Audience reactions

[vivfantoo*]

I've seen the I Love Lucy shows so many times that, like many of you, I have focused on elements other than Lucy like the other actors, props, costumes, etc. I get a kick out of a lot of the audience reaction, especially since these shows were filmed long before the prerecorded laugh tracks of today.

 

I have several favorites -- one is the screams when charm school graduate Lucy opens the front door & Ethel is posing in the doorway in her tight leopard dress .

 

And the conversation between two women in the audience as they watch Lucy climbing back onto her balcony after falling from Cornell Wilde's balcony. One mentions that Lucy lost her shoe, the other reminds her that she threw it down.

 

What are some of your favorites?

[Brock]

And the conversation between two women in the audience as they watch Lucy climbing back onto her balcony after falling from Cornell Wilde's balcony. One mentions that Lucy lost her shoe, the other reminds her that she threw it down.

 

The best are when you can hear the audience discuss the action that is unfolding. Another one is in Paris At Last when Lucy orders her escargots "Beaucoup hot!" and an audience member shows off and translates, "Very hot!" My all-time favourite, though, is in Together for Christmas when Lucy comes out of the kitchen with the saw, heading for Viv's tree:

 

Woman in the Audience: SHE'S GONNA CHOP IT DOWN!!

[MONALISAISMONALUCY]

I get a kick out of the hardy belly laughs of the men in the audience on "The Lucy Show" and "Here's Lucy". it is quite a contrast to the high pitched screaming laugh on "I Love Lucy".

 

I noticed the audience applauds more often when Lucy, Gale , Lucie and MaryJane enter into a room. They didn't do that on "I Love Lucy" unless it was a famous guest star.

[Adele Sliff]

As well as the excellent examples mentioned, I love the audience reaction during the "Housewarming" ep. Ethel hastily throws together a surprise housewarming after she overhears disappointed Lucy crying over the intercom that they don't have any friends. Lucy and Ricky go to bed but are awakened by knocking on the front door. They shamble downstairs all disheveled and the audience just howls, you can hear one woman exclaim "OH MY". Love that.

 

Then of course there's the longest laugh ever, following the tango scene in "Lucy Does the Tango". Hysterical.

[chedderchester]

I like some of the laughs in season 1, like that girly "ha ha ha, hehehehe" laugh, and that lighthearted "ahehehe," predominately heard a lot in "The Seance." Also when Lucy is trying to tell Ricky that she got him fired, and after he shouts "YOU WHAT?!" Lucy says "now you're getting it" and the audience explodes.

 

And of course the audience reaction of when Lucy "floats" away with the helium balloons in "Kiddie Parties." And in HL when Lucy half heartedly says "oh oh they're DELICIOUS" when choking down the pickle.

 

I think by the later seasons of ILL, they reused the same audience laughter WAY too much, and it's annoying. there's one that sounds like Ricky chuckling. In one episode they play it 2 times in a row in the same reaction!

[Neil]

Funny this thread was started because I was watching some season 2 episodes and caught a few I've never noticed before.

In "Safe Cracker", when Viv and Lucy are tied up and stand a woman blurts out "One's going to go one way and one the other" although she doesn't get the whole sentence out.

In "Meets Millionaire", the audience murmurs in anticipation of Umberto's entrance as Lucy lays there in curlers. Then when Viv opens the door to reveal Umberto a woman screams "oh, NO!!". Seems like there's another comment during the scene that follows---probably from that same gabby woman.

I love it when someone in the audience says something in gleeful anticipation. However, I HATE it when I'm viewing shows with someone who takes pride in predicting out loud what's going to happen next.

I love both these 2nd season eps, both coincidentally featuring superb performances by Jay Novello. Can't remember any shows with him past these. He's one of those performers that adds wonderful touches.

And I don't have them all memorized but I don't recall ANY sweetening in seasons 1 and 2 of TLS.

[vivfantoo*]

I've been watching a mix of different shows & love the audience reaction when Lucy Ricardo comes into the living room dressed as Marilyn Monroe. And also the scene after she crashes the car in a later episode, when Ricky tells Viv & Fred, "I'm insured". Priceless!

 

I started hearing Desi's distinct laugh once in a while when he wasn't onscreen after finding out about that on one of the bonus features. Fast forward to TLS & Here's Lucy, & I often hear what I think is Gary Morton's laugh -- but it sounds overly loud & forced, as if he just wanted to be heard?? Maybe it was just to support Lucy; not sure though ...

[Taylor]

I've been watching a mix of different shows & love the audience reaction when Lucy Ricardo comes into the living room dressed as Marilyn Monroe. And also the scene after she crashes the car in a later episode, when Ricky tells Viv & Fred, "I'm insured". Priceless!

 

I started hearing Desi's distinct laugh once in a while when he wasn't onscreen after finding out about that on one of the bonus features. Fast forward to TLS & Here's Lucy, & I often hear what I think is Gary Morton's laugh -- but it sounds overly loud & forced, as if he just wanted to be heard?? Maybe it was just to support Lucy; not sure though ...

 

I hear Gary laughing sometimes too on TLS and HL. Sounds like a braying donkey on acid to me. LOL

[Brock]

I hear Gary laughing sometimes too on TLS and HL. Sounds like a braying donkey on acid to me. LOL

 

I watched Lucy & Lawrence Welk tonight and had forgotten how obnoxious his laugh is here in particular.

 

(Lucy, Mary Jane, and Viv stand around, nothing in particular is going on)

Gary: ... HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

[Neil]

I love the woman who does the constant and infectious giggle all the way through "Baking Contest".

 

Does anyone know what I mean by "the scream" on ILL? When things get so wild; or there is a great 'reveal', a woman screams at a high pitch. Where did it originate? Used sparingly and not quite as noticeable as the uh-oh lady.

(I'll have to think of examples where it was used. Can't seem to come up with one right now)

[vivfantoo*]

Now you've got me curious, Neil . When you see/hear it again, could you post a clip? There is one woman who has a very distinctive laugh & I have heard her so often on ILL episodes that I believe she came to most of the tapings.(I know if I had lived nearby back then I would have been there every week!) The laugh is not always the same but her voice is so unique that you know it is her.

 

I heard or read somewhere that the "Uh-oh" woman was Lucy's mom DeeDee.

[Taylor]

Now you've got me curious, Neil . When you see/hear it again, could you post a clip? There is one woman who has a very distinctive laugh & I have heard her so often on ILL episodes that I believe she came to most of the tapings.(I know if I had lived nearby back then I would have been there every week!) The laugh is not always the same but her voice is so unique that you know it is her.

 

I heard or read somewhere that the "Uh-oh" woman was Lucy's mom DeeDee.

 

Yep, "Uh-Oh" lady was DeDe. DeDe usually brought some friends along with her to tapings, so maybe that distinctive laugh belongs to one of them.

[leenorman]

Speaking of DeDe attending filmings; I believe there was some p.r. that said she and Desi's mother were great friends; and they attended tapings together.....ANYONE VERIFY for me??? Thanks if you can. Something else just occurred to me; not many mentions of Desi's father and his new wife in anything I've run across; anyone know much about that side of the 'family'?? Thanks if you do....

[Neil]

Yep, "Uh-Oh" lady was DeDe. DeDe usually brought some friends along with her to tapings, so maybe that distinctive laugh belongs to one of them.

 

Many people (I think Lucie included) say Dede is the uh-oh woman. My opinion is no. I don't think it sounds anything like Dede.

I'll look for the laugh I refer to as the "scream punctuation".

I also find it out that little is mentioned about Desi's father. Or his mother for that matter. I don't think she and Dede were friends. Dede is so down to earth and Desi's mom (Lolita?) still conducted herself as if she was aristocracy.

There's another laugh which may be the one you're referring to, vivfantoo, that I hear mainly in the first season. It's sort of a solo giggle. I've heard this laugh in MANY 50s sitcoms.

[HarryCarter]

Speaking of DeDe attending filmings; I believe there was some p.r. that said she and Desi's mother were great friends; and they attended tapings together.....ANYONE VERIFY for me??? Thanks if you can. Something else just occurred to me; not many mentions of Desi's father and his new wife in anything I've run across; anyone know much about that side of the 'family'?? Thanks if you do....

 

Desi's father, his wife Anne, and his stepdaughter Connie lived in Florida. Anne died in 1994. I think it's so interesting that all of Desi's "mothers" outlived him: Lolita, Anne, Mary Emery, and Holiday in Havana's Argentina Brunetti.

[Taylor]

I love the woman who does the constant and infectious giggle all the way through "Baking Contest".

 

Does anyone know what I mean by "the scream" on ILL? When things get so wild; or there is a great 'reveal', a woman screams at a high pitch. Where did it originate? Used sparingly and not quite as noticeable as the uh-oh lady.

(I'll have to think of examples where it was used. Can't seem to come up with one right now)

 

Yeah, Lucie's where I heard it from about DeDe being the "uh-oh" lady. I guess I don't know how DeDe sounded in the 1950s but from that Dinah Shore interview DeDe's voice was higher than I'd expected.

[leenorman]

Desi's father, his wife Anne, and his stepdaughter Connie lived in Florida. Anne died in 1994. I think it's so interesting that all of Desi's "mothers" outlived him: Lolita, Anne, Mary Emery, and Holiday in Havana's Argentina Brunetti.

 

Am I reading this correctly? 'splain, please about each of the above names; I KNOW Lolita; now the name of the second wife, Anne, who I now realize I had some information on (see below): who are the others????

 

Thanks, Harry.... Loving you, JK

 

Anna Arnaz (wife #2) 6/12/02 6/7/94

[HarryCarter]

Am I reading this correctly? 'splain, please about each of the above names; I KNOW Lolita; now the name of the second wife, Anne, who I now realize I had some information on (see below): who are the others????

 

Thanks, Harry.... Loving you, JK

 

Anna Arnaz (wife #2) 6/12/02 6/7/94

 

Mary Emery played Ricky's mother on I Love Lucy. She died in 1988. In the movie Holiday in Havana, Argentina Brunetti played Desi's mother and she died in 2005.

[leenorman]

Mary Emery played Ricky's mother on I Love Lucy. She died in 1988. In the movie Holiday in Havana, Argentina Brunetti played Desi's mother and she died in 2005.

 

Talk about 'not paying attention' - was NOT thinking of actresses - thanks, Harry!

 

Went in to have a look at Brunetti, for background material, since I had not found that name in my research; IMDb says Mary Hatcher played Lolita....???? Are they wrong here, too?

 

 

Love, JK

[HarryCarter]

Talk about 'not paying attention' - was NOT thinking of actresses - thanks, Harry!

 

Went in to have a look at Brunetti, for background material, since I had not found that name in my research; IMDb says Mary Hatcher played Lolita....???? Are they wrong here, too?

 

 

Love, JK

 

Mary Hatcher played Desi's love interest in the movie whose name was Lolita. It's just a coincidence that the character has the same name as Desi's real life mother. Argentina Brunetti played Desi's character's mother in the film.

[leenorman]

Mary Hatcher played Desi's love interest in the movie whose name was Lolita. It's just a coincidence that the character has the same name as Desi's real life mother. Argentina Brunetti played Desi's character's mother in the film.

 

Thanks, again, Harry....Loving you, JK

[Annaleigh]

 

 

Many people (I think Lucie included) say Dede is the uh-oh woman. My opinion is no. I don't think it sounds anything like Dede.

I'll look for the laugh I refer to as the "scream punctuation".

I also find it out that little is mentioned about Desi's father. Or his mother for that matter. I don't think she and Dede were friends. Dede is so down to earth and Desi's mom (Lolita?) still conducted herself as if she was aristocracy.

There's another laugh which may be the one you're referring to, vivfantoo, that I hear mainly in the first season. It's sort of a solo giggle. I've heard this laugh in MANY 50s sitcoms.

I believe it was DeDe due to the fact it happened during many of the I Love Lucy and The Lucy Show episodes. This person had to repeatedly go to filmings.

[Luvsbway]

Unless it was a laugh track. I know laughs from I'LL were used on other shows. Even caught a Jeer in TV Guide once in the mid 2000s for a show using such an old track complete with the uh-oh lady as that is what gave it away.

[Neil]

I found a "scream". In "The French Revue" when Lucy in the bass case motions for Ethel to follow her, there is a scream but it's mixed in with the natural audience reaction. I'll look for another. It's more prominent in other eps.

Also in Revue is that nasally "waah, waah, waaaaah" laugh that you hear often. It's on the soundtrack as Lucy decides to opt out of doing the splits with the other dancers.

Now you've got me curious, Neil . When you see/hear it again, could you post a clip? There is one woman who has a very distinctive laugh & I have heard her so often on ILL episodes that I believe she came to most of the tapings.(I know if I had lived nearby back then I would have been there every week!) The laugh is not always the same but her voice is so unique that you know it is her.

 

I heard or read somewhere that the "Uh-oh" woman was Lucy's mom DeeDee.

[vivfantoo*]

I'll watch this episode soon, Neil, with the volume turned up!