rspeterson3 Posted March 18, 2020 Report Share Posted March 18, 2020 I appreciate Lucille Ball as an actress but am obsessed with her sitcom “Lucy” character. I bought The Long, Long Trailer quite some time ago. I recently watched The Fuller Brush Girl and will get it on dvd too. Do you guys have any suggestions for her movies that capture the “sitcom Lucy”? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvsbway Posted March 18, 2020 Report Share Posted March 18, 2020 1 hour ago, rspeterson3 said: I appreciate Lucille Ball as an actress but am obsessed with her sitcom “Lucy” character. I bought The Long, Long Trailer quite some time ago. I recently watched The Fuller Brush Girl and will get it on dvd too. Do you guys have any suggestions for her movies that capture the “sitcom Lucy”? Miss Grant Takes Richmond has elements. Yours, Mine and Ours as well. Forever Darling was done in the 50s with Desi but it really isn't until the end camping you see TV Lucy. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Posted March 18, 2020 Report Share Posted March 18, 2020 You've hit on the two that were closest. The others that come to mind would be her surprise 1968 hit "Yours Mine and Ours"' and "Miss Grant Takes Richmond" "Forever Darling" and "Easy to Wed". People generally don't think "Forever" compares with "Long Trailer" but I think it does. I would include "Mame" but I can no longer be objective about the movie. The opinions seem to be extreme on both ends of the hate/love spectrum. But it does have a few great Lucy-esque scenes: mounting the moon, the fox hunt and roller skating through Macy's. And she's excellent in the big Mame number. She's very good in "Facts of Life" and "Critic's Choice" but these are departures from her Lucy character and they're essentially Bob Hope movies WITH Lucille Ball. Lucy is truly wonderful in "Choice". Beautifully made up, coiffed and wonderfully outfitted by Edith Head in regal color (as "Facts of Life" SHOULD have been), she never looked better on screen. She's the only reason to watch it. But there's too much Bob and not enough Lucy. This was probably Bob's last movie for sophisticated audiences (his slapstick scenes, not ever his forte, bring the movie down a few notches on the sophisticated scale----and just NOT funny). "Choice" had been a Broadway play about putting on a Broadway play and was too in-jokey for mass appeal. I assume SOMEONE was going to Bob's later 60s movies because he kept cranking them out, even though they were horrible and Bob just walked through them, showing less and less of the spark that made him a movie star in the 40s. My guess is this was part of an NBC contract that stipulated that these movies be made regardless of the outcome. (my GUESS...) His TV specials were still very highly rated well into the 70s. It's surprising that he was never an official guest star on TLS or HL. He ruins the Lucille Ball Comedy Hour with his cue card reading. Since it was filmed without an audience, there's no excuse for that. Lucy movies: don't bother with "Magic Carpet" (1951) except for the pure camp quality * and some reference for the wonderful Columbia/Harry Cohn story. Another nertz goes to "Two Smart People" notable only for Lucy's line "that's the best canard sauvage I've ever tasted." She has great bits in several other movies "Dubarry Was a Lady", "Fancy Pants", but again that too is Bob's movie. I've never seen "Sorrowful Jones" but people say she's good in that. "Without Love" is worth a look. *Magic Carpet" nadir: kissing corpulent villain Raymond Burr. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Posted March 18, 2020 Report Share Posted March 18, 2020 Her parts are only bit but "Stage Door" and "Having a Wonderful Time"! She's wasted in the Marx Brothers "Room Service". 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freddie2 Posted March 18, 2020 Report Share Posted March 18, 2020 Miss Grant Takes Richmond gets my vote. It’s kind of like seeing the Lucy character before she met Ricky. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rspeterson3 Posted March 19, 2020 Author Report Share Posted March 19, 2020 Thank you both! I’ll check out your recommendations. I forgot I also have Mame on DVD but I’m honestly not a big fan of that version. 😔 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will Posted March 19, 2020 Report Share Posted March 19, 2020 I agree Miss Grant Takes Richmond should be your next choice. That's hilarious. She is not in all of Easy to Wed but their are hilarious scenes. Of what I've seen Room Service is the worst movie she's wasted and it's not that funny. I also don't like Bob Hope 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rspeterson3 Posted March 24, 2020 Author Report Share Posted March 24, 2020 Got a Lucy dvd combo pack today. Has Miss Grant Takes Richmond. Watching it now and enjoying it! Thanks for the recommendation 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.