Posted on 10/15/2016 8:49:52 AM PDT by heterosupremacist
I Love Lucy, an American sitcom starring Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, Vivian Vance and William Frawley made its debut on October 15, 1951. The program created a new television experience with the first filmed and scripted program performed before a live audience. The studio literally knocked a hole in a concrete wall creating room for theater seating inviting the once banned fans to see the stars perform – for free! The new format and I Love Lucy won five Emmy Awards, received numerous nominations.
In four of its six seasons, I Love Lucy was the most-watched show in the United States...
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Re :Post # 21 ~
Excellent, HA!
Having watched the show for years, this is literally the first time I understand how they were able to pull off the live broadcasts going from set piece to set piece with mere minutes between commercial breaks. Visually seeing how the set was designed helps answer that question.
I am sure they just "tacked on" the Mertz living room (or any other location) set onto either end when they had to "go upstairs" to Fred and Ethel Mertz's apartment.
Since I Love Lucy was so ground breaking, I am sure this same set design style was used for many live TV shows for decades.
Likely correct on all fronts, and the author was correct because Desi Arnaz himself paid the money for the film ($500 a week! Nice investment).
I guess I don’t think of “I Love Lucy” as the same kind of breakthrough, as live radio shows with similar formats had been going on for so long. “Fibber McGee and Molly”, “Lum and Abner” and “Amos and Andy” already had the scripted sitcom format running strong. Lucy herself was on such a program (”My Favorite Husband”). I’ve listened to enough of these programs from the ‘40s that the transition to television and live audiences did not seem like a big deal. One reason why some of the other shows didn’t beat “I Love Lucy” is because they were still successful on radio.
I see from left to right, little Ricky’s bedroom, the master bedroom, the living room, kitchen, and the Copacabana night club. The bathroom must have been down the hallway.
I love Lucy, but as the years have gone by, have less love for the TV show and its humor. Still, I admire what she did as a woman in business and as an actress in radio/movies other than ‘I Love Lucy.’
Robert Cummings was great, as was Gale Storm.
LOL
Ok, so I never met Lucille Ball, but I came close.
In my rock band days, we had a gig in Hollywood and were in our van driving around during the day (circa 1975-6). We were in the left lane at a stop light when a black Mercedes convertible pulled up next to us. Her husband was at the wheel and Lucy was in the passenger seat, red hair covered with a scarf, and sunglasses. But it was really her.
We all broke out in our best Ricky Ricardo “Ohhhh Ohhhhh Ohhhh Lucy, Haaa haaa haa” and she gave us a great smile.
Bob Cummings I liked, but McHales Navy or Sgt Philco were more my speed
Bilko, I think, and we all liked him.
Yes, you are correct. He made my dad bust a gut. The Honeymooners, which some swear by always seemed too loud for me. I grew up in a quiet home, we had 7 kids and it was very quiet at all times. When I had my own, I was surprised how hard it was to “train” them to act like we were taught to. I think that is why my comedy leans more towards intelligent, instead of bombastic like Lucy. Intelligent to me was Beverly Hillbillies, Green Acres and Get Smart..
The Jackie Gleason show had sets on a lazy-Suzann type turntable. They closed the curtains, then rotated to the next set. I know this because one night, the turntable jammed, and Gleason had to go out in front of the curtain and vamp until they could get if fixed. He told the viewers what was happening, but was still sweating like mad and puffing one cigarette after another.
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