During the hiatus of I Love Lucy in the summer 1953, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz filmed a romantic comedy for MGM called The Long, Long Trailer. Fans of the couple got to see them together on the big screen and in color for the first time and it was a blockbusting success.
The movie opened with the instrumental version of “Breezin’ Along with the Breeze” along with this title card. Hand painted with thick, glossy royal blue paint the artwork measures over 32 inches by 24 inches, and was shot by the camera with added layers of a red, white and blue ribbon with wagon wheel and shadows of leaves to give it depth. The copyright information, MGM logo and text “produced” are missing but the adhesive used for them can still be visible at the bottom.
“The Audition” was filmed on October 12, 1951, a mere three days before the official television premiere of I Love Lucy. This was the sixth episode of the show where Lucy Ricardo replaces a clown named Buffo for an act at Ricky’s club. Lucy is referred to as “the professor” and is dressed in an oversized blue suit who plays the cello.
This act was initially conceived by the Arnazes along with Pepito & Joanne Perez as part of a vaudeville style act Lucy and Desi used, touring the country proving to CBS audiences across America would accept them. They also used the skit for the I Love Lucy pilot.
Part of Lucy’s costume were these cotton finger cots. Each used to cover the fingers of her left hand as she takes them off in dramatic fashion to the beat of the drum. The entire costume was originally on display at Universal Studios Hollywood ‘Lucy A Tribute’ exhibit for over 20 years. The rest of the outfit is now displayed alongside the prop cello in Lucy’s hometown of Jamestown, NY at the Lucy-Desi Museum.
A polka dot dress was a signature look of Lucy Ricardo and to this day, Lucy and polka dots are synonymous with one another. Throughout her television career Lucille Ball wore variations of this pattern in the form of dresses in the 1950’s to blouses in the 60’s and 70’s.
On October 6, 1958 the premiere episode of the second season of TheLucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Show (The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour in syndication) aired, entitled “Lucy Goes to Mexico.” The Ricardos and Mertzes are in San Diego, staying at the Hotel Del Coronado because Ricky is doing a USO show with Maurice Chevalier onboard the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier Yorktown. Lucy and the Mertzes decide to go south into Tijuana on a routine souvenir hunt. In true fashion, Lucy gets into trouble when a stowaway causes problems as they attempt to come back across the border.
Lucy wears an iconic polka dot dress for nearly the entire episode. Presented here is her stunt double’s dress, an exact replication to the one Lucille Ball wore. It can be seen on Lucy’s stand-in who’s running from the Policia through the streets of Tijuana. The unique polka dot pattern confirms this as the one Lucy Ricardo wears is slightly different and is currently in a private collection.
The two piece, A-line dress is made of a light brown silk-taffeta with beige polks dots. A long sleeve jacket features a zipper front, off-white canvas trim on the cuffs and waist along with a very large notched collar. Inside the jacket is a CBS garment tag attached near the zipper. The short sleeve dress features the same off-white canvas trim on the sleeve hems and has a full length zipper with hook and eye closures on the back. A sheer white silk lining can be found on the inside of the body.
This look was the inspiration of a large wooden statue carved out of a tree stump that once stood in the Lucille Ball Memorial Park from the late 1990’s to early 2000’s. The park banks Lake Chautauqua in Lucy’s hometown of Celeron, NY and is the current home of a beautiful bronze statue by Carolyn Palmer of Lucille Ball as Lucy Ricardo wearing a polka dot dress.
The fifth season of I Love Lucy brought the Ricardo’s and Mertz’s to Europe. In preparation for this overseas adventure they all need to get passports. After getting their photos taken, Lucy and Ethel are horrified by they way they turned out. The scene in “Staten Island Ferry” when they first get a glimpse of these atrocities, Ethel’s photo is facing the camera only for a moment after taking it out of the envelope.
Presented here is THE photo that made Ethel screech – a 3″ x 3″ black and white image of a ‘caught off guard’ Ethel Mertz. It has been matted and framed to measure 9″ x 9″ overall. The look on Vivian Vance’s face is priceless and it is amazing the prop department took actual photos of them to use which may never have been noticed by viewers. What is even more incredible is the fact this little piece of TV history still exists.
