LUCY, THE MATCHMAKER
S1;E12 ~ December 16, 1968
Directed by Jack Donohue ~ Written by Milt Josefsberg and Ray Singer
Synopsis
When Lucy wants to find a date for Harry, she visits a computer dating service that matches him with her old friend Vivian.
Regular Cast
Lucille Ball (Lucy Carter), Gale Gordon (Harrison Otis Carter), Lucie Arnaz (Kim Carter), Desi Arnaz Jr. (Craig Carter)
Guest Cast
Vivian Vance (Vivian Roberta Jones) was born Vivian Roberta Jones in Cherryvale, Kansas in 1909, although her family quickly moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico where she was raised. She had extensive theatre experience, co-starring on Broadway with Ethel Merman in Anything Goes. She was acting in a play in Southern California when she was spotted by Desi Arnaz and hired to play Ethel Mertz, Lucy Ricardo’s neighbor and best friend. The pairing is credited with much of the success of “I Love Lucy.” Vance was convinced to join the cast of “The Lucy Show” in 1962, but stayed with the series only through season three, making occasional guest appearances afterwards. This is the first of her half a dozen appearances on “Here’s Lucy.” She also joined Lucy for a TV special “Lucy Calls the President” in 1977. Vance died two years later.
Vance uses her birth name as her character name in all of her “Here's Lucy” guest appearances. Vivian Jones and Lucy Carter went to school together.
Dick Patterson (Mr. Morton of the Select-A-Spouse Dating Service) made his Broadway debut in David Merrick's Vintage '60, and appeared in The Billy Barnes People, the national touring company of Bye Bye Birdie, and opposite Carol Burnett in Fade Out, Fade In. His last musical was Smile, a spoof of beauty pageants. He was seen in “Lucy Helps Danny Thomas” (TLS S4;E7). This is the first of his four appearances on “Here's Lucy.”
Morton was Lucille Ball's surname after her marriage to Gary Morton.
Alice Backes (Flat Chested Woman) made her first TV appearance as a contestant on Groucho Marx's “You Bet Your Life” in 1950, billed as a 'future actress.' This is the first of her two appearances on “Here's Lucy.” By her death she accumulated nearly 100 screen credits, so her game show ambitions were more than realized.
Lucy thinks The Woman may be #42-26-38, Harry's computer date. The Woman thinks Lucy is talking about her measurements. This joke may be the character's only reason for being in the script and the reason Backes was cast.
Rhodes Reason (Bradley Henshaw) appeared on “Lucy and Carol Burnett: Part One” (TLS S6;E14) and here marks the first of his five episodes of “Here's Lucy.” He also appeared with Lucille Ball in the 1974 TV special “Happy Anniversary and Goodbye.”
Joan Carey (Restaurant Patron, uncredited) was featured on “I Love Lucy,” “The Lucy Show” (where she also was Ball’s camera and lighting stand-in), and now on “Here’s Lucy.”
Other restaurant patrons are played by uncredited background performers.
Computer dating service episodes became quite popular sitcom staples in the late 1960s and '70s. “Bewitched,” “Love American Style” and many others used similar plots, but “Here's Lucy” was one of the first to use it as a plot device.
The computer dating services advertised in the newspaper include Get-A-Gal, Find-A-Fellow, and Select-A-Spouse Computer Dating Service, which is the one Lucy chooses to visit.
The studio audience's ovation for Vivian Vance is unusually loud and long.
Vivian tells Lucy she still lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico. In real life, Vivian Vance had also relocated to Santa Fe, where she owned a small travel agency with her husband.
Select-A-Spouse does not give out names, only numbers: Vivian is #42-26-38 and Lucy's date, Bradley Henshaw, is #74-32-59.
Vivian initially lies and tells Lucy that she is in town to do a movie with John Wayne. Vivian Vance, Lucille Ball and John Wayne first shared the screen in “Lucy and John Wayne” (ILL S5;E2) in 1955.
Vivian says she can tell from Lucy's face that her date is no Rock Hudson. Vivian Vance, Lucille Ball and Rock Hudson first shared the screen in “In Palm Springs” (ILL S4;E26) in 1955.
Trying to flatter Harry, Vivian compares him to Richard Burton. Lucille Ball, Gale Gordon and Richard Burton will share the screen in “Lucy Meets the Burtons” (S3;E1) in 1970.
Things we learn from this episode:
Vivian is single
Harry is heterosexual
Lucy wasn't always a redhead
Since this episode acts as a reunion of sorts, it is worth looking back to how they all first met.
The first time Lucille Ball and Vivian Vance acted together was on September 8, 1951 in “Lucy Thinks Ricky Is Trying To Murder Her” (ILL S1;E4), which was filmed first but aired fourth on “I Love Lucy.”
The first time Lucille Ball, Vivian Vance, and Gale Gordon acted together on TV was in “Lucy's Schedule” (ILL S1;E33) in 1952. Gordon had first appeared with Ball on 1938′s “The Wonder Show” and was a regular on radio’s “My Favorite Husband.”
The first time Lucille Ball, Vivian Vance, Lucie Arnaz and Desi Arnaz Jr. acted together was “Lucy is a Referee” (TLS S1;E3) in 1962. The Arnaz children were uncredited extras at a football game.
Prior to that, Desi Jr. alone made a cameo with his mother and Vivian Vance on “The Ricardo's Dedicate a Statue” (ILL S6;E27), the very last half hour episode of “I Love Lucy” in 1957. Despite rumors to the contrary, Lucie Arnaz was not in this episode.
The first time Desi Jr. and Lucie Arnaz were in the same episode as Gale Gordon came in “Lucy at Marineland” (TLS S4;E1) in 1965, although they did not share screen time with Gordon. Lucie Arnaz and Gordon had their first (brief) scene together in “Lucy and the Ring-a-Ding-Ring” (TLS S5;E5) in 1966. Desi Jr. and Gordon didn't act on screen together until “Mod, Mod Lucy” (S1;E1), the premiere of “Here's Lucy” in 1968.
There were several “I Love Lucy” episodes where Lucy Ricardo played matchmaker: “The Matchmaker” (ILL S4;E4) where her targets are Sam (spider) and Dorothy (fly);
“Lucy is Matchmaker” (ILL S2;E27) where she tries to fix up Eddie Grant and Sylvia Collins;
and “Lucy Plays Cupid” (ILL S1;E15) where she sets her bow in the direction of the elderly Miss Lewis (Bea Benadaret) and the neighborhood butcher Mr. Ritter (Edward Everett Horton).
Sitcom logic alert! Vivian is from Santa Fe, New Mexico. The only reason she gives for being in Los Angeles is that the computer dating service matched her with “Horrible Harry,” who turns out to be her old friend Lucy's brother-in-law and someone she previously dated. Unlikely coincidence aside, Santa Fe is 850 miles from Los Angeles, so Vivian must be really desperate for male companionship!
Where The Floor Ends! When the camera pans wide in the living room, viewers catch a glimpse of the edge of the stage.
Cue Cards! When Harry's computer punch card comes out of the machine, it has his match's number written on it in red marker! In 1968, computers could not yet master handwriting.
Osmosis! Vivian applies perfume without bothering to take the top off the bottle.
“Lucy, the Matchmaker” rates 4 Paper Hearts out of 5
Lucy drags her matchmaking penchant into the computer age. That sounds tiresome, but add Vivian Vance and some genuinely funny writing and this is one of the best episodes of the first season.
