LucyImHome Posted November 10, 2012 Report Share Posted November 10, 2012 At what point did music rights become so expensive? Clearing the rights, especially to Irving Berlin's music, seems very problematic now. There was a day when these tunes could be slipped into shows, when other music would have sufficed so I assume it wasn't a big deal "back then". Case in point "Lucy Gets In Pictures" features "A Pretty Girl is Like a Melody", a Berlin tune, though the actual melody line does not stand out-anything would have worked. These picky purists who complain about this or that being cut from shows, or other music substituted are not considering that the cost of obtaining these music rights is often the make-or-break factor that determines whether shows are released at all. Instead of carping about what's missing, they should be grateful that someone took the trouble to attempt a solution to this issue. I assume that "Pretty Girl" was also used in the Opening Night recreation of "Gets in Pictures". Another tune was expertly substituted and no one was the wiser. This makes me appriciate all the dozens and dozens of musical scores that DID get cleared for the dvd releases of all 3 shows. I remember being pleased when "Good Girls Don't Cry", sung by Lucy & Vivian was intact on The Lucy Show episode, Lucy Is A Chaperone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tjw Posted November 10, 2012 Report Share Posted November 10, 2012 On a similar topic: Has anything been considered by way of putting the Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse out on DVD either as season sets or in "Best Ofs"? That would be incredible. Another of my "pet projects." Unfortunately, anthology shows have never been very successful... DESILU PLAYHOUSE was a true anthology, in that one week was a comedy, the next a Western, the next a melodrama, etc. The only anthologies that have done well recently are those that are themed -- i.e., THE TWILIGHT ZONE, THE OUTER LIMITS, etc., in which all the shows are of a given "genre." But, trust me, I'm working on it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C L A U D E Posted November 10, 2012 Report Share Posted November 10, 2012 Bob Banner's company has just released "The Garry Moore Show Presents A Carol Burnett Christmas," which includes three episodes from the early 1960s, all relating to Christmas. So at least these companies are waking up to the fact that there is a market for these vintage television programs! Oh yes, every year i scramble to find any show that has a new DVD featuring Christmas episodes, i have quite a few of them, they're never that funny but rather more sentimental and always enjoyable in the memories they bring forth. Of course i lost many in the Beta/VHS wars but am starting again to collect them now on DVD which will last till the day i croak, thank God. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C L A U D E Posted November 12, 2012 Report Share Posted November 12, 2012 Funny how your tastes change over the decades, i hated the Sid Caesar one back then but just watched it and it's pretty damn good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikidiki Posted November 12, 2012 Report Share Posted November 12, 2012 Funny how your tastes change over the decades, i hated the Sid Caesar one back then but just watched it and it's pretty damn good. I liked that one as well, it was ridiculous but funny! LOL! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Posted November 12, 2012 Report Share Posted November 12, 2012 I liked that one as well, it was ridiculous but funny! LOL! Was the celebrity look-alike theme used quite often? In addition to Sid, Van Johnson and Allen Funt come to mind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C L A U D E Posted November 12, 2012 Report Share Posted November 12, 2012 Was the celebrity look-alike theme used quite often? In addition to Sid, Van Johnson and Allen Funt come to mind. Not to mention the other times it was an actor NOT recognized like Milton Berle, Ginger Rogers or even Joan Crawford. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Posted November 13, 2012 Report Share Posted November 13, 2012 Not to mention the other times it was an actor NOT recognized like Milton Berle, Ginger Rogers or even Joan Crawford. To be fair, Ginger Rogers was not going to reveal her ego trip by going to a Ginger Rogers Film Festival as Ginger Rogers and raided Spike's closet for a (rather unflattering) disguise. The WORST example of this is the revered Burtons episode in which Lucy does not recognize her plumber as Richard Burton despite that voice, reciting Shakespeare no less, and NO attempt at a disguise other than "Sam The Plumber" coveralls, and the fact that she's there to see....Richard Burton. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikidiki Posted November 13, 2012 Report Share Posted November 13, 2012 Was the celebrity look-alike theme used quite often? In addition to Sid, Van Johnson and Allen Funt come to mind. A little too often! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C L A U D E Posted November 13, 2012 Report Share Posted November 13, 2012 The WORST example of this is the revered Burtons episode in which Lucy does not recognize her plumber as Richard Burton despite that voice, reciting Shakespeare no less, and NO attempt at a disguise other than "Sam The Plumber" coveralls, and the fact that she's there to see....Richard Burton. T O U C H E, on all points. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C L A U D E Posted November 13, 2012 Report Share Posted November 13, 2012 A little too often! Gary's fault, got all his comedy writers at discount rates at WRITERS ARE US. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikidiki Posted November 13, 2012 Report Share Posted November 13, 2012 Gary's fault, got all his comedy writers at discount rates at WRITERS ARE US. Well it was next door to his favourite bagel shop! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C L A U D E Posted November 13, 2012 Report Share Posted November 13, 2012 As i watched the Crawford one, i could hear the nervousness in her voice, you can even tell at the end how relieved she is that the whole thing is over. Did you notice her doing her lines so loud in the speakeasy sketch? Guess boss lady told her. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taylor Posted November 13, 2012 Report Share Posted November 13, 2012 As i watched the Crawford one, i could hear the nervousness in her voice, you can even tell at the end how relieved she is that the whole thing is over. Did you notice her doing her lines so loud in the speakeasy sketch? Guess boss lady told her. She was probably wearing 2 pairs of Depends that night. You don't mess with The Lucy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
upperco Posted November 13, 2012 Report Share Posted November 13, 2012 As i watched the Crawford one, i could hear the nervousness in her voice, you can even tell at the end how relieved she is that the whole thing is over. Did you notice her doing her lines so loud in the speakeasy sketch? Guess boss lady told her. Yeah. It's hard for me to say this, but Crawford really brought down the episode for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mot Morenzi Posted November 13, 2012 Report Share Posted November 13, 2012 You are right on both counts: we'd pretty well exhausted the vaults in the way of extras for THE LUCY SHOW: Season 6... but I have heard through the grapevine that there are lots of goodies added to the final HERE'S LUCY release... Considering how many CBS/Paramount releases tend to skip special features for later seasons of a number of shows, I think Lucy did pretty darn well right up to the end! Thank you for your exhaustive research and including everything possible. I'll admit I was rather bummed at first that the season 1 set didn't include any deleted footage (extended shower scene, for instance) like I Love Lucy did, but then it hit me...all deleted scenes from I Love Lucy were included in the original broadcasts and later excised, hence the 16mm backup prints. Obviously all cuts for TLS were made prior to air, so no copies remain. What a treasure trove if those snippets turned up somewhere, though... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikidiki Posted November 13, 2012 Report Share Posted November 13, 2012 Yeah. It's hard for me to say this, but Crawford really brought down the episode for me. It's not hard for me to say it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C L A U D E Posted November 13, 2012 Report Share Posted November 13, 2012 Yeah. It's hard for me to say this, but Crawford really brought down the episode for me. Well, she was terrified of being in front of a live audience. If you want to see her doing something really horrible, lots worse than this, try watching her the week she replaced her daughter Christina on her soap opera for a week or so. I think that was LIVE, he could hardly get the lines out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C L A U D E Posted November 13, 2012 Report Share Posted November 13, 2012 Considering how many CBS/Paramount releases tend to skip special features for later seasons of a number of shows, I think Lucy did pretty darn well right up to the end! Thank you for your exhaustive research and including everything possible. I'll admit I was rather bummed at first that the season 1 set didn't include any deleted footage (extended shower scene, for instance) like I Love Lucy did, but then it hit me...all deleted scenes from I Love Lucy were included in the original broadcasts and later excised, hence the 16mm backup prints. Obviously all cuts for TLS were made prior to air, so no copies remain. What a treasure trove if those snippets turned up somewhere, though... I just wish Lucy in London had made it on to this though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarryCarter Posted November 13, 2012 Report Share Posted November 13, 2012 I just wish Lucy in London had made it on to this though. ??? Lucy in London is on the season five DVD set. It was produced during season five and the follow up to the "Lucy Flies to London" episode. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C L A U D E Posted November 13, 2012 Report Share Posted November 13, 2012 ??? Lucy in London is on the season five DVD set. It was produced during season five and the follow up to the "Lucy Flies to London" episode. I meant Lucy in Nashville of course. I am so old and confused, this is Sitcoms Online, right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tjw Posted November 14, 2012 Report Share Posted November 14, 2012 I meant Lucy in Nashville of course. I am so old and confused, this is Sitcoms Online, right? Oh, thank goodness... For a minute there, I thought I was losing it! Would love to use "Lucy Comes to Nashville" sometime, someplace... but it's a strange duck, too... Not really a "Lucy show" as much as a "Lucy appearance" on someone else's show. (She just happened to be the host.) It's owned by a company out in Nashville, and maybe they will want to release it someday on DVD... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C L A U D E Posted November 14, 2012 Report Share Posted November 14, 2012 Oh, thank goodness... For a minute there, I thought I was losing it! Would love to use "Lucy Comes to Nashville" sometime, someplace... but it's a strange duck, too... Not really a "Lucy show" as much as a "Lucy appearance" on someone else's show. (She just happened to be the host.) It's owned by a company out in Nashville, and maybe they will want to release it someday on DVD... Oh i know it wasn't perfect, BUT, it was so nice to see her on TV again. My copy is old and has been transferred more often than Patreus, it would be nice to see what the colors really looked like, it's sorta washed out Lucy in London like now. AND look at what you guys did with THAT one. And she did have that great comedy bit with the hick orchestra. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikidiki Posted December 8, 2012 Report Share Posted December 8, 2012 What amazes me about that episode is that the entire last scene -- which runs something like 11 minutes -- is done entirely without dialog. It's all musical pantomime -- her faces and body language do all the "talking." Fabulous performance! You are correct: this often gets overlooked when people think of "Lucy's finest." I agree - it really is a fabulous performance! Just watched it last night. She reminds me very much of Charlie Chaplain whilst conducting the symphony. I just marvel at her work! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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