Lucille Ball’s custom-made butterfly house dress worn on Here’s Lucy. Lucy can be seen wearing this one of a kind frock in the episode entitled “Lucy the Mountain Climber” from Season 4, episode #1 and originally aired on November 20, 1971. It’s then seen again later that season in the episode “Lucy’s Replacement” which aired on January 17, 1972. After Lucy broke her leg skiing later that year, she’s confined to a wheelchair wearing the dress in the episode “A Home Is Not an Office” that was part of Season 5 – episode #4 that aired October 2, 1972.
After Here’s Lucy went off the air in early 1974, Lucille starred in a handful of TV specials under her production company – Lucille Ball Productions. One of them was Happy Anniversary and Goodbye alongside Art Carney which aired on November 19,1974. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who played Rico a message therapist, had his first television appearance in a scene with Lucy wearing the butterfly dress.
This polyester garment features a long and dramatic collar, indicative of the 70’s. Faux plastic buttons are visible down the front with hidden snap buttons and full zipper closure on the inside. Also present are two side seam pockets on the hips. The oversized style of this dress allowed for comfortability and helped play into Lucy’s “thicker” stature with the use of a bodysuit in the first half of Happy Anniversary and Goodbye.