Where in California?

[KurtfromPitts]

Where in Cali was TLS set after 1965? Some books say San Francisco while other sources say LA.

[LittleRickyII]

Originally Posted by KurtfromPitts

Where in Cali was TLS set after 1965? Some books say San Francisco while other sources say LA.

Los Angeles. Those books that claim she lived in San Francisco also claim she was Mr. Mooney's secretary in Danfield, and that Danfield is in Connecticut. All of that is wrong. I think that misinformation first appeared in the Tim Brooks/Earle Marsh book, The Complete Directory of Primetime Network TV, and then other writers picked up on it because it was the first book ever to write about the show.

[Marvo301]

In the episode "Main Street USA" Lucy introduces Mel Tinker (Mel Torme) to Mr. Mooney as a neighbor of hers who lives in the same apartment house as her in Los Angeles.

[LittleRickyII]

Originally Posted by Marvo301

In the episode "Main Street USA" Lucy introduces Mel Tinker (Mel Torme) to Mr. Mooney as a neighbor of hers who lives in the same apartment house as her in Los Angeles.

They mentioned being from Los Angeles in many episodes. The only mention of San Francisco I can recall was the last episode where Mr. Cheever was thinking of transferring Mr. Mooney to San Francisco for a better position.

Mel Tinker was the neighbor character Mel Torme had played in the fourth season episode, "Lucy in the Music World." He reprised the role in these two fifth season episodes.

[treky]

Originally Posted by LittleRickyII

Los Angeles. Those books that claim she lived in San Francisco also claim she was Mr. Mooney's secretary in Danfield, and that Danfield is in Connecticut. All of that is wrong. I think that misinformation first appeared in the Tim Brooks/Earle Marsh book, The Complete Directory of Primetime Network TV, and then other writers picked up on it because it was the first book ever to write about the show.

there's also a book about I LOVE LUCY" that contains a lot of mistakes. For instance, it says that the Arnez children appear in the last scene of the final half-hour episode.
They don't.

[TV Knowledge Fan]

"Lucy Carmichael" moved from Danfield, New York (NOT "Connecticut"- that was towards the end of "I LOVE LUCY") to Los Angeles, California. Remember that her best friend, "Mary Jane Lewis", worked for a "major motion picture studio" in town- and that's how Lucy got involved with some very famous celebrities as well.

[LittleRickyII]

Originally Posted by treky

there's also a book about I LOVE LUCY" that contains a lot of mistakes. For instance, it says that the Arnez children appear in the last scene of the final half-hour episode.
They don't.

That was the original Bart Andrews book on ILL that started that urban legend (Lucy, Ricky, Fred and Ethel: The Story of I Love Lucy). It was a similar phenomenon to how that TLS misinformation got printed and then endlessly reprinted: for years, it was the only book that contained any detailed information about the show. People assume that when someone writes a book, if they're the only one who's written on that topic, all the information must be correct. And then other writers come along and rely on the original writer's work as a primary source of information. But all writers are human; they can make mistakes.

If I remember correctly, I think Bart Andrews' book also included the urban legend about Vivian Vance's contract requiring her to be 15 pounds overweight. That is also patently false, and nowadays it seems more people believe it's true than realize it's false. It wasn't until the Vivian Vance biography, The Other Side of Ethel Mertz: The Life Story of Vivian Vance, that anyone attempted to put that urban legend to rest. The real story is that that "contract" with the weight requirement was something Lucille Ball created herself as a gag that she presented to her at a surprise birthday party. It was nothing but a joke that somewhere along they way got twisted and made into reality. (Lucille Ball had a reputation among friends as a practical joker.) Years later, around 1976, Lucille Ball was appearing on Dinah Shore's talk show, and Vivian Vance made a surprise appearance and brought along that gag contract. To everyone's delight, she read the whole thing on the air. Not only did it include the weight requirement, but also a number of other absurd requirements, such as "if your hair looks better than mine, you will be required to turn your hairdresser over to me." (I saw this show myself a few years ago.)

[treky]

yea, I read the book too and you're right; that "weight requirment" thingwas in there.

Another thing that was in there; which is obviously also false was that once Vivian showed up on the set late. She and Lucy were set to film a scene where they had to walk through a doorway, and it was an episode where Lucy was pregnant. So Lucy was standing in place when Vivian came running up. Lucy looked at her and said in a glaring voice "YOU'RE LATE"! Vivian looked over at her and said I'd say ---- you, but I see Desi already has".

[LittleRickyII]

Originally Posted by treky

yea, I read the book too and you're right; that "weight requirment" thingwas in there.

Another thing that was in there; which is obviously also false was that once Vivian showed up on the set late. She and Lucy were set to film a scene where they had to walk through a doorway, and it was an episode where Lucy was pregnant. So Lucy was standing in place when Vivian came running up. Lucy looked at her and said in a glaring voice "YOU'RE LATE"! Vivian looked over at her and said I'd say ---- you, but I see Desi already has".

I read that book way back in 1977 and that particular line sticks out in my memory more than anything. I wonder why?

[lucyandethel]

I remember in "The Lucy Show" during 1965 - 68, there were a couple of episodes where she said her home address was 780 Gower Street, which incidentally, is the address of Paramount Studios where the show was filmed.

[jehobden]

Originally Posted by treky

there's also a book about I LOVE LUCY" that contains a lot of mistakes. For instance, it says that the Arnaz children appear in the last scene of the final half-hour episode.
They don't.

Lucie doesn't, but Desi does. He appears as a small boy whom Ethel asks "Are you having a good time, Honey?" just before the statue dedication. He has no lines, just smiles a bit.

[LittleRickyII]

Originally Posted by jehobden

Lucie doesn't, but Desi does. He appears as a small boy whom Ethel asks "Are you having a good time, Honey?" just before the statue dedication. He has no lines, just smiles a bit.

Thanks for correcting "Arnaz" for treky.