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papermoonloveslucy · 2 years ago

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KIDZ!

The Young People of the Lucyverse ~ Part 1

W.C. Fields famously warned performers never to work with children or animals. Luckily for us, Lucille Ball consistently disregarded his advice. Here’s a look at some of the young performers and characters of the Lucyverse.

“Baby Sitting” (1949) ~ To makes some extra cash, Liz (Lucille Ball) takes up babysitting. Mr. Wood (Hans Conried) suggests he take the job from his daughter, Adele. Mr. Wood has 11 children: Bob, Madelyn, Adele, Lucille, Ruth, Lucius, Jessie, Walter, Jess, Joanne, and Hugo. In reality, these are the names of some of the staff of My Favorite Husband. Keeping her sitting job from her favorite husband, Liz goes on her first assignment to take care of Tommy Pearson, who is a sure shot with a pea shooter. Liz’s husband George (Richard Denning) thinks she is having an affair and assualts Tommy’s father!

“The Elves” (1949) ~ Anne Whitfield played Joanne Wood, one of the 11 children of Mr. Wood (Hans Conried), neighbor of Liz and George Cooper on “My Favorite Husband.” She also appeared as Joanne Wood in “Liz’s Superstitions” also in 1949.

LIZ: “How are you?” JOANNE: “Fine, thanks.” LIZ: “How’s your father?” JOANNE: “Fine, thanks.” LIZ: “And your four sisters?” JOANNE: “Fine, thanks.” LIZ: “And your six brothers?” JOANNE: “Fine, thanks.” LIZ: “And your mother?” JOANNE: “Exhausted, thanks.”

“Liz and George are Handcuffed” (1949) ~ We meet Tommy Wood, the smallest of Mr. Woods’ 11 children. He is played by 13 year-old Johnny McGovern.

LIZ: “Tommy, is it true that no two people in the whole world have the same fingerprints?” TOMMY: “Nah, that’s a lot of bunk. I’ve already found three people who have exactly the same fingerprints; my daddy, Santa Claus, and the crook who broke into my piggy bank.”

Sorrowful Jones (1949) ~ A young girl (Mary Jane Sanders) is left with the notoriously cheap Sorrowful Jones (Bob Hope) and his girlfriend Gladys (Luiclle Ball) as a marker for a bet. When her father doesn't return, they learn that taking care of a child interferes with their free-wheeling lifestyle. This is a remake of Little Miss Marker (1934) which starred Shirley Temple and was directed by Lucy’s once-time fiancee Alexander Hall.

The Fuller Brush Girl (1950) ~ When Sally (Lucile Ball) is mistaken for a babysitter and tied up by some children playing cowboys and indians, she is rescued by the real babysitter, played by actress Gail Bonney. Two years later, Gail Bonney would play Mrs. Hudson in the "The Amateur Hour," hiring Lucy Ricardo to babysit her twin boys, who would tie Lucy up while playing cowboys and indians.

“Be A Pal” (1951) ~ To give Ricky a taste of his childhood, Lucy dresses up a group of dark-haired boys in sombreros and serapes to remind him of his brothers!

“Lucy Plays Cupid” (1952) ~ Knowing amorous grocer Mr. Ritter (Edward Everett Horton) doesn’t like children, Lucy trots out a stream of youngsters as her offspring. Mr. Ritter counts 25, although Lucy says 6 are missing. In reality, 10 uncredited child performers were featured in the episode, one even dressed as a “little” Ricky playing a conga drum! After filming, the young actors posed for a photo with Lucy, Horton, and guest-star Bea Benadaret.

“The Amateur Hour” (1952) ~ Lucy babysits for rambunctious twin boys, Jimmy and Timmy Hudson. In reality, the boys were not twins. They were played by Sammy Ogg (Jimmy) and David Stollery (Timmy).

Enrique Alberto Ricardo IV aka Little Ricky Ricardo ~ Probably one of the most famous children in television history due mainly to the fact that his birth coincided with the birth of Lucille Ball’s real-life boy, Desi Arnaz Jr. Contrary to popular myth, Desi Jr. never played Little Ricky. The character was played by a series of seven child actors, including two sets of twins and one dream Little Ricky. They include (in chronological order): James John Ganzer, Richard and Ronald Lee Simmons, Joseph and Michael Mayer, and Keith Thibodeaux (aka Richard Keith). The dream Little Ricky was uncredited. Despite the resemblance, he was not played by Jerry Mathers (”Leave it To Beaver”). An older dream Little Ricky (definitely not a child) also went uncredited.

“Lucy Goes to the Hospital” (1953) ~ The same episode that introduces Little Ricky, we meet a new edition to the Stanley household - three newborn girls. Mr. Stanley (Charles Lane) already has six daughters. Fred suggests he start a softball team.

“Baby Pictures” (1953) / “Lucy and Superman” (1957) ~ Caroline and Charlie Appleby’s son Stevie appears in two episodes. The uncredited baby who played him in 1953 had just gotten over the measles before filming. Little Ricky and Little Stevie are both said to be 13 months old at the time. The next time we see Little Stevie is in “Lucy and Superman,” four years later, where his is played by Steven Kay.

“Mertz and Kurtz” (1954) ~ Fred’s former vaudeville partner Barney Kurtz (Charles Winninger) comes for a visit. He has been writing to his granson telling him that he is still a star, so Ricky stars him in a revue at the club and invites Little Barney (Stephen Wootton) to the Tropicana. Wootton was nine years old at the time of filming and had been acting since the age of seven. He returned to Desilu for 1959 episode of "Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse” which was introduced by Desi Arnaz and starred William Frawley.

“Second Honeymoon” (1956) ~ When Ricky is kept busy playing gigs on the ship to Europe, Lucy strikes up a friendship with Kenneth Hamilton played by nine year-old Harvey Grant. Grant had played the youngest son in CBS TV’s “Life With Father” from 1953 to 1955.

“Lucy Gets Homesick in Italy” (1956) ~ Missing Little Ricky on his birthday, Lucy decides to lavish her attentions on shoeshine boy Giuseppe (Bart Braverman). Bartley Louis Braverman was born in Los Angeles in 1946. This was his fifth TV role although he used the name Bart Bradley until 1962. The little girl Theresa (“She's-a her birthday, too!”) was played by Kathleen Mazolo (nee Mazzola). This is her one and only screen credit of record.

Lucy and the Mertzes throw a birthday party for the children - until Giuseppe feels guilty about claiming it is his birthday, and tells the truth.

“Lucy’s Bicycle Trip” (1956) ~ Biking along the Riviera, the gang takes shelter in the barn of an Italian farmer (Mario Siletti). The farmer cannot give them lodging in his house because he has nine children: Teresa, Sofia, Luigi, Pietro, Dino, Gino, Rosa, Mario, and Antonio - all of whom remain off camera throughout the episode. “Mama Mia! Multi bambini!”

“Return Home from Europe” (1956) ~ On the flight home, Lucy disguises a cheese as a baby. Another new mother (Mary Jane Croft) sits next to her with her baby, a four month old named Caroline. Lucy mistakenly says her baby is named Chedder, then quickly corrects herself. “Chester!” In reality, both bundles are props.

“Lucy and Bob Hope” (1956) ~ At Yankee Stadium, Bob Hope is approached by a young fan (David Saber) asking for an autograph. Before granting it, he asks the boy “Have you seen my latest picture, ‘The Iron Petticoat?’” The boy eagerly replies, “Yes, sir.” Coincidentally, this is the first episode to feature Keith Thibodeaux as Little Ricky.

“Little Ricky Gets Stage Fright” (1956) ~ Little Ricky is taking music lessons, but gets nervous at the recital. Like all the children in the episode, little Diana Van Fossen uses her own name, playing a squeaky, out-of-tune rendition of “Swanee River” on the violin. Earl Robie, the 10 year-old ukulele player, was the most experienced of the child performers on the show, having appeared in eight films and TV shows such as “Lassie” and “The Loretta Young Show.” Ironically, despite his credits, his character gets the measles and doesn’t get to perform with the Dixieland Band in the final scene at the Club Babalu.

Others in the class include: Laurie Blaine (flute), Buddy Noble (bass), Robert Norman (trumpet), Larry Gleason (accordian), and Jeffrey Woodruff (trombone).

“Lucy and Superman” (1957) ~ Stevie Appleby (Steven Kay) attends Little Ricky’s birthday party with an apartment full of similarly-aged children. The tiny actors appear uncredited. During “London Bridge” Kay looks at Fred suspiciously.

“Little Ricky’s School Pageant” (1957) ~ The Ricardos and Mertzes are recruited to act in Little Ricky’s school pageant, “The Enchanted Forest”. His 'sister’ Suzy Brown was played by Candy Rogers Schoenberg. She was the prize pupil at Pepito and Joanne’s dancing school, which loaned the costumes, sets, and provided the student performers for the episode.

After the filming, the more than 20 children took a photo with Lucy, Desi, Bill, Vivian, Pepito, and Joanne.

Little Ricky’s pal Bruce Ramsey was played by Ray Farrell in three 1957 episodes of “I Love Lucy”: “Lucy Gets Chummy With The Neighbors,” “Lucy Does the Tango,” and “Housewarming”. He was also known for 14 episodes of the TV series “Peck's Bad Girl” (1959).

Little Ricky also had two unseen friends his age: Billy Munson, who lived in Westport with his parents Grace and Harry; and Bily Palmer, who gave Little Ricky the puppy who became Fred the dog.

“The Ricardos Dedicate a Statue” (1957) ~ In the very last half hour episode of “I Love Lucy,” Desi Arnaz Jr. appears in a crowd scene along with two unidentified young girls. Despite rumors to the contrary, one of them is NOT Lucie Arnaz.

“Lucy Goes To Mexico” (1958) ~ In Tijuana, ten year-old Alan Roberts (nee Costello) played Alfredo, the enterprising Mexican boy who wants nothing more than to see a great 'flat top' (air craft carrier). Two weeks after this episode aired, he appeared on "Leave it to Beaver” as a Spanish boy who is befriends by the Beaver.

At the end of the episode, Little Ricky performs Maurice Chevalier’s “Valentina” with a quartet of pint-sized dancers, the equivalent to the grown up chorines his father sings to.

“Lucy Makes Room for Danny” (1959) ~ The cast of “The Danny Thomas Show” aka “Make Room for Daddy” does a cross-over episode with “The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour” to mark the show moving into Lucy’s time slot. The cast includes the Williams children, Rusty (Rusty Hamer) and Linda (Angela Cartwright). “Make Room for Daddy” was filmed at Desilu Studios.

RUSTY (about living in the country): “I have a feeling I’m gonna miss the bright lights of Broadway.” DANNY (to Ricky): “Don’t mind him, he’s one of the beat generation.”

In the last hour-long episode, “Lucy Meets the Mustache” (1960) featuring Ernie Kovacs and Edie Adams, Little Ricky is said to go to school with Kovacs' daughter Kippie, his second daughter by his first wife. Although Kippie does not appear in the episode, she would have been 10 years old at the time. Kippie's older sister Bette is also mentioned. After their father's death, the girls were the subject of a bitter custody battle between Edie Adams and their mother, Bette Wilcox.

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