Lucy and the Starmaker
S6;E4 ~ October 2, 1967
Synopsis
Mr. Cheever gets his nephew (Frankie Avalon) a job at the bank, but the young man has his heart set on a career in show business instead. After hearing him sing, Lucy sets out to make his dreams a reality by getting a famous movie producer to come to the bank.
Regular Cast
Lucille Ball (Lucy Carmichael), Gale Gordon (Theodore J. Mooney), Roy Roberts (Mr. Cheever), Mary Jane Croft (Mary Jane Lewis)
Guest Cast
Frankie Avalon (Tommy Cheever) was born in Philadelphia in 1939. A recording star and musician, Avalon’s movie career took off when paired with Annette Funicello in Beach Party (1963) and its string of sequels. He played Teen Angel in Grease (1978) and considers “Beauty School Dropout” to be his most popular song. He returned to work with Lucille Ball in a 1973 episode of “Here’s Lucy” titled “The Carters Meets Frankie Avalon.”
Tommy is Mr. Cheever’s nephew. His uncle calls him ‘Thomas’ but Lucy calls him 'Tom.’ Tommy calls Mr. Cheever 'Uncle Windy,’ a diminutive of his uncle’s middle name 'Winfield.’ We have yet to learn Mr. Cheever’s first name.
Lew Parker (Nelson Penrose) is probably best remembered as the restaurateur father of Ann Marie, Marlo Thomas’ character on TV’s “That Girl” (1966-71). This is the second of his five appearances on “The Lucy Show” and he will return for two episodes of “Here’s Lucy.” From 1928 to 1973 he appeared in Broadway musicals, which must have come in handy during this especially musical episode.
Penrose is a movie producer at the studio where Mary Jane works. He is the “Starmaker” of the title.
George DeNormand (Customer, uncredited) appeared in three films with Lucille Ball from 1937 to 1963. This is the just one of his many appearances on “The Lucy Show” and “Here’s Lucy.”
William Meader (Clerk, uncredited) had appeared as an airport extra in “The Ricardos Go to Japan,” a 1959 episode of “The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour.” He made many appearances on “The Lucy Show,” most times as a clerk in Mr. Mooney’s bank.
Murray Pollack (Customer, uncredited) was seen as one of the party guest in “Country Club Dance” (ILL S6;E25), the episode that introduced Barbara Eden. Coincidentally, he later appeared on half a dozen episodes of “I Dream of Jeannie.” Like William Meader, he was at the airport when “The Ricardos Go to Japan” (1959). He was seen in the 1963 movie Critic’s Choice with Lucille Ball. Here he makes the second of two appearances on “The Lucy Show” and returned for three episodes of “Here’s Lucy.”
Joan Carey (Customer, uncredited) was a frequent background player on “I Love Lucy” and “The Lucy Show” where she eventually became Lucille Ball’s camera and lighting stand-in.
Other bank clerks and customers are played by uncredited background performers.
This is the first of three “Lucy Show” episodes co-written by veteran TV comedy writer Seaman Jacobs. Jacobs teamed with Fred S. Fox, who had previously written for the show. Jacobs and Fox will return to pen 27 episodes of “Here’s Lucy.” Their final draft of “Lucy and the Starmaker” was dated May 15, 1967.
This is another episode that has fallen into public domain. Some unofficial releases title this episode “Catch a Rising Star” or “Lucy the Starmaker.”
The day this episode first aired (October 2, 1967) Thurgood Marshall was sworn in as the first African-American justice of the United States Supreme Court. It was a year of change on the civil rights front. The first black man to ever play a credited supporting role on a Lucille Ball sitcom was John Bubbles in “Main Street U.S.A.” (S5;E17) and “Lucy Puts Main Street on the Map” (S5;E18). In her personal life Ball was pro civil rights, even insisting that her black maid be able to ride the main elevator at her upscale New York apartment instead of using the service elevator as was mandated.
That same evening on CBS, Lucille Ball made the first of her four guest appearances on “The Carol Burnett Show.” Burnett had played Carol Bradford on two episodes of “The Lucy Show.” Lucy considered Burnett a protege. The official Season 6 “Lucy Show” DVD collection features a sketch with Carol and Lucy as feuding car rental agencies at the airport who beat up Tim Conway (above). Carol Burnett will return to “The Lucy Show” for two more episodes, this time playing a character named Carol Tilford.
The day after this episode first aired Disney voice artist Pinto Colvig died at age 75. He was the original voice of Pluto and Goofy and provided all the dog barks in “Lucy is Her Own Lawyer” (S2;E23).
Frankie Avalon gets a warm welcome from the studio audience.
Mr. Mooney also had a nephew on the series, Wendell Mooney played by Jay North in “Lucy the Robot” (S4;E23).
Mr. Mooney offers Tommy a cigarette from a box on his desk and Tommy smokes it. Unlike “I Love Lucy,” recreational smoking is not a part of “The Lucy Show.” Smoking is only used if it is part of the comic action of the scene and then only rarely. Lucille Ball, however, was a life-long smoker off screen. In 1965, Congress required all cigarette packages carry a health warning. In 1969, cigarette advertising on television and radio was banned.
Lucy’s trusty transistor radio makes yet another appearance. When she switches it on while having lunch at her desk, it briefly plays a jazzy version of “This Can’t Be Love,” a song from the 1938 Rodgers and Hart musical The Boys from Syracuse.
When Lucy turns on the radio again, she hears a song she says is one of her favorites, “Walking Happy.” Tommy agrees and performs it for Lucy in the office. As 'gaffe squad’ members have pointed out, Avalon is poorly lip-syncing the song. It is the title tune from the 1966 Broadway musical Walking Happy with music by Jimmy Van Heusen and lyrics by Sammy Cahn. The show was nominated for six 1967 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, but won none. The title song was originally meant to be used in the 1963 film Papa’s Delicate Condition, sung by Jackie Gleason, but was dropped before the film’s release. In the lyrics, the words “chappie” and “bloomin'” betray that the show is set in England. It was based on the play Hobson’s Choice by Harold Brighouse.
When Lucy expresses her thwarted theatrical ambitions, Tommy replies “Well, everyone can’t be another Annette Funicello.” This is an inside reference to former Mousketeer and Frankie Avalon’s frequent co-star on screen. They were so often paired that the names 'Frankie and Annette’ became one in the public’s mind.
Lucy’s wacky filing system (a running joke on the series) finds the bottles of lemon pop filed under “C” for “Cold Lemon.”
After singing for Lucy, Tommy says he never thought he had more than an average voice. Lucy replies “if that is an average voice Elizabeth Taylor is an average housewife.” Glamorous movie star Elizabeth Taylor was frequently mentioned on both “The Lucy Show” and “I Love Lucy.” Taylor married actor Richard Burton in 1964 and the two will appear together as themselves on “Here’s Lucy” in 1970.
When Mr. Mooney cuts off Tommy’s 'audition’ after a few notes Lucy says “Dizzie Gillespie would have had a better chance with Lawrence Welk!” John Birks Gillespie (1917– 93) was a jazz trumpeter, composer, and singer. He was particularly known for his bluesy riffs and free-form style. Lawrence Welk (1903-92) was a hugely popular bandleader who would appear as himself on a 1970 episode of “Here’s Lucy.” He was known for his waltzes, a much more structured and straight-laced musical sound than jazz. Gillespie would definitely not be a good fit with Welk’s Champagne Music Makers. Welk was previously mentioned in “Lucy and Clint Walker” (S4;E24).
When Mr. Mooney threatens to send Lucy to Fort Knox to be made into gold bars and carved up ingot by ingot, Lucy says to Tommy: “Who does he think he is? Goldfinger?” Goldfinger was a James Bond film released in the US in early 1965. The title character was a wealthy psychopath (played by Gert Fröbe) obsessed with gold. Fort Knox, an Army base in Kentucky where most of the US gold reserves are held, is also featured in Goldfinger. Mr. Mooney gets exit applause after laying out his gold-plated plan to fire Mrs. Carmichael.
After luring producer Penrose to the bank on the pretense of verifying his signature on a check, Tommy sings“I’m Looking Over a Four Leaf Clover” written by Harry Woods in 1927 but with original lyrics pertaining to the episode.
Tommy, with the full bank staff and customers participating, sings “When the Feeling Hits You” by Bobby Doyle. It was also the title of a 1965 album by Sammy Davis Jr.
Tommy also plays the trumpet during the number, which is the musical talent that got Avalon into show business as young man.
Callbacks!
Lucy previously tried to advance the career of a young male singer named Wayne Newton in “Lucy Discovers Wayne Newton” (S4;E14).
Blooper Alerts!
During some parts of the song “Walking Happy,” you can hear Frankie Avalon singing, but his mouth isn’t moving. It this were “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” Avalon would certainly be told to sashay away!
During the number the camera pulls back too far and we can see where the office carpeting meets the cement sound stage floor. This is a regular occurrence on “The Lucy Show.”
Mr. Mooney says Mr. Cheever “owns” the bank! No one person “owns” a bank. Banks are 'owned’ by investors who may or may not be depositors. Banks are for-profit corporations, with declared earnings paid to stockholders only.
Lucy tells Tommy that when she came out to Hollywood she wanted to be an actress and it took her a long time to realize she just didn’t have it. In previous episodes it was clear that Lucy’s brushes with show business were more happenstance than the desire to fulfill career goals. In “Lucy Meets Sheldon Leonard” (S5;E22) the TV producer asks her if she’s ever done any acting and Lucy promptly replies “No, sir.”
Lucy offers Tommy a “bottle of pop.” Being raised on the East Coast, Lucy would probably refer to the carbonated beverage as “soda” or “soda pop.” The bottles also have no labels on them.
“Lucy and the Starmaker” rates 3 Paper Hearts out of 5
