What if..

[Annaleigh]

Do any of you have any "what if" questions about Lucy. No matter what it has to do with, whether career or personal questions. Let's just share our thoughts on our lady. Also answer what we think would've been.

 

I thought about making this thread because I think of certain "what if" questions often about many things that have to do with Lucy. I hope I'm not the only one.

[C L A U D E]

What if she had married a better second husband, would her career have ended better.

[Luvsbway]

Good idea.  Let me think up some this week.

[Annaleigh]

What if she had married a better second husband, would her career have ended better.

Perfect. The answer would have to depend on who the man was.

 

What if she stayed unmarried for the rest of her life? The decisions would've been made more wisely I believe.

 

And my favorite.

What if Lucy and Desi stayed together? How would her career and TV shows been different?

[Brock]

What if...Lucy had not been involved with Pan Berman? The relationship might have opened some doors, but did it ultimately keep her from reaching the heights of the star ladder?

 

What if...Lucy never hired Arnold Schwarzenegger to be her masseur in Happy Anniversary and Goodbye?

[Mot Morenzi]

What if Vivian Vance hadn't left "The Lucy Show"? What if she and Lucy had come to a contractual agreement that Vivian agreed to?

[Mr. Wilson]

If Vivian hadn't left The Lucy Show, the ratings for the fourth season would have dropped out of the Top 10 and the show would have been cancelled after season five.  Season three of The Lucy Show saw the ratings drop.  It was lucky Lucy stood her ground and didn't give in to Vivian's demands.  Lucy was smart to take a chance and she won.  It proved that people tuned in mainly for Lucy, Lucy Queen of Comedy.

[Luvsbway]

The Pan Berman thing I don’t think really would have affected her too much.  I know she got crap parts for a time in retaliation to his wife finding out, but if they did start giving her A parts I think it would have been MGM all over.  Too pretty to be funny, not really strong song and dance girl and just not knowing really what she was good in.

 

If they stayed married what would her career be like/better projects.  I like to think that she would have done the same TV series, but maybe taken a risk in some other areas, ie more dramatic.  As for later career work she would have done much better material overall as Desi would have given her the advice on projects she needed and he would not have withheld offers from her that other people presented.  It would have been a lot more collaborative as to what she did.  Not to say a bad project would have slipped through.  He did give her advice all the rest of their non-married life but it was on such a removed basis and she had the other husband to contend with too.

[Luvsbway]

What if when Lucy was given the choice around 1956 either to get bigger with the studio or rest on what they had achieved, semi-retire and spend more time with the kids, would the marriage have lasted longer?

 

I think it would have but not a lot longer.  For a time they may have had the life they wanted in the 40’s but with 2 kids this time.  Maybe they would get more work together as they proved they are a good team.  Lucy would still work a lot but maybe with as not much pressure on her.  Without the studio pressure, show pressure and generally the major stress I don’t think Desi’s drinking would have gotten so bad and his health would have been better.  But then you think of all the problems they had all along in the marriage before the show or the kids came along and I don’t think there was any way they would have been able to fix those. 

 

What if just Lucy and Desi went on the Europe trip in 59’ and left everyone else at home, would they have saved the marriage.  I think it was so over at that point there was no saving it.  I do think they should have just gone together.  It maybe would have drawn them a little closer away from all the pressures back in Hollywood.  It could also ended up the same way with the constant fighting and drinking that did occur.  I think overall it may have only stretched it out a little longer.  Neither seemed to want to really make a full commitment to solving all the difficulty they had. 

[C L A U D E]

 

And my favorite.

What if Lucy and Desi stayed together? How would her career and TV shows been different?

Quite a few more Emmys for Lucy and maybe a couple for Desi too.

[C L A U D E]

What if...Lucy had not been involved with Pan Berman? The relationship might have opened some doors, but did it ultimately keep her from reaching the heights of the star ladder?

 

Oh an Oscar for The Big Street, for sure.

[C L A U D E]

If Vivian hadn't left The Lucy Show, the ratings for the fourth season would have dropped out of the Top 10 and the show would have been cancelled after season five.  Season three of The Lucy Show saw the ratings drop.  It was lucky Lucy stood her ground and didn't give in to Vivian's demands.  Lucy was smart to take a chance and she won.  It proved that people tuned in mainly for Lucy, Lucy Queen of Comedy.

Could not have said it better myself, thank you!  Desi mentioned how her agent drove him crazy, well, he kept it up here, wanting her to be an equal partner, but she was N OT.

[C L A U D E]

What if when Lucy was given the choice around 1956 either to get bigger with the studio or rest on what they had achieved, semi-retire and spend more time with the kids, would the marriage have lasted longer?

 

I think it would have but not a lot longer.  For a time they may have had the life they wanted in the 40’s but with 2 kids this time.  Maybe they would get more work together as they proved they are a good team.  Lucy would still work a lot but maybe with as not much pressure on her.  Without the studio pressure, show pressure and generally the major stress I don’t think Desi’s drinking would have gotten so bad and his health would have been better.  But then you think of all the problems they had all along in the marriage before the show or the kids came along and I don’t think there was any way they would have been able to fix those. 

 

What if just Lucy and Desi went on the Europe trip in 59’ and left everyone else at home, would they have saved the marriage.  I think it was so over at that point there was no saving it.  I do think they should have just gone together.  It maybe would have drawn them a little closer away from all the pressures back in Hollywood.  It could also ended up the same way with the constant fighting and drinking that did occur.  I think overall it may have only stretched it out a little longer.  Neither seemed to want to really make a full commitment to solving all the difficulty they had. 

But they could never do that, she would not have done less work and he would not have cut down on his womanizing, gambling or drinking.  IT WAS JUST WHO THEY WERE AT THAT TIME.

[Luvsbway]

That's the sad part, they were never going to cut out those things even with less going on if they went that route. That's why so believe it still would have ended, just Hung on maybe for a few more years, get the kids into the teen years maybe.

[C L A U D E]

That's the sad part, they were never going to cut out those things even with less going on if they went that route. That's why so believe it still would have ended, just Hung on maybe for a few more years, get the kids into the teen years maybe.

No, I think it was more to do with when their TV commitments and obligations finally ran out.  But I was just thinking dear luv, if they had had MORE time on their hands, it might have meant even more boredom and games for her and womanizing, gambling and drinking for him.

[Annaleigh]

That's the sad part, they were never going to cut out those things even with less going on if they went that route. That's why so believe it still would have ended, just Hung on maybe for a few more years, get the kids into the teen years maybe.

And the sad thing is that nobody blames the marriage failing on Lucy at all. Everyone blames it all on Desi. I think that's part of the reason he withdrew so much in the end. They both had their big faults that made this marriage fail, but Desi will forever be known as Ricky Ricardo and the one that broke Lucy's heart.

[JoeySanJoaquin]

If Vivian hadn't left The Lucy Show, the ratings for the fourth season would have dropped out of the Top 10 and the show would have been cancelled after season five.  Season three of The Lucy Show saw the ratings drop.  It was lucky Lucy stood her ground and didn't give in to Vivian's demands.  Lucy was smart to take a chance and she won.  It proved that people tuned in mainly for Lucy, Lucy Queen of Comedy.

That ridiculous assertion puts all the "blame" for lower ratings on Viv's presence which is nonsense.  Viv would never have left if she didn't really want to...and I'm sure Lucy would concur. 

 

Oh, brother!

[Annaleigh]

That ridiculous assertion puts all the "blame" for lower ratings on Viv's presence which is nonsense. Viv would never have left if she didn't really want to...and I'm sure Lucy would concur.

 

Oh, brother!

It had nothing to do with Viv. It was the whole Danfield premise that was lowering ratings. Hell, the last 3 seasons in California would've probably been bigger if Viv was there! Imagine the possibilities of scripts!

[Luvsbway]

And the sad thing is that nobody blames the marriage failing on Lucy at all. Everyone blames it all on Desi. I think that's part of the reason he withdrew so much in the end. They both had their big faults that made this marriage fail, but Desi will forever be known as Ricky Ricardo and the one that broke Lucy's heart.

Very good point. It was very known what he did to scrrw up the marriage but it is hard for the general public to believe that Lucy was not perfect and had het faults ad well. Analyzing the marriage and her faults in it takes really reading a lot about her and really trying to understand her personality. We all here have, but the general public hasn't so it's easier to place the blame on him.

 

Even Sat I would overhear crowd discussion on him liking the ladies. I never talked about why the marriage ending but did answer a was Lucy the same off screen question. I think I gave a good, fair answer but like most they were surprised to hear she was very different.

[Luvsbway]

It had nothing to do with Viv. It was the whole Danfield premise that was lowering ratings. Hell, the last 3 seasons in California would've probably been bigger if Viv was there! Imagine the possibilities of scripts!

This is perfect. They ran out of ideas in that story line.

[Annaleigh]

Very good point. It was very known what he did to scrrw up the marriage but it is hard for the general public to believe that Lucy was not perfect and had het faults ad well. Analyzing the marriage and her faults in it takes really reading a lot about her and really trying to understand her personality. We all here have, but the general public hasn't so it's easier to place the blame on him.

 

Even Sat I would overhear crowd discussion on him liking the ladies. I never talked about why the marriage ending but did answer a was Lucy the same off screen question. I think I gave a good, fair answer but like most they were surprised to hear she was very different.

It really does take some reading. But anytime a person asks about it I give them the jist of it. The faults on both sides and the fact they stayed in love for the rest of their lives.

 

My favorite is when people say Lucy and Desi hated each other. Excuse me? Where the hell did you get that information?

[JoeySanJoaquin]

It had nothing to do with Viv. It was the whole Danfield premise that was lowering ratings. Hell, the last 3 seasons in California would've probably been bigger if Viv was there! Imagine the possibilities of scripts!

Well said! And had she stayed, they certainly could have written the LA move into the script for both of them, even if they did end up dumping the kids anyways (although I always wished they'd kept Jimmy recurring, even if they didn't use him in every episode!)

 

If Laverne & Shirley could move from Milwaukee to Burbank.........

[C L A U D E]

That ridiculous assertion puts all the "blame" for lower ratings on Viv's presence which is nonsense.  Viv would never have left if she didn't really want to...and I'm sure Lucy would concur. 

 

Oh, brother!

Neither she nor Lucy WANTED her to leave, but that agent demanding that she become EQUAL to Lucy in salary, directing the shows etc was just stupid, maybe he used it as a negotiating point, but the people who said NO to her knew that Lucy was the show, same as Desi had said about her when I Love Lucy was number one.

[C L A U D E]

It had nothing to do with Viv. It was the whole Danfield premise that was lowering ratings. Hell, the last 3 seasons in California would've probably been bigger if Viv was there! Imagine the possibilities of scripts!

O M G you are so wrong about that.  I, being an avid fan of The Lucy show knew that opening up the show to the Hollywood ones would make it bigger, Lucy did not need anyone else, not those kids, not even Viv.  ALTHOUGH she needed a foil, a father authority type figure, but I would have preferred an Ann Sothern or Audrey Meadows, a great friend who could never be her equal but at least lend some STAR power to the show.  AND someone to offset mean Mr Mooney.

[C L A U D E]

Very good point. It was very known what he did to scrrw up the marriage but it is hard for the general public to believe that Lucy was not perfect and had het faults ad well. Analyzing the marriage and her faults in it takes really reading a lot about her and really trying to understand her personality. We all here have, but the general public hasn't so it's easier to place the blame on him.

 

Even Sat I would overhear crowd discussion on him liking the ladies. I never talked about why the marriage ending but did answer a was Lucy the same off screen question. I think I gave a good, fair answer but like most they were surprised to hear she was very different.

That's IT, everybody loved Lucy Ricardo, Carmichael and Carter, the public did not know Lucille Ball however.