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Unsolved "Lucy" Mysteries


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Post all of your burning "unsolved" mysteries which will likely always go unanswered:

 

  • Who were the "Pleasant Peasant" girls in real life and how were they cast? They were perfection.
  • Just when did Lucy cross paths with former dancer Hazel Pierce and how did she become a part of the Lucy family?
  • Just how did Lucy and Desi come to the understanding that Doris Singleton was worth that little extra something every time she appeared on the show. Of course she was worth every extra penny she cost, but when did they realize this obvious fact? :lol:
  • Were any other actresses given serious consideration to portray Mrs. McGillicuddy? Of course, no one else could play her but I'd love to see who was in the casting folder.
  • Just how suggestive was the aborted Lucy Plays Basketball?
  • Was Lucy, The Cement Worker cobbled together from ideas and pages leftover from other scripts?
  • Out of all the possibilities, why did Bob and Madelyn settle on the unique talents of Dorothy Lloyd ("Mercedes Minch") as Lucy's opening act in Lucy Tells The Truth?
  • Who was the first person to take Viv's gag contract from Dinah! as gospel truth? (Causing no end of misery to Lucy fans the world-over)
  • Who is responsible for making the most famous, albeit fake, Ricky Ricardo quote of "You've got some splainin' to do" enter the popular lexicon?

Just a few that come to mind. What are some of yours?

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GREAT new thread/topic idea, boss and LOVING your new signature and avatar! Coolness!  :peachonthebeach:

 

Thanks! Busty's never going to get out of that bus, is she? :professor:

 

One more mystery:

 

  • Why was Shirley Mitchell's Marion Strong limited to just three episodes in one season?
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Another mystery I've mentioned before that has nagged at me for years is what role did Gale score as a series regular midway through the run of a popular late 80s network sitcom but lost the part in the end because the network wouldn't insure him?

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ALL are great questions....

"Plays Basketball": was SUGGESTIVE???!!  Please 'splain.

 

Other mysteries:

--Why did Countess episodes not continue?-- all were broadcast in the calendar year 1965.  And I don't buy she was too busy with "My Mother the Car"--- or anything else since she made appearances on "Family Affair" and others.

--Why was Marilyn Maxwell given such a grand entrance (WITH applause) and then reduced to a walk-on as nurse to "Cuddles" (or whatever corny name they gave Gale) in the College Reunion show?

--Mini-mystery:  WHY do the writers think that when two old college chums meet, they either do either their elaborate fraternity handshake or college cheer?  Has anyone every witnessed this in real life?  I never found these to be remotely funny.

--Unanswerable mystery:  Why did Lucy let Milt get away with hiring all those HACKS for so many years?---at least hacks with a Lucy script...Some of them actually did well with other shows.  It was obviously much harder to put together a good Lucy show script than say, a My Three Sons, because so many writers failed miserably.  Some (Garry Marshall!) thought writing Lucy was lucrative but slumming.

 

So true about "Cement Worker" (though it does have the great physical of bit of Lucy operating a jackhammer).  Same can be said of "Bogie Affair".

 

Until now I didn't realize that Ricky did NOT say "You've got some 'splainin' to do" in any episode.   He certainly came CLOSE, didn't he?

Post all of your burning "unsolved" mysteries which will likely always go unanswered:

 

  • Who were the "Pleasant Peasant" girls in real life and how were they cast? They were perfection.
  • Just when did Lucy cross paths with former dancer Hazel Pierce and how did she become a part of the Lucy family?
  • Just how did Lucy and Desi come to the understanding that Doris Singleton was worth that little extra something every time she appeared on the show. Of course she was worth every extra penny she cost, but when did they realize this obvious fact? :lol:
  • Were any other actresses given serious consideration to portray Mrs. McGillicuddy? Of course, no one else could play her but I'd love to see who was in the casting folder.
  • Just how suggestive was the aborted Lucy Plays Basketball?
  • Was Lucy, The Cement Worker cobbled together from ideas and pages leftover from other scripts?
  • Out of all the possibilities, why did Bob and Madelyn settle on the unique talents of Dorothy Lloyd ("Mercedes Minch") as Lucy's opening act in Lucy Tells The Truth?
  • Who was the first person to take Viv's gag contract from Dinah! as gospel truth? (Causing no end of misery to Lucy fans the world-over)
  • Who is responsible for making the most famous, albeit fake, Ricky Ricardo quote of "You've got some splainin' to do" enter the popular lexicon?

Just a few that come to mind. What are some of yours?

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  • 2 years later...

I was watching Housewarming last night and one thing has always driven me crazy: Betty says, "Don't forget tonight, Ethel," which gives Lucy the impression that her surprise party is that night. But what was Betty actually talking about? It must have been something early that night since Ethel was already in her nighty-nights all ready to go to bed at 9:00.

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* Why did Desi Arnaz never make a guest appearance or even a cameo on The Lucy Show and most of all, Here's Lucy, in which his children starred on?

* Would the tone of Lucy's later shows be altered if her voice was the same as Lucy Ricardo's (high-pitched, girly)?

* Why no holiday/Christmas episodes of Here's Lucy?

* What was the reasoning of giving Mary Jane Croft a completely new, different character in The Lucy Show?

* Was the character of Mary Jane Lewis in both The Lucy Show and Here's Lucy the same person? Did she really know BOTH Lucy Carter and Lucy Carmichael?

* Whatever happened to Mrs. Trumbull once the Ricardos and Mertzes moved to Westport?

* Why did Frank Nelson stop making guest appearances on a Lucy TV series program after the 1962-1963 season?

* Whatever happened to the Countess Framboise?

* Why was the original cast of The Lucy Show not included in the series finale?

* Why was Mary Jane Croft used less frequently during the first four seasons of Here's Lucy?

* Why did Lucille Ball continue The Lucy Show after the 3rd season with the new format change? Why not just end it there and continue with a new series instead?

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There you go looking for a "lojical 'splanashan" of all things Lucy again, when will we ever learn?? :blink:

 

Actually I think you have some very GOOD questions and while I'm just supposing here (and applying -- gasp! -- a smidge of logic in some cases, which I know, what am I thinking!) -- but thought it might be fun to "give it a whirl"!

 

* Why did Desi Arnaz never make a guest appearance or even a cameo on The Lucy Show and most of all, Here's Lucy, in which his children starred on?

Despite all the passage of time, I'm guess she/he (Gary - who probably wouldn't have gone for it anyway!) thought it would be too "jarring" for the audience, especially seeing a grayed, aged version of their beloved Ricky half of the Ricardos reunited with his Lucy...only not since she technically wasn't the same Lucy....if that makes any sense.  Would have been cool though, especially on HL when the foursome could not only have been all together on screen again --and the first time as adults--perhaps they could even have done a number together! Ah, if only ....

* Would the tone of Lucy's later shows be altered if her voice was the same as Lucy Ricardo's (high-pitched, girly)?

Perhaps...if not more than likely.  Just look at the difference between HL season 1 and the last two... made a marked difference in her "delivery" IMHO.

* Why no holiday/Christmas episodes of Here's LucyI don't get this one either at all...especially since she did have her real-life kids to play off of....This may be a stretch of the imagination (or lack thereof) but perhaps showrunner Josefsberg, Jewish in faith I would presume, maybe just had no interest in doing what would have been a very special episode(s)? Great question!.

* What was the reasoning of giving Mary Jane Croft a completely new, different character in The Lucy Show?

If you mean between the Danfield and Hollywood seasons, my thinking is it was already stretching believability that Lucy and Mooney BOTH ended up moving AT THE SAME TIME without neither knowing?? And from a supposedly very small town??! Not likely....but had Mary Jane gone too -- unless they cleverly came up with a way to explain it (which they probably COULD have, had they tried!) e.g. say if Lucy and Mary Jane had decided to move together to be roommates and save money, etc. but well, we know that didn't happen.  I think it could have though!

* Was the character of Mary Jane Lewis in both The Lucy Show and Here's Lucy the same person? Did she really know BOTH Lucy Carter and Lucy Carmichael? I'm thinking there was no real thought behind it, it was just easier (and perhaps her preference/request?) to use her real name for her "reel" name!

* Whatever happened to Mrs. Trumbull once the Ricardos and Mertzes moved to Westport? Well....need we state the obvious? After all she wasn't exactly a spring chicken!! (Sorry...my bad)

* Why did Frank Nelson stop making guest appearances on a Lucy TV series program after the 1962-1963 season?

Wasn't he on Jack Benny's show around this time? If not, busy and as popular as he was he was undoubtedly just unavailable for whatever reason(s)/roles elsewhere.  Too bad though, he was also a great addition to the cast whenever he did appear!

* Whatever happened to the Countess Framboise?  See response for Mrs. Trumble....I'm KIDDING!!!

* Why was the original cast of The Lucy Show not included in the series finale?  They didn't really "do" finales back then...besides, they'd all disappeared for a couple years by this point they probably thought the audience would think nothing of it....but I think it would have made a great last episode!

* Why was Mary Jane Croft used less frequently during the first four seasons of Here's LucyI'd like the answer to that one myself!

* Why did Lucille Ball continue The Lucy Show after the 3rd season with the new format change? Why not just end it there and continue with a new series instead? Not enough episodes to go into syndication.  The benchmark -- at least back then -- was to have at least100 episodes or more before they were viable to be sold.  Still pretty much holds up today although there seem to be more and more exceptions, what with the proliferation of all these secondary cable channels that are all about "classic" programming (MeTV, AntennaTV, COZI, etc. etc.) and their need for product to comprise their program schedules.  I'm kinda glad they did it the way they did it, although I still agree with what someone else suggested where they could have had a real send-off for Viv (and Sherman) and had a real "goodbye we're moving" episode.  It certainly would have been preferable to that Marineland mess!!! :blink:

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I know some sources have claimed that Ann Sothern, were she to become a series regular, wanted to be billed alongside Lucy. Reportedly, the co-star credit Vivian received wasn't good enough. I take this with a grain of salt but maybe Ann did have some qualms about what a supporting role would entail. If that is the case, it's unfortunate they couldn't have kept her on in a recurring basis.

 

Another explanation is that the creative team was perhaps leery about having her around every week. I remember Maury Thompson or someone saying that "you had to pamper Ann to get a good show out of her." Maybe that pampering was just too much to worry about for a regular cast member?

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It is understood Mary Jane took a few quiet years to mourn her son, who was killed in Vietnam.

Oh how tragic! I never knew this.

 

I know she was quoted in the Fidelman book as to being rather confused as to why she wasn't used much during the early "Here's Lucy" years. She guessed the writers kept forgetting about her.

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I know some sources have claimed that Ann Sothern, were she to become a series regular, wanted to be billed alongside Lucy. Reportedly, the co-star credit Vivian received wasn't good enough. I take this with a grain of salt but maybe Ann did have some qualms about what a supporting role would entail. If that is the case, it's unfortunate they couldn't have kept her on in a recurring basis.

Another explanation is that the creative team was perhaps leery about having her around every week. I remember Maury Thompson or someone saying that "you had to pamper Ann to get a good show out of her." Maybe that pampering was just too much to worry about for a regular cast member?

Hmmm... Interesting tidbit but not sure how accurate...I mean if they weren't willing to do it for Viv, I doubt they would have done it for Ann! :blink:
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