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Guest Stars that Could Have Been ...


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I'll throw this out for fun.

 

QUESTION: What guest stars WOULD have been good on Lucy's series, but never were booked for one reason or another?

 

I grew up when Here's Lucy was airing and I always regretted that the Carpenters never guest-starred. The Carpenters hit it big in 1970, so they would have been perfect for a guest-spot on the 3rd season of Here's Lucy.

 

Imagine Karen Carpenter and Desi Jr. doing a drum duet together! And the Carpenters - being the perfectionists that they were - would have fit well with Lucy's work ethic.

 

Anyway, what other entertainers do you think would have been a good fit?

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I love the sound of that wilderfan. I would have loved to see Bette Midler guest star on a Here's Lucy, heck, even a Life With Lucy episode!

 

Also, it's a shame that Clark Gable never guest starred on a I Love Lucy episode.

 

So, in answer to your question: Bette Midler and Clark Gable

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I have to second Betty White. It seems so strange they never worked together aside from Password since they -- and their mothers -- were such good pals in real life.

 

It also would have been nice for Jane Morgan (Our Miss Brooks) to have taken over the mother role from Kathryn Card for Lucys Carmichael and Carter... and for Bea to have appeared on HL as part of the Mame promotion.

 

Other great untapped guest-stars:

 

Thelma Ritter

Henry Fonda (as a series guest star)

Goldie Hawn on HL

Dick Van Dyke

Rose Marie

John and Yoko (Why not? LOL)

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I love the sound of that wilderfan. I would have loved to see Bette Midler guest star on a Here's Lucy, heck, even a Life With Lucy episode!

 

Also, it's a shame that Clark Gable never guest starred on a I Love Lucy episode.

 

So, in answer to your question: Bette Midler and Clark Gable

While I too would have loved to have seen Bette and Lucy work together at least once, it wouldn't have been very viable during the "Here's Lucy" years since Miss Midler was just becoming known, not really "hitting it big" till her first hit record in '72 (BWBB). Plus, knowing of her bawdy stage persona, I doubt LB would even have considered having Bette as a guest, at least not until a good decade plus later after she'd become "Disneyized"....but sadly, by then it was pretty much too late. Such a shame! huh.gif
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I have to second Betty White. It seems so strange they never worked together aside from Password since they -- and their mothers -- were such good pals in real life.

 

It also would have been nice for Jane Morgan (Our Miss Brooks) to have taken over the mother role from Kathryn Card for Lucys Carmichael and Carter... and for Bea to have appeared on HL as part of the Mame promotion.

 

Other great untapped guest-stars:

 

Thelma Ritter

Henry Fonda (as a series guest star)

Goldie Hawn on HL

Dick Van Dyke

Rose Marie

John and Yoko (Why not? LOL)

Oh yes, Dick Van Dyke, how could I forget HIM? How about Mae West? She did a guest turn on Hillbillies and could easily have done Lucy, same for Gloria Swanson, two ladies Lucy admired. I like the idea of Lucy having a mom on her shows, that would have been nice. And Lucy hating TROUBLE, i doubt she could have asked Judy Garland, getting a performance out of her would have been harder than Liz and Dickie put together.

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I agree with Betty White. I would have loved a Lucy Show/Dick Van Dyke Show crossover since the shows were set a town away from each other and both aired on CBS and were filmed at Desilu (although on different lots).

 

According to Lucy, Thelma Ritter was scheduled to be on the show, but died before production. If they filmed the episode without her, what episode/part would she have done? She died in February 1969. I can't think of any first season Here's Lucy episode that would fit her. I can see her in Mary Wickes' nurse role in "Lucy and Harry's Tonsils" that aired in October 1969.

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As she missed out on being the "Celebrity Next Door," it would have been great having Bette Davis on "The Lucy Show" or "Here's Lucy."

 

Lucy worked with Dino and Sammy Davis, Jr., but a Frank Sinatra appearance would have been cool, too.

 

The Ann Margaret episode would have worked with Nancy Sinatra.

 

Even though she did a cameo on "I Love Lucy," a real appearance by Eve Arden could have been fun.

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As she missed out on being the "Celebrity Next Door," it would have been great having Bette Davis on "The Lucy Show" or "Here's Lucy."

 

Lucy worked with Dino and Sammy Davis, Jr., but a Frank Sinatra appearance would have been cool, too.

 

The Ann Margaret episode would have worked with Nancy Sinatra.

 

Even though she did a cameo on "I Love Lucy," a real appearance by Eve Arden could have been fun.

Oh wow, yes, Frank Sinatra, seeing as Lucy admired him so. And Eve also was a good friend.

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I agree with Betty White. I would have loved a Lucy Show/Dick Van Dyke Show crossover since the shows were set a town away from each other and both aired on CBS and were filmed at Desilu (although on different lots).

 

According to Lucy, Thelma Ritter was scheduled to be on the show, but died before production. If they filmed the episode without her, what episode/part would she have done? She died in February 1969. I can't think of any first season Here's Lucy episode that would fit her. I can see her in Mary Wickes' nurse role in "Lucy and Harry's Tonsils" that aired in October 1969.

Of course, Betty White, i wonder why they never managed to work together on anythning when their mothers were such great friends and so were they, as Brock pointed out on another thread. And i was stunned to learn that Thelma, a wonderful Oscar winning character actress whom Lucy adored, as did the world, was set to co star, how old was she at that point in her life?

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Actually, in one of the more shocking pieces of Oscar trivia, Thelma outrageously never won the Oscar despite being nominated six times! :angry:

Oh yeah, she was so great we just ASSUME she had to have won after all those nominations, then again, tell that to Deborah Kerr or Dickie Burton. Even Paul Newman and Al Pacino took even more nominations befre they finally took that elusive prize.

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  • 2 months later...

Interesting topic. I was just thinking about who else could have guest starred on one of THE LUCY-DESI COMEDY HOURS. I recall reading somewhere that they had originally been contracted to produce 16. Anyone know anything about this?

 

 

No, that's a first for me but I'm sure lots of things planned, contracted, etc. were simply abridged and/or cut short because of the divorce. Not meant to be I guess, just like talk those damn hour-longs were to have been filmed in color and OH! how now I wish they had been -- it would have been the closest to seeing the Ricardos and Mertzes and what they -- not to mention that beautiful country house set -- really looked like in color. Bet too we'd see them even more in reruns if they had been!! Sigh.

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Interesting topic. I was just thinking about who else could have guest starred on one of THE LUCY-DESI COMEDY HOURS. I recall reading somewhere that they had originally been contracted to produce 16. Anyone know anything about this?

Debbie Reynolds was set for the next one but the divorce put the kibosh on all that. I just reread this thread and Brock, i have to tell ya, John and Yoko, i mean really! LOL!

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That's certainly a delayed reaction! lol

LOL! I just reread the whole thin and well, it kinda struck me as being such an odd suggestion, like that could even have been possible, i mean, Lucy might have knocked some sense into Yoko but still . . . i guess you're right as John wrote LUCY in the sky with diamonds, he must have been inspired by one of her sparkly dresses. AND, it was at a fancy dinner that John was sitting at the next table from Lucy's when he couldn't get Julian to eat his peas even if he kept pleading with him to GIVE PEAS A CHANCE. I'm sorry but that's always been one of my favorite jokes and for once, my own original material on top of that. Maybe i should have submitted a script to gary while he was producing, if he bought GORBOONA scripts, maybe i had a chance.

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I agree with Betty White. I would have loved a Lucy Show/Dick Van Dyke Show crossover since the shows were set a town away from each other and both aired on CBS and were filmed at Desilu (although on different lots).

 

According to Lucy, Thelma Ritter was scheduled to be on the show, but died before production. If they filmed the episode without her, what episode/part would she have done? She died in February 1969. I can't think of any first season Here's Lucy episode that would fit her. I can see her in Mary Wickes' nurse role in "Lucy and Harry's Tonsils" that aired in October 1969.

 

I agree with ALL of this. I don't think Lucy and Dick performed together until his late 70s variety show. Ditto Mary

I've never heard this about Thelma Ritter before and I can't think of an episode that would have suited her either.

But I LOVE the idea of John and Yoko appearing on Here's Lucy.

I can hear the preview teaser "Lucy goes loco for John and Yoko when 'Lucy Meets the Lennons' next on Here's Lucy!!"

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The John and Yoko episode

"Give Lucy, the Peacemaker a Chance" When Yoko leaves him right before a benefit concert, John Lennon visits Carter's Unique Employment Agency seeking a replacement vocalist. But who could match Yoko's toneless singing?

"Lucy in Disguise with Diamonds" Lucy gets Yoko's diamond tiara stuck on her head right before the Lennons are to show it off at their famous in-bed press conference.

"Lucy and John's Pot" Lucy feels terrible after she accidentally sticks a lid of John Lennon's prime weed into a garbage disposal and sets out to produce a replacement quickly using Gigantigrow.

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The John and Yoko episode

"Give Lucy, the Peacemaker a Chance" When Yoko leaves him right before a benefit concert, John Lennon visits Carter's Unique Employment Agency seeking a replacement vocalist. But who could match Yoko's toneless singing?

"Lucy in Disguise with Diamonds" Lucy gets Yoko's diamond tiara stuck on her head right before the Lennons are to show it off at their famous in-bed press conference.

"Lucy and John's Pot" Lucy feels terrible after she accidentally sticks a lid of John Lennon's prime weed into a garbage disposal and sets out to produce a replacement quickly using Gigantigrow.

LOL! Why on earth are you not writing for prime time tv? Your posts are funnier than almost all the comedic shows on tv these days.

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Thank you, Claude, but my 'humor' has a limited (but high class!) appeal!

So then Saturday Night Live sounds like the right FIT for you, you have that kind of mind, perfect for that limited appeal type sketch or situation that is brought out to the absurd but retrofitted to the mindset of early tv humor which has never changed really.

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