Lucy and Viv Reminisce
S6;E16 ~ January 1, 1968
Synopsis
When Lucy breaks her leg, Viv comes to nurse her and the two stroll down memory lane by recalling their past misadventures.
Regular Cast
Lucille Ball (Lucy Carmichael), Gale Gordon (Theodore J. Mooney)
Mary Jane Croft (Mary Jane Lewis) and Roy Roberts (Harrison Winfield Cheever) do not appear in this episode. Mary Jane is mentioned as being on vacation.
Guest Cast
Vivian Vance (Vivian Bunson) makes her penultimate appearance in the role she created, Lucy’s best friend and former roommate, Vivian Bagley (now Bunson). Vance 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. She made half a dozen appearances on “Here’s Lucy,” as well as joining Ball for a TV special “Lucy Calls the President” in 1977. Vance died two years later.
This is the first new show of 1968. There were no new episodes on December 18 and December 25, 1967. This is the first and only clips show on “The Lucy Show.” Not including actors appearing in the clips, this episode has the smallest cast of any “Lucy Show.” For this episode, the opening credits roll rather than fade in. This marks the penultimate appearance of Vivian Vance as Viv Bunson.
As of January 1, 1968 Desilu Studios is owned by Paramount, a subsidiary of Gulf + Western. Desilu Productions, however, remains the producer.
Lucille Ball didn't want to do a 'final episode', because the show was about to be rerun on CBS on weekday mornings (replacing “I Love Lucy,” which was going into syndication). Ball felt a final episode would hurt the show in reruns.
In lieu of an official final episode, Ball opted to do a clips show during this second half of the final season. It is then decided to involve Vivian Vance and to limit the clips to those involving the two of them. Vance thought it would be a good idea to do a retrospective of all their bits together going back to 1951. Ball immediately nixed the suggestion, in part because it is still difficult for her to deal with the Desi years. In the end, all but one of the clips are from Season 1 of “The Lucy Show” which was filmed and aired in black and white.
Wrap around scenes were filmed to introduce and conclude the clips. These were shot in one day, without a live studio audience. At one point, when Lucy says, "I've always had a sensible reason for everything I did," Viv jokes back, "Sensible? Sensible my ass!" Although the take wasn't used, it can be seen on bloopers reel on the DVD extras. In the final cut Viv simply replies “Sensible?”
The connecting scenes were written by series script supervisor Milt Josefsberg. Milt’s wife Hilda Josefsberg receives a “based on an idea by” credit line.
Lucy confesses that she broke her leg falling out of bed during a romantic dream. She says she will be out of work at least a month. Lucy has a female doctor named Dorothy.
Cheapskate Mooney sends Viv a bus ticket to travel 3,000 miles to come and nurse Lucy.
The first flashback clip is from “Lucy, the Coin Collector” (S3;E13) where Lucy and Viv go down into the storm drain to retrieve a rare penny worth $16.50. It features Tex Brodus as an ‘Ed Norton-like’ sewer worker. This is the only clip that is in color. It was strategically placed just before the first commercial break so that the audience was not put off by the disparity between black and white and color before being hooked into the show's premise.
The second flashback clip is from “Lucy and Her Electric Mattress” (S1;E12) where Lucy uses stilts to get into an upper bunk.
That is followed by a clip from “Lucy and Viv are Volunteer Fireman” (S1;E16) in which Lucy and Viv hear an actual fire alarm and race to put on their uniforms and head out the door. Once they arrive at the firehouse, the scene includes Carole Cook (Thelma), Ruth Crews (Dorothy), Bess Flowers, Hazel Pierce, and other members of the Danfield Women's Volunteer Fire Brigade.
Next is a clip from “Lucy Puts Up a TV Antenna” (S1;E9) which places Lucy and Viv on the roof of their home manipulating a giant TV aerial.
It is followed by “Lucy and Viv Put in a Shower” (S1;E18) which finds the pair up to their necks in water in a sealed shower stall.
The final clip is from “Lucy Buys a Boat” (S1;E30), which shows Lucy and Viv trying to deal with a leaky, pitching vessel.
Going into the kitchen to prepare bedridden Lucy some lunch, Viv slips and also breaks her leg. She says she feels just like a female version of The Man Who Came To Dinner. This was the title of a 1939 play and a 1942 film where a pompous radio star slips on the ice outside the home of a suburban Ohio couple and becomes their unwilling house guest during his recovery.
Coincidentally, both the Broadway production and movie version starred Lucille Ball’s good friend Mary Wickes, who appeared on “The Lucy Show’ nine times! Hollywood’s ‘Queen of the Extras’ Bess Flowers was also in the film and is one of the Danfield Firewomen in the third clip. Patrick McVey was also in that episode, and briefly appears in the film. Jimmy Durante, who plays Banjo in the film, did a walk-on cameo as himself on a 1966 “Lucy Show.”
Callbacks!
The “I Love Lucy” Christmas Show was also a clips show – the only one in the series.
Mr. Mooney also broke his leg in “Lucy Plays Florence Nightingale” (S2;E14).
Flash Forward!
In real-life, Lucille Ball broke her leg in a skiing accident shortly before the start of Season 5 of “Here's Lucy.” Instead of ending the show, Lucy had her broken leg written into the script and filmed using a cast and wheelchair.
“Here’s Lucy” also chose to end with a retrospective clips show between the two main characters (Lucy and Harry): “Lucy and Harry’s Memoirs” (HL S5;E24). Like “Lucy and Viv Reminisce” it didn’t actually ‘end’ the series. Instead, Lucille Ball chose to extend "Here’s Lucy” for a sixth season to match her previous two series’. The last shot of the episode was re-done to show Lucy Carter adding the word “Temporarily” to the ‘Out of Business’ sign, and leaving with a knowing wink!
Blooper Alerts!
The Shadow Knows! When Viv walks into the kitchen there's the crashing sound of her falling but her shadow on the window sill reveals that Vance is still walking across the room.
“Lucy and Viv Reminisce” rates 4 Paper Hearts out of 5
