Brock Posted August 25, 2015 Report Share Posted August 25, 2015 I love the fact The Hollywood Reporter re-posted its very first review of I Love Lucy today. Hope we get to see more of these T'rowback Tuesdays. Just think: if they actually aired Lucy Thinks Ricky Is Trying To Murder Her, Cuneo might have been slated here. Every once in a rare great while a new TV show comes along that fulfills, in its own particular niche, every promise of the often harassed new medium. Such a show, it is a genuine pleasure to report, is I Love Lucy, starring Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz in a filmed domestic comedy series for Philip Morris which should bounce to the top of the rating heap in no time at all. If it doesn't, the entire structure of the American entertainment business should be overhauled from top to bottom. The outstanding pertinent fact about I Love Lucy is the emergence, long suspected, of Lucille Ball as America's No. 1 comedienne in her own right. She combines the facial mobility of Red Skelton, the innate pixie quality of Harpo Marx and the daffily jointless abandon of the Patchwork Girl of Oz, all rolled into one. She is a consummate artist, born for television. Half a step behind her comes her husband, Desi Arnaz, the perfect foil for her screwball antics and possessing comic abilities of his own more than sufficient to make this a genuine comedy team rather than the one-woman tour de force it almost becomes. In support are William Frawley, who is superb as the landlord of the Arnaz apartment, and Vivian Vance as his wife, a trouper who knows her way around both lines and situations. The opener's plot won no blue ribbons for originality, but the sparkling lines contributed by writers Jess Oppenheimer, Madelyn Pugh and Bob Carroll, the sure-handed direction of young Marc Daniels and the undeniable talent of the cast turned it into a comic triumph of the first order. Even the commercials were well handled, with the opening title and credits especially cleverly done. Additionally, Jess Oppenheimer's production, Larry Cuneo's sets and Karl Freund's fine photography serve notice that good TV comedy CAN be done on film, and certainly this production could never have been presented live. Desilu Productions has scored with this one, and scored heavily. — D.J. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/i-love-lucy-first-episode-815902 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Posted August 25, 2015 Report Share Posted August 25, 2015 What an insightful and history-predicting review. I'm glad they didn't open with "Murder", but you'd think they would have done "The Audition" as the first show since it was a reworking of the pilot. "Be a Pal" is the strongest of the first batch of shows IMO. A wonderful showcase for Lucy's talents. Who ELSE could have done that leggy pose, looking so beautiful and said the line with such faux-sophistication "Jam on your toast?" I love the fact The Hollywood Reporter re-posted its very first review of I Love Lucy today. Hope we get to see more of these T'rowback Tuesdays. Just think: if they actually aired Lucy Thinks Ricky Is Trying To Murder Her, Cuneo might have been slated here. Every once in a rare great while a new TV show comes along that fulfills, in its own particular niche, every promise of the often harassed new medium. Such a show, it is a genuine pleasure to report, is I Love Lucy, starring Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz in a filmed domestic comedy series for Philip Morris which should bounce to the top of the rating heap in no time at all. If it doesn't, the entire structure of the American entertainment business should be overhauled from top to bottom. The outstanding pertinent fact about I Love Lucy is the emergence, long suspected, of Lucille Ball as America's No. 1 comedienne in her own right. She combines the facial mobility of Red Skelton, the innate pixie quality of Harpo Marx and the daffily jointless abandon of the Patchwork Girl of Oz, all rolled into one. She is a consummate artist, born for television. Half a step behind her comes her husband, Desi Arnaz, the perfect foil for her screwball antics and possessing comic abilities of his own more than sufficient to make this a genuine comedy team rather than the one-woman tour de force it almost becomes. In support are William Frawley, who is superb as the landlord of the Arnaz apartment, and Vivian Vance as his wife, a trouper who knows her way around both lines and situations. The opener's plot won no blue ribbons for originality, but the sparkling lines contributed by writers Jess Oppenheimer, Madelyn Pugh and Bob Carroll, the sure-handed direction of young Marc Daniels and the undeniable talent of the cast turned it into a comic triumph of the first order. Even the commercials were well handled, with the opening title and credits especially cleverly done. Additionally, Jess Oppenheimer's production, Larry Cuneo's sets and Karl Freund's fine photography serve notice that good TV comedy CAN be done on film, and certainly this production could never have been presented live. Desilu Productions has scored with this one, and scored heavily. — D.J. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/i-love-lucy-first-episode-815902 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freddie2 Posted August 26, 2015 Report Share Posted August 26, 2015 It's so interesting to see the show from a different point of view. I've never been alive in a world where Lucy wasn't a cultural icon, mainstay, and longtime established entertainer. It's fascinating to read such an early review like this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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