The Lucy Show Before A Live Audience?

[ajgenard]

Originally Posted by Benno123

I agree, for that price who wouldn't want to have a complete set. Besides, like you said, the DVD releases are so strong that any flaws in the series can be overlooked. Season 5 is worth hunting down because the episodes improve some, but the main reason in my opinion to look for it is the "Lucy In London" special. Why the show itself isn't the best thing Lucy ever did, it certainly is not terrible and is a great period piece of the Mod '60s. If you go into the special not expecting the typical Lucy-type show then you will not be disappointed. Plus the special feature on the special that was created especially for the DVD is fantastic, and extra points for the opening bumpers ("The Andy Griffith Show" and "The Lucy Show" will not be seen tonight ones) and the "CBS presents this program in color" makes it that much special. And the picture/sound quality is FANTASTIC!

Coming from a multimedia background, I especially appreciate the effort they've put into Lucy's DVDs. The releases for both ILL and TLS are what I'd consider reference quality. Their technical excellence definitely increases the value of owning even a mediocre show. I've been looking forward to that "Lucy in London" special more than the season itself. I could be wrong but from the descriptions and reviews I've heard it seems like Raquel Welch's psychedelic specials from that era - but instead of starring one of the most gorgeous woman on earth it will be one of the most entertaining women on earth (either way I win).

Originally Posted by Benno123

If you can find the Shout "Best of" released in 2004 at a very low price it is worth picking up. The bonus features are outstanding, including some behind the scenes film that was not included in the season releases. To me the best bonus on this release was the behind the scenes of the episode where Lucy skydives with footage from rehearsal/filming cut in with scenes from the actual episode. Plus this release includes the "brought to you by" announcement at the beginning (no commercials, though) that have been omited from the MPI releases. Plus with this release a lot of, but not all, of the "must see" episodes are included in one place. There are some very good episodes, but steer clear of any episodes that involve a bear! Yikes!!

I've actually passed on that set on several occasions over the years, even brand new for $5 once. Like every release I hesitate about, it will most likely end up in my collection when I find the right price. It would be nice to at least have a sampling of the show.

Originally Posted by Benno123

In regards to Gary Morton ... one book on Lucille Ball (maybe I Loved Lucy but I don't recall for sure) paints him as someone more interested in money than anything else. My impression of reading the book was that on a personal level the author came down harder on Gary Morton than maybe what was needed. The impression that I had from their marriage was that they did love one another and it was a happy marriage. But as far as the professional side of things Lucy wanted another Desi, and she tried to mold Gary into a Desi and we know how the results turned out. It's almost like having her husband being involved was a security blanket for Lucille Ball, and when one partner left the scene she forced the other to take over. It reminds me of the Beatles breaking up, and Paul McCartney replacing one partner (John Lennon) with his wife as a security blanket. Anything wrong with that? No, but as far as quality goes we can now debate if a decision like this was the best thing. Both continued to create very popular product, but was it as strong as it was before? I don't think so ...

One writer Lucy started using around the 4th season of TLS was Bob O'Brien. I've stated on here before that I just never understood why she would want to use him. He created some funny scripts in both TLS and HL, but he also created some very bland scripts where he just remade past glories into new, updated stories. Was it that everything he did bad? No, he (and the writers that Lucy used) just didn't create anything fresh or clear storylines that would create a logical story for Lucy to do something wacky.
In regards for Here's Lucy, for the most part any episode in the 4th - 6th season written by Madelyn Davis and Bob Carroll, Jr. are heads and shoulders above the rest of the other episodes. Even though they revisit previous glories (Lucy eating sour pickles and making faces when rehearsing for a TV commercial ... sounds like this was done before?) those shows written by them are still the best episodes of that series.

The writing and creative talent on this show truly puzzles me. At face value it seems like many of the same names from show's beginnings are still there in season 4. But even eps from this season written by the virtually unflappable Garry Marshall & Jerry Belson panned out to be real stinkers. So I'm lead to believe it's largely due to creative decisions at an executive level. It was a big mistake to drop the kids altogether and move across country. It's laughable during the credits when it says "Based on Irene Kampen's book Life Without George" because it's so far removed from the source material. Never read the book but it's my understanding it follows a divorcee learning to get along in the world and raise her kids without her husband (loosely similar to the early seasons): nothing even close to simply being about a kooky redhead who's constantly getting into goofy scenarios with her fusspot boss and having chance run-ins with celebrities.

Even the more unique or different episodes seemed to fall flat. The one that's basically a color episode of The Untouchables is a real doozy. I suppose it was meant to be a spoof but it's a little strange that it wasn't funny at all and that show ended years earlier. Then Lucy breaking the fourth wall at the end and the cast taking a small bow??? Seriously, just what the hell were they thinking trying to fold together a B&W drama set in 1930s Chicago with a Technicolor sitcom set in 1960's California?. Granted it was Desilu's biggest hit at one time and probably an easy cash-in, but just because I like ice cream and ketchup doesn't mean they go well together. At any rate, it's easy to see how some people would pin a lot of blame on Gary Morton or even vilify him. It's quite clear he's not the showman that Desi Arnaz was. I won't bother speculating about their marriage or whether it affected the work. Afterall, Lucy & Desi outright hated each other at times and could still make top-shelf product.

[lucy&vivfan]

I don't think "THe Lucy Show" used laugh tracks, but I think what you might be listening to is laughs from the live audience of "The Lucy Show" that was later used in sitcoms throughout the 1970s. There is an interview available online from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences with a man who worked for Charley Douglass (the father of the Laff Box). In later years, this gentleman (whose name I forget) went off on his own with his own laugh tracks. In his interview, he said that starting around 1962, there were a new set of laugh tracks generated that would later be used on shows from "Bewitched" to "M*A*S*H*". He admits the laughs were taken from "The Red Skelton Show" and "The Lucy Show", so that is why you think "The Lucy Show" was using laugh tracks when in actuality it was the source of those unforgettable laughs.