Any word on Life with Lucy on DVD?

[Lucyilove]

Sorry, but I'm definitely NOT ignorant and I'm not so starry-eyed about Lucy that I can't see the forest for the trees. What is it with this board that people get so nasty? Amazing.

 

I watched that Barbara Walters special when it first aired and have seen snippets of it since, and Lucy wasn't merely repeating what Desi said. She talked about how Gary had provided her with a real home, that before, they had "houses," not homes. Then SHE called Desi a loser. She didn't say, "oh, Desi refers to himself as a loser, and I'm merely repeating his words." I don't know what interview YOU saw, but it was obvious to me that Lucy came across as very, very bitter. That was in 1979 or 1980, and by that time, everyone knew Desi had been a dog. He'd admitted it himself. But to hear Lucy say it, and with such acrimony in her voice, well, it was a bit unsettling.

 

Yes, I know she gave him credit where credit was due. But she also rarely missed an opportunity--when the opportunity presented itself--to crap on him. Sorry it doesn't jive with your image of Lucy, but it's all part of history.

 

First of all, you are talking about one - count 'em - one television interview. Lucy most certainly did not blast Desi at every opportunity. It was very rare for her to mention him in any interview post 1960.

 

This all needs to be placed in context. I believe this was one of the very first Barbara Walters prime time interviews, way before she interviewed every semi-famous celebrity, Walters was considered a news journalist back then and to be the subject of a prime time interview by her was unique. At the same time, these stars were not expected to give their standard Mike Douglas/Merv Griffin show repartee of chirpy rose-colored show biz. I'm sure it was a given Lucy would have to talk about the Arnaz marriage and she did so, honestly and in her classic blunt truthfulness that could be unintentionally harsh at times. This was a man who cheated on her nonstop for years, was a big drunk, major gambler, what did expect her to say? Compared to the way many an actress has slammed her exes in the press and for much smaller offenses I think Desi was treated quite well by his ex.

[Lucyilove]

You don't think it's nasty to make a crack like, "he must work for the Romney campaign?" I thought this was a forum for a free exchange of ideas, but apparently if you dare criticize Lucille Ball in any way, even when justified, the fangs come out and people become nasty. Not everyone, mind you. But the ones that do are apparently the only ones responding.

 

And for anyone to say that Cher would be a success without Sonny is living in a dream world or has no grasp on history. Cher was 16 years old when she met Sonny and moved in with him. She had no gumption to make something of herself, she didn't even graduate from high school! Sonny was solely responsible for the creation of Sonny and Cher. Even Cher's said that on many occasions.

 

And sorry, but my impression of that Barbara Walters interview was obviously different than the one you have. She sounded very bitter to me, and it was a tiring mantra. We all got it, Lucy, ok? Desi was a drunk, he was this, he was that. But he was also a genius who contributed mightily to her career after her movie options dried up. And he continued to do it right up until his death. She did give him credit, yes, when asked about the creation of I Love Lucy. But when she went off on a tangent about their personal life, that's where things went south. She just never got over it and had to make sure everyone remembered what a cad he was.

 

Talk about beating a dead horse!

Again, that "dead horse" was beat only once if then! And I find it a little ironic you are all upset that people are criticizing your opinion which is harshly critical of Lucy! Nobody said she was an angel above reproach. They are simply defending her in this particular allegation.

 

As far as Lucy's "movie options (being) dried up" in 1951, are you kidding? She was at the very peak of her film career coming off to major smash team pictures with Bob Hope and had to decline a role in Cecil B. De Mille's ultimately Oscar-winning THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH because she was pregnant with Lucie.

 

I would never downplay Desi's amazing contributions to I LOVE LUCY but truthfully Lucy hardly needed him even then. She had a major hit radio sitcom with MY FAVORITE HUSBAND there's no reason to believe it wouldn't have been a smash if it had been transferred directly to tv as CBS wanted. That show probably wouldn't have been as great a classic as ILL (what would be?) but it would have surely been a success.

 

Desi had almost nothing to do with Lucy's career after the first season of TLS. They tried but I'm sure it was too personally painful for both of them to continue to work together. And to your earlier comment about they should have performed together in later years, I agree it would have been terrific to see them at least do a special together but one has to remember the era and one just didn't have a "merry" attitude toward divorce at least not publicly. Lucy was personally a very conservative woman despite her liberal attitudes and opinions in many areas, the divorce was phenomeonally painful for her and it undoubtably would have been very hard for her on an emotional level to act with Desi again.

[C L A U D E]

Well I loved HAIRSPRAY although his part was minor to my enjoyment of the film (although certainly it was the #1 reason all those young girls made this movie a blockbuster) and was surprised how terrific he was in 18 AGAIN which I didn't even expect to like so that puts Zac miles above most of the young "actors" who are considered his contemporaries in movies today to me.

But how well has The Paperboy done?

[C L A U D E]

First of all, you are talking about one - count 'em - one television interview. Lucy most certainly did not blast Desi at every opportunity. It was very rare for her to mention him in any interview post 1960.

 

This all needs to be placed in context. I believe this was one of the very first Barbara Walters prime time interviews, way before she interviewed every semi-famous celebrity, Walters was considered a news journalist back then and to be the subject of a prime time interview by her was unique. At the same time, these stars were not expected to give their standard Mike Douglas/Merv Griffin show repartee of chirpy rose-colored show biz. I'm sure it was a given Lucy would have to talk about the Arnaz marriage and she did so, honestly and in her classic blunt truthfulness that could be unintentionally harsh at times. This was a man who cheated on her nonstop for years, was a big drunk, major gambler, what did expect her to say? Compared to the way many an actress has slammed her exes in the press and for much smaller offenses I think Desi was treated quite well by his ex.

Jesus Christ, how many times does that LOSER thing have to be explained to people before they GET IT?

[C L A U D E]

Again, that "dead horse" was beat only once if then! And I find it a little ironic you are all upset that people are criticizing your opinion which is harshly critical of Lucy! Nobody said she was an angel above reproach. They are simply defending her in this particular allegation.

 

As far as Lucy's "movie options (being) dried up" in 1951, are you kidding? She was at the very peak of her film career coming off to major smash team pictures with Bob Hope and had to decline a role in Cecil B. De Mille's ultimately Oscar-winning THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH because she was pregnant with Lucie.

 

I would never downplay Desi's amazing contributions to I LOVE LUCY but truthfully Lucy hardly needed him even then. She had a major hit radio sitcom with MY FAVORITE HUSBAND there's no reason to believe it wouldn't have been a smash if it had been transferred directly to tv as CBS wanted. That show probably wouldn't have been as great a classic as ILL (what would be?) but it would have surely been a success.

 

Desi had almost nothing to do with Lucy's career after the first season of TLS. They tried but I'm sure it was too personally painful for both of them to continue to work together. And to your earlier comment about they should have performed together in later years, I agree it would have been terrific to see them at least do a special together but one has to remember the era and one just didn't have a "merry" attitude toward divorce at least not publicly. Lucy was personally a very conservative woman despite her liberal attitudes and opinions in many areas, the divorce was phenomeonally painful for her and it undoubtably would have been very hard for her on an emotional level to act with Desi again.

He did appear on the CBS Salutes Lucy, the first 25 years, which couldn't have been easy as it was produced by his husband in law.

[Annaleigh]

I much prefer the Lucy/Mooney situation in those years, yes she had to weasel her way into getting a little more money but Mooney was only rather mildly insulting and patronizing toward her, not screaming at her and being really nasty. Of course when she became his employee then he was "allowed" to be horrendous toward her. I'm with the popular opinion here, Mooney the meany just not enjoyable and often unpleasant to watch, much rather have the relationship where it was in the early years.

I can see exactly what your saying. Mooney certainly was more rude in the California episodes. BUT... I just get bored with Lucy asking Mooney for money over and over again. After you are done with those 5 minutes of nagging the shows are still great. Also I love the Danfield plot then the California plot.

[Annaleigh]

Jesus Christ, how many times does that LOSER thing have to be explained to people before they GET IT?

[yendor1152]

 

Well, certainly for the sake of her children with Desi, Lucy could've displayed a little more tact with any comment about him containing the word "loser." They adored him, from every report.

[desilufan2]

Well, certainly for the sake of her children with Desi, Lucy could've displayed a little more tact with any comment about him containing the word "loser." They adored him, from every report.

When Lucy called Desi a loser in that Barbara Walters interview she was talking about his self distructive ways mainly caused by his drinking. "He could win win high.. he could work very hard and he was brillent. But he had to lose." Babs then went on to say that Gary was very sweet. Lucy fired back saying "So? The other man was sweet. And kind,generous overly generous but he had to lose. He had to fail... everything HE built he had to break down." Lucy was only saying that all of the hard work and everything they accomplished together was undone by Desi's drinking. I do think she was bitter about it but wouldn't you be? They were such a great team and had so much to offer each other. It was heartbreaking.

 

I also find this very interesting. This is Babs take on the interview from her book Audition,"I remember Lucille Ball,sitting next to her husband,Gary Morton, and saying bitterly that Desi Arnaz,her former husband and the man who was her partner for so many years on and off camera,drank to much and was never around. Yet it was obvious because she couldn't stop talking about him that she still loved Arnaz.

[Taylor]

Well, certainly for the sake of her children with Desi, Lucy could've displayed a little more tact with any comment about him containing the word "loser." They adored him, from every report.

 

Are we still on this topic? Look, you took what Lucy said wrong. Enough already.

[C L A U D E]

Well, certainly for the sake of her children with Desi, Lucy could've displayed a little more tact with any comment about him containing the word "loser." They adored him, from every report.

Lessee if we can SPLAIN this to you one more time . . . she didn't say Desi was a L O S E R , the way we have learned to hear that word describing a person who is worthless, therefore a LOSER, she said he was a L O S E R in the sense of WHATEVER HE BUILT UP, HE HAD TO TEAR DOWN, you see, L O S I N G whatever he had built up, and HE, Desi, HIMSELF claimed he still was that way, in his own words, therefore saying it about HIMSELF, so Lucy repeated what HE had said, changing the meaning of the word to LOSING WHATEVER HE HAD BUILT UP, and afterward, tearing it down, you see, L O S I N G whatever it was he had built up, you see, therefore not being a worthless L O S E R but rather, being a loser in the sense that WHATEVER HE HAD BUILT UP, HE HAD TO TEAR DOWN, YOU SEE, THEREFORE L O S I N G whatever it was that he had built up. If Lucy went through his book and instead of defending herself or himself, instead took out anything that would HURT their children, i don't think it ever was her purpose to hurt him here, or them, or the man she had loved more than any other her entire life.

[C L A U D E]

You see, WHATEVER HE HAD BUILT UP, HE HAD TO TEAR DOWN, therefore meant he LOST whatever he had built up, and therefore afterwards had torn down, thereby LOSING it, am i clear enough for ya? LOL!

[mikidiki]

Are we still on this topic? Look, you took what Lucy said wrong. Enough already.

 

Hear Hear!

[C L A U D E]

Hear Hear!

Yeah, i know, wish Brock would just close this thread. I'm just "losing" it over that LOSER word, you see Lucy meant everything he built up, he tore down and therefore lOST IT, she never meant it in the sense of . . . or have i said that already? LOL!

[yendor1152]

Awright, already. I got it, I got it. She didn't mean "loser" as in "looohooozerrr!"

 

Getting back to Life with Lucy. I would expect this to be released in one package, as in "the entire series." Maybe with three discs. Does anyone know who interviewed Lucy first after the show was cancelled? Was it Joan Rivers?

[C L A U D E]

Awright, already. I got it, I got it. She didn't mean "loser" as in "looohooozerrr!"

 

Getting back to Life with Lucy. I would expect this to be released in one package, as in "the entire series." Maybe with three discs. Does anyone know who interviewed Lucy first after the show was cancelled? Was it Joan Rivers?

I dunno for sure that the Rivers interview was AFTER the show was cancelled, i think it might have been doing terribly in the ratings at that point and Lucy came on and said she was shocked that people just didn't want her back working at all. I think the only INTERVIEWS she did after the show was cancelled had to do with the Kennedy Center Honors and nothing to do with Life with Lucy.

[C L A U D E]

As for the show's release on DVD. Just came back from downtown and saw The Munsters, the whole series, in one small box, for $49.99 so if they can fit all those seasons of Munsters in one small box, i would think the 13 eps of Life with Lucy, 8 aired and 5 non aired would be a tiny little box. I see all these movie boxes with 4 or 5 movies on them for under ten dollars, so i would think 13 eps of a cancelled series would be a bargain bin thing, even if it's with the Queen of Comedy. I wouldn't expect much in Special Features either. What would they have? A featurette with gary gloating that he got tehm to pay a million dollar pay or play deal that was the only thing he cared about?

[Annaleigh]

Well, certainly for the sake of her children with Desi, Lucy could've displayed a little more tact with any comment about him containing the word "loser." They adored him, from every report.

So did Lucy. All I have to say.

[Annaleigh]

Awright, already. I got it, I got it. She didn't mean "loser" as in "looohooozerrr!"

 

Getting back to Life with Lucy. I would expect this to be released in one package, as in "the entire series." Maybe with three discs. Does anyone know who interviewed Lucy first after the show was cancelled? Was it Joan Rivers?

Cmon MPI! Has anyone contacted anybody about this?

[pablo]

I dunno for sure that the Rivers interview was AFTER the show was cancelled, i think it might have been doing terribly in the ratings at that point and Lucy came on and said she was shocked that people just didn't want her back working at all. I think the only INTERVIEWS she did after the show was cancelled had to do with the Kennedy Center Honors and nothing to do with Life with Lucy.

 

That would be a good extra for the LWL DVD set.

[Neil]

I'm fence-sitting about a Life With Lucy DVD release.

For those of us who lived through it was the very definition of bitter-sweet.

It was hard to read and hear our gal being so skewered, for the very things she was sensitive about: "she was too OLD to being doing physical comedy", they kept repeating. She'd been ripped for Mame, but never for television. As far as Mame, the horrible reviews are the ones that get quoted. There were many, many that were good. I don't know that I read ONE kind word about "Life with..." and they bad press surely will get repeated with a DVD release.

Even harder to take were the dwindling ratings. USA Today had started to publish the previous week's ratings on Wednesday. It was at that time still limited to the three networks and other than the first week's respectable but not GREAT showing, "Life" was in the bottom 10. The last show was a humiliating 2nd to last: 64th. At 65th, the lowest rated show was the last new episode of "Ellen Burstyn" that had the misfortune of having "Life" as a lead-in. (don't really remember much about "Ellen B". It DID have Elaine Stritch as Ellens' MOTHER, even though less than a decade separates them).

 

I was pulling for Lucy to succeed so hard that ANY enjoyable moment of the show gave me hope that it would turn around. Maybe a time slot change? I thought when Monday Night Football was over, ABC would see the wisdom of putting Lucy on Mondays where she belonged.

In retrospect the first episode (what OTHER series call their 'pilot')was pretty good--however it's climactic scene was ruined by ONE shot. Why it was included I'll never know. A wide shot revealed the fire extinguisher foam coming from several sources.

 

I don't know if the production people looked at the reviews and changed the focus of the series, but things did improved: EVERY episode filmed after the debut was passable-to-good, but the damage had been done, so several relative 'winners' never got aired including the one I saw being filmed.

Back to bitter-sweet: we were experiencing something we never thought we would--ever again. A current Lucy series: a new episode every week. It was just so hard to see her struggle. People had expected too much. They wanted Lucy Ricardo, not this overly made-up 75 year old with that croaking voice.

[Neil]

Actually I think FOUR were filmed after the premiere.

The unaired "Breaking Up" and "World's Greatest Grandma", plus the two that aired: the final show "Mother of Bride" and my personal favorite of the entire series "Legal Eagle".

While none of these would probably make anyone's list of greatest Lucy episodes of all time (or even post-I Love Lucy), they were as good as the bulk of the comedies being churned out in 1986.

[C L A U D E]

Actually I think FOUR were filmed after the premiere.

The unaired "Breaking Up" and "World's Greatest Grandma", plus the two that aired: the final show "Mother of Bride" and my personal favorite of the entire series "Legal Eagle".

While none of these would probably make anyone's list of greatest Lucy episodes of all time (or even post-I Love Lucy), they were as good as the bulk of the comedies being churned out in 1986.

That's what people tend to forget, watch shows from that year and they all pretty much stink, the comedies i mean. The final one aired, Mother of the Bride is MY personal favorite, think of it, Lucy and Audrey every week, would have been terrific.

[C L A U D E]

I'm fence-sitting about a Life With Lucy DVD release.

For those of us who lived through it was the very definition of bitter-sweet.

It was hard to read and hear our gal being so skewered, for the very things she was sensitive about: "she was too OLD to being doing physical comedy", they kept repeating. She'd been ripped for Mame, but never for television. As far as Mame, the horrible reviews are the ones that get quoted. There were many, many that were good. I don't know that I read ONE kind word about "Life with..." and they bad press surely will get repeated with a DVD release.

Even harder to take were the dwindling ratings. USA Today had started to publish the previous week's ratings on Wednesday. It was at that time still limited to the three networks and other than the first week's respectable but not GREAT showing, "Life" was in the bottom 10. The last show was a humiliating 2nd to last: 64th. At 65th, the lowest rated show was the last new episode of "Ellen Burstyn" that had the misfortune of having "Life" as a lead-in. (don't really remember much about "Ellen B". It DID have Elaine Stritch as Ellens' MOTHER, even though less than a decade separates them).

 

I was pulling for Lucy to succeed so hard that ANY enjoyable moment of the show gave me hope that it would turn around. Maybe a time slot change? I thought when Monday Night Football was over, ABC would see the wisdom of putting Lucy on Mondays where she belonged.

In retrospect the first episode (what OTHER series call their 'pilot')was pretty good--however it's climactic scene was ruined by ONE shot. Why it was included I'll never know. A wide shot revealed the fire extinguisher foam coming from several sources.

 

I don't know if the production people looked at the reviews and changed the focus of the series, but things did improved: EVERY episode filmed after the debut was passable-to-good, but the damage had been done, so several relative 'winners' never got aired including the one I saw being filmed.

Back to bitter-sweet: we were experiencing something we never thought we would--ever again. A current Lucy series: a new episode every week. It was just so hard to see her struggle. People had expected too much. They wanted Lucy Ricardo, not this overly made-up 75 year old with that croaking voice.

You are forever bringing up very important FACTS that people tend to forget 40 years after it all happened, YES, Mame got some terrific reviews among the lethal ones. With Life with Lucy, yes, it was nice to see her interviewed again, gracing the cover of TV Guide, there was a lot of publicity but the show was just awful, the first one that sets up everything was promising and it was so nice to see her on TV again after all those years. I remember putting it on that first week and we couldn't believe how unfunny it all was, and it kept getting worse, at the end even my own mother couldn't stand watching it, although she did love Mother of the Bride. In that one show, you see how funny Lucy could be, how she could deliver a line the way she used to thirty years earlier. Her answer to YOU ONLY HAVE THE ONE SISTER, and Lucy retorts with just a perfect reading, THANK GOD! It was classic Lucy and a perfect example of how great she was and how much better the show would have been had it been different and more sophisticated and up to date, a la Golden Girls.

[tjw]

Actually I think FOUR were filmed after the premiere.

The unaired "Breaking Up" and "World's Greatest Grandma", plus the two that aired: the final show "Mother of Bride" and my personal favorite of the entire series "Legal Eagle".

While none of these would probably make anyone's list of greatest Lucy episodes of all time (or even post-I Love Lucy), they were as good as the bulk of the comedies being churned out in 1986.

FIVE... "Green Thumb" was filmed the week right after the premiere...

 

Basically, I agree with Neil's thoughts about being skittish about digging up all the bad press about the show... It was a bitter-sweet experience for everyone. There was SUCH a HUGE difference betweeen seeing these shows "live" in the studio on Thursday evening -- where the entire audience seemed to relish just being in the same room with Lucy -- and seeing them a few weeks later, "canned" on TV, where the episodes seemed to die... A very strange experience...