#Shepard Menken

[papermoonloveslucy]

THE FACULTY!

Teachers, Instructors and Coaches of the Lucyverse

Here’s a tribute to all the teachers at the Lucyverse University! 

Jean Valjean Raymond (Apache Dancing) played by Shepard Menken in “The Adagio” (1951). Ethel suggests the recently-arrived cousin of someone at the French laundry to teach Lucy how to dance the Apache. He turns out to be more interested in amore than apache! 

Percy Livermore (English / Grammar / Elocution) played by Hans Conried in “Lucy Hires an English Tutor” (1952). Naturally, tutor Livermore has show business aspirations. Conried also played various teachers and instructors on Ball’s radio sitcom “My Favorite Husband.” 

Madame LeMond (Ballet) played by Mary Wickes. LeMond was the premiere ballerina of the French Ballet. She puts Lucy through her paces at the barre. 

Arthur ‘King Cat’ Walsh (Jitterbug) played by Arthur Walsh in “Lucy Has Her Eyes Examined” (1953). In real life, Walsh was one of Hollywood’s most popular Jitterbug dancers / actors. His first film role was as a Jitterbugging soldier in Stage Door Canteen (1935). 

Robert Dubois (French) played by Alberto Morin in “The French Revue” (1953). A waiter moonlighting by giving French lessons, DuBois is really in show business and wants to audition for Ricky at the Tropicana. In reality, Morin was not French, but born in Puerto Rico! 

Kitty Winslow (Dance) played by Lucille Ball in “K.O. Kitty” (1958), an episode of the Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse. The dance instructor turns boxing coach when she ‘inherits’ a prize fighter. Lucy Carmichael also coached a prize fighter (played by Don Rickles) in a 1967 episode of “The Lucy Show.” 

Henry Taylor (Math) played by William Windom in “Lucy Digs Up a Date” (1962). Although Jerry calls him ‘Old Man Taylor’, he is a new young bachelor recently relocated to Danfield from San Francisco. He replaced teacher Mr. Lucas (a character we never see). In various episodes of “The Lucy Show” Jerry also talks about teachers named Mrs. Lopus and Miss Clementine. 

Vito (Fencing Instructor) played by Vito Scotti, also in “Lucy Digs Up a Date” (1962). He gives lessons at the new Danfield YMCA. 

Professor Dr. Gitterman (Singing and Acting) played by Hans Conried in “Lucy’s Barbershop Quartet” (1963) and “Lucy Plays Cleopatra” (1963). The roles are reversed when Lucy uses his breath control techniques in “Lucy Teaches Ethel Merman to Sing” (1964). 

Dr. Adrian Vance (Chemistry) played by Lou Krugman in “Lucy and Viv Take Up Chemistry” (1963). Vance teaches night school at Danfield High. 

Mr. Sheldon (Judo) played by James Seay in “Lucy and Viv Learn Judo” (1964). Sheldon runs a Judo and Karate studio in Danfield. During the lesson he is assisted by his prize students, Louis Coppola and Ed Parker, who were real-life martial arts experts hired for the episode. 

Professor Guzman (Art) played by John Carradine in “Lucy Goes To Art Class” (1964). Guzman teaches Beginning Art Class at Harold’s Stationery and Art Store in Danfield.    

Mickey Rooney (Acting) in “Lucy Meets Mickey Rooney”. The school Mickey Rooney wants to open is called The Players Showcase. 

When “Lucy Gets Her Diploma” (1967) she attends Wilshire High School. There she has several teachers (top left to bottom right):

Larry Wilcock plays the Math teacher

Barbara Babcock plays the English teacher

Olive Dunbar plays the Biology teacher

Donald Randolph plays the History teacher

Ken Jones (Dance) played by Ken Berry in “Lucy Helps Ken Berry” (1968).  Jones teaches a course of tap and soft shoe for $25. 

Sister Mary Alice (Grade School Teacher) played by Mary Gregory in the film Yours, Mine and Ours (1968). Sister teaches Lucy’s son Philip and objects to him using his adopted name Beardsley, insisting he is still legally a North. 

Buddy Rich (Drums) coaches Craig in “Lucy and the Drum Contest” (1970).

Mike Howden plays a Ski Instructor in “Someone’s On the Ski Lift with Dinah” (1971). 

Freddy Martin coaches Lucy Carter in the saxophone in “Lucy and Her All-Nun Band” (1971). Martin was a saxophonist and band leader who first gained national attention in 1940 and continued on through the 1970s.

Professor Dietrich and Professor John Kleindorf played by Murray Matheson and John Davidson in “Lucy and the Professor” (1973). Kleindorf is the head of the music department of the college Kim attends. Dietrich is the author of the best-selling book Sex and the College Girl.

Jack Scott (Auto Mechanics) played by Robert Rockwell in “The Not-So-Popular Mechanics” (1973). Scott teaches night courses at Valley Trade School. Rockwell is probably best remembered as biology teacher Mr. Boynton on “Our Miss Brooks” (1952-56) opposite Gale Gordon and Mary Jane Croft, a series filmed at Desilu Studios. 

Mr. Tweed (Pottery) played by Roger Twedt in “Lucy and Uncle Harry’s Pot” (1973). Twedt was a real-life art teacher from Palm Springs, California. He also  was Lucille Ball’s adviser for using the pottery wheel.

[goalhofer]

CBS spring 1962 Primetime Lineup.

Sunday

The Twentieth Century narrated by Walter Cronkite.

Mister Ed starring Allan Lane and Alan Young.

Lassie starring Tommy Rettig and Jan Clayton.

Dennis The Menace starring Jay North and Herbert Anderson.

The Ed Sullivan Show hosted by Ed Sullivan.

General Electric Theater hosted by Ronald Reagan.

The Jack Benny Program starring Jack Benny and Edmund Anderson.

Candid Camera hosted by Homer Kirby and Allen Funt.

Monday

To Tell The Truth hosted by Bud Collyer.

Pete And Gladys starring Harry Morgan and Cara Williams.

Father Knows Best starring Robert Young and Jane Wyatt.

The Danny Thomas Show starring Danny Thomas and Jean Hagen.

The Andy Griffith Show starring Andy Griffith and Ron Howard.

Hennesey starring Jackie Cooper; Jr. and Abby Dalton.

I’ve Got A Secret hosted by Garry Moore.

Tuesday

Gunsmoke starring James Arness and Hugh Stone.

Password hosted by Allen Ludden.

The Many Loves Of Dobie Gillis starring Dwayne Hickman and Frank Faylen.

The Red Skelton Show hosted by Richard Skelton.

Ichabod And Me starring Robert Sterling and George Chandler.

The Garry Moore Show starring Garry Moore and Carol Burnett.

Wednesday

The Alvin Show starring Ros Bagdasarian and Shepard Menken.

Window On Main Street starring Robert Young and Constance Moore.

Checkmate starring Anthony George and Charles Cabot.

The Dick Van Dyke Show starring Dick Van Dyke and Mary Moore.

The United States Steel Hour hosted by Lawrence Langner and Roger Pryor.

Armstrong Circle Theatre hosted by Ron Cochran.

Thursday

Oh! Those Bells starring Herbert Wiere and Harry Wiere.

Frontier Circus starring Theodore Wills and John Derek.

Tell It To Groucho hosted by Julius Marx.

Dick Powell’s Zane Grey Theatre hosted by Dick Powell.

CBS Reports hosted by Edward R. Murrow.

Friday

Rawhide starring Eric Fleming and Clint Eastwood.

Route 66 starring Martin Milner and George Maharis.

Father Of The Bride starring Leon Ames and Ruth Warrick.

The Twilight Zone hosted by Rod Serling.

CBS News Eyewitness.

Saturday

Perry Mason starring Raymond Burr and Barbara Hale.

The Defenders starring E.G. Marshall and Robert Reed.

Have Gun-Will Travel starring Richard Boone and Kam Tong.

Gunsmoke starring James Arness and Hugh Stone.

[bardofheartdive]

11 Questions

I was tagged (seemingly a million years ago) by @illusivesoul to answer 11 Questions and then make up 11 more and tag some people to answer them. Thanks for thinking of me friend! I’m sorry it took so long to actually answer. Here we go!

1. Favorite genre of games? 

I like sci-fi games best. Besides Mass Effect, I really like Halo, KOTOR, and Kingdom Hearts.

2. Favorite bands?

Too many to name but here are the ones that come to mind immediately. (I'm sure I've missed some...)

Alexander Jean, Counting Crows, The Decemberists, Gin Blossoms, Maroon 5, and Matchbox 20 are some of my favorite bands. For solo artists, I really like Marc Cohn, Adam Pascal, and Utada Hikaru. Alan Menken is probably my favorite composer.

3. Countries you would like to visit?

Oh my gosh, can I just say all of them? For top five (in alphabetical order) I'd say: Australia, Iceland, Japan, New Zealand, and Peru.

4. Movie, book or game that you didn’t like when you first saw it but you do now?

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. The first time I read it I was in highschool and the writing style made it hard for me to understand what was going on. I read it again in college and I really enjoyed it.

5. Do you like your country?

Not much and even less so recently.

6. Do you believe in fate?

I'm not sure. I don't think so but I wouldn't say I believe it doesn't exist. Does that make sense?

7. Favorite videogame villain?

The Flood from the Halo series. (I actually like ALL the Halo villains but you can't beat The Flood for nightmare fuel.) Honorable mention to GLaDOS from the Portal Games.

8. Do you read reviews about a movie before deciding whether to watch it or not?

No. I might ask a friend who saw it but I don't put much stock into "professional" reviews.

9. Favorite season?

Spring, with Autumn as a close second.

10. If you could give one piece of advice to the whole world, what would it be?

Invest your (discretionary) time/energy/money in the things that make you happy. Write the fic you want to write, not the one you "should" write. Take all the time you're spending trying to be friends with that person that broke your heart and put it towards people who are good to you. Sing - even if it's pitchy and off key - because you love to sing, dance - even if it's the Shepard Shuffle - because you love to dance, draw - even if it's messy and anatomically incorrect - because you love to draw. We all have limited resources, so put them into the things that bring you joy.

11. What is a long term goal of yours?

I would like to become fluent in Spanish and Japanese. (And a bunch of other languages but those are my top two.)

I will tag (only if they want to play): @comefeedtherainn, @joufancyhuh, @juleshawke, @proserpine-in-phases, @ronqueesha, @shotce, @sweet-ree, and tag back @illusivesoul. Your questions are:

Are there any clothing or accessories you wear every day? What are they?

Do you have any siblings and where do you fall in birth order?

Do you have a pet? Please tell me about them?

If you could change your eye color would you and to what?

If you could give one piece of advice to yourself 5 years ago, what would it be?

If you could live in a book/TV/movie/videogame universe for a week which would you pick and why?

Please recommend some bands/performers/soundtracks/albums?

What race and class would you be if you were a D&D character?

What's your love language?

What's your favorite thing about yourself at the moment?

What color Lantern would you be in DCs Lantern Corps?

[geekbroll]

The Lone Ranger - The Rainmaker - Episode 21 Segment 2 - (Original air date 1967-10-28) features the voice work of Paul Winchell as The Rain Maker and one of the farmers threatened by The Rain Maker. Paul Winchell (1922–2005) is known for voicing Fleegle, Dick Dastardly, Gargamel, Zummi Gummi, Goober, Tigger and others. Michael Rye — Lone Ranger Shepard Menken — Tonto https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=126IZRjCQL8 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lone_Ranger_(1966_TV_series) #paulwinchell #therainmaker #rainmaker #loneranger #theloneranger #lonerangercartoon #lonerangerandtonto #tonto #formatfilms #1966 #loneranger66 #weirdwest #weirdwestern #hannabarbera #fleegle #bananasplits #bananasplitsmovie #cartoons #cartooncharacters #dickdastardly #loneranger1966 #MichaelRye #johnhalas #joybatchelor #halasandbatchelor #cbs #cbscartoons #allnewloneranger #ShepardMenken #zummigummi #gargamel #tigger #voicework (at Portland, Oregon) https://www.instagram.com/p/By4F47RhSCz/?igshid=1rpxfrbljzvte

[dannyreviews]

Entertainment Legends Who Should Receive The Kennedy Center Honors (Frequently Updating)

Being a lover of several types of entertainment and cultural mediums, I always look forward to hearing who the recipients of the Kennedy Center Honors will be. Usually between June and September, 5 individuals and groups are announced to join the list of the most well known performers. 95% of the time, I agree with the recipients, but there have been some figures that I believe do not belong in the same regard as Leonard Bernstein, Katharine Hepburn, Neil Simon and Led Zeppelin. Because there are only 5 spots per year, several famed people get shut out and unfortunately lose out when they pass away. Presented below, are a list of individuals that have yet to be recognized (grouped by profession):

Actors:

Michael Caine, Glenn Close, Leslie Caron, Diahann Carroll, Daniel Day-Lewis, Olivia de Havilland, Robert Duvall, Harrison Ford, Gene Hackman, Anthony Hopkins, Kevin Kline, Nathan Lane, Jessica Lange, Jerry Lewis, Ian McKellen, Christopher Plummer, Carl Reiner, Dean Stockwell, Dick Van Dyke, Betty White

Composers/Conductors:

Daniel Barenboim, John Corigliano, Francis Lai, Phillip Glass, Gershon Kingsley, Michel Legrand, Ennio Morricone, Mike Post, Simon Rattle, Steve Reich, Leonard Slatkin, Michael Tilson-Thomas, La Monte Young

Dancers/Choreographers:

Toni Basil, Savion Glover, Cynthia Gregory, Gillian Lynne, Kenny Ortega, Susan Stroman, Tommy Tune

Directors:

Woody Allen, Francis Ford Coppola, Stanley Donen, Ron Howard, James Ivory, Norman Jewison, Franco Zefferelli

Musicians:

Herb Alpert, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Emanuel Ax, Burt Bacharach, Yefim Bronfman, Ron Carter, Chick Correa, Stanley Drucker, James Galway, Evelyn Glennie, Jimmy Heath, Wynton Marsalis, Jean-Luc Ponty, Peter Schickele, Wayne Shorter, Pinchas Zukerman

Singers:

ABBA, Paul Anka, Charles Aznavour, Kathleen Battle, José Carreras, Carol Channing, Eric Clapton, Phil Collins, Fats Domino, Gloria and Emilio Estefan, Renee Fleming, Barry Gibb, Kiri Te Kanawa, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, Patti Lupone, Audra McDonald, Bette Midler, Liza Minnelli, Van Morrison, Bernadette Peters, The Rolling Stones, Linda Ronstadt, Frankie Valli (and the Four Seasons), Willard White

Theatrical People:

Emanuel Azenberg, Alain Boubil/Claude-Michel Schonberg, Peter Brook, Michael Frayn, David Hare, Sheldon Harnick, James Lapine, David Mamet, Terrence McNally, Alan Menken, Trevor Nunn, Tim Rice, Stephen Schwartz, Sam Shepard, Tom Stoppard, Charles Strouse, Jonathan Tunick, Jerry Zaks

[johnmulaneys]

[papermoonloveslucy]

THE FACE IS FAMILIAR... BUT I CAN'T PLACE THE NAME!

Same Actor / Different Character ~ Part 1: "I Love Lucy"

It used to be quite common for actors to be cast in multiple roles on the same series. Not in principal parts, certainly, but in supporting and minor characters. Lucycoms were no exception. Although the world created by these shows was representative of reality, the characters who populated them often gave viewers Deja vu.

For the purposes of this discussion, we won't include background performers (aka extras) as they were nearly always drawn from the same pool of actors. Also, those who played multiple characters need to have at least two of them identified by name. We will, however, include "the "The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hours" in our discussion of "I Love Lucy".

FRANK NELSON

A busy character actor, Frank Nelson has the distinction of being the only performer to play more than one recurring character (a character seen in more than one episode) on "I Love Lucy": Quizmaster Freddie Fillmore and Westport neighbor Ralph Ramsey. In addition, he played a nearsighted waiter, a TV host, a policeman, a a talent scout, a customs officer, a cruise director, and (perhaps most famously) a train conductor. His turn as the conductor was so memorable, he reprised it on "The Lucy Show" in 1963. Lucy has worked with Nelson on her radio show and new that audiences loved him - so she had no problem engaging him time and time again.

CHARLES LANE

Another familiar face was veteran character actor Charles Lane. Instead of radio, Lane came from the world of film, having done several pictures with William Frawley. He played a total of six characters, including Mr. Stanley, father of nine girls when "Lucy Goes to the Hospital." He followed up with Mr. Hickox "The Business Manager", a casting director, a passport office clerk, a uranium claims officer, and (like Nelson) a customs official, this time at the Mexican border. Lucille Ball created a role for him on "The Lucy Show", only to let him go to make way for a similar character when Gale Gordon finally became available. But that didn't stop Lane, who kept acting until he died at the age of 102!

MARY JANE CROFT

Before settling into the role of Betty Ramsey (with Frank Nelson as her husband Ralph), Croft played the role of Lucy Ricardo's old chum Cynthia Harcourt, who's request for a charitable donation forces Lucy to take a job as a woman from Mars. She returned to new mother Evelyn Bigsby, who sits next to Lucy on the plane home from Europe. Interestingly, Frank Nelson is also in this episode. Just a few months later the pair are back as the Ramseys. Viewers didn't need to have long memories to think the Ricardos' Westport neighbors looked familiar.

ELIZABETH PATTERSON

Viewers fondly remember Patterson as Mrs. Trumbull, the lovable spinster who babysat Little Ricky. On her first episode in 1953, the character was irascible, but grew more likeable over the seven more appearances that followed. Many forget that when Lucy and Ricky renewed their vows in Greenwich Connecticut, Patterson played Mrs. Willoughby the mayor! Mr. Willoughby was played by....

IRVING BACON

Bacon wore many hats (literally) as the man who greeted the Ricardos in Greenwich. But he must've done something right because he was asked back to play Will Potter when the gang drove through "Ethel's Hometown" on their way to Hollywood.

KATHRYN CARD

Best remembered as the scatterbrained Mrs. McGillicuddy, Card was nearly unrecognizable when she was first seen on the series, as Minnie Finch's brusque neighbor in "Fan Magazine Interview" (1954). Mother (she never had a first name) was seen in seven episodes in 1955 and 1956.

HERB VIGRAN

Busy character man Herb Vigran started on "I Love Lucy" playing Jule, Ricky's music agent in two 1952 episodes. But when Lucy's washing machine goes on the fritz, Vigran shows up as Joe, a repairman who also happens to be Mrs. Trumbull's nephew. He also was seen as Hal Sparks, the publicity man who convinces Lucy and Ethel to dress as women from Mars at the top of the Empire State Building.

PARLEY BAER

Baer’s first collaboration with Lucille Ball was playing MGM’s Mr. Reilly in "Ricky Needs an Agent” (1955). He returned to the series as Connecticut furniture salesman Mr. Perry in "Lucy Gets Chummy with the Neighbors” (1957).

SHEPARD MENKEN

Menken did four different characters from season one to season six. He adopted a French accent to teach Lucy to Apache dance as Jean Valjean Raymond, sold Lucy clay as art store salesman William Abbott, examined Lucy's vision as an eye doctor, and reverted to his French accent to sell Lucy mass-produced art as Parisian con-man Charpontier.

DAYTON LUMMIS

Also in "Lucy Has Her Eyes Examined" (1953) we see Dayton Lummis for the first time as producer Bill Parker ("Parker Preps Prod for Pittsburgh Preem"). He returned the following year as publisher Mel Eaton when "Lucy Writes a Novel" (1954) and yet a third time as MGM producer Mr. Sherman in "LA at Last!" (1955).

LOU KRUGMAN

Viewers didn't meet Lou Krugman until season four, when he played the film director coping with Lucy and her unwieldy headdress. Ball was so impressed by him that she immediately cast him as the FBI agent on the train back to New York. When Lucy reprised her heavy headgear routine on a TV special, Krugman was again at her side. In season six, he was cast as the manager of the Club Babalu, formerly the Tropicana. The job lasted just two episodes before the action of the show shifted to Connecticut.

JAY NOVELLO

Novello was one of Lucille Ball's favorite performers from her radio show, playing Mr. Negley the postman and other quirky characters. On "I Love Lucy" he was first (perhaps best) remembered as theatrical producer Mr. Merriweather, who longs to talk to his beloved Tilly in "The Seance" (1951). He returned to play Mr. Beecher, the skittish tenant in "The Sublease" (1954), and "The Visitor From Italy" (1956), who arrives looking for his brother Sam Franchesca. Or maybe San Francisco.

JOHN HART

Another actor to score a trifecta was John Hart.  Producer Jess Oppenheimer didn’t want to pay too much for the actor who would play Tom Henderson in "Lucy Changes Her Mind" (1953), a character who only says two words at the very end of the show. He wrote in the script that he wanted “the most handsome hunk of man anyone ever saw for $15.56.”  Hart was cast. He returned (hopefully with a pay raise) to play the lifeguard who saves Lucy (despite her best efforts) in "The Hedda Hopper Story," and to play Jim Stevens, a studio executive meeting with Dore Schary poolside (the same pool he guarded in the previous episode) in "Don Juan is Shelved" (1955).

ELVIA ALLMAN

Another of Lucy's favorites from her radio sitcom was Elvia Allman. Even the most casual fan of "I Love Lucy" will recognize her as the barking foreperson at the chocolate factory ("Speed it up a little!") but she also returned to play one of Minnie Finch's neighbors ("Do you wanna see Minnie or don't ya?"). In a change of pace, she played Nancy Graham, the prim columnist who thinks Lucy should "cherish" Ricky. She also encountered Lucy Ricardo as Ida Thompson of the Westport PTA, and as Milton Berle's officious secretary.

HANS CONRIED

Perhaps no other performer was as beloved by Lucy and Desi as Hans Conried. He was seen on all of Lucy's TV and radio shows as well as in a film with her. On "I Love Lucy" he had time to do just two roles: the foppish English tutor Percy Livermore and the unscrupulous used furniture dealer Dan Jenkins. These two diverse characters showed Conried's range as an actor, so viewers can be forgiven for not noticing that they were the same actor - even though their airdates were just a month apart!

BOB JELLISON

Most viewers remember Jellison as the bell hop at the Beverly Palms Hotel. He played the portly luggage jockey for six episodes in 1955. Jellison was so convincing in the role that in "Lucy Hunts Uranium" (1958), he was once again cast as the bellboy, this time named Henry. But few remember him in his first series appearance, as the milkman (or “cow juice peddler”, as Bill Foster called him) in "The Gossip" (1952).

JOSEPH KEARNS

Kearns was another veteran of Lucille Ball's radio series. He found fame as Mr. Wilson on "Dennis the Menace". He played Dr. Tom Robinson, a psychiatrist, in "The Kleptomaniac" (1953). He returned to the show in its final season as the Theatre Manager in "Lucy's Night in Town" (1956). "If four people are seeing the show, then four have got to pay!" He died while still playing Henry Wilson so instead of recasting, George's brother arrived in town, played by...

GALE GORDON

Gordon's relationship with Ball goes back to 1938 on radio. She spent the rest of her career casting him on her various shows. She had intended for him to play Fred Mertz, but he was too busy - and too expensive - so Desi cast William Frawley. Lucy, however, wanted Gordon on the show, so the role of Mr. Littlefield, manager of the Tropicana, was created. The character appeared in two episodes. He wasn't seen with Lucy again until 1958, when he played a Judge that is tasked with deciding a case between the Ricardos, the Mertzes, and the Williams', in "Lucy Makes Room for Danny".

PHIL OBER

Ober was Vivian Vance's husband, so it makes sense that he would make at least one appearance - and he did - as the fake husband sent to the Ricardo apartment by "The Quiz Show" (1951). Ober's marriage eventually ended when Vance accused him of cruelty, but before that could happen, he was a last minute replacement for Dore Schary when "Don Juan is Shelved" (1955). Schary was a real-life MGM movie producer who was scheduled to appear as himself. He either got sick or (more likely) got cold feet. So Ober played Schary instead, leaving many unsavvy viewers thinking that Ober WAS Schary! Speaking of bad marriages and "The Quiz Show"...

JOHN EMERY

...played Harold the Tramp that was confused for Ober's character. Emery had been married to tempestuous Tallulah Bankhead from 1937 to 1941. Their four short years together were compared by Emery to "the decline of the Roman Empire". He played a Doctor in Lucy and Desi's 1956 film Forever Darling. It wasn't long before he was back at "I Love Lucy" to play the pet-hating Mr. Stewart when "Little Ricky Gets a Dog" (1957).

MADGE BLAKE

Blake is best remembered as Batman's Aunt Harriet, but after her notable role of the gossip columnist in Singin' in the Rain (1952), she was cast on "I Love Lucy" as Mrs. Mulford, the owner of the hat shop when "Ricky Loses His Temper" (1954). Lucy and Desi were introduced to her talent when she played  Aunt Anastacia in The Long, Long Trailer.  She was asked back in late 1956 to play Martha, the acrophobic prospective tenant for apartment 3B in "Lucy and Superman" (1957).

VERNA FELTON

Felton is probably best remembered as Lucy's demonstrative maid Mrs. Porter, but she first appeared as Mrs. Simpson, a housewife living without electricity but with lots of "Sale Resistance" (1953). The two roles aired just three months apart. A few months later Lucy and Desi cast her as series regular Hilda Crocker on their new sitcom "December Bride" (1954-57).

HAZEL BOYNE

A former dancer, Boyne was born on Independence Day 1883 and was 68 years old when "Men Are Messy" (1953) was filmed. She charmed audiences as Maggie, the Tropicana's Irish cleaning woman, dancing with Ricky during his rehearsal. She would go on to play one of Minnie Finch's neighbors in "Fan Magazine Interview" (1954) and a (don't blink) passenger on "The Great Train Robbery" (1955).

HAL MARCH

March had been an original cast member of "My Favorite Husband." In the first season of "I Love Lucy" he played an actor named Hal March who Ricky asks to masquerade as a doctor when "Lucy Fakes Illness" (1951). At the end of the show, announcer Johnny Jacobs says “The part of Hal March was played by Hal March.”  March returned to the show to play womanizing lingerie salesman Eddie Grant in “Lucy Is Matchmaker” (1953).

WILL WRIGHT

Wright did two films and a radio show with Lucille Ball before being seen on "I Love Lucy." First, he played Mr. Walters, the locksmith from Yonkers, in “The Handcuffs” (1952). He returned to the series to play Bent Fork Sheriff (and father of Teensy and Weensy) in “Tennessee Bound” (1955). 

ALBERTO MORIN

Morin was Carlos, one of Ricky's "Cuban Pals" (1952). He had appeared in some of Hollywood's most cherished films: Gone with the Wind (1939), Casablanca (1943), and Key Largo (1948). He was invited back to play Robert Dubois, waiter turned tutor in "The French Revue" (1953).

HY AVERBACK

Averback played two different Charlies on "I Love Lucy": Appleby and Pomerantz. Charlie Appleby was seen twice on the series, but was only played by Averback on his first appearance in 1953. Charlie Pomerantz was Ricky's press agent in Hollywood in 1955, coming up with the brilliant idea for Ricky to save Lucy from drowning in the hotel pool.

Naturally, there were many other actors whose did double (or triple) duty on "I Love Lucy", chief among them Bennett Green and Hazel Pierce, Lucy and Desi's camera and lighting stand-ins and were omnipresent throughout the series, although not always with specific character names.

[bardofheartdive]

Tagged by the lovely @joufancyhuh to answer these questions about myself. Thank you so much for always thinking of me, hon!

1. what is the favourite item of clothing you own? Picking one favorite item is difficult but I think I'm going to go with my boots. They're a black leather, flat, ankle boot. They fit really well (which is hard for me because I have very wide feet) and I love wearing them with skirts/dresses.

2. tell me about the first time you watched your favourite movie? I don't remember it specifically but it was Enchanted (the one with Amy Adams and Patrick Dempsy) and it has a lot of Disney Easter Eggs hidden in it. I didn't catch all of them but I remember being really excited about the ones I did. Also, I remember loving the songs. Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz are amazing individually and mind-blowing together.

3. what was the last book you finished? Reread of The Last Unicorn. At this point I must have read it at least 10 times.

4. what is the next book you want to read? I’m in the process of reading The Builders by Daniel Polansky. It's good but the writing style is kind of odd and it's taking me a while to get through it.

5. when is your birthday, and what do you want for it this year? (if your birthday has already happened this year, did you get what you had your heart set on?) My birthday is March 28th and, honestly, I had the best birthday this year. My amazing husband took me to see my favorite musical, Something Rotten. Adam Pascal, one of my favorite musicians, was playing William Shakespeare. Not only did I get to see him perform live, I met him at the stage door after and he signed one of my CD cases from his original albums. I can now say with absolute certainty I know how Conrad Verner felt meeting Commander Shepard.

6. if you were given one month and $10,000, where would you travel to? World tour (US included) to visit all my on-line friends in person. I would also spend some time in Japan visiting with my family.

7. cake or pie? Pie, preferably fruit.

8. name 3 things you think you’re really good at. I am kind. I give really good back/shoulder/neck rubs. I have an excellent memory, especially for songs and music.

9. name 3 things you’d like to be better at. Writing. Not procrastinating. Being assertive.

10. name 3 far-fetched dreams you’d like to do someday. Voice a Disney Princess. Write a musical and have it produced. Own a complete wardrobe that fits properly and makes me feel pretty.

11. if you had to dye your hair, what colour would you dye it? I really want to put some crazy colored highlights in my hair (bright purple, teal, or hot pink would be my top choices) but I'm not sure my work will let me...

I will tag: @missannaraven, @bioticfox, @blueteaparty, @estalfaed, @rock-paperback-scissors, @ronqueesha, @schizoid-freak, and @thecouncilwasright. But only if you want to play!

[papermoonloveslucy]

LUCY & THE CRIMINALS

Lucy’s Encounters with the Criminal Underworld ~ Part 1

To add drama and an element of danger to her sitcoms, Lucy would often encounter burglars, thieves, robbers, and other criminals.  Here’s a look at some of those on the ‘other side of the law’ in early Lucycoms. 

“The Burglar” (1947) ~ Lucille Ball guest stars on the radio show “The Smiths of Hollywood” starring Arthur Treacher and Brenda Marshall. At Lucille Ball’s home, a burglar and a concerned neighbor break in!  

BILL: “By the time he finishes off that Scotch, you’ll wish the real burglar had gotten in!”  BURGLAR: “I am in.”  LUCY (screams): “They’re coming through the woodwork!”

“The Fur Coat” (1951) ~ To get an expensive fur back from Lucy, Ricky enlists Fred to paly a burglar to steal it back. Naturally a real burglar (Ben Weldon) shows up on the same night! 

“New Neighbors” (1952) ~ Lucy believes the actors who move in to the building are actually dangerous spies intent on blowing up the capitol. This leads to a shoot-out with the police. Hayden Rorke and K.T. Stevens play the couple. 

“The Kleptomaniac” (1952) ~ When Lucy is caught collecting household items for the club’s tag sale, Ricky and Fred believe she is a kleptomaniac, a theif who steals uncontrolably. Lucy finds out about their misapprehension and decides to teach them a lesson by pretending to be real theives - robbing a bank and stealing a baby elephant from the circus. 

“The Publicity Agent” (1952) ~ To get Ricky’s name in the papers, Lucy at first thinks that she should stage a robbery, but after a quick inventory her jewels are only worth $43. 

LUCY: “You know how those Hollywood stars get their name in the paper when their jewels are stolen.” 

This actually happened to Lucille Ball when on tour with Desi in 1950. Their Chicago hotel room was robbed and nearly all Lucy’s jewelry was stolen.

“Ricky and Fred Are TV Fans” (1953) ~ Lucy and Ethel are arrested attempting to cut the wires on the roof of their apartment building. At the station, the desk sergeant (Frank Nelson) assumes they are wanted female felons “Pickpocket Pearl and Sticky Fingers Sal”. Later, Sergeant Nelson apologies when he finds out that the criminals are already in prison. 

“Too Many Crooks” (1953) ~ The entire neighborhood is on alert over a prowler nicknamed Madame X.  Ethel thinks it may be Lucy and Lucy thinks it may be Ethel!  Then the real Madame X (Alice Wills) shows up!  The original script had Madame X get away at the end, taking both Ricky and Fred's suits along with her! In the filmed ending, justice is served!  

“Equal Rights” (1953) ~ Over the telephone, Lucy and Ethel pretend to be held up at gunpoint by robbers to get Ricky and Fred to rescue them from washing dishes. But when the boys discover that they were faking, they pretend to be burglars to teach them a lesson. When the police arrive, it is Ricky and Fred who are arrested. 

“Lucy Cries Wolf” (1954) ~ Lucy is overly-worried about her safety during a local crime spree, demanding Ricky demonstrate her love by protecting her against made-up thieves. Whe real burglars break in and kidnap her, Ricky and the Mertzes think Lucy is just ‘yelling tiger’ - Ricky’s version of ‘crying wolf’!  The same two actors who played the policeman in “Equal Rights” (Fred Aldrich and Louis Nicoletti) turn to the darkside here as the burglars. 

“The Great Train Robbery” (1955) ~ A jewel thief (Harry Bartel) is aboard the train and Lucy is tricked into telling him that there is a jewelry salesman in the next compartment. 

“Paris at Last” (1956) ~ Lucy gets a taste of the dark side of the City of Light. First she encounters a counterfeitter (Lawrence Dobkin)...

Followed immediately by a forger (Shepard Menken), who passes off a mass-produced painting as an original. 

“Off to Florida” (1956) ~ During a rideshare to Florida, Lucy and Ethel hear a radio report about Evelyn Holmby, a hatchet murderess driving south and believe it to be their driver, Edna Grundy, who matches the description. While Lucy and Ethel take a cat nap, Mrs. Grundy hears a report that the hatchet murderess is traveling with a red-haired companion and believes it to be Lucy. Finding a hatchett in the car’s trunk convinces Lucy her hunch is correct. 

“Lucy Wants To Move to the Country” (1957) ~ To convince the Spauldings  that they are undesireables and give Ricky his deposit back, Lucy and the Mertzes pretend to be Runyonesque gangsters and Ricky their mob boss!  Believing them, the Spauldings (Eleanor Audley and Frank Wilcox) hold them at gunpoint! 

“K.O. Kitty” (1958) ~ An episode of “The Westinghouse-Desilu Playhouse” in which Lucille Ball played a dance teacher who inherits a prize fighter. Two mobsters (Jesse White and Sid Melton) hold Kitty at gunpoint, pressuring her to fix the fight. In the end, the criminals reveal that they are not real mobsters and their guns are nothing but cigarette lighters!

“Sunday Showcase: The Lucy-Desi Milton Berle Special” (1959) ~ Lucy and Desi play the Ricardos on a Milton Berle special on NBC. In the story set in Las Vegas, Lucy gets an expensive ring intended for Mrs. Berle stuck on her finger.   Two jewel thieves (George Macready and Mike Mazurki) approach Lucy and tell her they are jewelry wholesalers. When the ring won’t come off, the thieves pursue Lucy and Berle all around the hotel. 

STAY TUNED FOR PART 2

[ycimea-blog]

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[papermoonloveslucy]

LUCY UNIVERSITY!

Classes, Lessons & Other Tutorials

The Lucy character was one of the most inquisitve characters on television. A basic education did not prevent Lucy from furthering her education.  Here are some lessons learned by Lucy!

HIGH SCHOOL

“Lucy Gets Her Diploma” (1967) ~ When Lucy Carmichael finds out the bank has a new policy of only employing high school graduates, she must go back to school to get her diploma in order to keep her job. 

Lucy takes the usual classes - with a fair amount of physical comedy for extra credit. Her teachers include Dave Willock (Math), Donald Randolph (History), Olive Dunbar (Biology), and Barbara Babcock (English). The principal of Wilshire High School is played by George E. Carey. 

MATH

“Liz Goes To Night School” (1950) ~ Liz's arithmetic skills are so bad, George sends her to night school where she somehow winds up in a math contest.  

CHEMISTRY 

“Lucy and Viv Take Up Chemistry” (1963) ~ Viv regrets letting Lucy talk her into joining her for a night school chemistry class. Lucy gets carried away trying to invent a youth serum and develops a huge ego between explosions. The frustrated biology teacher is played by Lou Krugman. 

To teach her a lesson, Viv and the professor make her drink her own concoction. She’s horrified by the results of her youth formula.

AUTO MECHANICS

“The Not-So-Popular Mechanics” (1973) ~ Lucy Carter and Mary Jane take an adult school course in auto mechanics so they can change the oil on Harry’s vintage Rolls Royce. Their teacher is played by Robert Rockwell, who played biology teacher Mr. Boynton on “Our Miss Brooks” opposite Gale Gordon and Mary Jane Croft.

MUSIC

“Piano and Violin Lessons” (1949) ~ Liz takes up the piano to win a radio talent contest. To get even, George starts learning the violin. Who will win?

“The Benefit” (1952) ~ When Lucy wants to get into Ricky’s new act, she’s determined to improve her singing.  

Lucy Carmichael was given singing lessons by Dr. Gitterman (Hans Conried) in “Lucy’s Barbershop Quartet” (1963). She used those same techniques on Agnes Schmidlap (aka Ethel Merman) when “Lucy Teaches Ethel Merman to Sing” (1964). 

DANCE

“Lucy Helps Ken Berry (1968) ~ Ken Jones (Berry) teaches a course of tap and soft shoe for $25. Lucy signs up and recruits a dozen truck drivers to  participate - not your typical dance students. 

“Dance Lessons” (1950) ~ After a disastrous experience at a club dance, Liz and Iris send their husbands to Professor Crawford’s School of the Dance. Instead of being greeted by  a befuddled old Professor, they meet his daughter, a breathless sexpot who immediately agrees to be their instructress.

RUDOLPH: “I’ve seen those girls who teach at Arthur Murray’s.”

“Liz Teaches Samba” (1950) ~ George talks Liz into teaching Wally, the son of the bank’s newest director, how to dance the Samba, and Wally gets a crush on Liz. The radio show served as the basis for...

“The Young Fans” (1952) ~ Lucy gives private dance lessons to Arthur Morton (Richard Crenna) so he can better woo Peggy Dawson, but he turns out to be more attracted to Lucy.

“The Ballet” (1952) ~ Thinking Ricky’s new act requires ballet, Lucy attends a class led by Madame LeMonde (Mary Wickes). “Abbas!  Abbas!”

“The Adagio” (1952) ~ Fred teaches Lucy to do the Apache dance for Ricky’s new act. When Fred’s lessons prove unhelpful, Ethel suggests Jean Valjean Raymond (Shepard Menken), a Frenchman who is more interested in amour than apache. This episode was partly inspired by....

FRENCH

“The French Lessons” (1949) ~ Liz and Iris are humiliated when they can't read the menu at a French restaurant, so they decide to take French lessons. The lessons lead to the prospect of a duel between her favorite husband George and her amorous French teacher, Jacques Duval (Rolfe Sedan). The radio episode inspired...

“The French Revue” (1953) ~ A trip to a French restaurant makes Lucy think she should take French lessons from the waiter Robert DuBois (Alberto Morin) so she can take part in Ricky’s new show. Lucy later taught herself French when preparing for her trip to Europe. 

DUBOIS: “In French, everything it is either masculine or feminine. You Americans don’t have that.”  LUCY: “You haven’t been in this country very long, have you?”

ENGLISH

“The English Tutor” (1952) ~ So that her baby will be surrounded by proper elocation, diction and grammar, Lucy recruits tutor Percy Livermore (Hans Conried) to teach them how to speak properly - for free. Naturally, he has ulterior motives.

LIVERMORE (to Ricky): In lieu of the remuneration for my tutelage, I am to be permitted to introduce my talents into your nocturnal bistro.

ART

“Lucy Goes To Art Class” (1964) ~ To impress handsome bachelor John Brooks (Robert Alda) Lucy and Viv join him at an art class. The art teacher is played by John Carridine. 

BROOKS: “I do believe that all of us have some sort of creativity bottled up inside of us.” LUCY: “I think this class might be just the thing to pop my cork!”

“Lucy and Uncle Harry’s Pot” (1973) ~ When Lucy breaks a vase which has great sentimental value to Harry, she goes to a ceramics class to make him a new one – with dubious results!  Her teacher is played by Roger Twedt, an actual high school art teacher from Palm Springs. 

ACTING

“Lucy Meets Mickey Rooney” (1966) ~ Mickey Rooney takes out a loan from Mr. Mooney's bank to open an acting school. Lucy and Mooney each wangle free acting lessons.

EQUESTRIANISM

“Horseback Riding” (1949) ~ George’s female co-chair for his horseback riding club’s upcoming breakfast ride has Liz so jealous that she’s determined to overcome her fear of horses and learn to ride herself.

COLLEGE 

Fictional Pottawatomie College in New Mexico is the setting of Too Many Girls (1939), the film in which Lucille Ball first met Desi Arnaz, although their characters never meet on screen. 

“Lucy’s College Reunion” (1963) ~ Lucy Carmichael (nee Taylor) goes back to her alumnus, Milroy College. 

“Lucy and the Professor” (1973) ~ Lucy hears her daughter is dating an older man, so she goes to Kim’s college to see for herself. Unfortunately, Lucy mistakes an elderly professor (Murray Matheson) for the younger one (John Davidson) that Kim is actually dating!

PROFESSOR KLEINDORF: ”Thanks Professor Dietrich. You’re really groovy.” PROFESSOR DIETRICH: (points to his frown lines) “These aren’t grooves. They’re wrinkles.”

At Desilu Studios, Lucy opened the Desilu Playhouse, recruiting promising young performers to practice their craft under her tutelage, much in the same way Lela Rogers taught her at RKO. Some of the more famous graduates were Robert Osborne, Carole Cook, and Majel Barrett. 

In the early 1980s Lucille Ball become Professor Ball, lecturing on comedy at UCLA.  

Grade school students listen to Lucie Arnaz talk during Lucy Lessons, educational modules built around episodes of “I Love Lucy.”  

[loving-lucilleball]