Nov 1, 2025
Everyone's a critic.
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
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Everyone's a critic.
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
Gail Bonney (Columbus, Ohio, 15/12/1901-Los Angeles, California, 7/12/1984).
The Tingler | William Castle | 1959
Pat Colby, Gail Bonney, Amy Fields, Bob Gunderson
Red Sundown 1956
RIP HERMAN WOUK
1915 - 2019
Herman Wouk was the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of the 1951 best-seller THE CAINE MUTINY. In 1954 he turned the book into a Broadway play titled THE CAINE MUTINY COURT-MARTIAL. A feature film followed a few months later.
In “Lucy Writes A Novel” (ILL S3;E24), Lucy plans to name the sequel to her novel “Sugar Cane Mutiny,” a pun on Cuba’s main export and the title of Wouk’s book.
On “I Love Lucy” the play was mentioned by Miss Hannah (Ellen Corby), Lucy’s high school drama teacher in “Lucy Meets Orson Welles” (ILL S6;E3). In the episode, Miss Hanna mentions that she is directing The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial. Unfortunately, Friday night is the drama class’s opening night and she can’t make it.
MISS HANNAH: “Oh, I’m sorry my dear. One of the boys is sick and I may have to play Captain Queeg.”
But in the end, Miss Hannah makes it to New York City to see Lucy perform. She brings along the enitre cast.
LUCY: “What happened to ‘The Caine Mutiny’?” MISS HANNAH: “We postponed it until Captain Queeg gets over the chicken pox.”
The film version (with the titled shortened back to The Caine Mutiny) opened in June 1954 starring “I Love Lucy” guests 'dancing star’ Van Johnson, 'giant native’ Claude Akins, and 'uranium hunter’ Fred MacMurray.
The book was mentioned again in “Lucy and Eva Gabor” (HL S1;E7). When a famous novelist (Eva Gabor) is hiding out at the Carter home, Lucy’s bridge club friend Dolores (Gail Bonney) asks Eva for her autograph – on a copy of The Caine Mutiny! It seems Dolores didn’t want to buy Eva’s book just in case she didn’t like it - so she grabbed Wouk’s novel off her shelf.
In “Guess Who Owes Lucy $23.50?” (HL S1;E11) Van Johnson orders security guards to escort Lucy Carter out of the studio. A bitter Lucy says that now she’s glad he got court martialed The Caine Mutiny.
[Thanks to Mark Itzkowitz for reminding me of this reference!]
Wouk died on May 17, 2019 at the age of 103.
LUCY AND EVA GABOR
S1;E7 ~ November 11, 1968
Directed by Jack Donohue ~ Written by Milt Josefsberg and Ray Singer
Synopsis
The author of a controversial novel (Eva Gabor) is in town and needs a quiet place to work so Harry volunteers Lucy's home. Naturally, it is anything but peaceful and far from quiet.
Regular Cast
Lucille Ball (Lucy Carter), Gale Gordon (Harrison Otis Carter), Lucie Arnaz (Kim Carter), Desi Arnaz Jr. (Craig Carter)
Guest Cast
Eva Gabor (Eva Von Graunitz) was born in Hungary in 1919. She came to America with her sisters, Magda and Zsa Zsa. She began her screen career in 1941. She also appeared on Broadway five times between 1950 and 1983. Her signature role was glamorous socialite turned farm wife Lisa Douglas on “Green Acres” (1965-71), also aired on CBS. Gabor was married five times. She was also a successful businesswoman, marketing wigs, clothing and beauty products. Gabor returned to “Here's Lucy” to play herself in 1972. She died in 1995.
Eva Gabor also used Graunitz as her maiden name on “Green Acres” which ran concurrently with “Here's Lucy.”
Robert Carson (Martin Phillips) was a busy Canadian-born character actor who appeared on six episodes of “The Lucy Show.” This is the first of his five appearances on “Here’s Lucy.”
Peggy Rea (Maude, above center) was seen on four episodes of “I Love Lucy,” mostly as one of the members of the Wednesday Afternoon Fine Arts League, but also as the Nurse that wheeled enceinte Lucy into the hospital. Rea was a regular on “The Waltons” and “Grace Under Fire,” her last series before her death in 2011. This is her only appearance on “Here's Lucy.”
Maude is in Lucy's bridge club.
Kay Elliot (Nelly, second from right) was the fifth of six actors to play Aunt Hagatha on “Bewitched.” This is her only appearance with Lucille Ball.
Nelly is in Lucy's bridge club.
Gail Bonney (Dolores, above right) appeared with Lucille Ball in the 1950 films A Woman of Distinction and The Fuller Brush Girl. She played Mrs. Hudson, mother of unruly twins, on “The Amateur Hour” (ILL S1;E14) as well as in "Lucy and the Ceramic Cat" (TLS S3;E16). She had also appeared with Eva Gabor on a 1965 episode of “Green Acres.” This is her only appearance on “Here's Lucy.”
Dolores is in Lucy's bridge club. She is the president of the PTA.
Mickey Martin (Photographer) appeared with Lucille Ball in the 1934 film Kid Millions starring Eddie Cantor. He did one more episode of “Here's Lucy” in 1970, which was his final screen credit.
Sid Gould (Expressman) made more than 45 appearances on “The Lucy Show,” all as background characters. This is the third of his 40 episodes of “Here’s Lucy.” Gould (born Sydney Greenfader) was Lucille Ball’s cousin by marriage to Gary Morton.
Earl Parker (Newspaper Reporter) was seen mostly in TV westerns. He was a stunt double for Vic Morrow. This is his only appearance with Lucille Ball.
There was no new “Here's Lucy” episode on Monday, November 6, 1968 because it was the eve of a US Presidential election. Instead, CBS sold the time slot to the George Wallace campaign, while Richard Nixon bought time on another network. Regular programming resumed later in the evening and Lucille Ball made a guest appearance (her second) on “The Carol Burnett Show.” So Lucy was still on Monday night!
This episode of “Here's Lucy” was aired on Veterans Day 1968.
Peggy Rea (Maude) introduced this episode on the “Here's Lucy” DVD collection. Rea passed away shortly afterwards.
Two days after this “Here's Lucy” episode originally aired, “Green Acres” broadcast the seventh episode of their fourth season, “A Husband for Eleanor” (their cow).
Eva Von Graunitz is the author of Valley of the Puppets, a title that parodies the 1966 Jacqueline Susann novel Valley of the Dolls, which was filmed in 1967. In the film, Peggy Rea (Maude) played Neely's (Patty Duke) vocal coach. Harry says that Valley of the Puppets was banned in Boston. Lucy adds that it was even barred in Tijuana!
"Lucille Ball is first in line to portray the big time star in ‘Valley of the Dolls,' which Fox script writers are busily turning into a musical. It will be really ironic if Lucy does play this part. The character in the book is often hinted to be Ethel Merman, presented in a not-too-favorable light, and Lucy and Ethel are close friends!" - Arizona Republic, January 3, 1967
The role of Helen Lawson was cast with Judy Garland, but she was quickly replaced by Susan Hayward.
Harry says he hasn't read anything like it since Captain Billy's Whiz Bang. Captain Billy's Whiz Bang was one of the most popular and notorious humor magazines of the 1920s. It was created by Wilford Hamilton Fawcett, who had been a captain in the US Army during World War I and gained the nickname Captain Billy. The books were immortalized in the lyrics of the song "Trouble" in Meredith Willson's 1957 Broadway musical The Music Man which was filmed in 1962. The reference, however, is anachronistic as the musical is set in 1912 and the first issue did not hit the newsstands until 1919, seven years later! The humor magazine was eventually sold to CBS Publications, a division of CBS, the network that distributed “Here's Lucy” and Lucille Ball's other sitcoms.
Harry compares his wise-cracking nephew Craig to Milton Berle. Berle guest starred on episodes of “The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour” and “The Lucy Show.” Desi Arnaz Jr. would co-stars with Berle on “Lucy and the Used Car Dealer” (S2;E9) above.
Craig is dating the most popular girl in the class, Lori Wilson. Despite this he seems smitten with Eva Von Graunitz. Eva Gabor was 48 years old at the time and Desi Arnaz Jr. was 15. In her thick Hungarian accent Eva calls Lucy 'Loosel'! The screenplay Eva is writing concerns a love affair between William and Veronica (or, as Eva says, Villiam and Weronica).
Dolores asks Eva for her autograph – on a copy of The Caine Mutiny, the 1951 Pulitzer Prize–winning novel by Herman Wouk. It was turned into a stage play in 1953 and also a film in 1954. The play is mentioned in “Lucy Meets Orson Welles” (ILL S6;E3).
Lucy gets a phone call from Millie, who is in her bowling league.
When a reporter pretends to be Eva's brother, she tells Lucy she has no brothers! Lucy asks about sisters. Eva rolls her eyes and says “Boy, oh, boy, oh, boy! Do I have sisters!” This is an inside reference to Gabor's famous siblings Zsa-Zsa and Magda.
Where there's water, Gale Gordon is sure to end up wet. Here he is on the receiving end of a flowing garden hose. This running gag began on “The Lucy Show.”
When Eva's agent Martin Phillips is at the door, Lucy says “I don't care if you're Tiny Tim!” This is the third reference to “Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In” where singer and ukulele player Tiny Tim was a regular performer. The variety comedy show aired opposite “Here's Lucy” on NBC.
The name of Eva's next book, Life with Lucille (or, as Eva says, 'Loosel'), is eerily close to the title of Lucille Ball's final television series Life with Lucy (1987).
The episode ends with role reversal, Lucy dictating to Eva, invoking the names of Cary Grant and John Vane (Wayne). John Wayne had guest starred as himself on both “I Love Lucy” and “The Lucy Show.” While Cary Grant never appeared with Lucille Ball, his name was mentioned three times on “I Love Lucy.”
Booby-trapping the front door with buckets designed to tip over was first done in “The Ballet” (ILL S1;E19) where Lucy Ricardo ended up drenched in water.
Sitcom logic alert! Mr. Phillips is looking for a 'normal family' where successful writer Eva Von Graunitz can live while she writes a screenplay. He is paying $500 a week. For that price he not might rent her a private home, apartment, or hotel room. If she desired privacy, why would she want a family environment?
Allergy Attack! Eva Gabor gives a little ladylike sneeze while hosing down the shrubbery.
Consistency! Eva says that Lucy (Loosel) will be the subject of her next book, yet as the episode fades to black Lucy is dictating a screenplay, not a book.
“Lucy and Eva Gabor” rates 4 Paper Hearts out of 5
Eva Gabor and Lucy are a lot of fun together. So much so that they re-paired in season 5, although by then Eva just played Eva, which is not so far from the Eva she’s playing here! Darling I love you, but give me Park Avenue!
The Tingler - William Castle 1959
Lou Costello-Gail Bonney "Abbott y Costello contra el asesino" (Abbott and Costello meet the killer, Boris Karloff) 1949, de Charles Barton.