#but for real this song suits gale's romance so well

[transjarlaxle]

good evening kaine nation

saw my mutual @bg3 answer these questions for their ship and i am nothing if not a dirty little thief so

WOE

KAINEGALE BE UPON YE

i too ignored a few questions, combined some others. anyway. no cuts. read it whores

What, specifically, was the catalyst for their physical attraction (if applicable) to the other character? In other words, what in particular had them like “Oh, they’re...hot...”

Kaine is physically attracted to Gale pretty much from the start. He's older, competent, and charming in an endearing sort of way - they want him so bad it kinda makes them look stupid. It's really solidified after some innocuous comment - read about it in kainefic pt2 ehe - that Gale makes while they're alone in camp, a compliment about how silver is a color that suits them. They’re about ready to go down on him right there I think it's similar for Gale, really. He's not stupid and he's not blind - and with the amount of unsubtle posturing that Kaine is doing in his vicinity at all times it would be ridiculous to say he doesn't notice them. The attraction is the simple part - they’re an attractive person, and they know how to play to their strengths. He realizes he wants them badly the first time they release enough magical power that he can feel it on his skin - he can’t differentiate between the electricity from their spell and the effect their physical vicinity has on him.

Does this change over time? What things do they find “hot” about their partner after they’ve been together for some time, and have had more time to, well, notice and appreciate?

I think over time Kaine’s appreciation for Gale’s hair really shows - there’s not any part of him they’re necessarily not attracted to, but his thick dark curls really grow on them especially~ and this goes double for his body hair ‼️

Idk that anything really changes over time for Gale but there are a few things I imagine him fixating on - Kaine’s eyes, how expressive they are, the way their pupils betray their mood; their scales, where they meet their skin on their hips and legs; their legs in general. So on and so forth

By contrast, what was the moment that first made their ~heart~ Soft for the other person? Not necessarily a conscious realization of “I love this person,” but a moment that had them like “Oh...I adore them...”

For Kaine, there’s a moment when they say something teasing to Gale, and he just frowns a little and explains why whatever ridiculous thing they said can’t be true, and Kaine just thinks, oh, I could be with him like this forever. 

For Gale, it’s a crack in Kaine’s mask - a quiet moment when they’re alone, or they think no one is watching, and there’s a genuine smile, a bad pun, or a deep sigh of exhaustion - Gale wants them to be themself around him. He’ll do whatever it takes to make them feel safe enough to do so. 

There’s a song on their playlist which goes “You’re bringing me around / something which I’ve never thought about / I hope you keep me around / something which I’ve never written about // I wanna see you dance with the lights on, I wanna watch you twirl around our room / wanna hear you laugh like nobody’s listening, wanna know everything there is to know about you” so. idk. that’s it. 

Does this change over time? What will always reliably make them melt with how much they adore the other character?

I think Kaine is just endlessly fond of how open Gale is, and how easily he can get them to put down their walls. He’s easy to be around. 

Gale discovers over time that Kaine is soft - they’re good with animals, and they love cheesy romance stories, and genuine displays of affection, and it’s all just for him. They constantly choose him.  

How do they react to the realization that they like the other character? Is it an “oh my god I’m never going to think about this again” thing, or are they pretty comfortable with it?

Kaine is determined right away to have him. They’re nervous, though - it’s more real than anything they’ve ever felt, and they’re not sure he feels the same way. It makes them hesitate. 

Gale probably pushes it away for a few days, at least - he has a lot of baggage, not least of which the bomb in his chest, and he doesn’t want to drag someone with so much potential into that sphere. But he’s not one to deny himself what he wants, so I think he gets over it pretty quickly. 

Do they (or would they) pursue the other character’s affection, and if so, how? Do they tell the other character how they feel? Try to earn their admiration? Woo them with romantic gestures? Flirt with them, skillfully or otherwise?

Kaine attempts daily to seduce Gale. Stretching and angling their body for him to see and bending down in front of him and making suggestive comments - and that’s part of why they’re so unsure that he reciprocates their feelings. Gale is autistic and experienced enough to remain composed in the face of what is truly a masterclass in flirtation, until the end of act one when he invites them to channel the Weave, and he truly sees their intentions, and he’s thrilled. 

What do they think about romantic love? Do they have baggage surrounding it? Do they idealize it? Is it an object of longing and wanting, or were they really not thinking about it until they started falling for the other character? What are their expectations like?

We don’t need my Gale thinkpiece on this topic so I’ll just say that for Kaine, they never put much stock in romantic love before - they’d had a few short flings, both in Valais and in the few years they’ve been traveling the Sword Coast, but they didn’t last, and quite frankly, they never mattered that much to them. Kaine doesn’t know what to expect, but they know that they’ve never wanted someone in their life so badly, and that they’ll do anything to make sure he stays. 

What do they think about commitment? Is a long-term partnership the goal? Are they thinking about building a life with their partner, or are they focused on the present?

Kaine is single-minded. Once they have what they want, they’re not going to let it go, and they’re not interested in looking elsewhere. I don’t know if they’re consciously thinking about “forever,” but they’re content with what they have. 

Gale expresses on multiple occasions a desire to bring his partner into his life, talks about how they’d be together at home… yeah. Yeah 

What scares them about entering a relationship?

Kaine is afraid that they won’t be enough - that Gale will one day realize they’re not what they’re supposed to be. Gale is afraid of failing them the way he (thinks he) failed Mystra. 

What fears, past traumas, etc. would be hardest for them to talk about with their partner?

Kaine struggles to talk about the emotional neglect they experienced growing up, mostly because they almost refuse to recognize it. Their parents love them and care for them, so much, everything they did was to protect them. That doesn’t change the fact that they grew up disconnected from their personhood and as such have an extremely warped view of what their existence means. It just takes a while to get to the bottom of it (and for them to quite literally die for a few minutes)

How much independence do they prefer in a relationship—do they want to share their lives as much as possible with their partner, or do they prefer to mostly do their own thing and let their partner do their own thing?

I think Gale is more independent than Kaine is. He’s well in his prime and spent over a year self-isolating before the events of the game - once they’re able to settle down again, he has no issue spending time alone, or allowing Kaine to, but Kaine is constantly asking him where he’s going, what his plans are, when he’s gonna be home, so on - not in a controlling way, just a nosy, possessive one. This is changed a lot when they go back to Valais because there’s less cause for them to actually be apart by then. 

What is their go-to for making a partner feel loved?

For Kaine, it’s attention. They love attention, so they give attention. Physical touch, soft-spoken words, leaving marks on Gale’s skin - they give him bruises and scratches and love bites that he’s going to feel later, so he can’t forget exactly how they feel about him. They listen to him speak, they ask him to help them with things, they humor his ideas - they make sure he knows they’re always there. 

Gale makes Kaine feel seen. They’re a simple creature - they need a compliment, to be told that they’re beautiful, that they’re powerful, that they’re the envy of the Realms, and Gale knows all the right words to use to turn their brain off immediately. 

What, for them, constitutes a level of intimacy that they would only rarely share with someone? This can be physical, emotional, etc.

Kaine has walls upon walls. They’re perfect, they’re poised, they know what to say and how to say it. They use the allure of their body as a defense mechanism, to avert attention from whatever manipulation they’re trying to achieve with their words. it takes a while, but eventually, they let their walls down, and when they let someone see them for who they are, their likes and thoughts and desires, it’s easy to see how much you really don’t know them unless they let you. 

If they had the ability to just spend free time with their partner, what would they do? Would they go out or stay inside?

Kaine is an extrovert they want to go on DATES they want to drag Gale to fancy events and be beautiful and untouchable and glittery. They want to explore the streets of their city with him and share their culture with him. They want to see everything there is to see by his side.

Gale, I think, needs a healthy balance. He pulls Kaine in a bit - I think he prefers to be at home, with them in the same room, reading to them or watching them sleep or listening to music together. 

Are they okay with public displays of affection? Do they like them?

It’s all very situational. Gale is a self-described gentleman, and likely has certain standards when it comes to public affection. Kaine grew up learning imperial etiquette, and can pretend not to even know someone if they need to. That said, they do like to hold onto him, to make sure everyone knows they’re his - when it’s safe, of course. Every once in a while Kaine gets a little handsy and Gale probably has to remind them to be normal, but they’re generally pretty cognizant of the situation. They’re also afforded a bit more freedom when they’re married in Valais - the imperators being married isn’t exactly a secret, even if their public affection at that point needs to be a bit more rehearsed. 

When would they say “I love you?” Do they say it first? Do they say it often, or is it reserved for special moments?

Gale says it first. Kaine struggles with saying it aloud, but they do, a few times, when they’re in a situation where they feel like it’s the only thing they can say. Gale says it often, even more so the longer they’re together, and I think Kaine eventually relaxes into it, but still only says it when they’re alone. 

If sex is something that would be part of a relationship for them, do both or either of them have prior experiences? If not, how do they feel about it?

They have about equal amounts of experience, I think, discounting Gale’s relationship with Mystra. Kaine had a bit of a hot girl summer(s) in the few years leading up to the events of the game, and I think they both know enough about themselves to communicate about it well. 

What does sex mean for them? Socially, religiously, what attitudes are they bringing with them? Is “virginity” something they care about? Do they want sexual experiences to occur within a certain “level” of relationship, or does that not really matter so much to them? How comfortable are they talking about, and openly communicating during, sex?

Combining these ones just to talk about their sex life at length ~ Kaine wants sex and they know exactly how, where, when, and how often, which is honestly fairly often. Gale is nothing if not determined, of course, but he definitely has a bit of a more chaste attitude when it comes to sex. Culturally, Kaine comes from a place that doesn’t put a lot of pressure on sex and sexuality, whereas Gale sees it as something important, a big step for their relationship. Kaine recognizes this and does everything they can to make him feel comfortable and understood, but it doesn’t stop them from unraveling him in every way they know how. 

One of Kaine’s favorite things is to tell Gale what they want to do to him, with him, for him - I think verbal communication is a major aspect of their sex life. Before, during, after, all of it. Gale loves for Kaine to tell him what to do, how to please them, to tell him he’s so good at it, and Kaine wants to hear exactly how they’re affecting him, so on and so forth. You get it.

What would their partner do that would really turn them on, perhaps unintentionally?

To kind of go with the last one, Kaine is so turned on by Gale’s words - he’s an orator, he’s a poet, he knows how to string the right words together in the right order to get under their skin, and he does it well, even when he doesn’t mean to. His voice is a big turn on for them, too, whether he speaks low and soft or he’s commanding spells into existence or just commenting on the weather. Really, they love knowing exactly how skilled he is with his mouth. 

Kaine spends a lot of time actively trying to turn Gale on. They’re pretty successful at it, too - they know what they look like, and they learn quickly how to get to him. Unknowingly, though, it’s displays of their power that get to him. We know he’s turned on by danger, by seeing them in combat, and Kaine is a formidable mage, it’s true. They’re a storm incarnate, and their magic is palpable, and electricity can do a lot to someone’s body.

More than that, though, is when Kaine is powerful. When their 22 charisma kicks in and they’re talking their way into a locked room, or they’re sneering down at an enemy that’s surrendered, telling them to beg for mercy, or they’re putting on their imperator voice and demanding answers from someone. It puts him in his place even when it’s not directed at him. 

Kaine wants to be in control - they want to use Gale. His power and confidence gets them going, and they want to channel it into something that will work for them. That’s not to say Kaine is entirely ignorant of Gale’s pleasure; rather, I think they know exactly what to do to him to make it work for them both. 

Something that is also exemplified in canon is that Gale 1. has group sex fantasies about his partner and 2. likes to watch. His mirror images get a lot of use. Gale’s sexual fantasies are such that Kaine picks up on them, and they become a master of subtle looks and innuendos throughout the day that have him ready to do whatever they say once they’re finally alone.

They accidentally hurt or upset their partner. What happened? How do they respond? What do they do to make their partner feel better? (and) They have an argument with their partner—what is it about? Do things stay respectful, or is there some shouting and accusing going on? (and) They have to apologize to their partner. Is this difficult for them? How do they approach it?

all the answers you seek lie within kainefic <3 

To get a little abstract, Kaine doesn’t know how to apologize. They’re selfish and vain and they don’t think they’re wrong. They feel regret over hurting Gale, especially accidentally, and they’ll try to make it better, but it takes a lot to make them apologize and mean it. Kaine also doesn’t think that Gale has anything to apologize for, like…..ever.

When they fight, Kaine lashes out. It’s all they know how to do - they can’t cope with feeling like they’ve fucked up, so they instigate and antagonize and make it worse until something clicks and they have to move on - and then they can try to make amends.

Without giving too much away about the postgame kainefic in the works, when Kaine truly feels that they’ve hurt Gale too much, they would rather see him leave than even attempt to apologize. He shouldn’t forgive them, not after what they did to him - but he does, and they have to find a way to move on. 

How do they feel about the prospect of parenthood? Do they plan on it? 

Gale says he doesn’t see himself as a father, but I think he’d do just fine, and I think he would enjoy it, truly. Kaine’s bloodline is important to them, and despite their general air of selfishness and disregard for responsibility, once they’re coronated and they settle into their role as imperatore, they want a family. 

What compromises are they making in their relationship?

read kainefic Later on down the line, Gale is compromising his life in Waterdeep - he can bring everything with him that he wants, and Kaine will make him as comfortable as he can be, and the Dawn Palace is a beautiful place, but he’s giving up a lot to move to Valais and build a new life. 

What completely petty topic (music taste, favorite food) do they find themselves completely at odds with their partner about?

Kaine’s traditional style of dress involves more exposed skin than is covered, an insane amount of jewelry for the express purpose of the sound it makes, and a complete lack of shoes - and Kaine stubbornly sticks to this as vehemently as they’re able to, no matter where they are or what they’re doing or how much actual danger to their health it causes. It drives Gale crazy. Kaine insists he just needs to get used to having his tits out. 

How do their friends react to finding out they’re a couple? Do they have lots of mutual friends? Did their friends know, perhaps before they themselves did?

It’s painfully obvious that they want each other, it’s a bit of a “gods, it’s about time” moment for most of them. Once they are together, they’re a constant source of sickening couple momence that the rest of the group is subjected to lmaoooo

Under what circumstances would they feel jealous? Under what circumstances would they feel protective?

Kaine isn’t …… jealous, per se, but they are possessive. Halsin would call them territorial. Gale is theirs, and they are going to make sure it’s known. They decorate him in their colors, in their jewelry, and with the marks of their love. There’s simply no competition. 

I don’t think either of them feel the need to protect the other. Gale feels something like protectiveness for a while after the events of kainefic, but, of course, that’s a surprise tool that’ll help us later. 

Would they get a pet? What kind? Who brings up the idea, and who takes a little longer to convince?

In another life, Kaine is a dog person, and grew up with a fantasy doberman. Gale, of course, loves cats, and Kaine would let him have as many as he wanted. They love animals, they connect with them easily, and they probably end up with quite a few. 

[thesinglesjukebox]

CALVIN HARRIS X RAG'N'BONE MAN - "LOVERS IN A PAST LIFE"

So 2000 and late...

[4.07]

Wayne Weizhen Zhang: [A deep][trance][scorcher] about [old love] by [Calvin Harris] & [Rag'n'Bone Man][!] [6]

Will Adams: Disappointment! After last year's fantastic duo of singles that breathed life into the trance revival, Calvin Harris slips back into Euro-filler, where the only notable features are a marble-mouthed vocalist and a way-too-loud guitar riff. [4]

TA Inskeep: Calvin Harris, ever the musical unoriginalist, sounds as if he's interpolating the likes of Darude here -- because if there's anything Harris knows, it's what's hot in dance/pop at this moment, and right now that's retro '90s dance and trance-pop. The oontz-oontz is pleasant enough, and Rag'n'Bone Man's overdone vocal "ache" fits it well. Neither terrible nor great, just as one would expect. [4]

Alfred Soto: It has the anonymity of a dozen Eurohouse tracks that Miami played around the clock 30 years ago: I can hear Real McCoy's "Another Night" in its verses. What I didn't expect was a guitar solo with "My Sweet Lord" in its rear view. [5]

Hannah Jocelyn: Why did Calvin Harris stick a rag (possibly also a bone) in his vocalist's mouth before recording? The guitar sounds more human than he does! [3]

Nortey Dowuona: Rag'n'Bone Man's lush and rough voice works for EDM since it's just smooth enough not to clash with drum programming. It feels light, excitable and lively when freed of the obligation to imitate R&B and blues -- both genres he clearly wishes to be a part of, yet lacks the finesse or power to. Here, he lives out his fantasies of being Teddy Pendergrass. His voice is too raspy and phlegmy to hold during the verses, but once the pre-chorus synths take hold, he soars, ebullient and lithe as the guitar line over the slimmed-down 1986 pop drums. By the end, he is absent because he's served his purpose. [4]

Dave Moore: The vocals set my teeth on edge: wannabe journeyman pap, like Blues Traveler with all the wrinkles ironed out. I might have found the wallpaper pop-house backing from Harris to be a reprieve, but instead it's just a tepid bath for Rag'n'Bone Man to soak in. You couldn't get me in an unplugged hot tub with either of these guys. [3]

Brad Shoup: On "Giant," Harris redirected Rag'n'Bone Man's gale-force soul through the doors of the Wigan Casino. There was also a hint of boogie, which "Lovers in a Past Life" broadens. I love how this is hectic but not urgent: wrapping itself around the bullcrap until it's drilled a hole in the floor. When Harris drops the twangy hook, it's three docks before Balearic: lovely and gauche, like a restaurant's wall-length photo transfer of a sunset. [7]

Katherine St. Asaph: "Miracle" : Y2K :: "Lovers in a Past Life" : the Y2K club that probably exists in deleted footage from The Beast. (To be fair to this song, I would be more OK with being Rag'n'Bone Man's lover in a past life than that of the guy from The Beast.) [3]

Taylor Alatorre: Just as I was readying a wisecrack about the repackaging of Eastern spiritualism to suit Western categories of romance, I take another listen and realize the song isn't even that: "we were lovers in a past life, for all we know." How do you take a title that hints at reincarnation and cosmically linked fates, and reduce it to a shouted pick-up line at the club? Analyzing EDM lyrics is the province of fools and YouTube essayists, but Rag'n'Bone Man is credited as a co-lead, and his voice is launched at us in the first second, ironically while slurring the word "patience." If there ever were a stage name that implied a commitment to the bit, you'd think it would be "Rag'n'Bone Man," but here he is unwilling to give full expression to the fantasy contained in the premise. His misaimed realism leaves us with little to chew on but Calvin Harris' ongoing Eurodance fixation, which is more subdued and weary-sounding here than it was on "Miracle." That one was turn-of-the-century nostalgia in the service of untrammeled exuberance; this is just another day in the Logic Pro mines. [4]

Ian Mathers: So anodyne and pro forma that I've played it about 5x more than the other songs today because I keep forgetting what it sounds like. Would not care (or even notice?) if it was playing on the radio or whatever, and cannot even vaguely imagine getting it stuck in my head, let alone seeking it out. [4]

Jacob Sujin Kuppermann: Something about this (maybe Andrew Watt's slide guitar solo?) makes me feel actually literally ill. If I heard this in the club I think I would die on the spot. [0]

Isabel Cole: Rag’n’Bone Man does a good job at something I’m not particularly into (soulful warbling), and Calvin Harris does an adequate job at something I’m easily suckered by (a perfectly passable beat occasionally punctuated by, e.g., swooshy laser noises or handclaps), so I guess this is… fine? [6]

Daniel Monteshenko: Rag'n'Bone Man has a powerful bleat that's all grit, and I've never believed a single lyric he's yowled. The streak continues here. "We were lovers in a past life," he pushes on the chorus, but there's no history, no mangled emotion, no wide-eyed wonder of what romance brings. They're just things he's saying. Calvin Harris is 6'5" and cruising through life. [4]

[Read, comment and vote on The Singles Jukebox]

[papermoonloveslucy]

TOAST OF THE TOWN

“MGM’s 30th Anniversary Tribute” (S7;E23) ~ February 14, 1954

Directed by Robert Bleyer and John Moffitt

Ed Sullivan (Host) was a preeminent television variety show host who is best remembered for hosting his own show, at first titled “Toast of the Town” but later simply known as “The Ed Sullivan Show,” which became a staple of Sunday night viewing for millions of Americans from 1948 to 1971. As such, his name was often mentioned on “I Love Lucy” and Lucille Ball’s subsequent sitcoms. He introduced America to such entertainers as Elvis Presley, The Beatles, and The Supremes. Sullivan entered icon status when he and his television show were worked into the plot of the Broadway musical Bye Bye Birdie in 1960. The musical includes the song “Hymn for a Sunday Evening” which has a chorus that repeats Sullivan’s name in a choir-like harmony. Hope made an appearance in the 1964 film version. The theatre on Broadway in New York City where Sullivan did his weekly show was named after him in 1967. He died in 1974.

Dore Schary (Himself) was born Isadore Schary in Newark, New Jersey, in 1905. After working on Broadway he went to Hollywood were he eventually became head of MGM in 1948, ousting its founder Louis B. Mayer. He would helm the studio until 1956 and was in charge during Lucy and Desi’s filming of The Long, Long Trailer and Forever, Darling. In 1955 he was supposed to play himself on “I Love Lucy,” but backed out at the last moment and he was played by Phil Ober (Vivian Vance's husband) instead.  

The MGM Stars

Lucille Ball (Herself / Tacy Collini from The Long, Long Trailer) was born on August 6, 1911 in Jamestown, New York. She began her screen career in 1933 and was known in Hollywood as ‘Queen of the B’s’ due to her many appearances in ‘B’ movies. With Richard Denning, she starred in a radio program titled “My Favorite Husband” which eventually led to the creation of “I Love Lucy,” a television situation comedy in which she co-starred with her real-life husband, Latin bandleader Desi Arnaz. The program was phenomenally successful, allowing the couple to purchase what was once RKO Studios, re-naming it Desilu. When the show ended in 1960 (in an hour-long format known as “The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour”) so did Lucy and Desi’s marriage. In 1962, hoping to keep Desilu financially solvent, Lucy returned to the sitcom format with “The Lucy Show,” which lasted six seasons. She followed that with a similar sitcom “Here’s Lucy” co-starring with her real-life children, Lucie and Desi Jr., as well as Gale Gordon, who had joined the cast of “The Lucy Show” during season two. Before her death in 1989, Lucy made one more attempt at a sitcom with “Life With Lucy,” also with Gordon, which was not a success and was canceled after just 13 episodes.

Desi Arnaz (Himself / Nick Collini from The Long, Long Trailer) was born in Cuba in 1917 and immigrated to America as a youngster. He was a musician who married Lucille Ball in 1940 after meeting her on the set of 1939’s Too Many Girls, which he had done on stage in New York. In order to keep him ‘off the road’ Ball convinced producers to cast him as her husband in a new television project based on her radio show “My Favorite Husband.” The network was convinced. In 1951, Arnaz and Ball began playing Lucy and Ricky Ricardo, roles they would be identified with for the rest of their lives. The couple had two children together, Lucie and Desi Jr. In 1960, Ball and Arnaz divorced. Desi became a producer, responsible for such hits as “The Mothers-in-Law” (1967-69). He re-married in 1963. Desi Aranz died in 1986, just a few years before Ball.

Lucy and Desi enter to the tune of “The I Love Lucy Theme”.

Fred Astaire (Himself / Tom Bowen from Royal Wedding / Don Hewes from Easter Parade) was one of the most famous performers in Hollywood, known for his dancing, singing, and directing. He did four films with Lucille Ball between 1935 and 1945, three with his dance partner, Ginger Rogers. Astaire received an honorary Oscar in 1950.  He died in 1987 at age 88.

Ann Blyth (Herself / Kathie Ruder from The Student Prince) was nominated for an Oscar for her appearance in 1945's Mildred Pierce. Blyth was equally at home in musicals, a specialty of MGM.  

Cy Charisse (Herself) was born Tula Ellice Finklea in Amarillo, Texas. She was best known as a dancer in the MGM movie musicals of the 1950s. She did two films with Lucille Ball in the mid-1940s. She died in 2008 at age 86.

Van Johnson (Himself) co-starred in Too Many Girls (1940), the film that introduced Lucille Ball to Desi Arnaz. He was also seen with Lucy in the films Easy to Wed (1946) and the recently released Yours, Mine and Ours in 1968. He played himself on one of the most popular episodes of “I Love Lucy,” “The Dancing Star” (ILL S4;E27) as well as an episode of “The Lucy Show.” He starred in The Romance of Rosy Ridge (1947) and the 1954 film The Caine Mutiny. He died in 2008 at age 92.

Howard Keel (Himself / Adam from Seven Brides for Seven Brothers / Frank Butler from Annie Get Your Gun) was discovered by Oscar Hammerstein II during auditions for John Raitt’s replacement in Broadway’s Carousel in 1946. After that, he also went on to play Curly in Oklahoma! He is probably best remembered for his role in MGM’s Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954), a film that was mentioned on “I Love Lucy.” On TV he played Clayton Farlow on “Dallas” (1981-91). His only acting appearance with Lucille Ball was on a 1969 episode of “Here's Lucy.” Keel died in 2004.

Gene Kelly (Himself / Don Lockwood from Singin' in the Rain) was an Oscar-winning performer who did four films with Lucille Ball between 1943 and 1967. In 1978 Lucille Ball was seen on the TV tribute special “Gene Kelly: An American in Pasadena.” In 1980, Kelly turned up on “Lucy Moves To NBC.”  A Hollywood legend for his effortless dancing, Kelly died in 1996 at age 83.

Ann Miller (Herself) was a performer best known for her singing and tap dancing in movie musicals, as well as her shapely legs.  It is said that she was discovered by Lucille Ball while doing a show at a nightclub in San Francisco. She subsequently did four films with Lucille Ball, including Too Many Girls (1940), the film that introduced Lucy to Desi Arnaz. Miller died in 2004 at age 80.

Walter Pidgeon (Himself / Frederick Alderson from Executive Suite) was a Canadian-born actor who was nominated for two Oscars in 1942 and 1943. He died in 1984 at age 87.

Jane Powell (Herself / Ellen Bowen from Royal Wedding) was best known for her role as Milly in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954). After 1957, her film roles disappeared and Powell began performing on stage.  

Debbie Reynolds (Herself) was nominated for an Oscar for playing The Unsinkable Molly Brown in 1964. Her first big hit was playing Kathy Selden in MGM's Singin' in the Rain in 1952. She died in 2016 at age 86.

Lana Turner (Herself) was one of Hollywood's most popular actresses and also a favorite of Fred Mertz. She was best known for her femme fatale roles. She was nominated for an Oscar in 1957 for Peyton Place. Turner was seen with Lucille Ball in Du Barry Was A Lady (1943). She died in 1995 at age 74.

Esther Williams (Herself / Eve Barrett from Neptune's Daughter) was an actress best known for her aquatic roles. Lucille Ball starred with Williams in Easy to Wed (1946) and Ziegfeld Follies (1945). Williams was mentioned on “I Love Lucy” in 1955.  

Also Appearing

Lionel Barrymore (Himself) was the patriarch of the Barrymore acting family of stage and screen. His most famous role was that of the nefarious banker Mr. Potter in It's A Wonderful Life (1946). Barrymore had difficulty walking later in life, which accounts for the fact that he does not enter with the other MGM stars in the opening number, and why he is discovered sitting in the screening room after the first clips segment.

Edmund Purdom (Prince Karl from The Student Prince) was an English-born actor who also appeared in MGM's Julius Caesar. Purdom holds the distinction of being the only personality to have their hand/footprints removed from the forecourt of Grauman's Chinese Theater because industry insiders felt the honor was too soon, having only done three credited films.  He spent his later life in Italy and died there in 2009.

Johnny Green (Himself, Conductor) was a composer and MGM's General Musical Director. He conducts the orchestra for the program.  

Julia Meade (Herself, Mercury Spokeswoman) became a household name showing off dream cars of the '50s like Lincoln and Mercury bedecked in evening dresses and strings of pearls, while describing the cars with perfectly manicured hands running up and down the upholstery. She died in 2016 at age 90.

ANNIVERSARY TRIVIA

To mark their 30th anniversary, MGM also had a ten-minute orchestral overture produced for symphony orchestra comprised of themes from eleven of their great musicals. Johnny Green conducted the overture, which was filmed in Cinemascope and in color to run along with their motion pictures in cinemas. 

MGM also issued a record album consisting of excerpts from the soundtracks of many of their musicals.  

MGM also hosted a press event with a small number of their stars which turned up on newsreels nationwide. Louis B. Mayer and Dore Schary shook hands in front of a large cake. 

TOAST OF THE TOWN 

After Ed Sullivan makes some welcoming remarks, the opening number introduces the celebrities, who get out of a white limousine and walk the red carpet, greeted by fans who shout their name and the cameras of the press. These celebrities included Lucy and Desi, who are the only couple introduced and the only ones only introduced by just their first names.  

Sullivan introduces MGM studio executive Dore Schary, who invites him to his private screening room. This is actually just an adjacent set on the soundstage. 

One year later, Schary was to play himself on an episode of “I Love Lucy,” but withdrew at the last moment. The role was taken by Vivian Vance's husband, Phil Ober. Some said that Schary was reluctant to do television as it was supplanting MGM's film attendance, but Schary's official reason was illness. Because Ricky Ricardo (like the Arnazes) would work for MGM, it made sense to mention Schary's name early in the Hollywood episodes. Lucy's forgetful mother, Mrs. McGillicuddy (Kathryn Card), often said “Who's Dore Schary?”  

In the screening room, Sullivan and Schary engage in some friendly banter (obviously read off teleprompters) in which Schary gets in a plug for MGM's upcoming film Julius Caesar directed by Joseph Mankewicz. Sullivan introduces a retrospect of MGM's first three decades, which includes a title card, and a film clip for the following movies:

THE BIG PARADE (1924) starring John Gilbert and Rene Adoree

BEN HUR (1925) starring Ramon Novarro and Francis X. Bushman

MIN AND BILL (1930) starring Wallace Beery and Marie Dressler

DINNER AT EIGHT (1933) starring Marie Dressler and Jean Harlow

MUTINY ON THE BOUNTY (1935) starring Charles Laughton and Clark Gable

SAN FRANCISCO (1936) starring Clark Gable and Jeanette MacDonald

BOYS TOWN (1938) starring Mickey Rooney and Spencer Tracy

GRAND HOTEL (1932) starring Greta Garbo and John Barrymore

A NIGHT AT THE OPERA (1935) starring Groucho Marx and Margaret Dumont

THE PHILADELPHIA STORY (1940) starring Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant

GONE WITH THE WIND (1939) staring Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh

Sullivan adds that Gone With The Wind will be re-released in 1954. He mentions a few films that were not included in the clips: Mrs. Miniver, The Yearling, Battleground, Ivanhoe, Mogambo, Quo Vadis and Knights of the Roundtable.

Noticeable by its absence is The Wizard of Oz (1939) which (a lot like Lucille Ball herself) was only considered a classic after being seen repeatedly on television. The musical fantasy film was not aired on TV until 1956, two years after this program.  

When the tribute is over, Sullivan and Schary are joined in the screening room by Lionel Barrymore, the patriarch of the fabled Drew / Barrymore acting dynasty. Barrymore introduces a young singer named Debbie Reynolds, who, dressed in overalls in a backstage setting, performs a number called “Applause, Applause” which she sang in the 1953 MGM musical Give A Girl A Break.

Blooper Alert! After the number, when Sullivan and Schary are seen in front of the curtain, the audio cuts out and only slowly returns during their conversation.

Sullivan and Schary do a live promo for their sponsor, Mercury automobiles. Schary says that Mercury cars were prominently featured in their new film The Long, Long Trailer and screens a montage of clips from the Vincente Minnelli film. Although most of the clips are of the car (which towed the title trailer), there is one classic clip of Lucy trying to make dinner in the moving trailer and one of Desi singing – both stars doing what they did best. The film premiered four days after this program aired.

After the clips, Sullivan is standing in front of a brand new 1954 Mercury which contains Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz in the front seat. (The car in the film was a 1953 model.)  Sullivan reminds the audience that he gave Lucy and Desi the Emmy Award for “I Love Lucy” sponsored by Philip Morris. Desi has a couple of lines; Lucille merely laughs.  

Blooper Alert: During the Mercury spot, Sullivan is looking into the wrong camera.  

Hearing orchestral music, Sullivan approaches Dore Schary who introduces Edmund Purdom and Ann Blyth doing a live scene from their upcoming film The Student Prince, which will be released in June 1954. Because Purdom's singing voice was dubbed by Mario Lanza in the finished film, he does not sing, although Blyth performs “Deep in My Heart, Dear.”  

Back in the screening room, Sullivan and Schary promote Ann Blyth's appearance in the upcoming MGM film Rosemarie. Schary presents a promo for the new film Executive Suite, which features William Holden, June Allyson, Barbara Stanwyck, Frederic March, Walter Pidgeon, Shelley Winters, Paul Douglas, Dean Jagger, and Nina Foch.  Douglas, Winters, and Douglas would all guest star in “Lucy” sitcoms.  

Schary introduces Howard Keel from the upcoming MGM musical Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. Stepping into a barn setting, Keel becomes Adam, his character in the film, and along with his six 'brothers' sings “Sobbin' Women.” The film opened in July 1954. In March 1956 it was mentioned on “I Love Lucy.” 

Sullivan introduces the evening's conductor Johnny Green, and Jane Powell, who sings “The Jewel Song” from the opera Faust by Charles Gounod.

Back in the screening room, Schary introduces another round of clips, this time from famous MGM musicals:

ANNIE GET YOUR GUN (1950) starring Betty Hutton, Howard Keel, Keenan Wynn and Louis Calhern singing “There's No Business Like Show Business” by Irving Berlin

NEPTUNE'S DAUGHTER (1949) starring Esther Williams and Ricardo Montalban singing “Baby, It's Cold Outside” by Frank Loesser

SINGIN' IN THE RAIN (1952) starring Gene Kelly singing “Singin' in the Rain” by Nacio Herb Brown and Arthur Freed

ROYAL WEDDING (1951) starring Fred Astaire and Jane Powell singing “How Could You Believe Me When I Said I Loved You When You Know I've Been A Liar All My Life” by Burton Lane and Alan J. Lerner

BECAUSE YOU'RE MINE (1952) starring Mario Lanza and Doretta Morrow singing “Because You're Mine” by Nicholas Brodzsky and Sammy Cahn

EASTER PARADE (1948) starring Judy Garland and Fred Astaire singing “Easter Parade” by Irving Berlin

Back in the screening room, Ed Sullivan informs the audience that the show is coming from the brand new CBS Television City in Hollywood.  Julia Meade shows the model of Television City.  This is the same model shown by Jack Benny on “Stars in the Eye” the show that celebrated the new studio in 1952.  It also featured Lucy and Desi.  Meade turns this segment into a live commercial for Mercury.  

Dore Schary introduces Lana Turner (backed up by Nick Anderson, John Erickson, Steve Forest, Edmond Purdom) who perform “A Great Lady Has an Interview,” by Roger Edens and Kay Thompson, a song sequence originally performed by Judy Garland in Ziegfeld Follies, a 1946 film that also starred Lucille Ball.  

Surrounded by the MGM stars, Sullivan and Schary say goodnight.

On This Date in Lucy History ~ February 14

"Don Juan and the Starlets" (ILL S4;E18) ~ February 14, 1955

“Lucy Dates Dean Martin” (TLS S4;E21) ~ February 14, 1966