Danfield, ??

[LittleRickyII]

I just want to try to shed a little light on the confusion about the location of Danfield. People intimately familiar with The Lucy Show know that the town was located in New York, yet it's most often written in books that Danfield was in Connecticut. I believe this rumor may have begun with the Tim Brooks/Earle Marsh book, The Complete Directory of Primetime Network TV, which was first published around 1979 or 1980. For a long time, it was the only comprehensive book on television shows, and the only source of information about The Lucy Show. So subsequent authors apparently copied their information about The Lucy Show from that book. But folks who have seen all those Danfield episodes know that there was never any mention of Danfield being in Connecticut. And although it was rare, it was mentioned that Danfield was located in New York. One episode that comes to mind is "Lucy's Barbershop Quartet," where the Danfield Women's Volunteer Fire Department is competing in a statewide talent contest in Albany, which of course is the capital of New York.

So why the confusion? I have read that the name Danfield was created by combining the names of two Fairfield County, Connecticut towns: Danbury and Ridgefield. Also, there is frequent mention in The Lucy Show of a neighboring town called Ridgebury. And in fact, there is another town in Fairfield County with that very name. (Or otherwise, Ridgebury might also have been a combination of Ridgefield and Danbury.) But the actual Ridgebury, Connecticut is located only about one mile from the New York state line. So if the Ridgebury referenced in The Lucy Show is supposed to be the actual Ridgebury in Connecticut, it would still be possible for Danfield to be a neighboring town in New York.

My suspicion is that the writers originally intended for Danfield to be in Connecticut, but probably decided that would make it too much like I Love Lucy, which ended up with the Ricardos and Mertzes living in suburban Connecticut.

[jehobden]

Brooks & Marsh also put Lucy Carmichael in San Francisco instead of LA, and that mistake's been copied down to other books a lot. I guess it shows how unoriginal a lot of books are.

I've had the Brooks & Marsh book since I scraped together enough $ to buy the first edition as a broke 13-year-old kid. It was (and still is) a fascinating history of television programming in one book, despite whatever factual errors it may have.

Originally Posted by LittleRickyII

I just want to try to shed a little light on the confusion about the location of Danfield. People intimately familiar with The Lucy Show know that the town was located in New York, yet it's most often written in books that Danfield was in Connecticut. I believe this rumor may have begun with the Tim Brooks/Earle Marsh book, The Complete Directory of Primetime Network TV, which was first published around 1979 or 1980. For a long time, it was the only comprehensive book on television shows, and the only source of information about The Lucy Show. So subsequent authors apparently copied their information about The Lucy Show from that book. But folks who have seen all those Danfield episodes know that there was never any mention of Danfield being in Connecticut. And although it was rare, it was mentioned that Danfield was located in New York. One episode that comes to mind is "Lucy's Barbershop Quartet," where the Danfield Women's Volunteer Fire Department is competing in a statewide talent contest in Albany, which of course is the capital of New York.

So why the confusion? I have read that the name Danfield was created by combining the names of two Fairfield County, Connecticut towns: Danbury and Ridgefield. Also, there is frequent mention in The Lucy Show of a neighboring town called Ridgebury. And in fact, there is another town in Fairfield County with that very name. (Or otherwise, Ridgebury might also have been a combination of Ridgefield and Danbury.) But the actual Ridgebury, Connecticut is located only about one mile from the New York state line. So if the Ridgebury referenced in The Lucy Show is supposed to be the actual Ridgebury in Connecticut, it would still be possible for Danfield to be a neighboring town in New York.

My suspicion is that the writers originally intended for Danfield to be in Connecticut, but probably decided that would make it too much like I Love Lucy, which ended up with the Ricardos and Mertzes living in suburban Connecticut.

[LittleRickyII]

Originally Posted by jehobden

Brooks & Marsh also put Lucy Carmichael in San Francisco instead of LA, and that mistake's been copied down to other books a lot. I guess it shows how unoriginal a lot of books are.

In addition, the Brooks & Marsh book states that Lucy was Mr. Mooney's secretary in Danfield, which is also untrue. So it's replete with errors. But for the reasons I explained above, I can forgive the "Danfield, Connecticut" error. It seems clear to me, for the mere reason that they came up with the name Danfield -- a name derived from the names of towns in Connecticut -- that the writers at some early point had Connecticut in mind. You have to actually watch every episode closely for clues that Danfield was actually in New York. But the San Francisco error? That's just plain careless. The number of times they mention being in Los Angeles, or refer to (or go to) addresses or locations in Los Angeles, are too numerous to count. Plus, Lucy's friend Mary Jane worked at a movie studio.

[Brawny71]

I know this is very late to reply, but in case anyone else stumbles upon this topic, I just want to add that the reason the show's creators "had Connecticut in mind" for Danfield is that Irene Kampen, author of "Life Without George" on which the show's premise was based, actually resided in Ridgefield CT in the book.

[SalParadise]

I liked the way The Lucy Show at least has some continuity to ILL by keeping it in the east. The show always had that feel about it. Very 'east coast' 50-60's America. One thing that isn't noted much about the Ricardo's move to Connecticut on ILL. The writers were supposed to have been influenced by Sloan Wilson's 'The Man In The Gray Flannel Suit', book and movie of 1955. In it, Tom Rath lives in Southport, Connecticut and commutes into New York on the New Haven for work. At the time American's were leaving the city in droves for 'the country' (suburbs), to include Fairfield County (Connecticut). The writers decided that it was time for the Ricardo's to share the experience and relocate. They, of course, moved to Westport, Connecticut in March, 1956. That location is featured in the ILL season six episodes 14-26. However, during the Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour episodes the area is not featured much at all. Only episode 2 'The Celebrity Next Door' uses the location and then only for a PTA play. The Lucy Show, I think, was great in season 1 & 2, ok in season 3 and then downhill. You have to wonder how the series would have worked out had it kept the small cast, with the kids, etc, and stayed in New York.

[LittleRickyII]

Originally Posted by SalParadise

They, of course, moved to Westport, Connecticut in March, 1956. That location is featured in the ILL season six episodes 14-26. However, during the Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour episodes the area is not featured much at all. Only episode 2 'The Celebrity Next Door' uses the location and then only for a PTA play.

That is not correct at all. Actually, the Westport, Connecticut location is used in almost every episode of The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour.

1957-58 Season:

Episode 1: Lucy Takes a Cruise to Havana: The premise of this episode is Lucy and Ricky telling Hedda Hopper the story of how they met. They are being interviewed by her in the living room of their home in Westport, Connecticut.

Episode 2: The Celebrity Next Door: As you note, this episode takes place in their Westport, Connecticut home

Episode 4: Lucy Wins a Racehorse: This entire episode takes place in Connecticut with most scenes taking place in their Westport home.

Episode 5: Lucy Goes to Sun Valley: The opening scene is in their Westport, Connecticut living room

1958-1959 Season:

Episode 7: Lucy Makes Room for Danny: This entire episode takes place in Westport, Connecticut

Episode 9: Lucy Wants a Career: Most of this episode takes place in their Westport, Connecticut home

Episode 10: Lucy's Summer Vacation: The opening scene is in the Ricardos' Westport, Connecticut kitchen

1959-1960 Season:

Episode 11: Milton Berle Hides Out at the Ricardos': About half of this episode takes place in the Ricardos' Westport, Connecticut home

Episode 13: Lucy Meets the Mustache: Almost all of this episode takes place in Westport, Connecticut, much of it in their home.