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Lucy in London


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Ok, what am I doing wrong, why can't we move the image to see it all?

Put the pointer in the main screen, left click and then drag the screen to the left.  The title of the article is "Lucille Ball Frolics in London."  The review itself (it's just a paragraph) is on the right side of the screen under the word "London" in the title.

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Watching it right now. I love the Lucy In London song performed by the Dave Clark 5, especially the slo-mo dancing intertwined with the carousel. And the London Bridge/Pop Goes the Weasel mashup. So it didn't get great reviews because there wasn't enough Lucy apparently? Why did they only give Lucy Carmichael one day to be in London? If I ever went to London, I think I would turn it upside down too!

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I’ve always like this special and I also like the lead up TLS episode to it as well. The documentary done on it was so informative and well put together. So much I learned from it. I had always wondered why the opening sequence was done in snapshot format, but it really does move the story along. Loved the trivia facts in the doc about how Lucy really did just run through all that traffic to the wax museum and how they used I Spy filming bus. Now days they would shut a huge portion of streets down to do these shots.

 

The mid point music video is so crazy trippy but I love Mod Lucy. I wish she was in the slower part too. I play a game of would wear that, would not wear that when I watch it. The Dave Clark Five song is also a highlight. So glad they really pushed the envelope on what they did on this show with the musical numbers.

 

The only part I really can’t stand is what I call the Anthony Newly Show at the end. Too much of Tony and now enough Lucy. But when we do get her it’s magic. She looks so happy and you can tell she had such a great time making this. Love that she even resurrected a costume for this number.

 

I occasionally here the Wonderful Day Like Today song on Bway radio and it always makes me so happy as it always makes me want to watch this episode.

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I know I say this every time we discuss that special but I LOVED the Anthony Newly songs, first of all they were all major hits of that time and secondly I know it's Tony's singing style, all nasal and annoying that puts people off.  They used to mock him a lot for his singing style, he was Joan Collins' hubby at the time and I can just picture Lucy with that couple having a grand old time in London.  The comedy was so different for her for once and I loved every minute of it.  I think Laurence Olivier turned down a guest spot but it was so great, he wasn't needed at all.  After watching it for decades in a worn out washed out copy, it was so great when this was finally put out on dvd.  Now come on guys, where's Lucy in Nashville and Carol Burnett's Carol Plus Two with Lucy and Zero Mostel?

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 I had always wondered why the opening sequence was done in snapshot format, but it really does move the story along. Loved the trivia facts in the doc about how Lucy really did just run through all that traffic to the wax museum and how they used I Spy filming bus. Now days they would shut a huge portion of streets down to do these shots.

 

The mid point music video is so crazy trippy but I love Mod Lucy. I wish she was in the slower part too. I play a game of would wear that, would not wear that when I watch it. The Dave Clark Five song is also a highlight. So glad they really pushed the envelope on what they did on this show with the musical numbers.

 

The only part I really can’t stand is what I call the Anthony Newly Show at the end. Too much of Tony and now enough Lucy. But when we do get her it’s magic. She looks so happy and you can tell she had such a great time making this. Love that she even resurrected a costume for this number.

 

I occasionally here the Wonderful Day Like Today song on Bway radio and it always makes me so happy as it always makes me want to watch this episode.

 

I Love the Wonderful Day like Today song too. Is it a real song or was it written for this special? I can't believe Lucy just ran through traffic. lol! And I bet when it originally aired, people were like "what's wrong with my TV?" when it showed the snapshots of Lucy in the airport at the beginning. You know if it was made today, Lucy would try to get on Britain's got Talent or The X Factor. And instead of The DC5, it would be One ERECTION or maybe Adele. I'd much prefer Adele. There'd probably also be a million celebrity cameos. I know there was Anthony Newley and the DC5, but today we'd probably see Simon Cowell, Paul McCartney and Ringo, (not sure WHY the Fab 4 weren't in the original! They're more Liverpool than London I guess) the Harry Potter cast, Rob Pattinson, Andrew Garfield, and pretty much every British celeb. Wasn't Twiggy in the big middle musical number? I wonder if Miss Ball was a big DC5 fan and wanted them in her special. She probably asked The Beatles too but they were probably touring at the time, and I also heard that John Lennon (and I think the other 3) absolutely refused to lend their voices to the singing vultures in Disney's The Jungle Book which was being made at that time as well, so maybe a Lucille Ball special wasn't up their alley either.

 

I want to know the location of some of the shots. Like when they're driving through that country side and Lucy mentions that she wants to see stuff on her list. And the stairs where the dancers did their moves. Those outtakes were interesting. I wonder what the director told them to do. It looked like they did it normal, then in reverse.

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Yeah, I guess thats good reason why The Beatles wouldn't do a Lucy episode, let alone a DISNEY movie. But why wouldn't anyone want to, even if they were the biggest band in the world? I would want to if I was a member. and not just for good publicity! :hlLOL: She certainly mentioned them a lot in TLS. I don't think they had a whole suitcase worth of records in 1964! (see Lucy and Viv are Camp Cooks) Unless they were all 45 singles. I still love this exchange from Lucy Carter and Harry Carter in the HL pilot

 

:gale2: What about that English group that's so popular with the teenagers? The ... Grasshoppers! The Caterpillars! The CENTIPEDES!

 

:lucy2:  You mean the Beatles?

:gale2: Oh that's it! I knew it was some kind of a bug

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It's nice to read at least one reviewer who "got it".

By 1966 the "British invasion" was in full swing and most variety specials would shoe-horn a group in to do a number and attract young viewers.  The groups would do their act and be off, rarely being involved with the host or in comedy sketches.   I'll bet there were plenty of Dave Clark Five fans who tuned in expecting them to do one of their hits (whatever they were), instead of what amounts to little more than a cameo.  I do love this sequence.  No group equaled the Beatles in popularity, but I think for a time, the DC5 was number 2.

Maybe the DC5 should have joined Newley on stage for his song marathon....I mean, medley.  I like Newley but there reaches a point in this where he launches into yet another song when it starts to feel like filler.  It's a minute or so too long for a solo act in a special like this.

OR Lucy could have stumbled upon a DC5 concert in progress and, having packed her Wingding wig and clothes for just such an occasion, joins them on-stage (hopeully WITHOUT Mel Tinker).

Yes it's too bad Lucy listen to the critics and played it safe, really until "Stone Pillow", but at least we have this: the one and only Lucy Carmichael special!

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In the doc they talk about how if they used a current DC5 song it would date the special and that it was unexpected for them not to do one of their songs.

 

I think there are other things that date this including the mod piece. But to me it's not bad dating just more of a cool looking what fun time it was in the 60s in London.

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