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LUCY THE PROCESS SERVER

S1;E3 ~ October 7, 1968

Directed by Jack Donohue ~ Written by George Balzer and Phil Leslie

Synopsis

Lucy plans a picnic on the beach with Kim and Craig but is called in to work by Harry, who asks her to deliver a summons and make a bank deposit. Lucy gets the two mixed-up and loses the envelope of cash in a department store trash bin.

Regular Cast

Lucille Ball (Lucy Carter), Gale Gordon (Harrison Otis Carter), Lucie Arnaz (Kim Carter), Desi Arnaz Jr. (Craig Carter)

Guest Cast

Reta Shaw (Mabel Ryker) started her career on the stage in such hits as Picnic (1953) and The Pajama Game (1954), for which she also did the film versions. She is best known for playing maids, such as in Disney’s Mary Poppins (1964) and TV’s “The Ghost and Mrs. Muir” (1968-1970), which she filmed concurrently with “Here's Lucy.” She made three appearances on “The Lucy Show” and she will make two more on “Here’s Lucy.”

Jonathan Hole (Floorwalker) was seen in eight Broadway plays between 1924 and 1934. His screen career began in 1951. This is the first of his two appearances on the series. He also played a department store employee in “Lucy Bags a Bargain” (TLS S4;E17) in addition to one other role on “The Lucy Show.”

Joan Swift (Salesgirl #1) made six appearances on “The Lucy Show.” This is the first of her two episodes of “Here’s Lucy.” Her final screen credit was 1975’s “Lucy Gets Lucky” with Lucille Ball and Dean Martin.

Vanda Barra (Salesgirl #2) was married to Sid Gould so is Lucille Ball’s cousin-in-law. She makes the first of her 23 appearances on “Here’s Lucy” as well as appearing in Ball’s two 1975 TV movies “Lucy Gets Lucky” (with Dean Martin) and “Three for Two” (with Jackie Gleason). She was seen in half a dozen episodes of “The Lucy Show.”

Joan Carey (Customer, above left background, uncredited) was a background performer who worked on “I Love Lucy”, “The Lucy Show” and “Here’s Lucy.” She was Lucille Ball’s camera and lighting stand-in during “The Lucy Show.”

Frank Radcliffe (Stockboy #1) was known as as a specialty dancer in Hollywood musicals like My Fair Lady (1964), Sweet Charity (1969), and Li'l Abner (1959), among others. This is his only television appearance and the only time he received screen credit for his work.

Maurice Kelly (Stockboy #2) was an English-born actor who played a student in “Lucy and Viv Take Up Chemistry” (TLS S1;E26). This is the first of his three appearances on “Here's Lucy.” He died at the young age of 46 in 1974.

Kathryn Janssen (Customer, uncredited) began doing background work in 1966. She was often seen on both “The Lucy Show” and “Here’s Lucy.”

Writer Phil Leslie had written one episode of “The Lucy Show.” This is the first of his four episodes of “Here's Lucy.” George Balzer was a longtime writer for Jack Benny making his debut writing for Lucille Ball. With Leslie, he will write three more episodes of “Here's Lucy.”

The date this episode first aired the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) adopted their film rating system. The only new Lucille Ball feature film to be rated by the MPAA after this date was Mame (1974, which was also Ball's last feature film) which received a PG rating: Parental Guidance Suggested – Some material may not be suitable for children. This PG rating was not added to the system until 1972 to replace M (Mature Audiences) and then GP (All Ages Admitted – Parental Guidance Suggested).

Regarding the episode's title: Process servers are employed to notify individuals of their constitutional right to due process of law by “serving” them with a notification that states the legal issue that involves them. Originally, legal papers were typically served by a sheriff. As cities expanded in the United States this duty become a burden on law enforcement creating the need for lay individuals to deliver these papers legally and in a timely manner.

As the episode opens and closes, Lucy is singing “By the Beautiful Sea” in anticipation of their beach picnic. “By the Beautiful Sea” was written by Harry Carroll and Harold R. Atteridge in 1914 for the Broadway musical For Me and My Gal. It was sung by Lucy and the “I Love Lucy” cast in “Mertz and Kurtz” (ILL S4;E2).

The client that wants the summons delivered is named Mr. Draper. Harry speaks to him on the telephone.

Lucy is sent to find Mrs. Ryker at the (fictional) Empire Department Store.

Craig's mentions a friend named Danny.

When Craig says he has some bad news Lucy wearily sits down and says “I have a feeling this is going to be sock-it-to-me time!” “Sock it to me!” was the catch phrase of “Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In,” which aired opposite “Here's Lucy” on NBC. Dan Rowan and Dick Martin were both seen on “The Lucy Show” before landing their hit comedy variety show.

This is not the first time Lucy has been employed to serve a summons. Lucy Carmichael was assigned the task in “Lucy is a Process Server” (TLS S2;E27) where she had to serve Mr. Mooney (Gale Gordon)!

Lucille Ball has had a history of troubles in department stores, first at Macy's in “Lucy and Orson Welles” (ILL S6;E3), then at Stacey's in “Lucy Bags a Bargain” (TLS S4;E17, above) also starring Jonathan Hole and “Lucy Gets Trapped” (TLS S6;E2), as well as at Bigelow's in “Lucy and the Ceramic Cat” (TLS S3;E16).

Lucille Ball also had an encounter with a department store mannequin in the 1974 film Mame that involved dismemberment of the dummy!

Although as a rule background performers would only appear once in an episode, this woman appears in a red hat, then again wearing a yellow sweater. [Thanks to the Lucy Lounge for spotting this!]

“Lucy is a Process Server” rates 4 Paper Hearts out of 5

Although it feels a bit familiar at times, the script of this episode has a very clever (if a bit contrived) ending that ends with all the loose ends being tied up: justice is served AND Lucy and the kids get their picnic – albeit in the living room!

Lucy the Babysitter

S5;E16 ~ January 16, 1967

Synopsis

When Mr. Mooney challenges Lucy to find another job, she goes to an employment agency that sends her out to babysit – a family of chimpanzees!

Regular Cast

Lucille Ball (Lucy Carmichael), Gale Gordon (Theodore J. Mooney)

Mary Jane Croft (Mary Jane Lewis) and Roy Roberts (Mr. Cheever) do not appear in this episode.

Guest Cast

Mary Wickes (Mrs. Winslow) was one of Lucille Ball's closest friends and at one time, a neighbor. She made a memorable appearances on “I Love Lucy” as ballet mistress Madame Lamond in “The Ballet” (ILL S1;E19). In her initial “Lucy Show” appearances her characters name was Frances, but she then made four more as a variety of characters including as Mary Jane's Aunt Gussie. Wickes appeared in nine episodes of “Here’s Lucy.” Their final collaboration on screen was “Lucy Calls the President” in 1977.

The last time Wickes appeared on the series was “Lucy and the Sleeping Beauty” (S4;E9) which starred Clint Walker as Frank Winslow, the same surname that Mary Wickes is given here.

Elvia Allman (Miss Allman) is best remembered as the barking Candy Factory foreman in “Job Switching” (ILL S2;E1) although she also played four other characters on “I Love Lucy”. She last appeared on the series in “Lucy Bags a Bargain” (S4;E17) co-starring Jonathan Hole, who also appears in this episode.

Elvia Allman uses her own name in this episode. She runs the Unique Employment Agency.

Jonathan Hole (Jonathan Winslow) was seen in eight Broadway plays between 1924 and 1934. His screen career began in 1951. This is the second of his three appearances on the series. He also did two episodes of “Here’s Lucy.”

Joyce Smith (Sister) was a member of the English singing group The Vernon Girls, first formed in Liverpool in 1953.

The Marquis Chimps began appearing on television in 1955. Their trainer was Gene Detroy. They appeared in several TV commercials and on “The Ed Sullivan Show.” The chimps were the (non-human) stars of the sitcom “The Hathaways” (1961-62) in which a suburban couple kept three performing chimps as their children. The program lasted just one season on ABC. The act's last TV appearance was in 1976.

Mary Wickes says the chimps names are Danny (red striped shirt), Charlie (black striped shirt), and Bobbie (short for Roberta, the baby). Charlie was the only one to have been billed on “The Hathaways” although “The Lucy Show” may have changed the names of the other two to make the names easier for Lucy to say and remember.

This episode as well as the entire fifth season of “The Lucy Show” (except for "Lucy Puts Main Street on the Map”) inadvertently fell out of copyright protection and entered public domain resulting in many low-quality VHS and DVD editions.

A black and white publicity still sent to media outlets.

Seeing Lucy trying to fix her new electric typewriter with the heel of her shoe, Mr. Mooney says “Those boots were made for walking,” a reference to the Nancy Sinatra hit song of 1966 “These Boots Are Made For Walkin’.” Lucy prefers her old manual typewriter saying “Tom Edison himself couldn't work this one.” Although Thomas Alva Edison (1847-1931) is credited with many modern innovations, the typewriter is not one of them. The first commercially viable typewriter is credited to inventor and politician Christopher Latham Sholes (1819-90).

Lucy is trying to get used to her new electric typewriter - if she can remember to plug it in! Once she gets the hang of it, she says:

“It practically types by itself! I bet someday they do invent a typewriter that types by itself!”

Is Lucy predicting the advent of voice recognition software? Her fanciful wish has become a reality - without the clunky hardware.

Lucy Carmichael says she lives at the Glenhall Apartments, 780 North Gower Street. This was actually the address of Desilu Studios (formerly RKO, now Paramount) in Hollywood!

When doing a word association test with Miss Allman, Lucy connects “hair” with “dye” and then remarks “I just use a little henna.” Lucille Ball started coloring her hair with Egyptian henna in 1942, to set herself apart in technicolor movies. Her hair stylist Irma Kusely was instructed to keep the formula under top secret. In “The Publicity Agent” (ILL S1;E31) Lucy claims that she's “not a 'maharincess' but a 'henna-rinsess'.” When a heavily bandaged Lucy thinks there's a fire in the apartment during “Fred and Ethel Fight” (ILL S1;E22) the only thing she tries to save are two bottles of Henna Rinse!

She then associates the word “carry” with “Grant,” remarking that “these days he can use a babysitter.” In 1966, actor Cary Grant became a father at the age of 62 and retired from screen acting. A favorite of Lucy Ricardo's, Grant's name was mentioned five times on “I Love Lucy,” although the closest Lucille Ball ever got to working with Grant was on TV variety specials and award shows.

To demonstrate her fitness for a babysitting job, Lucy's repeats her mother's child-rearing poem:

“If you want a happy baby, here's the thing to try. Keep one end fed and the other dry.”

Lucy tells the woman at the employment agency that her two children are away at school, one of the few mentions of Chris and Jerry (who she last referred to as Jimmy) in quite a while.

Lucy tells Bobbie to say her prayers before going to bed and the chimp clasps her hands in the traditional praying position. This was obviously one of the ‘tricks’ that the chimps knew and was integrated into the script. “Lucy” shows rarely talk about religion. The notable exception is Lucy Ricardo telling Little Ricky to go to bed and say his prayers in “The I Love Lucy Christmas Show”.

The Winslows live at 1711 Valley Meadow Road. Valley Meadow Road is a real street in Sherman Oaks, California, outside of Los Angeles, although in reality there is no number 1711.

Then entire second half of this episode consists of Lucille Ball (age 55) ad libbing dialogue and business as the chimps went through certain set comic routines, their trainer just off camera. A cigarette smoker, Ball is noticeably winded by her ordeal with the unpredictable chimps.

This is the first time live chimps have been part of a “Lucy Show” episode. Previously, simian characters were played by actors in monkey suits. The Marquis Chimps join a long line of live animal actors Lucy has shared the set with: dogs, sheep, seals, dolphins, donkeys, deer, goats, geese, turkeys, chickens, rabbits, birds, cows, horses, and bears. Many more will turn up in future episodes and on “Here's Lucy.”

Charlie turns on the TV and a soap opera is on. Lucy tells him to turn it off – he's too young for “Peyton Place.” This is the third mention of the phenomenally successful TV show. Based on a 1956 novel, “Peyton Place” was a primetime soap opera that aired on ABC from 1964 to 1969. The title has become synonymous with the romantic problems and scandals of small-town life. It was previously mentioned in “Lucy and Joan” (S4;E4) and “Lucy's Substitute Secretary” (S5;E14).

When Lucy sings “Rock-a-bye Baby” to Bobby, Charlie gives her the raspberry. Lucy says “Barbra Streisand I'm not.” From 1963 to 1968 singer Barbra Streisand was nominated for multiple Grammy Awards, winning several. At the time this episode was filmed, Streisand had not yet made her first film, an adaptation of her stage hit Funny Girl in 1968. She is now considered one of the most successful entertainment artists in the history of show business.

Lucy plays Brahms' Lullaby on an electric organ that the Winslow's just happen to have in the chimps' bedroom. Charlie once again gives Lucy a raspberry so she says “if you think you can do any better, you play.” Naturally Charlie does! Both Lucy and Charlie's playing is dubbed from an offstage organ.

One of the toys in the chimp’s bedroom is Clancy The Great, a plastic-cast roller skating monkey, not unlike the Marquis Chimps, who also roller skate. He had pose-able arms and a removable cap. It was manufactured by Ideal Toys in 1963.

Callbacks!

Lucy Ricardo was babysitter to rambunctious twins in “The Amateur Hour” (ILL S1;E14). When taking the job, she tells Ethel that “for $5 an hour I'd babysit with a baby gorilla!” Be careful what you wish for! The babysitting job to mind three Winslow “children” pays $5 and hour. Fifteen years earlier Lucy Ricardo earned the same amount for sitting with the Hudson twins. In this episode Danny and Charlie Winslow play cowboys and Indians just like Jimmy and Timmy Hudson did in 1952.

Elvia Allman was also in the episode where Lucy Ricardo went to the Acme Employment Agency and found employment at the Candy Factory in “Job Switching” (ILL S2;E1).

Next to the chimps' bunk bed is a yellow hound dog toy (possibly Disney's Pluto), several of which were used in the toy factory scene in “Lucy and the Efficiency Expert” (S5;E13, inset photo).

Elephants are not new to Desilu. The final visual gag of “The Kleptomaniac” (ILL S1;E27) also featured a baby elephant. Lucy Carmichael dealt with a massive full-grown pachyderm in “Lucy Misplaces $2000” (S1;E4). In 1965, Lucille Ball rode down a NYC street atop an elephant for the premiere episode of “The Steve Lawrence Show.” Ball was slated to play Angel the Elephant Girl in Cecil B. DeMille’s 1952 film The Greatest Show on Earth but fate intervened and Ball got pregnant and never got to make the film.

Flash Forward!

Lucy visits the Unique Employment Agency when looking for a new job. This is the name of the employment agency Lucy and Harry (Gale Gordon) Carter work for in “Here's Lucy.” In script supervisor Milt Josefsberg's book on comedy writing, he described how they reused the concept for a unique employment agency as the basis for Lucille Ball's new show. In this episode their motto is “Odd Jobs for odd people” but in “Here's Lucy” it is changed to “Unusual jobs for unusual people.”

Live chimps were also seen on several episodes of “Here’s Lucy”.

A brief clip from the episode is used in episode 2 “Gone Ape” of the HBO 2024 docuseries Chimp Crazy.

Blooper Alerts!

Experience Required! Lucy tells Miss Allman that she has two years of business college but in “Lucy's College Reunion” (S2;E11), we learn that Lucy Carmichael attended (fictional) Milroy University, a four-year liberal arts college.

Never Work With Children & Animals! Although not seen on screen, the baby elephant brought on at the end of the episode went wild and pushed Mary Wickes into one of the prop trees. The trainer had to physically subdue the elephant to get it away from Wickes, who injured her arm. Lucille Ball quickly scooped up the baby chimps in her arms to protect them. The final cut ends with the entrance of the baby elephant.

Hole in the Wall! Two months earlier, Jonathan Hole played Mr. Haskell, a hotel manager, in “Lucy and Carol in Palm Springs” (S5;E8) where he stood in front of the same stone wall backdrop that he does here. The only difference is the foliage.

“Lucy the Babysitter” rates 4 Paper Hearts out of 5

Lucy Bags a Bargain

S4;E17~ January 17, 1966

Synopsis

Lucy wants to buy a new dinette set, but Mr. Mooney won't give her the money so she takes a job at the department store. She gets moved around from department to department finally landing in sporting goods, where she wreaks havoc.

Regular Cast

Lucille Ball (Lucy Carmichael), Gale Gordon (Theodore J. Mooney)

Mary Jane Croft (Mary Jane Lewis) does not appear in this episode.

Guest Cast

Jonathan Hole (Mr. Collins, Stacey's Manager) was seen in eight Broadway plays between 1924 and 1934. His screen career began in 1951. This is the first of his three appearances on the series. He also did two episodes of “Here's Lucy.”

Barbara Morrison (Mrs. Walker) was an English-born actress making the first of her two appearances on “The Lucy Show.” She also plays an irate shopper in “Lucy’s Working Daughter,” a 1968 episode of “Here's Lucy,” in addition to two other episodes.

Mrs. Walker says she is a close friend of the store's owner as well as being a large stock holder. The character's name may have been influenced by the 1947 film Miracle on 34th Street in which a mother and daughter named Walker (Maureen O'Hara and Natalie Wood) have an encounter with Santa Claus while working at Macy's Department Store. William Frawley (Fred Mertz) was also in the film.

Donald Foster (Vernon Walker) was a veteran of 31 Broadway shows between 1917 and 1956. On TV he is probably best remembered as Herbert Johnson on “Hazel” (1961-1964). This is his only appearance with Lucille Ball.

Elvia Allman (Hat Customer) is best remembered as the barking Candy Factory foreman in “Job Switching” (ILL S2;E1) although she also played four other characters as well. She will make one more appearances on the series in “Lucy the Babysitter” (S5;E16).

Amzie Strickland (Hat Saleswoman) appeared with Lucille Ball in three films before playing Don Loper's salesgirl in “The Fashion Show” (ILL S4;E9).

Natalie Masters (Miss Murray, Home Funishings Saleswoman) played private eye "Candy Matson" on the radio series of the same name, which ran on NBC from 1949 to 1951. She will make one more appearance on “The Lucy Show.”

Bennett Green (Customer) was Desi Arnaz’s stand-in during “I Love Lucy.” He does occasional background work on “The Lucy Show.”

Joel Marston (Father) previously appeared as the supermarket clerk in “Lucy and Joan” (S4;E4). Marston was an internationally known dog breeder and proprietor of Starcrest Kennels in California. This is the second of his three appearances on the series. He retired to Jacksonville, Florida, where he became a water aerobics instructor.

Sid Gould (Wilcox) made more than 45 appearances on “The Lucy Show,” all as background characters. He also did 40 episodes of “Here’s Lucy.” Gould (born Sydney Greenfader) was Lucille Ball’s cousin by marriage to Gary Morton. Gould was married to Vanda Barra, who also appeared on “The Lucy Show” starting in 1967, as well as on “Here’s Lucy.”

Roy Rowan (Store Announcer) was the off-camera announcer for every episode of radio’s “My Favorite Husband,” “I Love Lucy” as well as “The Lucy Show” and “Here’s Lucy.” He was also the voice heard when TV or radio programs were featured on the plot of all three shows. He made a couple of on screen appearances as well.

Barbara Perry (Customer with the Green Sweater) makes the second of her two appearances on “The Lucy Show.” As of this writing she is still acting in TV and film.

Coincidentally, in her previous appearance as a frenzied housewife, Perry wore an over-sized cardigan sweater.

Renita Reachi (Customer, uncredited) was a costumer for “The Lucy Show” from 1966 to 1968. She was also Vivian Vance’s camera and lighting stand-in for “I Love Lucy” and “The Lucy Show.” She was a costumer and/or made crowd appearances on “Here’s Lucy” and the Lucille Ball films Yours, Mine and Ours (1968) and Mame (1974).

Reachi is the customer holding a green sweater who tells Lucy that the crowd is because sweaters are on sale.

Paula Ray (Customer, uncredited) makes third and final appearance on the series. She was first seen as a member of the Danfield Art Society in “Lucy Gets Her Maid” (S3;E11).

Louise Lane (Customer, uncredited) makes the third of her four background appearances on “The Lucy Show.”

Lovyss Bradley (Customer, uncredited) appeared several times on the Desilu series “The Untouchables”. This is her only appearances with Lucille Ball.

Joan Carey (Customer, uncredited) was a frequent background player on “I Love Lucy” and “The Lucy Show,” taking over as Lucy’s stand-in during this series. More than two dozen uncredited female extras play the frenzied shoppers and store staff at the bargain sale.

This is the first and only episode written by Henry Taylor, who teamed with Howard Ostroff, who penned two previous episodes in 1964.

The episode was filmed on October 21, 1965.

While working days for Mr. Mooney at the Westland Bank, Lucy moonlights at Stacey's Department Store in the Westland Shopping Center.

The dinette set that Lucy wants to buy is $99 plus tax but she looks at the price tag upside down and thinks it is only $66.

Lucy tells the customer shopping for a cocktail hat (Elvia Allman) that the black pillbox seems made especially for her, or Elizabeth Taylor. She then adds that if she ran into Richard Burton it would confuse him! Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton were married in 1964. They will guest-star as themselves on a 1970 episode of “Here's Lucy.” Pillbox hats were popularized in the 1960s by First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy.

Lucy says that she can even do the Watusi on stilts, but Mr. Collins tells her to leave the dancing to Fred Astaire. The Watusi was heard on the radio in “Lucy, the Rain Goddess” (S4;E15) and danced by Lucy, Viv and their sons in “Chris's New Year's Eve Party” (S1;E14). Dancer Fred Astaire starred in four films with Lucille Ball and was mentioned in the dialogue of “I Love Lucy.”

Walking on stilts, Lucy says that they are marvelous in Los Angeles because on a clear day you can see Catalina. Santa Catalina Island is located 22 miles from downtown Los Angeles. During the Ricardo's and Mertz's stay in Hollywood, they twice mention wanting to go to Catalina, but never got there.

Mrs. Walker calls Lucy Typhoid Mary. In “Lucy the Stock Holder” (S3;E25) Mr. Mooney called Viv Typhoid Mary. Cook Mary Mallon (1869-1938) was an asymptomatic carrier of the typhoid virus. She is said to have infected 22 people, three of whom died.

One of the few brand names on the shelf of the sporting goods department is the Wham-O Super Ball. It was first introduced in 1964 and quickly became one of the most popular toys of the decade. Made from a synthetic rubber called Zectron, it was known for its incredible bounce — up to several times higher than a normal rubber ball.

In the course of her employment at Stacey's, Lucy sells or demonstrates: perfume, ladies' hats, shoes, skin diving equipment, stilts, pogo sticks, fishing poles, ping pong balls, basketballs, handballs, and a motorized skateboard!

Callbacks!

Stacey's Department Store is undoubtedly named to sound like Macy's Department Store. Lucy Ricardo shopped in Macy's in “Lucy and Orson Welles” (ILL S6;E2).

Lucille Ball’s Mame Dennis roller skated through Macy’s in the movie Mame (1974).

Lucy also goes furniture shopping and mistakes the prices in “Lucy Gets Chummy with the Neighbors” (ILL S6;E18).

Lucy first walked on stilts in “Lucy and Her Electric Mattress” (S1;E12). As usual, she gets a round of applause from the studio audience for the stunt.

While working for Stacey's, Lucy is transferred from department to department just as Lucy Ricardo was when working for Kramer's Candy Kitchen in “Job Switching” (ILL S2;E2). The episode also featured Elvia Allman. In this episode Jonathan Hole (Mr. Collins) functions in the same capacity as Elvia Allman did in 1953, even repeating some of the same dialogue.

Lucy Carmichael wore scuba gear in “Lucy the Chaperone” (S1;E27) while Lucy Ricardo wore a skin diving mask in Macy's sporting goods department in “Lucy Meets Orson Welles” (ILL S6;E3).

Back in Danfield, Lucy also had problems at a department store when she broke into Bigelow's, a store named after one found in Lucille Ball's hometown of Jamestown, New York.

Blooper Alerts

Boom! As Lucy is on stilts reaching for a hand ball for Mr. Mooney the camera pans up and the shadow of the boom mic is visible.

“Lucy Bags a Bargain” rates 5 Paper Hearts out of 5