THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH
“Lady in Limbo” (S1;E13) ~ December 10, 1963
Circus boss Johnny Slate (Jack Palance) is trying to decide which of his acts to send to Russia for a cultural exchange program with the Moscow Circus. Horse trainer Kate Reynolds (Lucille Ball) wants the coveted spot. When menagerie feeder Charles is mauled by one of Kirov's trained bears and dies, it leaves his young son Jeff (Billy Mumy) alone. Coldly ambitious Kate takes care of the boy until Slate locates his spinster Aunt Agatha (Irene Tedrow). Jeff wants to stay with Kate and their separation is surprisingly difficult for her. Unhappy, Jeff runs away from his Aunt and returns to the circus and hides with the help of Kirov (Roger C. Carmel). In the end, Kate and Agatha agree that Jeff belongs with the circus and Kate will be his guardian.
Written by Tom Waldman and Frank Waldman
Jack Palance (Johnny Slate) was a TV and film ‘heavy’ who won an Oscar in 1991 for the comedy City Slickers. It was his third Academy Award nomination. Palance made his stage debut in The Big Two in 1947 and immediately followed it understudying Marlon Brando as Stanley Kowalski in the Broadway classic A Streetcar Named Desire, a role he eventually took over. This is his only acting appearance with Lucille Ball.
Lucille Ball plays hard-boiled circus performer and horse trainer Kate Reynolds. The show is a drama and Ball plays it straight and serious. This episode was filmed while she was doing the second season of “The Lucy Show.”
Kate reveals that she was a 17 year-old widow with a child on the way, but that she lost the baby.
Roger C. Carmel (Kirov) would famously work for Desi Arnaz as Roger Buell in “The Mothers-In-Law” until he was replaced by Richard Deacon for the show's second season. He died at age 54. This is his only appearances opposite Lucille Ball.
Billy Mumy (Jeff) is perhaps one of Hollywood's most famous child actors, making his mark as young Will Robinson in “Lost in Space” (1965-68). He was nine years old at the time of this episode. His “Lost in Space” co-star Marta Kristen would also guest star on the “The Greatest Show On Earth” four months later.
Irene Tedrow (Agatha Potter, Jeff's Aunt) was first known as Mrs. Janet Archer in the popular radio serial “Meet Corliss Archer” (1943-52) which she transferred to TV for one season in 1951. She was twice nominated for an Emmy Award and appeared in hundreds of episodic guest appearances for nearly 35 years. Never a series regular, she is probably best remembered as the kindly Mrs. Elkins who appeared occasionally on “Dennis the Menace” (1959-63) opposite Lucy's Gale Gordon.
Robert F. Simon (Mr. Greenwalt, Attorney) appeared on a 1966 episode of “The Lucy Show” and with Hope and Ball in the 1960 film The Facts of Life.
Dabbs Greer (Charles, Jeff's Father) was a familiar character man who made appearances on television from 1950 to 2003.
Ralph Manza (Acrobat) was a popular character actor who made guest appearances on both the 1959 and the 1985 versions of “The Twilight Zone.”
David Bond (Hotel Desk Clerk) is probably best remembered as Tremblay in “The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis” (1959-63).
Bill Erwin (Johnny, Food Truck Cook) worked with Lucille Ball in the 1949 film Easy Living. He played a Brooklyn hobo in “Lucy and the Loving Cup” (ILL S6;E12).
Stanley Farrar (Circus Manager) was previously seen in two episodes of “I Love Lucy” and subsequently appeared in two episodes of “The Lucy Show.” He was also seen in the 1964 special “Mr. and Mrs.” with Lucille Ball and Bob Hope.
Tura Santana (Showgirl Modeling Costume) started exotic dancing when she was only 13 years old. She integrated acrobatics, humor, and sensual beauty to her dancing art form.
Ivan the Magnificent (Black Bear)
Desilu Production Team who also worked on “I Love Lucy”
Jerry Thorpe (Production Executive); Assistant Director of “I Love Lucy”
Jack Aldworth (Assistant Producer); Assistant Director of “I Love Lucy”
Wilbur Hatch (Music Supervisor); Musical Director / Conductor of “I Love Lucy”
Hal King (Make-Up); Make-Up on “I Love Lucy”
Irma Kusely (Hair Stylist); Hairstylist on “I Love Lucy”
Glen Glenn Sound Co.; Sound Company on “I Love Lucy”
Aired on ABC TV, “The Greatest Show on Earth” faced competition from two comedy programs on CBS: “Petticoat Junction” and the long-running “The Jack Benny Program.” NBC aired “The Richard Boone Show” during the same 9pm Tuesday slot. The series was canceled after one season and 30 hour-long episodes. Although filmed in color, it was aired in black and white.
This is widely considered to be Lucille Ball’s first dramatic appearance on television.
Each episode told a self-contained story with Jack Palance's character of Tommy Slate the only one to appear in all 30 shows. The minor character of Bill King (not seen in this episode, but played by Stuart Erwin) was seen in seven episodes. In addition to Lucy, celebrity guest appearances were made by Don Ameche, Joe E. Brown, Hugh O'Brien, Harry Guardino, Spring Byington, Buster Keaton, Joan Blondell, Sheree North, Eddie Albert, Bradford Dilman, Fabian, John Astin, Nina Foch, Anthony Fanciosa, Dennis Hopper, Sal Mineo, Ricardo Montalban, Martha Scott, Brenda Vaccaro, Tuesday Weld, Edgar Bergen, Ellen Burstyn, Rory Calhoun, William Demarest, Bruce Dern, Annette Funicello, Dwayne Hickman, Arte Johnson, Russell Johnson, Louis Jourdan, Ruby Keeler, Agnes Moorehead, Yvonne De Carlo, Julie Newmar, Barry Nelson, Tony Dow, Cornel Wilde, Larry Storch, and Lucy's old friend and “I Love Lucy” day player, Barbara Pepper as the Fat Lady.
Cornel Wilde and Betty Hutton were in both the film and the series, although in different roles.
Jeff (writing): “I've got the Pentagon and the White House. What's another important building in Washington DC?”
Kate (rattling it off): “The Uline Arena. We play there the last week in March. You make an entrance from under the bandstand. You'd better bring your own pink gelatins or you work in a white light. There's a Chinese restaurant about a block away and they send out.”
The Uline Arena (aka The Washington Coliseum) has been described as a “triumph of concrete” when it first opened in 1939 and was later the sight of the first American concert by the Beatles on February 11th 1964. It had a capacity of 7 to 9 thousand people. The building closed in 1986, but was listed as a historic structure and has been renovated and houses offices and a REI store.
The episode incorporates stock footage of the Ringling Brothers Circus in action into the studio shot film.
The title of both the film and the series were inspired by the trademarked description of the Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey circus. John Ringling North made a cameo appearance as himself in the film as did their premiere clown, Emmett Kelly.
Lucy’s Complex History with ‘The Greatest Show on Earth’
In 1949, Lucille Ball agreed to make the film The Magic Carpet in a power play with Harry Cohn of Columbia Studios. She desperately wanted to do Cecil B. DeMille's upcoming film The Greatest Show on Earth, but when she asked Cohn to loan her out, he sadistically cast her in The Magic Carpet, thinking that it was such an awful script that Ball would refuse to do it, then he could suspend her, and refuse to loan her out. Instead, Lucille called his bluff and cheerfully accepted the film, knowing that it was a quickie that would be wrapped by the time The Greatest Show on Earth started filming. Fate intervened and Lucille got pregnant with her daughter Lucie and never got to make the film, but if she had, perhaps she never would have made her greatest show on earth, “I Love Lucy.”
It was her husband Desi Arnaz who went into business mode and told Lucy to "grab her $85,000 fee and run." Lucy told Harry Cohn she was pregnant only after the The Magic Carpet had been completed. Cohn reportedly called her a ‘bitch’ and was incensed at having to pay her contracted fee. Cecil DeMille is quoted as saying,
"Congratulations Mr. Arnaz, You are the only man to ever screw his wife, Cecil B. DeMille, Paramount Pictures, and Harry Cohn, all at the same time."
Lucille Ball was supposed to play Angel the Elephant Girl. Her role in the film was assumed by Gloria Grahame (above), who went on to play Ado Annie in the 1955 film version of the musical Oklahoma! The role Lucy plays in the television version (horse trainer and equestrian Kate Reynolds) is a new role written for the series, which was produced by Desilu. Lucy’s involvement in the DeMille film was big news:
"I'm so anxious to be in [The Greatest Show on Earth], I'd practically stick my head in one of the elephants' mouths." ~ Lucille Ball to Hedda Hopper, November 27, 1950
"Lucille Ball last week joined the parade of stars Cecil B. DeMille is lining up for his circus picture, 'The Greatest Show on Earth.' The red-haired beauty gets a choice spot in the film, that of Angel, the elephant girl." ~ 'In Hollywood', December 10, 1950
"Lucille Ball has informed Cecil B. DeMille that imminent motherhood will prevent her from appearing in his movie about the Ringling Bros. circus...Paulette Goddard will replace Miss Ball in the film.” ~ Leonard Lyons, December 29, 1950
Although Goddard had campaigned for the role, DeMille still held a grudge against the actress from their previous collaboration Unconquered (1947) and refused to cast her. So...
"Gloria Grahame was signed recently to complete the bracket of seven stars for Cecil B. DeMille's 'The Greatest Show on Earth'...Miss Grahame will portray the role of the elephant girl from which Lucille Ball recently withdrew because of impending motherhood." ~ 'In Hollywood,' February 4, 1951
By 1963 Lucille Ball had considerable experience with horses, clowns, and elephants filming “I Love Lucy.” She worked with Pepito the Clown on routines for in “The Audition” (ILL S1;E6) and “The Ballet” (ILL S1;E19). She pretended to steal a baby elephant from the Clyde Beatty Circus in “The Kleptomaniac” (ILL S1;E27, above). Ball had worked with horses in the Annabel movies and in “The Fox Hunt” (ILL S5;E16). She took part in a circus routine with Ricky as the Ringmaster in “Lucy Meets the Queen” (ILL S5;E15).
The day before this episode first aired, CBS presented “Lucy and the Military Academy” (TLS S2;E10) guest starring Jackie Coogan.
This Date in Lucy History ~ December 10
"The Fur Coat" (ILL S1;E9) ~ December 10, 1951
