Does anybody know why they decided to use footage from episodes that had already aired instead of just shooting all-new scenes? I know they filmed new scenes to tie the episodes together, but still...ILL was just getting started, couldn't the writers have come up with a fresh script for a movie?

I think this was before syndication of the show worldwide took over so they thought, hey, by putting three eps together and just tying them up together we can get a movie made and released worldwide for almost no money, and the publicity will help the show also. However, MGM had The Long Long Trailer coming out and they did not want to have to compete with the movie of ILL so they asked to have it put in the can where it remained for decades.

Excellent answer Splain.

Hey, did you miss me while I was in Florida?

Excellent answer Splain.

Hey, did you miss me while I was in Florida?
I always miss you. I was just telling someone an hour ago what a great friend you've been to me.

I think this was before syndication of the show worldwide took over so they thought, hey, by putting three eps together and just tying them up together we can get a movie made and released worldwide for almost no money, and the publicity will help the show also. However, MGM had The Long Long Trailer coming out and they did not want to have to compete with the movie of ILL so they asked to have it put in the can where it remained for decades.
Thanks, I didn't know that about "The Long, Long Trailer" coming out around the same time. I've never seen that movie before, is it anything like the show?

Bill ....

You HAVE to see The Long, Long Trailer. It is probably the best comedy movie Lucy made in my opinion, and it is like a 90 minute I Love Lucy episode in some respects. Just a fun, good, clean entertainment! It is available on DVD with the two other movies she made with Desi.

The Long Long Trailer is a must see for every ILL fan. Turner Clasic Movies airs it every so often, although it's not currently on their schedule.

The other day while coming home from work I spotted a small aluminum trailer on the 101 freeway with an I Love Lucy poster hung in its rear window. I had to say to myself, "It's the short short trailer!"

It's funny because after the movie wrapped, they put the trailer on their ranchito in the Valley. I've seen pics of Lucy and the kids near it, i wonder what they did with it after they sold the place. As for the movie, i can't believe you've never seen it, one of Lucy's best, i would say only Yours Mine and Ours is in the same league for laughs or taking advantage of her many talents, COMEDY wise of course, maybe i'd add Fuller Brush Girl to that group too. If you want to see her best dramatic performance, try The Big Street, for a great musical, go for MAME.

I should have said that I think Trailer is Lucy's best slapstick comedy. It is one of my favorites of hers, but I think my all-time favorite movie that she made is The Facts of Life from 1960 with Bob Hope. I think I like that one because it has it's "Lucy" moments, but it's a lot more adult humor. But after I said that I have to say it's a tie between Trailer and Facts of Life as my two favorite movies of Lucy's.

Forever, Darling was alright .... it has its moments, but not one of my favorites.

The only good thing about DARLING for me was seeing her in color in her I Love Lucy outfits. But you're absolutely RIGHT, i have no idea why i keep forgetting Facts of Life, her all time best SOPHISTICATED comedy, where she and Hope aren't acting, they just became different characters! For once!:lol:

I always miss you. I was just telling someone an hour ago what a great friend you've been to me.
Aw, you're so nice. :) And a great friend to me too!

And Bill S, you definitely need to see The Long Long Trailer. It's great.

Bill ....

You HAVE to see The Long, Long Trailer.
The Long Long Trailer is a must see for every ILL fan.
As for the movie, i can't believe you've never seen it, one of Lucy's best
And Bill S, you definitely need to see The Long Long Trailer. It's great.
Well it looks like I've put off seeing this for long enough, I'll have to get my hands on it soon. I'll be sure to make a thread about it after I get a chance to watch it.

Bill ...

Don't forget about The Facts of Life! It's just recently available on DVD in the new Bob Hope DVD set, and it is a great great movie. When I first started dating my now wife, I remember we watched it together (on VHS - remember those!!! Hahaha!) and we both really liked it!

Bill ...

Don't forget about The Facts of Life! It's just recently available on DVD in the new Bob Hope DVD set, and it is a great great movie. When I first started dating my now wife, I remember we watched it together (on VHS - remember those!!! Hahaha!) and we both really liked it!
OK Ben, thanks, I will definitely look into that when I pick up "The Long, Long Trailer." BTW, did Lucy & Desi do any other movies together besides "Forever, Darling" and "Too Many Girls"? Amazon has a nice looking set for sale called "The Lucy & Desi Collection," which includes those three...I'm thinking of ordering that instead of just getting "The Long, Long Trailer" separately.

Nope, those are the only three movies they ever did together. Unless you count the I Love Lucy movie which is on the bonus disc of the ILL boxed set. And you're right, that Lucy/Desi collection is the bee's knees!

Well it looks like I've put off seeing this for long enough, I'll have to get my hands on it soon. I'll be sure to make a thread about it after I get a chance to watch it.


Just to make it unanimous, yes, you HAVE to watch The Long, Long Trailer. It's a GREAT movie. After years and years of hearing about it, and seeing bits and pieces of it, last year I finally got to watch the whole thing from start to finish for the first time. It was awesome.

And yeah, Turner Classic does run it from time to time.

And I'd say that this one and "The Facts Of Life" (with Bob Hope) were Lucy's two funniest movies imo...

If you add Yours Mine and Ours, you have the perfect Lucy movie trifecta.:lol:

Add me to the list of people who haven't seen The Long Long Trailer. My dad saw in the theater when it was released... he thought it was hilarious and has been telling me to buy it... can't find it in any store so far so I'll be ordering it from Amazon. Can't wait!

If you add Yours Mine and Ours, you have the perfect Lucy movie trifecta.:lol:


lol, you got that right!

For those of you who haven't seen the Long Long Trailer, SEE IT! That is NOT A REQUEST! lol

It's worth the wait, trust me on this...it's hilarious!

As Lucy stated while selling Aunt Martha's salad dressing, GO DO IT NOW!:lol:

Does TCM ever show Critic's Choice? That's one I haven't seen yet.

Critic's Choice is available in the 5-DVD Lucille Ball Movie Collection (or whatever the thing is called!) that includes Mame, DuBarry Was A Lady, and a couple of others. I think it pops up on TMC or AMC once in a blue moon.

It's not the greatest of films, but with Bob and Lucy starring it's still several notches above what is considered entertaining movies today! Worth getting the set for, though ... I enjoyed it but it's not nearly as good as The Facts Of Life in my opinion.

I enjoyed The Facts Of Life.

Critic's Choice is certainly not bad in any way, it's just not that funny, very sophisticated though and a little bit more adult than her regular family fare, like Facts of Life in that way.

I think Splain will agree with me on this about Critic's Choice ...... it's a film that almost makes you "think." By that, I mean it makes you think about relationships, what makes them tick, what causes problems, how little things in love turn into big things, etc ..... It is quite adult in its message, which I think it the entire point to the film. Going in with that idea and additude, I think anyone will enjoy Critics Choice.

Wow, you stated that perfectly. It's definitely NOT your average Lucy movie. It's lots more adult, i guess because Facts of Life had been very well received and she had done slapstick to death by that point so she tried things that were more cerebral for a change. BUT, it backfired, the movie did not do well because she did not give her public what it wanted, the wacky and funny Lucy. Like someone else said earlier, i think Bob Hope had the funny bits in this one. She was just happy to get another movie under her belt what with her shows taking up all of her time. She never forgot though and hated this film till the day she died, well, actually, i think she blamed the director for it's failure because hse used to joke that she did FOUR films with Hope and that THREE had been good and one she refused to talk about, LOL!

It's interesting to note that five years after Critic's Choice, she came back with more familiar terrain, Yours Mine and Ours, which was a monster HIT, the biggest of her career. Here she did the wacky Lucy but still kept that older more sophisticated Lucy, combining both proved the best recipe for success.

It's funny how once I Love Lucy hit, the public wouldn't except Lucille in anything BUT "Lucy." The Facts of Life was one of the rare exceptions ... the success of that film at that time could be (sadly) because of the recent divorce she had been through. She tried it again with Critics Choice and it bombed. Look at her post-"Lucy" TV specials where she played someone other than "Lucy" and at the time they were not well received. NOW, almost 19 years after her death the fans look back at these non-"Lucy" roles and talk about what a great actress she was and how she should have done more out of the comfort zone of "Lucy."

When I first saw "Happy Anniversary and Goodbye," her 1974 special with Art Carney years ago on a dubbed tape from a dubbed tape from a dubbed tape from a .... (You know what I mean!) I thought it was blah, I expected more from Lucy and Art. Then, in 2004 my girlfriend (now wife) and I saw this in Jamestown when the showed it on a Friday afternoon and I thought it was brilliant!!! I need to find that special (and all her 1970s specials!) in decent quality on DVD to appreciate her other work. From what I remember of it, I would place "Happy Anniverary and Goodbye" between "The Facts of Life" and "Critics Choice" in the adult factor!

By the way, I don't know how true this is (a vicious rumor or actual fact!) but Lucy was to guest star on an episode of The Golden Girls in a "dramedity" role but she backed out because she was afraid the public wouldn't except her as anything but Lucy. I don't know if this is true considering that around the time the show was produced she did Stone Pillow and then her "retirement" after the failure of her last series.

I agree about Yours Mine and Ours ...... a very adult film, yet so Lucy in so many ways! Maybe it's the drunk scene that makes it so Lucy like? That's another good fun film for the family to enjoy.

It's odd how when Lucy did something with Desi (after the TV show took off), they had to be very "Lucy and Ricky" like or it was considered a failure. Had Forever, Darling has more "Ricardo" moments in it, it probably would have been a much better film. Again, another film that isn't bad but I would pass on this to see many of her other films. Though the theme song is very nice indeed!

It's funny how once I Love Lucy hit, the public wouldn't except Lucille in anything BUT "Lucy." The Facts of Life was one of the rare exceptions ... the success of that film at that time could be (sadly) because of the recent divorce she had been through. She tried it again with Critics Choice and it bombed. Look at her post-"Lucy" TV specials where she played someone other than "Lucy" and at the time they were not well received. NOW, almost 19 years after her death the fans look back at these non-"Lucy" roles and talk about what a great actress she was and how she should have done more out of the comfort zone of "Lucy."

When I first saw "Happy Anniversary and Goodbye," her 1974 special with Art Carney years ago on a dubbed tape from a dubbed tape from a dubbed tape from a .... (You know what I mean!) I thought it was blah, I expected more from Lucy and Art. Then, in 2004 my girlfriend (now wife) and I saw this in Jamestown when the showed it on a Friday afternoon and I thought it was brilliant!!! I need to find that special (and all her 1970s specials!) in decent quality on DVD to appreciate her other work. From what I remember of it, I would place "Happy Anniverary and Goodbye" between "The Facts of Life" and "Critics Choice" in the adult factor!

By the way, I don't know how true this is (a vicious rumor or actual fact!) but Lucy was to guest star on an episode of The Golden Girls in a "dramedity" role but she backed out because she was afraid the public wouldn't except her as anything but Lucy. I don't know if this is true considering that around the time the show was produced she did Stone Pillow and then her "retirement" after the failure of her last series. No it's not a rumor, Lucy was to play Rose's BLIND sister, i would rather she'd have played Rose from the beginning of the series. Then Betty White could have played the slut which she had done on Mary Tyler Moore's show and Bea stayed as Dorothy, Rue would have had to go though to make room for her. And i agree about Happy Anniversary, i hated it when it first played and i LOVE it now, one of her best specials.

I agree about Yours Mine and Ours ...... a very adult film, yet so Lucy in so many ways! Maybe it's the drunk scene that makes it so Lucy like? That's another good fun film for the family to enjoy.

It's odd how when Lucy did something with Desi (after the TV show took off), they had to be very "Lucy and Ricky" like or it was considered a failure. Had Forever, Darling has more "Ricardo" moments in it, it probably would have been a much better film. Again, another film that isn't bad but I would pass on this to see many of her other films. Though the theme song is very nice indeed!
I agree here too, Forever Darling sucks, but it's nice to see her in color in her I Love Lucy outfits and that theme song was to die for!