chedderchester Posted October 8, 2014 Report Share Posted October 8, 2014 Today I was helping a family friend clean out a deceased friend's house. She was a hoarder with a capital H. And she lived in this HUGE house all by her lonesome. Anyway, today when I was there, I came across this tape called A Tribute to Lucy. It's dated 1989, by Goodtimes Entertainment. On the front is photos of Lucy from each decade, in a heart, with her and Desi's wedding day on the bottom. On the back it gives a description. This tape includes her rare comedy short "So and Sew," her romp with the Marx Brothers in "Room Service," and an Armed Radio appearance with Mel Blanc, the voice of Bugs Bunny, Daffy, etc. Also Lucy with Abbott & Costello, Fancy Pants with Bob Hope and more. It also says it has the Ed Wynn appearance with her and Desi, and the I Love Lucy cast on that Bob Hope special. I think it was the one with the seal, or the one where they switch roles. And there's the scenes of Long Long Trailer and Forever Darling (which are already on DVD so . . .) and Wildcat footage. And The Lucy Show highlights with Gale Gordon. The one thing that piqued my interest is a "never before broadcast" episode of Here's Lucy. I think half the stuff on this tape has now been released on DVD. I lent my aunt my VCR so I can't even watch it to see the "lost" HL episode. Does anybody else have a copy of this tape? Believe it or not, it can be found online. It's on Amazon but there's only 1 copy left. lol. This is the Ebay listing http://www.ebay.com/itm/Tribute-to-Lucy-VHS-1989-Good-Times-Home-Video-Corp-/261478616723?pt=VHS&hash=item3ce1570e93 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvsbway Posted October 8, 2014 Report Share Posted October 8, 2014 I have this. I recently went through it and a few other public domain tapes putting it on DVD. The HL I think they are referring to is the savings bond sketch that made it to one of the extras in the season sets of HL. I use to watch this tape a ton. So nice to have so much of this on DVD now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Posted October 8, 2014 Report Share Posted October 8, 2014 As I recall it was quite impressive in that it contained footage I had never seen. I don't know how (of IF) they got the rights or how they got access to footage, particularly the laugh-track-less Here's Lucy savings bond episode which I would have thought would have been tucked deeply away in the LBP vault. Don't know who the intended audience was for this. Is this the one that shows a short clip of Wildcat on Ed Sullivan then cuts away to stills? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvsbway Posted October 8, 2014 Report Share Posted October 8, 2014 That's the Wildcat clip. For years I thought the beginning was all that existed until I saw it on a reel at the museum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chedderchester Posted October 9, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 9, 2014 I wish it was up on Youtube. I'll have to ask for my VCR back. I didn't think it was that well-known of a tape. And I think it's in pretty good quality. I doubt if it was ever even played. It was open. And rewound to the very beginning so hopefully it isn't too banged up. The lady in that house has SOOOOOOOOOO much junk. The person I'm helping move, says she would actually know if something got thrown away without even looking. How would an old lady know if something was missing out of heaps and heaps and heaps of VHS tapes, children's books, stuffed animals, (she was a teacher at one point) vinyl records, clothes, jewelry, Christmas stuff . . . I wouldn't know unless I actually went to look for it and it was gone. In her bedroom, there is literally a HUGE pile of clothes taking over the bed and blocking the doorway. And there is more than one room like that. I actually found a box of old Barney VHS tapes and Shari Lewis/Lamb Chop tapes. Good riddance to the Barney but who doesn't love Lamb Chop? lol. When we cleaned out my grandparent's house 11 years ago I found one and I took it. Not sure where it is now. Is the Mel Blanc radio thing anywhere other than this tape? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvsbway Posted October 9, 2014 Report Share Posted October 9, 2014 Don't try to figure out a hoarder. Many episodes of those shows have taught me this is a mental illness and rational logic will not work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leenorman Posted October 9, 2014 Report Share Posted October 9, 2014 Reminds me of what I'm goig through right now; an elderly woman I know (even more elderly than I!!!!) has lived in an 8-room house for 50 years - you would NOT believe. We are on 2nd week of lugging into a 2-room apartment; and today, the household sale!!!! I'm not sure; but, I think I'd rather be dead! I very well MAY be; only two of us helping her; since she is oxygen 24-7; and unable to help much. Found TWO Lucille Ball things of a publication nature; which I had not seen; scarfed them up for dates, etc. WISH ME WELL....Loving you, JK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C L A U D E Posted October 9, 2014 Report Share Posted October 9, 2014 Great find Ched, I have it and found it remarkably enjoyable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mot Morenzi Posted October 10, 2014 Report Share Posted October 10, 2014 I've got this one on tape, too. Overall I prefer "The Funny World of Lucy" for an overview of her life but this one's got some fun clips. It was the first time I ever saw portions of "Lucy Gets Jack Benny's Account". It's a double feature tape that also includes "Lucy's Lost Episodes". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C L A U D E Posted October 10, 2014 Report Share Posted October 10, 2014 Shame he only went to VHS, if he'd gone to Beta tapes he could have had her twelve tape Lucy movies collection from RKO/Turner classics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeySanJoaquin Posted October 10, 2014 Report Share Posted October 10, 2014 Shame he only went to VHS, if he'd gone to Beta tapes he could have had her twelve tape Lucy movies collection from RKO/Turner classics. My version is on VHS. Wish they'd re-release on BluRay or at the least, DVD! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C L A U D E Posted October 10, 2014 Report Share Posted October 10, 2014 Yes, so do I, I assure you mine was on Beta and I never saw it HERE on VHS or would have bought it again. But most of those movies were not her best but rather some of these BIT parts in B movies at RKO. But at least The Big Street was in there, although that one HAS come out on DVD since, thank the good Lord. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucyilove Posted October 11, 2014 Report Share Posted October 11, 2014 The lady in that house has SOOOOOOOOOO much junk.... heaps and heaps and heaps of VHS tapes, children's books, stuffed animals, (she was a teacher at one point) vinyl records, clothes, jewelry, Christmas stuff . . . I wouldn't know unless I actually went to look for it and it was gone. That is not hoarding, that is collecting - and I suspect most of us here have that umm, issue. And most of us with just as much would know just where to look for what we wanted in all that stuff . Do hope you all haven't trashed the contents of this little archive and at least donated it all to The Salvation Army, Goodwill, or some other charity shop. I assure you most of it would sell there!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C L A U D E Posted October 12, 2014 Report Share Posted October 12, 2014 Exactly, a hoarder saves absolutely everything, this sounds like a collector, and they are more about collecting things that are worth something as opposed to saving newspapers and other things that have limited value. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Posted October 12, 2014 Report Share Posted October 12, 2014 I think the first Lucy video I ever saw for sale was a Betamax "Lucy Gets Jack Benny's Account" videocassette. That's it. Just one episode. I bought it even though I didn't have a betamax machine. No one knew about the public domain issue, but the print was the usual 16mm quality. It had a blurry and not-flattering (but not unflattering) shot of Lucy on the jacket that seemed to have been shot off the TV screen. Touted the episode as "the best of the entire series". It's certainly not a typical Lucy Show. The Lucy style comedy is subordinate and we're treated to what was, in effect, a Jack Benny episode, the type of comedy Milt excelled at. So though far from "the best" in my book, on paper that would seem to be the case. The critics loved it. Our local TV columnist in a thumbnail assessment of the Emmy nominees for Best Comedy noted "Lucy has had some pretty good episodes this season. Her best was the one with Jack Benny. Her worst guested Dennis Day". Don't know what he found so unappealing about that episode. Didn't he see "Lucy and Frankie Avalon"?? Though the 6th season is the only one of The Lucy Show I don't like, the series was at least as good as other comedies on at the time. The other nominees: blander than bland Family Affair, 2 aging series: Bewitched and Hogan's Heroes and the winner "Get Smart" in its 2nd season. The big surprise omission: the critically acclaimed "He and She" which got nomination for both its leads and Jack Cassidy, and won the writing award. The 1967-68 Emmys not only saw "The Lucy Show"'s only nomination for best comedy, it also had the one and only writing nomination: the Jack Benny episode. And the irony is that the only writer ever nominated for the Lucy Show was the man that ruined the show Milt Josefsburg (along with Ray Singer who put out much better scripts with Dick Chevaliat.) To illustrate just how far afield the show had strayed from the original concept, try taking ANY 6th season episode and (with a change of locale) insert it into the first season. I can imagine Lucy and Viv going to stewardess school, but can you imagine them putting on an impromptu show? "The Lucy Show" is usually dismissed for relying totally on guest stars who wandered in and out of Lucy Carmichael's life, but the series went almost 2 seasons without one. The first real guest star playing herself was Ethel Merman and that's episode #48, and was the only one that season (I'm not counting ROberta Sherwood, because who knew who she was?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chedderchester Posted October 13, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 13, 2014 Exactly, a hoarder saves absolutely everything, this sounds like a collector, and they are more about collecting things that are worth something as opposed to saving newspapers and other things that have limited value. I did find a box of old TV guides in the basement. I snagged one, dated the first week of July 1999. I didn't think there was a difference between hoarding and collecting. There is some valuable stuff in that house (or at least there was) but a lot of it was kid stuff and old children's books and VHS tapes, cat mugs and other stuff. She had a ton of Christmas tree angel toppers as well. I took one. A lot of it is being donated. And how long ago did you get this Lucy betamax, Neil? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C L A U D E Posted October 13, 2014 Report Share Posted October 13, 2014 I disagree somewhat about the Benny episode, although it WAS my two favorite comedians of all time together in a gem. It was a joy to watch the two older pros at their best, but the minute they brought out that fake gorilla and the Indians, they sort of lost me there, LOL! I think it still is my second favorite show after the Dean Martin one though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mot Morenzi Posted October 19, 2014 Report Share Posted October 19, 2014 No need for a blu-ray, Joe. The master's on videotape so hi-def would do nothing for it. It was released on DVD but I'm sure it's OOP now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irene Kampen Tripp Posted October 21, 2014 Report Share Posted October 21, 2014 Wow.. Thank God people like Neil are on this board. I learn so much. Too bad season six is in your stinker pile though. I am a fool for ANY kinda musical numbers and I get a kick out of off the wall silly humor (within reason)... Lucy and Vivian may not have broke into song on an airplane but Lucy and Ethel broke into a Hawaiian number in the New York apartment lol Ched, is the Steve Lawerence Show highlighted on that videotape? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mickie Posted October 21, 2014 Report Share Posted October 21, 2014 I had this tape too - it was great when it came out as we didn't have a lot of that footage then - especially the HL Bond segment and the Wildcat footage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvsbway Posted October 21, 2014 Report Share Posted October 21, 2014 The Steve Lawrence show stuff is on one of the public domain tapes. It’s short but great to have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Posted October 21, 2014 Report Share Posted October 21, 2014 Nineteen hundred and......well it's been YEARS and YEARS. About 34 of them. I did find a box of old TV guides in the basement. I snagged one, dated the first week of July 1999. I didn't think there was a difference between hoarding and collecting. There is some valuable stuff in that house (or at least there was) but a lot of it was kid stuff and old children's books and VHS tapes, cat mugs and other stuff. She had a ton of Christmas tree angel toppers as well. I took one. A lot of it is being donated. And how long ago did you get this Lucy betamax, Neil? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C L A U D E Posted October 21, 2014 Report Share Posted October 21, 2014 LOL! Yes, thank God for Neil and the other EXPERTS here who know so much. The Steve Lawrence show and Lucy's guesting on his premiere was one of the best things she ever did. She looked wunnerful, wunnerful and for once was given great material and treated like the Queen of Television she was at that point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvsbway Posted October 21, 2014 Report Share Posted October 21, 2014 This rendition of Hey Look Me Over is my favorite. She was in great voice and great shape too. Legs for miles in that high cut outfit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C L A U D E Posted October 21, 2014 Report Share Posted October 21, 2014 Yes, the production values were incredible and Lucy definitely was at her best. Again, she loved Steve and when she liked the people she worked with . . . she got flack for appearing on the premiere instead of his wife Eydie but CBS was after ratings, nothing else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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