 1966. This is his only “Here's Lucy” appearance.

The character is credited as Mr. Gary, but his name is never spoken in the dialogue.

Don Briggs (Mr. Huntington, Stockholder) starred with Lucille Ball in the 1939 filmPanama Lady. He played the recurring character of Eddie Collins for seven episodes on season one of “The Lucy Show.” This is his only role on “Here's Lucy.” Briggs died in 1986 at the age of 75.

Mr. Huntington is the only stockholder to speak at the meeting.

The Prime Ultrasonics Stockholders (all uncredited) are played by:

Leon Alton appeared with Lucille Ball inThe Facts of Life(1960) andCritic’s Choice(1963). He was in two episodes of “The Lucy Show.” This is the first of his three episodes of “Here’s Lucy.”

Jack Berle was the older brother of Milton Berle. This is just one of his eleven uncredited appearances on the series. He also did two episodes of “The Lucy Show.”

Paul Bradley made his six appearances on “The Lucy Show” in various roles. This is the first of his two episodes of “Here’s Lucy.”

George DeNormand appeared in three films with Lucille Ball from 1937 to 1963. This is the just one of his many appearances on “The Lucy Show” and “Here’s Lucy.”

Frieda Rentie makes the first of her two uncredited appearances on the series. Rentie was in the original 1958 film of South Pacific and in 1972's The Poseidon Adventure.

Walter Smith makes the second of his 13 mostly uncredited appearances on the series. He also did one episode of “The Lucy Show.”

Owen Song was an uncredited extra in the 1955 film Blood Alley, which was promoted by its star John Wayne on “I Love Lucy,” including the film's poster. He was a native Hawaiian. This is his only series appearance.

The other people at Lucy's complaints meeting, customers and employees at the complaints department, and the rest of the PU stockholders are played by uncredited background performers.

This episode was originally aired (probably unintentionally) on Columbus Day, a holiday known for retailers offering Columbus Day Sales.

The final draft of the script was dated January 15, 1970, although there were several changes to the final shooting script after this date.

The episode is introduced on the series DVD by Carole Cook, who was a friend of both Lucille Ball and Charles Nelson Reilly. She remembers that at the table read (rehearsal) Lucy barked “Good joke! Wrong place!”

#Jack Berle | papermoonloveslucy (2)

Lucy (about Craig's birthday present): It's something you've always wanted.Craig: Raquel Welch?

“Here's Lucy” usually mentions Raquel Welch when they want to reference a Hollywood sex symbol. Welch was first mentioned in “Lucy Visits Jack Benny” (S1;E2) and most recently in “Lucy and the Drum Contest (S3;E4). In April 1970 Welch hosted her own TV special“Raquel!”

When Craig and Kim test out the stereo, they use the album “Pretty Country” by the Billy Vaughn Singers (1964). William Richard Vaughn (1919-91) was a versatile singer and bandleader whose 1954 hit “Melody of Love” hit #2 on the Billboard charts. The album cover is used but the title is never spoken and the sped-up audio is indecipherable.

In the original script, the album Kim selects is“Stomp Your Feet Till Your Eyes Pop Out” by the new group Peter Paul & Spiro. Needless to say, this is a fictional recording that proved too silly for Lucille Ball and was cut. The group is a mash-up of Peter Paul & Mary and then vice-president Spiro Agnew.The musical trio broke up in 1970 to pursue solo careers, so doubtless these two names were on the writers’ minds.

In order to get the shot of Elroy P. Clunk looking through the giant magnifying glass, the camera position had to be changed which required an insert shot created out of sequence with the scene.

Scene 3 opens at the Unique Employment Agency. In the original script, a secretary named Mimi was signing Lucy’s petition, the 23rd secretary in the building to do so. The character was cut and the scene now begins with Lucy begging Harry to sign the petition. In the rewritten scene Lucy tells Harry she only has 19 signatures, not 23.

Lucy's exploding electric typewriter was made in Japan, but not by Prime Ultrasonics Company.

During an informal neighborhood complaint forum in Lucy’s living room, Harry rushes in to complain about his new TV which mixes up the channels. He says “I just saw the flying nun self destruct in five seconds!” “The Flying Nun” (1967-70) was a TV series that featured Sally Field as a nun who's pelican-like cornet allowed a stiff breeze to lift her into the air. The show has been mentioned on several previous “Here's Lucy” episodes. On TV's “Mission: Impossible” (1966-73) nearly all episodes featured instructions which played on a mini tape recorder that self destructed five seconds after finishing. The show was parodied in “Lucy's Impossible Mission” (S1;E6).

In the original script, Harry then goes on to mention that James Arness shot a woman on“Gunsmoke”. Lucy calmly offers that maybe she deserved it, to which Harry incredulously replies “Doris Day?!?”Arness played Matt Dillon on“Gunsmoke” which was“Here’s Lucy’s” lead-in on CBS.“Lucy” shared the 8 o’clock hour with“Mayberry R.F.D.” but at 9 o’clock,“The Doris Day Show” was on.

When Mr. Phillips demonstrates that the doll wets through its ears, naturally Harry is right in the line of fire!

The gag is repeated at the end of the episode. Although Harry thinks the doll will squirt through her ears and hit Mr. Gary, it squirts through the mouth hitting Harry square in the face. Anytime there is water, Harry will end up wet!

Kim and Craig rush into the complaints meeting to report that Steve March just bought a new electric guitar made by the Prime Ultrasonics Company that has short-circuited singing his hair. Steve March is the son of Mel Torme and the adopted son of the Arnaz family’s friend, Hal March. Steve March appear in“Lucy and the Bogie Affair” (S2;E13)and “Lucy and Sammy Davis Jr.” (S3;E3, above). He also wrote the song “Country Magic” for“Lucy and Ann-Margret” (S2;E20). In the original script, his surname was not mentioned and Craig observed that he now looks like“Yul Brynner with sideburns” which was a bit of a giveaway about the visual humor to come (see below), so the line was cut.

At the Stockholders Meeting, Lucy, Harry and Elroy P. Clunk display an array of Prime Ultrasonics’ malfunctioning products:

  • An instant camera that pops its lens
  • A flexible lamp that that doesn't stay up
  • A long-distance golf ball that drops and doesn't bounce
  • A hair dryer that eats the hair off the head (above)
  • A miniature vacuum cleaner that exhales instead of inhales
  • And finally Mr. Gary's own hearing aid!

Lucy Ricardo had trouble with returning defective merchandise she bought from the Handy Dandy Company in “Sales Resistance” (ILL S2;E17).

A record player that plays at super speed was a problem for Lucy Ricardo when singing “Mamãe Eu Quero” in “Be A Pal” (ILL S1;E2).

Toasters have long been a favorite prop of Lucille Ball's. One of the most repeated gags on “I Love Lucy” and “The Lucy Show” was catching the toast mid-air after it popped up!

FAST FORWARD!

During the worldwide Corona Virus pandemic of 2020, Broadway and Hollywood actors practicing quarantine and social distancing put together a tribute to this episode, led by John Tracey Eagan. It starredstay-at-home stars Klea Blackhurst (Lucy), Jennifer Simard (Kim), John Stamos (Craig), and Brad Oscar as Harry. Special appearances by Coco Peru, Richard Kind, Jonathan Freeman, Michael Kostroff, Stanley Bojarski, and Christine Pedi.

Where Do I Work? Although Elroy P. Clunk is the manager of a complaints department, it is never specified where he works. The original script describes the store as being like“Akron, Korvettes, or White Front”.

Age Check! The last time Craig celebrated a birthday (on camera) was in March 1969. He turned 16. Here, in October 1970, he is 18. At the time this episode was first aired, Desi Arnaz Jr. was actually 17.

Maker’s Mark! Although the faulty stereo is supposed to by made by the Prime Ultrasonics Company (PU), the interior of the unit says Magnavox.

Fore! The only product that doesn't fit the profile of an electronics company is the non-bouncing golf ball.

Where the Floor Ends! Yet another example of the camera pulling back a bit too far and exposing the concrete soundstage floor.

“Lucy the Crusader” rates 4 Paper Hearts out of 5

This is a unique episode because Lucy has a mission and she is written as level-headed, determined, and strong. There's a lot of funny performances by great character actors and a collection of recognizable background players, too! My favorite line is almost a throw-away and seems like it might even have been an ad-lib (although Lucy rarely indulged in such things). Harry is on the phone about the exploding typewriter and states importantly “This is Harrison Carter of Carter's Unique Employment Agency.” Lucy, almost muttering, says “Big deal.” Sometimes it is the smallest things that can get the biggest laughs.

#Here's Lucy#Lucille Ball#Gale Gordon#Desi Arnaz Jr.#Lucie Arnaz#Charles Nelson Reilly#Carole Cook#John J. Fox#Kathleen Hughes#Bob Hastings#Leoda Richards#Jerome Cowan#Donald Briggs#Leon Alton#Jack Berle#George DeNormand#Frieda Rentie#Walter Smith#Owen Song#stereo#Magnavox#Raquel Welch#Billy Vaughn#Mission Impossible#The Flying Nun#Steve March#Herbert Kenwith#Milt Josefsberg#Al Schwartz#CBS

#Jack Berle | papermoonloveslucy (2024)
Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Neely Ledner

Last Updated:

Views: 5974

Rating: 4.1 / 5 (62 voted)

Reviews: 93% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Neely Ledner

Birthday: 1998-06-09

Address: 443 Barrows Terrace, New Jodyberg, CO 57462-5329

Phone: +2433516856029

Job: Central Legal Facilitator

Hobby: Backpacking, Jogging, Magic, Driving, Macrame, Embroidery, Foraging

Introduction: My name is Neely Ledner, I am a bright, determined, beautiful, adventurous, adventurous, spotless, calm person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.