#lollipop guild

[onefootin1941]

Harry Earles, Jerry Maren, and Jackie Gerlich, who became the Lollipop Guild kids in Munchkinland in "The Wizard of Oz" (1939)

[theankhst]

Poker Night Sketch card art.

[jilllovesmike]

Mike is in the middle. His first job… member of the Lollipop Guild.

[magicaldogtoto]

Some thoughts I had when I saw this Wizard of Oz-inspired Revue Starlight artwork:

1.) It seems unfair to make Karen, the protagonist, just a member of the Lollipop Guild (who appear in only one scene).

2.) Mahiru being Dorothy is perfect, since she shares Dorothy’s farm girl background.

3.) It’s funny to me how Claudine is Glinda, because I had the Claudine in my fanfic meet the actual Glinda (though I went ahead and based the Oz in my writing off of the books instead of the musical).

[hokeoutsider]

“Lollipop Guild”         Hoke...Ebay Outsider-Art Auction...April 22-29...                    Acrylic Painting on Wood...

https://www.ebay.com/sch/metrolux6/m.html?item=353467747938&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2562

[punkaesthetics-butnotreally]

{ Dorothy Gale Aesthetic }

[smolsupermemegirl]

SUGARLOLLIPOPARETHEBESTTYPEOFLOLLIPOPTHEYRESOSWEETANDCRUNCHYANDSONICEIMSOHAPPYRIGHTNOWOHLOOKAFIREFLYZOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

[papermoonloveslucy]

LUCY AND MA PARKER

S3;E15 ~ December 21, 1970

Directed by Herbert Kenwith ~ Written by Larry Rhine and Lou Derman

Synopsis

When a woman and two children mysteriously move in next door, Lucy discovers that they're a band of criminals led by Ma Parker. Reporting it to the police, Lucy is recruited to impersonate Ma Parker and help nab a dangerous mob leader.  

Regular Cast

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

Guest Cast

Carole Cook (Ma Parker) played Thelma Green on “The Lucy Show” as well as a host of other characters. She was a protege of Lucille Ball’s during the Desilu Playhouse years. Although born as Mildred Cook, Ball suggested she take the name Carole, in honor of Lucy’s great friend, Carole Lombard. Cook appeared in five episodes of “Here’s Lucy.”   

After many years of playing supporting characters opposite Lucille Ball, Carole Cook finally guest stars in a title role.

Billy Curtis (Herman Golab) was born Luigi Curto in 1909. He appeared as one of the Munchkins in The Wizard of Oz (1939).  Although Curtis was a singer, his munchkin singing voice was dubbed by Pinto Colvig, who voiced all the dogs in 1964's “Lucy is Her Own Lawyer” (TLS S2;E23).  He famously played McDonald's Mayor McCheese from its creation until his death. The character was retired when Curtis died in 1988.

Curtis's first job was as a shoe salesman, so it is coincidental that his costume resembles Buster Brown. Ironically, cast mate Jerry Maren played Buster Brown on television and radio during the 1950s and 1960s. 

Jerry Maren (Milton aka 'Little Mildred') played the Munchkin who hands Dorothy a welcome lollipop in The Wizard of Oz (1939). Like Curtis, he also did commercials for McDonald's, mostly as the Hamburglar.

Mildred is Carole Cook's birth name. The character is costumed in the style of Shirley Temple. 

Harry Hickox (Lieutenant L. Hickox, below left) was best known for playing anvil salesman Charlie Cowell in the 1962 film The Music Man. He played a drill sergeant in “Lucy Gets Caught Up in the Draft” (TLS S5;E9).  This is the second of his three episodes of “Here’s Lucy,” all as policemen. 

The character was named after Lucy and Desi’s real-life business manager and Desilu vice-president Andrew Hickox. It was also given to a character played by Charles Lane in “The Business Manager” (ILL S4;E1).

Stafford Repp (Police Detective Halloran, above right) made a career of playing policemen even before he became famous as Chief O'Hara on TV’s “Batman” (1966-68). He played two different officers of the law on “Dennis the Menace” in 1962 and 1963, alongside Gale Gordon. Repp made two appearances on “The Lucy Show,” but this is his only “Here's Lucy” episode.

The character is never addressed by name in the dialogue.  

Emile Autuori (Waiter at the Red Devil) makes the first of his six appearances on “Here's Lucy.”  He passed away in early 2017.  He was the uncle of writer / director P.J. Castalleneta.

Marc Lawrence (Joe Grapefruit) appeared on Broadway in three plays with the Group Theatre.  On screen, Lawrence specialized in playing gangster roles. He will also appear in “Lucy and Mannix Are Held Hostage” (S4;E4). Coincidentally, Lawrence appeared in three episodes of “Mannix,” which was a Desilu show.

Joe Grapefruit is a mobster from Chicago.  

Boyd 'Red' Morgan (Muggsy, above center) was an actor and stunt man who was seen in “Lucy and John Wayne” (TLS S5;E10), with whom he did eleven films. This is the third of his four episodes of “Here’s Lucy.”

Morgan was cast because the character takes a hit to the face and falls off a chair just as he did in “Lucy, the American Mother” (S3;E7).

Mickey Martin (Customer #1 at the Red Devil, uncredited, below center) appeared with Lucille Ball in the 1934 film Kid Millions starring Eddie Cantor. He was also an uncredited extra in the 1947 Elizabeth Taylor film Cynthia. This is the last of his three episodes of “Here’s Lucy.”  

Orwin Harvey (Customer #2 at the Red Devil, above left) was an actor and stuntman who played one of the singing and dancing teamsters in “Lucy Helps Ken Berry” (TLS S6;E21). This is one of his six appearances on “Here’s Lucy.” 

Harvey plays the burly man at the bar that Lucy lifts over her head. Both Customer #1 and #2 do not have any dialogue but were cast for their size. 

Tony Dante (Customer of the Red Devil, uncredited) made more than 20 uncredited appearances on Desilu's “The Untouchables.” He also did two episodes of “The Lucy Show.” Walter Smith (Customer of the Red Devil, uncredited) made 13 mostly uncredited appearances on the series. He also did one episode of “The Lucy Show.”  

Joan Carey (Customer of the Red Devil, uncredited) was one of the only background performers to appear on “I Love Lucy,” “The Lucy Show,” and “Here’s Lucy.” She was also one of Lucille Ball’s camera and lighting stand-ins. 

Other customers and staff of the Red Devil are played by uncredited background performers.

On the series DVD, the episode is introduced by Carole Cook and Jerry Maren, who says that the next day on the golf course he was ribbed for playing 'Little Mildred'!  

The title character is a parody of Kate 'Ma' Barker (inset), the mother of several criminals who ran the Barker gang in the 1930s. She traveled with her sons during their criminal careers. She was previously mentioned in “Lucy and the Great Bank Robbery” (TLS S3;E5).

In 2007, Jerry Maren (Milton) appeared at Jamestown's annual Lucille Ball Festival to discuss filming this episode. While being interviewed, he received a surprise phone call from Desi Arnaz Jr.

Ma Parker was also the name of one of TV’s “Batman” villains. She was played by Shelley Winters (inset), who guest starred on a 1968 episode of “Here's Lucy.” Winters is just one of many actors who performed on both “Batman” and “Lucy”.

When Lucy gets her head stuck in the hedge while spying on the neighbors, Kim calls her mother “Snoopy Sales.” Milton Supman (aka Soupy Sales, 1926-2009) was best known for his local and network children's television show, “Lunch with Soupy Sales” (1953-66), a series of comedy sketches frequently ending with Sales receiving a pie in the face, which became his trademark. From 1968 to 1975, he was a regular panelist on the syndicated revival of “What's My Line?”

When Lucy picks up the garden hose, a napping Harry is awakened by a shower. The well-known “Here's Lucy” formula: Harry + Garden Hose = Wet!

Typical of Lucille Ball's sitcom style (and the overall tone of this episode), the 'children' are dressed in outfits that are vaudeville stereotypes of children, not as children would be in 1970.

Lucy gives the 'children' lollipops; appropriate since Jerry Maren played one of the Lollipop Guild in The Wizard of Oz (1939). Additionally, Lucy carries a basket similar to Dorothy Gale's.

Lucy Ricardo was suspicious of her “New Neighbors” (ILL S1;E21) who were also suspected criminals (suspected by Lucy, that is). Lucy disguised herself as an armchair and hid in their closet to spy on them!

Lucy Carmichael developed super-human strength in “Lucy, the Super Woman” (TLS S4;E26).  

Skill Set!  Lucy sits down at Ma Parker's piano to sing the neighborhood welcome song, but Lucy Carter has never been able to play the piano, just the saxophone and the ukulele.

Props! The stein on Ma Parker's end table is the same one seen in in Rudy Vallee's living room table in “Lucy and Rudy Vallee” (S3;E12).

Foy Flaw!  In the medium shots of Customer #2 at the bar, the wires that will help Lucy lift him in the air can be seen.

When Lieutenant Hickox (disguised as waiter) handcuffs Joe Grapefruit, he also must rip off his false beard with the other hand. Unfortunately, half his mustache stays glued to his face. He quickly does a second motion and rips it off, too!  

“Lucy and Ma Parker” rates 1 Paper Heart out of 5 

The scene where Lucy visits Ma Parker as part of the neighborhood welcome wagon feels like a satire or a sketch show – something Lucy and company might act out in one of their musical episodes, but lacks any sense of reality. Lucy behaves in a presentational manner as if she's putting on an act. I suppose that is what she felt necessary to pull off the premise of not recognizing adult little people in costumes. But when she mistakes actual machine gun fire for cork bullets and lifts a big man over her head, well... so much for Lucille Ball's credo of sticking close to the truth. The final scene is missing one key element – the 'real' Ma Parker!  Additionally, some of the comedy in this episode is derived from insulting remarks and jokes about little people. In 1970 the term 'midget' was still socially acceptable.