Reviews (3)

Wrapping candy, fake nose on fire, having a baby and more!
This second volume in the "Best of 'I Love Lucy'" collection begins with two of the show's classic comedy moments. "Job Switching" (Episode #36, September 15, 1952), is the classic episode of "I Love Lucy" that I always show to my television classes so they know what a classic sit com looks like. Ricky is tired of the way Lucy spends money without regard for where it comes from, so the boys and girls switch places: Lucy and Ethel will get jobs and Ricky and Fred will do the household chores. One of the greatest moments in television history comes when Lucy and Ethel have to work a conveyor belt in a candy factory. Elvia Allman is the supervisor ("Let 'er roll!") and Amanda Milligan, an actual candy dipper at the Farmer's Market in Hollywood is, uh, the candy dipper. Meanwhile, Ricky is ironing stockings and making rice while Fred bakes a cake. "L.A. at Last" (Episode #114, February 7, 1955) finds Lucy and the Mertzes heading for the famous Brown Derby restaurant while Ricky heads to the movie studio to begin working on "Don Juan." Here is where Lucy has her legendary encounter with William Holden in the booth behind her. Tired of being gawked at while trying to eat, Holden decides to stare at Lucy instead, making her so nervous she end up setting her false nose on fire. To set the record straight: Lucy getting her nose on fire WAS in the script, but her decision to dunk her nose into the coffee was an AD-LIB (she was supposed to take the nose off before dunking it).

But Lucy could make you cry as well as laugh. "Lucy is Enciente" (Episode #45, December 8, 1952) finds Lucy feeling run down and visiting the doctor, who tells her that she is going to have a baby. Having dreamed of this moment for over a decade of marriage, Lucy wants the moment to be absolutely perfect when she tells Ricky so Ricky is passed a note that there is a woman in the audience who wants to tell her husband that they are expecting and wants Ricky to sing "Rock A Bye Baby." Ironically, when Lucy and Desi were filming the climax, they got caught up in their own emotions when th and both started crying. The scene was considered ruined until it was screened and they discovered it was impossible not to cry watching the happy couple. This final scene is one of the most beautiful moments in television history. Just thinking about it gets you choked up.

"The Ballet" (Episode #19, February 18, 1952) is one of the better episodes where Lucy tries to get into show business. Ricky has an opening for a ballet singer and a burlesque comic in his show. So, of course, Lucy tries out for both parts. Finally, there is my favorite Ethel episode, "Ethel's Hometown" (Episode #112, January 31, 1955). On their way to Hollywood the Ricardos and Mertzes stop in Ethel's hometown of Albuquerque, where they discover that everyone things that the former Ethel Mae Potter is the big celebrity. As Ethel performs her famous number "Short'nin' Bread," the other three upstage her behind her back. For some reason, living outside Albuquerque when I first saw this one just added to the enjoyment. Go figure. Get both of the volumes in the "Best of 'I Love Lucy'" collection and you will have what most everybody agrees are the four funniest moments in Lucy history PLUS the biggest tear jerker!

All "I Love Lucy" episodes celebrate 50th Anniversary.
In this decade, every episode of "I Love Lucy" will be celebrating its 50th Anniversary. Every episode is still funny as funny as it was when they first aired. The shows are good. The shows are wholesome. They are healing and warm and will make you feel good. Buy them on VHS or DVD today.

Ethel May Potter- We Never Forgot 'Er!
This is a great video that showcases the genius of Lucille Ball in her first television series, "I Love Lucy (CBS, 1951-1957)!

The first episode "Job Switching" is a classic. The men and women change places, with Ricky & Fred being the homemakers, and Lucy & Ethel getting a job. This episode is famous for the scene in which Lucy stuffs her face with chocolates.

Another episode on this volume, "LA at Last" is also a classic. In this episode, Lucy meets William Holden at a famous restaurant in less-then-favorable conditions. Ricky later brings him home, and hilarity ensures. Lucy even sets her (plastic) nose on fire!

"The Ballet" and "Lucy is Enceintre" also two great episodes.

Last, but certainaly not least, is "Ethel's Hometown". The gang, on their way to LA, stops at Ethel's hometown (Also Vivivan Vances) of Alberque (I know I mispelled that :D). Her father and the town are in an uproar of happiness over seeing her, since they believe she is going to be in a movie, when in reality it's Ricky. The gang takes great measures to humiliate Ethel, and hilarity ensues! So remember, "Ethel May Potter-We Never Forgot 'Er!") ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Vitameatavegamin, Grape Stomping, Harpo Marx and more!
Volume 1 of the "Best of 'I Love Lucy'" starts off with the classic "Lucy Does a TV Commercial" (Episode #30, May 5, 1952), Ricky is set to host a TV variety show and Lucy wants to do a live commercial for (all together now) Vitameatavegamin. Although she fails to win Ricky's support after staging a mock show inside their television set, Lucy arranges to get the gig anyhow. She starts off great, but the problem is that Vitameatavegamin contains 23% alcohol and with each rehearsal Lucy gets progressively drunker and funnier. Lucille Ball considered this the best bit, and one of the hardest, she ever did. Next we have the wonderful grape vat scene from "Lucy's Italian Movie" (Episode #150, April 16, 1956). The Ricardos are in Europe when an Italian movie producer tells Lucy that he wants her in his new film, "Grapola Pungente." Finding out the title translates as "bitter grapes," Lucy takes this literally and heads for the nearest vineyard where she has a memorable encounter with Teresa Tirelli stomping grapes in a vat. So right off the start, you have TWO of the THREE funniest Lucy routines (and the Candy Factory sketch is on Volume 2)!

The other three episodes might not all be classics, but they are still very, very funny. "Lucy Does the Tango" (Episode #173, March 11, 1957), finds the Ricardos and Mertzes investing in 200 laying hens. All you need to do is hear the situation and you know that Lucy is going to end up with end up with egg on her face. Okay, egg on everything. In "The Freezer" (Episode #29, April 28, 1952), Lucy and Ethel buy a new walk-in freezer. But when they grossly overestimate its capacity, they are suddenly in the meat business. Of course, as soon as you see that walk-in freezer you know Lucy is going to get locked in it. Finally, we have Lucy's legendary encounter with "Harpo Marx" (Episode #125, May 9, 1955), which showcases Lucille Ball's physical comedy in a great scene with the beloved silent Marx Brother. The mirror sequence between the two was apparently a pain to shoot (and reshoot), but worth the effort just to see the two famous "redheads" go at it.

All "I Love Lucy" episodes celebrate 50th Anniversary.
In this decade, every episode of "I Love Lucy" will be celebrating its 50th Anniversary. Every episode is still funny as funny as it was when they first aired. The shows are good. The shows are wholesome. They are healing and warm and will make you feel good. Buy them on VHS and DVD today.

Best of Lucy Volume 1
This tape is a great with 5 of the top 10 episodes.

In Lucy Does a Commercial, laugh your self silly as Lucy asks if you "pop out at parties" and "are unpoopular".

In Lucy's Italian Movie, see Lucy soak up the local "blue" color.

In Lucy Does the Tango, The chicken business gets the best of the fantastic foursome. Wait until the finih of the dance.

In The Freezer, learn how big 2 sides of beef really is and see Lucy the Ice Queen.

In Harpo Marx see the talents of lots of stars drop by to visit Lucy and Ethal's friend Caroline while Lucy does "other things".Then see the real Harpo Marx and "Lucy Marx" mirror each other.

lucy
i personally have not seen the video yet. with the 50th anniversary of the show and all and because lucille ball was a wounderfull actress and she did it so beautifley. so if this is dedicated to the women of comedy. it will be the best video yet. Lucy would have enjoyed it so why dont you? ... Read more

Amazon.com

Director Blake Edwards, fresh from the success of the first two Pink Panther movies, indulged his love of classic slapstick comedy with this long free-for-all, which throws in everything but Laurel and Hardy's kitchen sink. The film reunites Some Like It Hot stars Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon, ably aided by a spunky Natalie Wood. The subject is a New-York-to-Paris auto race in the early years of the 20th century, pitting the Great Leslie (Curtis), a goody-goody dressed all in white--even his teeth sparkle--against the malevolent Professor Fate (Lemmon), whose coal-black heart is reflected in his handlebar mustache. He looks like a bill collector from a silent- movie melodrama. Lemmon does double duty, also playing the pampered, drunken king of a small European country, whose laugh sounds like the wail of a cat in heat. The film may be too long for its own good, and you really have to love Jack Lemmon to put up with his over-the-top performance, but it's side-splitting in spots. It's one of those movies, if seen in childhood, that stays in your mind for years afterward. Some of the bigger routines, such as a pie fight of epic proportions, don't work as well as the simple chemistry between the perpetually exasperated Professor Fate and his much-abused assistant, Max (a terrific Peter Falk). Push the button, Max. --Robert Horton ... Read more

Reviews (97)

Nostalgic Comfort Viewing Perfect for a Family Night
THE GREAT RACE may not be a masterpiece--but it is a perfect choice for a cold and rainy night: stylish, frothy, and often flatly hilarious, it makes for "comfort viewing" at its best.

One of the movie's several charms is that it draws heavily from Victorian cliches that still linger in the public mind, gives them a gentle comic spin, and then drops them into the tale of an early 1900s auto race from New York to Paris by way of Siberia. Add to this a heap of favorite character actors, a big budget, flamboyant period costumes, and the biggest pie fight ever filmed, and you have a movie where there is always something to enjoy on the screen.

The great thing about THE GREAT RACE are the performances, which are very broad but endowed with a sly humor. The comedy accolades here go to Jack Lemmon and Peter Falk as the notorious Dr. Fate and his bumbling sidekick Max--wonderful bits of acting that will have you hooting with laughter in every scene--and Dorothy Provine scores memorably in a cameo as Lily Olay, the bombshell singer who presides over the most rootin'-tootin' saloon this side of the Pecos.

But every one, from Tony Curtis and the lovely Natalie Wood down to such cameo performers as Vivian Vance, get in plenty of comic chops as the film drifts from one outrageous episode to another: suffergettes crowding a newspaper, the biggest western brawl imaginable, polar bears, explosions, daredevil antics, and a subplot lifted from THE PRISONER OF ZENDA agreeably crowd in upon each other. True, the film does seem over-long and may drag a bit in spots, but it never drags for very long, and it's all in good fun--and the production values and memorable score easily tide over the bare spots.

The DVD bonuses aren't anything to write home about, and the film has not been restored per se--the color seems a bit faded here and there--but the print is remarkably clean and the widescreen format is an essential. This would be an excellent selection for a family movie night--or for any evening when you're alone and feeling a bit blue. Break out the popcorn, curl up on you sofa, and... as Dr. Fate would say... "Push the button, Max!"

GFT, Amazon Reviewer

Great Race DVD -It's about time!!!
I have been waiting for this movie to come out on DVD. I've even written to Blake Edwards asking, "What is the hold up?"
Get ready, citizens of Boracho! Finally it's coming out!
Every time I saw Jack Lemmon in interviews I was always curious and disappointed that 'The Great Race' was never mentioned among his favorite films. Of course he made many other wonderful classic movies and I enjoyed his performance in all of them...but 'The Great Race' has been my favorite comedy for a long time. I practically can recite it along with the characters. I enjoyed some of the other reviewer's (here) favorite lines from the movie. They are my favorites too.
If you haven't seen this movie or if you haven't seen it in a long time...do yourself a favor and grab it. The laughs never stop. The casting is perfect...Tony Curtis with Keenan Wynn as his sidekick...Jack Lemmon with Peter Falk as his...Natalie Wood...Ross Martin...Vivian Vance...Larry Storch ("Now will you give me some fightin' room?!")...and many others. It doesn't get any better or funnier than this.
Hurray for the DVD. Believe me, you'll enjoy it.

A Big Ole Moose Butt
A classically structured old time villian vs the good guy film, with the obligatory sidekicks and the beautiful love interest, who will eventually succumb to the charms of The hero. More about that later. OK, the stereotypes are there, but that's what the movie was about. Charging from the gate with the player piano, boos and hiss when the cast boards are shown, the movie brings the viewer up to speed very fast with humor and great slapstick. Following a PR auto race in the early days of the 20th century, the film follows the main characters through the landscape of the US and Europe. Sight gags abound and the scenery is often breathtaking. The plot is easy to floow and it's good fun. For the movie fan who doesn't want to disect a movies' every nuance, this is especially fun and worth seeing time and again. The characters will keep you laughing long after the soundtrack has ended,. I would comment more on the plot, but nearly 100 people already handled that - look, just take a chance on it. It's great fun.

A lot of fun, but not what it should have been.
Epics were in vogue in the Sixties, and even the early Seventies(although I can't really see a hippie watching any of them), and it was only natural that comedies would get the "big" bug. IT'S A MAD, MAD, MAD, MAD WORLD and THE HALLELUJAH TRAIL make up two of the big three. The other is THE GREAT RACE, Blake Edward's 159 minute slapstick excursion, restored on DVD in complete roadshow fashion, with overture, intermission, entr'acte, and exit music. And yet, for a film of this type, it is less about the race than about the rivalry between Professor Fate (Jack Lemmon) and the Great Leslie (Tony Curtis). There is precious little racing, and though the film is far from boring and has much going for it (the finale to Part One is brilliant) one can't help but wonder what it would have been like if the other entries in the race regrouped after being snuffed out and made their mad dashes for the forefront. That would make it THE GREAT RACE. Also, the lack of other challenge leaves a depressing side effect; the film seems mildly unfinished and undernourished, like 2 hours and 40 minutes of a 3 plus hour movie. And yet, the film has so much going for it that to ignore it is rather unfair. What there is (I should note that due to the previously noted flaws, the chapters on the disc make it a more pleasing experience) is very well made, and one can appreciate what they put into it.

If only they put more.

Jamie Teller

DVD version is fullscreen not widescreen
The movie is spectacular. This DVD version is a bomb. Shame on Warner Brothers for their greediness and lack of effort to bring widescreen versions to the masses including updated soundtracks and clean film reels! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Vitameatavegamin, Grape Stomping, Harpo Marx and more!,
Volume 1 of the "Best of 'I Love Lucy'" starts off with the classic "Lucy Does a TV Commercial" (Episode #30, May 5, 1952), Ricky is set to host a TV variety show and Lucy wants to do a live commercial for (all together now) Vitameatavegamin. Although she fails to win Ricky's support after staging a mock show inside their television set, Lucy arranges to get the gig anyhow. She starts off great, but the problem is that Vitameatavegamin contains 23% alcohol and with each rehearsal Lucy gets progressively drunker and funnier. Lucille Ball considered this the best bit, and one of the hardest, she ever did. Next we have the wonderful grape vat scene from "Lucy's Italian Movie" (Episode #150, April 16, 1956). The Ricardos are in Europe when an Italian movie producer tells Lucy that he wants her in his new film, "Grapola Pungente." Finding out the title translates as "bitter grapes," Lucy takes this literally and heads for the nearest vineyard where she has a memorable encounter with Teresa Tirelli stomping grapes in a vat. So right off the start, you have TWO of the THREE funniest Lucy routines (and the Candy Factory sketch from "Job Switching" is on Volume 2).

The other three episodes might not all be classics, but they are still very, very funny. "Lucy Does the Tango" (Episode #173, March 11, 1957), finds the Ricardos and Mertzes investing in 200 laying hens. All you need to do is hear the situation and you know that Lucy is going to end up with end up with egg on her face. Okay, egg on everything. In "The Freezer" (Episode #29, April 28, 1952), Lucy and Ethel buy a new walk-in freezer. But when they grossly overestimate its capacity, they are suddenly in the meat business. Of course, as soon as you see that walk-in freezer you know Lucy is going to get locked in it. Finally, we have Lucy's legendary encounter with "Harpo Marx" (Episode #125, May 9, 1955), which showcases Lucille Ball's physical comedy in a great scene with the beloved silent Marx Brother. The mirror sequence between the two was apparently a pain to shoot (and reshoot), but worth the effort just to see the two famous "redheads" go at it. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Ida Lupino, Howard Duff and the Ricardos share a cabin
"Lucy's Summer Vacation" (Aired June 8, 1959) was the tenth of fourteen hour-long specials that the "I Love Lucy" cast did after abandoning the half-hour situation comedy format. These periodic specials started off trying to take the Ricardos and Mertzes to exotic locales, but eventually they became more about the guest stars. With this one it is Ida Lupino and Howard Duff, playing themselves, who basically take over for the Mertzes for most of the show.

The premise is that the Ricardo's accept an invitation from their friend Harry Bailey to spend the week at his mountain lodge in Vermont. The only problem is that Bailey also invited Lupino and Duff for the same weekend. This sets up an extended sequence in which the two couples take forever to discover they are not the only people at the hunting lodge. Once the truth is discovered Ricky and Howard go off fishing, leaving their wives to have fun cleaning the fish they catch. Instead, Lucy and Ida dress up in their evening dresses (which, it should be pointed out, they brought to a remote mountain lodge in Vermont), and try to get their husbands interested in a romantic evening. When this fails Lucy decides to drill holes in the bottom of the rowboat to keep the boys closer to shore. Of course, that is when the guilt ridden husbands decide to take their wives and their fancy dresses out on the lake for a romantic moonlight boat ride.

Actually the fun part of "Lucy's Summer Vacation" is watching Lupino and Duff do the comedy. I would swear that they were enjoying taking the roles usually played by Fred and Ethel. By the same token, watching Lucy get dressed up to compete with Ida Lupino is a rare treat as well. Again another average special in this series, but that is more than acceptable when talking Lucille Ball.

The Best Episode Of The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour!
A few years ago I watched some episodes of The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour on Nick At Nite or TV Land and I personally think this is the best episode of that show. Lucy wants to go on a vacation without The Mertzes so she can have a romantic getaway with Ricky so when a friend of Ricky's gives them use of his lakeside cabin Lucy is happy that she will get to be alone with Ricky but her plans are interrupted when Ida Lupino and Howard Duff (playing themselves) show up at the cabin, the same friend also said they could use the cabin but forgot to tell everyone, Ida wanted to have a romantic getaway with Howard and when he and Ricky just want to fish all day Lucy and Ida get annoyed and try to get the guys to spend time with them. I really enjoyed this episode and thought Ida Lupino was very good, I have thought about buying this video but I would really rather have it on DVD.

One of the Best Episodes of The Lucy Desi Comedy Hour!
One of the best episode of The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour the show that they made after they took the 30 minute I Love Lucy off the air, I thought it was a very good episode and everyone was great including Ida Lupino and Howard Duff! This episode reminds me of the time when I was a little girl and we spent our vacation in a cabin by a lake. This episode is very good and it is just so under-rated!

Worst thing Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz did
This edition of "The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour" just plain stinks. The Mertzes are written out after the first scene, and don't come back until the very end, removing two enjoyable characters. Lucy and Ricky are given the same cabin as Howard Duff and Ida Lupino, only it takes at least 25 painful minutes of unfunny comedy for each couple to realize this. Ida Lupino is written like an idiot and she should have refused to do this. As a huge fan of "I Love Lucy," this was especially difficult to watch. Most scripts, even the weakest, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz seem to be able to save. For some reason, this one isn't one of them. Poor character development, an unrealistic portrayal of the guest stars, and it really comes out to be a one-joke show anyway. Get this only to complete a collection. This episode just plain stinks.

I THOUGH THIS FILM WAS WONDERFUL!
I think that I would recommend this film to absolutely anyone who feels like laughing. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Classic Lucy and Christmas warmth : a perfect combination
"I Love Lucy" was such a wonderful series and a landmark in television history which has been in a constant state of rerun since it first premiered in the early 1950's. It was such a success because of the superb talents of the four main leads, brilliant writing, and a great care shown for how the stories of the trials and tribulations of the Ricardo's and the Mertz's were presented.

In this video we have a unique installment from the classic series in the one and only Christmas special produced during the shows run and it has been rarely seen since its first and only screening in the 1950's as it wasn't included in the original rerun deal because of its specific Christmas theme. The episode is a warm and funny one with the cast of Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, William Frawley and Vivian Vance working wonderfully together in a story where Fred buys little Ricky a Christmas tree and while decorating it the cast look back at the events leading up to Little Ricky's birth. These flashbacks include some of the most memorable work done by the cast including the hilarious preparations by the gang to get Lucy's trip to the hospital just right and Ricky arriving at the hospital in full voodoo makeup. These wonderful scenes include some of the classic moments of television history and have gone down in Television folklore.

In between these flashbacks we are treated to some wonderfully typical Lucy humour when Lucy decides to "improve" the shape of the Christmas Tree and orders Fred to "just take a little bit of that branch on the left and that other one on the right" until there is nothing of the original tree left! Hilarious stuff and this episode is so special as it then takes on a nice sentimental tone when Christmas day arrives and Little Ricky ends up being visited by five santas with one looking suspiciously like the real thing! The scene ends with an unusual fantasy twist when the "real" Santa just vanishes in front of Lucy ,Ricky, Fred and Ethel in their Santa costumes.

The "I Love Lucy Christmas Special" might not be the best individual episode of the series but it is a funny and heartwarming viewing experience that is essential for every Lucy collection. The cast was a one of a kind and while Lucille Ball is less zany in this installment of the classic series it still is great viewing for the festive season. Join Lucy and the gang to celebrate Christmas the Ricardo way.

All "I Love Lucy" episodes celebrate 50th Anniversary.
In this decade, every episode of "I Love Lucy" will be celebrating its 50th Anniversary. Every episode is still funny as funny as when they first aired. This episode is very special because it has only been shown on the CBS Network twice and is not a part of the syndicated package. The shows are good. The shows are wholesome. They are healing and warm and will make you feel good. Buy them on VHS or DVD today.

Love it, Love it, Love it!!!
Lucille Ball and the cast of "I Love Lucy" are all in this Christmas special. Little Ricky wants Santa to come!! How cute! And it's funny watching all the Santa's show up in the Lucy apartment. A traditonal Lucy Christmas, I bet!

The Ricardos and Mertzes recall the birth of Little Ricky
"The I Love Lucy Christmas Show" (Episode #164 December 24, 1956) aired on Christmas Eve and has the distinction of being the first retrospective episode for a television situation comedy. While trimming the tree the Ricardos and Mertzes think back on the wonderful and wacky events leading up to the birth of Little Ricky. Included are the memorable moments from when Lucy tells Ricky she is pregnant to when she is taken to the hospital. The episode ends on Christmas morning with Little Ricky opening up all his presents and getting a visit from FIVE Santa Clauses (think about it). This episode achieved special status because it was not part of the package when "I Love Lucy" went into syndication because CBS did not think anyone would want to see a Christmas show when it was not Christmas time. After Lucille Ball's death the network finally aired the show twice, the second time in a colorized version.

such a mix of all the classic baby moments
It was so funny. It included the clips that are some of the most classic of all time. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Lucy and Desi take on the legendary Tallulah Bankehad
Originally written for Bette Davis, "The Celebrity Next Door" is infamous for Lucy and Desi's encounter with Tallulah Bankhead OFF screen, but it is also a very funny hour of television comedy. The story has the temperamental actress moving in next door to the Ricardos, so Lucy and Ethel begin spying on her through binoculars. When Tallulah comes over to use the phone, Lucy embarrasses herself and ends up inviting the star to a disastrous dinner where Fred and Ethel pretend to be the butler and maid. Things then get progressively worse, and funnier: Lucy accidentally sprays paint all over Tallulah who then gets Lucy to sit in a painted chair as the war escalates.

"The Celebrity Next Door" is far and way the funniest of the five Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Show specials that constitute the seventh season of the "I Love Lucy" format. The episode is rather infamous because Tallulah Bankhead spent the week either drunk or acting up (or both) throughout rehearsals, terrifying Lucy and Desi, who babied their guest star the entire week and then were stunned when the actress was letter perfect during the taping. Apparently, Bankhead usually did this when she was up against another major actress as she was with the Queen of Comedy. Actually, the funniest woman in this show ended up being Vivian Vance, who steals her scenes as "Ethel Mae" the Ricardos' maid.

THE BEST OF THE LUCY-DESI HOUR SHOWS
This is a very funny hour. Lucy was terribly concerned about Bankhead's performance, as she was "taking nips" during rehearsals.(Bankhead purposely threw her co-stars off during rehearsal rather ingeniously): when the cameras rolled, she was letter perfect and brilliant in her timing and delivery. You can actually sense Lucy is a little nervous and her performance is a bit uneasy. Vivian comes off best as Ethel Mae - she's terrific and she actually looks younger than Lucy does. Desi looks tired and his performance is strained; the Arnaz marriage was really over by this time and there is some evidence of this in the performances - they seem a little tired and forced. Vivian has great chemistry with Bankhead (when she enthusiastically praises Bankhead and her plays), Lucy remarks "Ethel Mae, you are boring Miss Bankhead"! - to which Tallulah retorts "When Miss Bankhead is BORED, Miss Bankhead will let you KNOW!!"

Lucy And Tallulah a perfect match
I watch this video over and over as it is hilarious! Tallulah Bankhead shows remarkable comedy timing as well as a willingness to sacrifice her own dignity for the good of the story. I'm not sure what video the other reviewer was watching but the crucial scene with Ethel serving Tallulah is included in my video. I, too, would be upset if this had been edited. The writing is so superb (usually) that any missing pieces can certainly ruin the comedic payoff at the end.

Wonderful show...bad editing
This is my favorite Lucy-Desi outing, but a very poor editing job ruins it. The whole premise of Lucy's revenge on Tallulah is making her eat strawberry pie...which Tallulah is allergic to. However, the scene that sets this up in the original version (Ethel trying to serve it to Tallulah during a dinner party, only to have it ruined) is cut out from this video. This is also the version they show on Nick-At-Nite, and it is a shame such a hack got his hands on it.

Hilarious!
This is one of the best episodes of the Lucy/Desi Comedy Hour. Tallulah Bankhead is the perfect diva and her rivalry with Lucy is full of the classic comedy that makes you love Lucy. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

The Williams family takes on the Ricardos and Mertzes
Do you remember what television show inherited the "I Love Lucy" timeslot on Monday nights at 9:00 EST? It was "Make Room for Daddy" starring Danny Thomas, who never guest starred on "I Love Lucy" because the two shows were sponsored by rival cigarette commercials (remember, until the Quiz Show scandal television shows had a single sponsor). It was not until December 1, 1958 that Danny Thomas and the rest of the "Make Room for Daddy" cast were worked into the seventh special of "The Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Show" (which was called "The Luci & Desi Show" when these specials were aired on CBS as summer series from 1962-1967). Most of these specials (which aired several times throughout the year) featured the Ricardos and Mertzes at exotic locations, but for this one the fun stays close to home.

Danny Willaims (Thomas) and his wife Kathy (Marjorie Lord) want to give their children Rusty (Rusty Hamer) and Linda (Angela Cartwright), a couple of months enjoying the fresh country air so they rent the Ricardos' Connecticut home while Lucy and Ricky are going to be off in Hollywood making a movie. Of course, when the Williams family arrives they discover that Ricky's picture deal fell through. However, Danny refuses to move out which forces the Ricardos to stay with the Mertzes. This proves to be too much for Lucy, who simply cannot stand the idea that strange people are living in her home doing who knows what. Actually, Lucy has a good idea of what the Williams are doing because she pops in every couple of minutes to check on her plants and whatnot. The episode ends with a snowball fight and a day in court for the six (supposed) adults in front of a judge played by Gale Gordon.

"Make Room for Danny" is a solid hour-long "Lucy" episode which bonus points simply for putting Danny Thomas and Lucille Ball in so many scenes together. Their chemistry is pretty good and you have to wonder if the simple play on the title of Thomas's show inspired the relatively simple premise of this episode. It is certainly enjoyable to see Thomas doing some physical humor as well as going toe-to-toe with Lucy in the comic timing department. Not quite as funny as the second episode in the series with Tallulah Bankhead, but overall much more enjoyable given the presence of Thomas and his television family.

Hilarious! Hilarious! Hilarious!
This is one of the best Lucy-Desi specials ever! There is definantly chemistry between Lucy and Danny. Trouble begins when Ricky loans out the house to Danny for several months, while he is making a movie. All is well, until the movie is canceled. Of course, this leads to many disasters, which could only happen to Lucy. Loads of fun for the whole family! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Mr. Television and Lucy: what more do you need to know?
For the eleventh hour-long special in the "Lucy & Desi" series the "I Love Lucy" cast got Mr. Television himself, Milton Berle. The result is a rare chance to see the two biggest stars of the first decade of network television together. The set up is that Lucy is trying to get Berle to emcee a benefit show for the local PTA, but the big television star does not have time because he has a whole lot of other headaches, including a big deadline for finishing his book. So Lucy offers Berle the use of the Ricardo Connecticut home where he can work on his book without interruption and get it finished on schedule, at which point he will gladly appear before the PTA. Surprisingly enough it is not Lucy who makes this plan go wrong, but Fred who tells Ricky all about the stranger who has been in his house all day while he is gone. Ricky hurries home and Berle tries to escape--wait for it--in drag, dressed up as "Mildred."

However, this does not go well and now Lucy has to come up with some way of persuading Berle to reconsider. This involves her trying to get into Berle's apartment in a New York City high rise. Of course, using the elevator would be too easy, and the Redhead decides to go in through the window using a construction crane. So you get Berle in a dress and Lucy doing physical comedy, which means all is right with the world in terms of the Fifties television icons. The grand finale involves a Western spoof for the PTA show singing the song "Them Thar Days." The two stars are better than their material, but, to be fair, how could they not be? Berle and Ball would work again on "The Lucy Show" (or "Lucy" or "Here's Lucy," or whatever it was called), but "Milton Berle Hides Out at the Ricardos" (Aired September 25, 1959) is much closer to the glory days of these comedy giants. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

~Best Of I Love Lucy Collection 3~
This video comes with 2 tapes. Each tape has 5 memorable episodes from I Love Lucy. The episodes on this collection are:
Bon Yoyage:Lucy, Ricky, Fred, and Ethel are leaving to board a ship when Lucy misses Little Ricky and wants to say one more goodbye to him. So she gets off the ship leaving the others behind and gives Little Ricky one more hug goodbye. Then after that she walks to the ship because its leaving soon but then she gets her skirt caught in a bicycle. So she takes her skirt off and starts for the ship but she cant make it. So she ends up flying on a helicotper to get on the ship to Europe.
Lucy and Ethel Buy The Same Dress:The girls are having their own show on TV for one half hour. So Lucy and Ethel do a sisters duet act and end up buying the same dress for the act. When they said they would take their dresses back; both of them end up not taking them back and end up wearing the same dress at the performance.
Neve Do Business With Friends:When Ricky buys Lucy a new washing machine and dryer the Mertzes buy the Ricardos old washer. But when the washer is brought down to the Mertzes apartment and Ethel starts washing clothes in it the washer starts shooting out wet clothes out of it; now its an arguement between the Mertzes and Ricardos. Neither couple wants the washing machine untill one guy fixes it and is willing to pay $50 for it.
Lucy's Last Birthday:Lucy thinks everybody has forgotten her birthday except Mrs. Trumball. So Lucy is depressed and ends up going for a walk. In the park a group called the "Friends of the Friendless" come walking by her and ask if she would like to join their group. So she does and brings the group to the Tropicana where Ricky is doing his show. And thats where the surprise party was. So Lucy was deeply shocked and Ricky sings her a song for her birthday present.
The Star Upstairs:Lucy finds out that there is a star living right above from her apartment in Hollywood. She sneaks up there to see the star. She doesn't want Cornel Wilde(the star) to see her so she goes on his balcony so he wont see her. He ends up falling asleep but he has locked the door to get inside the room so she has Ethel help her get down; when getting down from his balcony to hers which is right underneith it she ruins his plant that is there. So at the end he finds out that someone has bean there and spying on him so he leaves because he doesn't want anyone to know where he is.
Paris At Last:Lucy ends up in jail because she paid fake money to the waiter at a French restaurant. But she didn't know it was fake money when she traded money with this one guy she didn't know. So now she is in the police department and can't understand anyone because they are all foreigners; although she is the foreigner because she is in France.
The Great Train Robbery:Lucy thinks the guy next to her room is a jewel theif. So when she tells Ethel this guy is over hearing on her conversation. So when Ethel leaves and Lucy is still sitting there the guy that was eavesdropping asks her to take him up to the guys bedroom so that they could catch him. But as it turns out the guy that was eavesdropping on Lucy and Ethel, was the jewel theif. The guy next to Lucys room was just a jewelery seller. But then the guy ends up getting caught.
The Million Dollar Idea:Lucy and Ethel have a good idea to make some money by selling Lucys aunts home made recipe for salad dressing. But when Ricky finds out that they would only be getting 3% of the money it turns out that they wouldn't be getting much money and that 3% goes to Caroline because her husband works at a TV station and he is the one that let Lucy and Ethel sell their product on. So when they found out that they were good sellers they figured they could go back on TV and show that the product they sold was a bad product but instead they got more orders. So they end up buying salad dressing and putting their labels on them and deliver them by bicycle so they don't have to pay for shipment.
Return Home From Europe:Lucy has a piece of cheese to bring to her mother that you can't find in America. So she brings it on the plane pretending it is a baby. But as it turns out babys cost $30 on plane rides so she eats part of the cheese with Ethel and puts the rest in instruments.
Lucy Visits Grauman's:Lucy wants John Waynes Footprint because it is loose. When some police men come and scope the area out Lucy gets her foot stuck in a bucket full of cement that Ethel put in the bushes where they had to hide so the police men wouldn't see them.

Lucy's laughter will live on forever
This is a must for anyone who's purchased the "I Love Lucy"
collection. These episodes can be seen over and over, time and time again. They are healing and warm and will keep you laughing. As a child, I loved "I Love Lucy" and now my children can have the pleasure of knowing what true comedy is all about.
Laughter is still the best medicine! ... Read more

Reviews (5)

All "I Love Lucy" episodes celebrate 50th Anniversary.
In this decade, every episode of "I Love Lucy" will be celebrating its 50th Anniversary. Every episode is still funny as funny as when they first aired. The shows are good. The shows are wholesome. They are healing and warm and will make you feel good. Buy them on VHS or DVD today.

I feel sorry for poor Superman and the freezer.
Not that they're in the same episode, but still. Lucy finds herself desparate to get Superman for Little Ricky's birthday party after she promised her friends and her son. But after she finds out that Superman has to leave town on the night of the party, she plans to run around like crazy after dressing up like Superman and walking on the ledge outside of their window. But Superman couldn't hurt the kids' feelings, so he cancels the trip and decides to come. In The Freezer episode, one of my favorites, Lucy and Ethel buy a huge walk-in freezer from Ethel's uncle, only to get Lucy locked in it and make her freeze so badly, even her tears start to freeze. But they spend a whole lot of money on beef which must be removed before the boys see it. In both occasions, this time, the shows sort of has a bad ending. Only that of Ricky's temper and Lucy's fright, of course!

Superman AND I Love Lucy?
There have been a lot of great episodes in the "I Love Lucy" series, all with great moments, but being a fan of Superman, seeing these two together is a great treat.

First we've got to understand that it is George Reeves playing Superman that stands out (in lieu of Superman straight out), and while it isn't said right out, the implication is there.

The gag with Lucy being on the edge of the building was played out rather well, and the punch-line that George gave "You've been married to her for 15 years . . . and they call ME Superman" was quite funny.

The second episode "The Freezer" was from one of the much earlier seasons, if Lucy ONLY knew what a side of beef was, she would have been okay, so when the butcher came in with more and more and more packages of meet, it was rather a funny gag in itself, then to see Lucy lock herself in the freezer, wanna talk about a cold reception?

Lucy meets the Man of Steel and the Freezer of Ice!
Here are a couple of better episodes from the classic television sitcom "I Love Lucy." In "Lucy and Superman" (Episode #166, January 14, 1957), Lucy fails to get Superman (George Reeves) to make an appearance at Little Ricky's birthday party. So, of course, Lucy decides to impersonate the Man of Steel! It sure is nice to see Reeves having some fun with the Superman character. Then we go back to a first season classic, "The Freezer" (Episode #29, April 28, 1952), where Lucy and Ethel buy a giant walk-in freezer. When the girls seriously overestimate how much meat it will hold, they have to go into the meat business. Of course, you know as soon as you see that walk-in freezer that Lucy is going to manage to get herself locked inside and the results are as funny as you imagined.

FREEZING FUN WITH THE FAB FOUR .
THE FREEZER is a superior episode of I LOVE LUCY. The scenes in the kitchen are very well played and when Lucy tries to sell some of "the beast of burden" from a baby carriage in a butcher shop, it's a riot! The plump blonde lady who asks "but how can you sell it so cheap?" is played by Barbara Pepper whom Lucy had known since they were Goldwyn Girls together in 1933. Pepper was originally considered for the part of Ethel Mertz (along with Bea Benederet) but the notion was quickly dismissed since she was an alcoholic; the public later knew her as Mrs. Ziffle on GREEN ACRES. When one views this episode you can sense just how much rehearsing the actors (particularly the perfectionist redhead) endured to make the scripts come alive; when Ethel doesn't think she can persuade Ricky to sing in order to stall the boys, Lucy says in a flash "Oh, won't he!-Listen: you take care of the HAM - I'll take care of the BEEF! "The dialogue, acting and Hal King's make-up for Lucy when she becomes a frozen popsicle are all first-rate. LUCY MEETS SUPERMAN is a lesser effort in my opinion - but definitely worth watching; there wasn't really a TRULY bad episode in the whole series! (There are a total of 179 syndicated I LOVE LUCY episodes if anyone's wondering). ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Lucy and Ethel bake the world's biggest loaf of bread
The battle of the sexes continues in these two episodes from the classic sit com "I Love Lucy." In "Pioneer Women" (Episode #25, March 31, 1952), Lucy and Ethel want to join the Society Matron's League, so, of course, they need dishwashers so they can avoid having dishpan hands. Ricky and Fred tell the girls they have gotten soft and certainly they could never do the hard work their grandmothers did. This means a bet to see which sex can better handle the ways of the pioneers. If this does not ring a bell yet, let me just say this is the one where Lucy and Ethel bake a really big loaf of bread. Lucy gets another taste of life away from the big city in "The Camping Trip" (#64, June 8, 1953). When her girl friends insist that married couples always become bored with one another, Lucy starts paying attention to everything Ricky does. Upset that Lucy insists on going along on his camping trip with Fred, Ricky decides to teach her a lesson. Of course, Lucy learns about this and decides to teach a lesson of her own. This is one of those double-episode tapes where you want to split the difference between the 5 stars of the first show with the 4 stars of the second.

Fantastic! Bravo!
Lucy goes on a camping trip with Ricky, thinking at first she is going to spend a glorious weekend with her husband, until she finds out from Ethel that Ricky has a scheme and she is going to beat him at his own game! Not unusual for Lucy. Ricky is getting tired of having her hang around him like gum on your shoe and doesn't want her to go on the camping trip with Fred and him this summer. He roughs it up for her, but she beats him back. Of course, Ethel, as usual, is dragged in on Lucy's little scheme to get Ricky back. Watch it, it is great! Then, on Pioneer Women, Lucy and Ethel rough it out like in the 1900's along with Ricky and Fred, only to win a bet to see who can last longer without the convienience of modern appliances. Lucy bakes bread, Ethel churns butter, and the whole thing, naturally, is a big mess! Don't miss this one, either!

All "I Love Lucy" episodes celebrate 50th Anniversary.
In this decade, every episode of "I Love Lucy" will be celebrating its 50th Anniversary. Every episode is still funny as funny as when they first aired. The shows are good. The shows are wholesome. They are healing and warm and will make you feel good. Buy them on VHS or DVD today.

Another crackup comedy!
The bridge girls are all talking about divorces, which makes Lucy wanna spend all of her time with Ricky. On a preview camping trip, she verses the game and makes him be worn out, makes him look dumb, and etc.. until Ethel throws down a cleaned duck. That ruins it. In the other one, the bet for modern day technologies goes on, of course sex vs. sex. The Society Matrons League looks the two families over to see how they really live, but they happened to come at the inappropiate time. Two more of Lucy's bests!

fantastic selection - Lucy "camps" it up!
Lucy "camps" it up in these two choice episodes!

PIONEER WOMEN - Lucy and Ethel accept a $50 bet from Ricky and Fred to prove that they can get along without modern appliances. Their back-to-basics lifestyle leads to numerous disasters, like Lucy's attempt to bake her own bread, using enough yeast to sink a battleship!

THE CAMPING TRIP - Ricky takes Lucy on a short camping trip. He plans to make her stay so miserable that she'll never want to camp again, but he's shocked when Lucy out-hunts and out-fishes him - until she bags a duck that falls to the ground already plucked and cleaned! ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Lucy Ricardo wanted to act, to perform, to sing, to dance. She wanted to be in show biz, period. And when an opportunity arises for her to do a TV commercial, you bet she takes it. If actress Lucille Ball repeatedly proved her brilliance at physical comedy, there is no better example than the episode "Lucy Does a TV Commercial." Lucy convinces her husband, bandleader Ricky Ricardo (Desi Arnaz), to let her do a commercial during a TV variety show.And so Lucy becomes the Vitameatavegamin girl--and does a darn good job at it. The stuff tastes horrible, but she's a good sport, downing spoonful after spoonful for repeated rehearsals. But by the time the live commercial is to air, Lucy's drunk as a skunk. Turns out that Vitameatavegamin is loaded with vitamins and alcohol. "Lucy and the Loving Cup" is another fine example of Ball's physical comedic talent. In this episode, when Ricky insults Lucy's new hat, she shows him by donning a loving cup atop her head. Not only does the cup get stuck there, but Ricky's set to present the trophy to jockey Johnny Longden at a National Turf Association dinner.Whatever was actually going on behind the scenes between real-life husband and wife Ball and Arnaz, Lucy and Ricky's marriage, despite the antics and disagreements, is always a happy one by the end of an episode. These two shows are great examples of the tight cast's talent, and great showcases of the hilarious dynamic between the Ricardos. --N.F. Mendoza ... Read more

Reviews (15)

Lucy's the greatest comedienne of all time!
I am 18 years old, and a relatively new fan of "I Love Lucy." This classic episode will leave your stomach aching from laughter, and tears streaming down your face. Be sure to catch the great expression Lucy does when she tastes the Vitameatavegamin for the first time...priceless!

IMPORTANT FOR YOU LUCY FANS
Ever since 1994 when I saw my first I love Lucy episode, I really have loved Lucy! This tape which I personally own, has probably the funniest episode {besides Job Switching}. Lucy pulls a few strings to do a T.V commercial for Ricky's T.V. show. Well the Vitameatavegemin has 23% alchohol and you know what happens. However the next episode {Lucy and the Loving Cup} is funny and a favorite episode of many but since this video is part of the Lucy classics and I would not consider this a classic. In other words I could think of many other episodes that are truly classics and are far more familiar and funny. But if you Love Lucy try and find this video!

Lucy's classic TV Commercial for Vitameatavegamin
In the classic "Lucy Does a TV Commercial" (Episode #30, May 5, 1952), Ricky is set to host a TV variety show and Lucy wants to do a live commercial for (all together now) Vitameatavegamin. Although she fails to win Ricky's support after staging a mock show inside their television set, Lucy arranges to get the gig anyhow. She starts off great, but the problem is that Vitameatavegamin contains twenty-three percent and with each rehearsal Lucy gets progressively drunker and funnier. Lucille Ball considered this the best bit, and one of the hardest, she ever did. Then in "Lucy and the Loving Cup" (#165, January 7, 1957), Ricky is going to present jockey Johnny Longdon with a Loving Cup for being the most successful jockey in horse racing history. Meanwhile, Lucy has bought a new hat for the occasion. Ricky does not like the hat and makes the mistake of saying Lucy would look better with the trophy on her head. So Lucy puts on the trophy--and cannot get it off. Not a classic but it is Lucille Ball with a Loving Cup on her head, so it is pretty funny. However, the real reason to own this volume is for the first one.

Hello friends! I'm your Vitameatavegemin girl!
Not really, but Lucy is, and she is so funny in these episodes. No one can top Lucille Ball. Her drunk scene in the Vitameatavegemin episode is pure classic. "Are you tired, run-down, listless? Do you pop out at parties? Are you unpoopular? Well are you?" I laughed till my sides hurt! The loving cup one is no less funny. Only Lucy would get a loving cup stuck on her head and create these hilariously embarrassing situations for herself. These are two of the most famous I Love Lucy episodes, so if you missed, you haven't seen Lucy in her element and at her best.

A gem from the greatest gem of all
"Hello, friends. I'm your Vitameatavegamin girl. Are you tired, rundown, listless? Do you poop out at parties? Are you unpopular? Well, the answer to all your problems is in this little bottle. Vitameatavegamin. Yes, with Vitameatavegamin you can spoon your way to health. All you have to do is take a tablespoon after every meal. It's so tasty too! Just like candy! So why don't you join the thousands of happy, peppy people and get a great big bottle of Vitameatavegamin tomorrow. That's Vita...meata...vegamin."

Can Lucy's steadily changing reading of this sales pitch be any funnier? I've seen this episode 47 times, and I STILL can't help but laugh just thinking about it. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

All "I Love Lucy" episodes celebrate 50th Anniversary.
In this decade, every episode of "I Love Lucy" will be celebrating its 50th Anniversary. Every episode is still funny as funny as when they first aired. The shows are good. The shows are wholesome. They are healing and warm and will make you feel good. But them on VHS or DVD today.

Lucy in Hollywood with Harpo and the Duke
This pair of "I Love Lucy" episodes comes from the period when Ricky was in Hollywood attempting to make a movie. "Harpo Marx" (Episode #125, May 9, 1955) showcases Lucille Ball's physical comedy in a great scene with the beloved silent Marx Brother. Caroline Appleby (Doris Singleton) is supposedly on her way to Hawaii but postpones her trip to attend a party at the Ricardo's hotel suite where famous movie stars are supposed to arrive. Lucy plays to fool Caroline by stealing her glasses and having people wear masks of famous stars. But then Ricky and Fred show up with Harpo. The mirror sequence between the two was apparently a pain to shoot (and reshoot), but worth the effort just to see the two famous "redheads" go at it. "Lucy and John Wayne" (#129, October 10, 1955), is the second in a two-part episode. Previously Lucy had stolen the Duke's cement footprints from in front of Grauman's Chinese Theater. Of course, when Ricky demanded she return them, Lucy accidentally drops them and they shatter. Now Ricky has to try and save his film career by asking Wayne to make new footprints. The Duke graciously agrees, although he has to do it over and over again as each new set of footprints somehow manages (Lucy) to get ruined. Wayne would later do another memorable guest shot on "The Lucy Show" eleven years later. Two first rate "I Love Lucy" episodes on a single tape. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Lucy's funny feet as she stomps grapes and dances ballet
The reason for getting your hands on this pair of episodes from "I Love Lucy" is for the classic grape vat scene from "Lucy's Italian Movie" (Episode #150, April 16, 1956). The Ricardos are in Europe when an Italian movie producer tells Lucy that he wants her in his new film, "Grapola Pungente." Finding out the title translates as "bitter grapes," Lucy takes this literally and heads for the nearest vineyard where she has a memorable encounter with Teresa Tirelli stomping grapes in a vat. Along with the chocolate factory and Vitemeatavegamin episodes, this has to be the other member of Lucy's comic triple crown.

In "The Ballet" (#19, February 18, 1952), Lucy wants to perform in the cavalcade of show business Ricky is going to have at the club. The only spots left open in the show are for a ballet dance or a pair of burlesque comics, so Lucy gamely rehearses for those spots with hilarious results. Mary Wickes plays Madame Lamond the ballet teacher in her first of many appearances on "I Love Lucy." Desi Arnaz does a nice job singing "Martha" in two languages while Vivian Vance has a cute bit when Ethel plows through "The Waltz of the Flowers" on the piano. An intersting episode to pair with the first one, but as long as you get Lucy stomping grapes, what more do you want?

Soaking Up Italian Culture
I recently showed this video and another Lucy video to my students, and I was happy to see that the humour of I Love Lucy has lost nothing in the change of generations. They loved Lucy, too. This video contains one of her most famous episodes and scenes where she stomps the grapes in the wine vat. Lucy is at her comedic best in this episode. Notice the hilarious way she dances and runs around the vat. I've read that the Italian woman in the vat with her got a little carried away and nearly drowned Lucy! That's method acting. The other episode is also funny, although not as famous. Lucy's attempts at ballet are hilarious, and the "Slowly I Turned" routine also works well. What a gift for physical comedy the lady had!

All "I Love Lucy" episodes celebrate 50th Anniversary.
In this decade, every episode of "I Love Lucy" will be celebrating its 50th Anniversary. Every episode is still funny as funny as when they first aired. The shows are good. The shows are wholesome. They are healing and warm and will make you feel good. Buy them on VHS or DVD today.

Entre le vin italien... ou le ballet, mon coeur balance!
Alors là, mes amis! Que de rires cette cassette va vous procurer! Chacun des deux épisodes ont leur cachet et leur bonne dose de drôlerie. Lucy se battant avec une mamma italienne ou s'emmêlant les pieds dans une barre de salle de danse, vous allez vous tordre de rire du début à la fin! Promis!

LUCY STOMPING GRAPES!
"Lucy's Italian Movie" is one of the most beloved of all episodes. Notice the train in the beginning scene racing down Italian tracks-it lends realism to the show. The plot is so well-known that a synopsis is unneccesary. Those were real grapes in the vat and when Lucy first stuck her bare foot into them she said they felt like "thousands of eyeballs"(!) and it made her squirm. I love the look on Desi's face when Lucy begs Vitorrio Felipe to reconsider her for his "Bitter Grapes";his expressions are at once disbelieving and compassionate towards Lucy in her frantic attempt to be a "new discovery". ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Lucy - part one
Only 3 stars, because it does not deal in depth with Lucille's later work. A lot has been made available out the I LOVE LUCY era, but little about the 60s-80s. I hope someone brings out the complete LUCY SHOW, HERE'S LUCY, LIFE WITH LUCY on DVD (or VHS) in uncut remastered prints. Please. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

All "I Love Lucy" episodes celebrate the 50th Anniversary.
In this decade, every episode of "I Love Lucy" will be celebrating its 50th Anniversary. Every episode is still funny as funny as when they first aired. The shows are good. The shows are wholesome. They are healing and warm and will make you feel good. Buy them on VHS or DVD today.

Lucy and Ethel the cat burglars and home redecorators
"Too Many Crooks" (Episode #73, November 30, 1953) is the better of the two episodes from the show's third season collected on this volume of the "I Love Lucy" collection. The papers are all a-buzz with stories about Madame X, the cat burglars who has been working the neighborhood. Lucy and Ethel become convinced that the other one is Madame X as the paranoia and laughter increases. "Redecorating the Mertzes' Apartment" (Episode #74, November 23, 1953), finds Lucy courting disaster as usual when she organizes a painting party to redecorate the Mertzes' apartment. I am surprised that they did not put this episode on a tape with "Decorating," where Lucy destroys her own apartment, but I guess that would be too obvious a combination. Neither of these are classic episodes of Lucy zaniness but they are still above average outings.

TIME HASN'T DIMMED THESE COMEDY CLASSICS
These classic episodes are still great fun. Ethel is ashamed of her "crummy" apartment, so Lucy decides that it would be a good idea to redecorate. Lucy asks Ethel what the word is that she's looking for in describing the Mertz abode. Ethel: "I don't use that kind of language!" Ms. Ricardo takes some ancient feathers out of Fred's lumpy chair ("sewed as Fred").....and Fred brings in an electric fan! Lucy is hilarious when she imitates a mink in her frantic attempt to tell Ethel that Ricky got her a mink stole. MADAME X is unusual in that the audience goes into the Ricardo bedroom from the outside. For various reasons, Lucy and Ethel think each other is a female crook known locally as Madame X. Ethel: Hey, that was a good idea I had about you putting your hands around my neck and choking me" Fred: " Yeah. I liked it!" Sometimes, I wish to heck I was a young man living in the early 1950's because I would have loved to have worked as a member of the Desilu crew making I Love Lucy!

PERHAPS FOUR and a HALF
The 23rd volume of the I love lucy collection, has two great episodes of trouble and misunderstanding between the Ricardos and the Mertzes. In Too Many Crooks, a woman robber nicknamed Madame X is loose in the neiborhood. Mrs. Trumble believes that she is someone living in the apartment complex. Before you know it Lucy thinks Ethel is Madame X and Ethel thinks Lucy is Madame X. Both women try to proove the others innocence, and the show includes a great ending with a touch of suspense. A good and very entertaining episode. Redecorating the Mertzes apartment is a great episode that features the classic redecorating scene where Lucy tries to rehapolster an old chair. The reason for a half star taken off was because I believe the redecorating could have gone on for a few more minutes. But this is a great I Love Lucy video for anyone's Lucy collection