Working with Lucy

[Irene Kampen Tripp]

Also, didn't Danny Kaye get a tin of popcorn from her after he gifted her with a jewled box?? And wasn't Vivian pissed with a mink bead spread and a red station wagon??

[C L A U D E]

Also, didn't Danny Kaye get a tin of popcorn from her after he gifted her with a jewled box?? And wasn't Vivian pissed with a mink bead spread and a red station wagon??

Even Lucie Arnaz defended her mom about the Danny Kaye thing, she said emphatically that it was very unfair to have said that, one of the thomson guys i think, probably moron thompson, as Lucie said it was probably all she had at that time with her but that she gifted him with something more appropriate many other times, to make up for it. I have no idea what you're referring to with Viv.

[JessiLu]

On 2/21/2011 at 3:51 PM, Mister Hepburn said:

RE: Joan Crawford

 

It was no secret that Joan had a drinking problem by the time they were filming that episode in '67, so I have to wonder what Lucy & Co. expected when they hired her. They had gone through a similar situation 10 years prior with Tallulah Bankhead on the Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour, maybe Lucy just expected things to be different with Joan?

I was listening to an old Stu Shostak podcast recently, an interview with Desilu exec Bernie Weitzman, and Stu said that he had heard that Desi was actually brought in during the Joan Crawford episode to essentially calm down Lucy. Sounded like Bernie wasn’t aware of that story, but the timing would make sense, as Desi probably would have been nearby working on ‘Mothers-in-Law’ at that time. But I found it to be interesting, as I’ve read that Desi knew how to handle Lucy when she would become upset about something on the ILL set (and vice versa)... but they were divorced 8 years at this point. Says a lot about their relationship if true. And I wonder what Gary thought about it.

[Taylor]

Ohhh I'm sure Gary just loved it when Desi stopped by to "calm" Lucy down.   

[Brock]

On 9/22/2018 at 11:39 PM, JessiLu said:

I was listening to an old Stu Shostak podcast recently, an interview with Desilu exec Bernie Weitzman, and Stu said that he had heard that Desi was actually brought in during the Joan Crawford episode to essentially calm down Lucy. Sounded like Bernie wasn’t aware of that story, but the timing would make sense, as Desi probably would have been nearby working on ‘Mothers-in-Law’ at that time. But I found it to be interesting, as I’ve read that Desi knew how to handle Lucy when she would become upset about something on the ILL set (and vice versa)... but they were divorced 8 years at this point. Says a lot about their relationship if true. And I wonder what Gary thought about it.

Vanda Barra has also spoken of being on set, on Joan detail. I hope to write about this soon from a series of interviews I did with her in the two years before her death.

[Luvsbway]

9 hours ago, Brock said:

Vanda Barra has also spoken of being on set, on Joan detail. I hope to write about this soon from a series of interviews I did with her in the two years before her death.

Oh looking forward to this. 

[JessiLu]

Yes, can’t wait!

[Caewi]

On 9/23/2018 at 1:39 PM, JessiLu said:

I was listening to an old Stu Shostak podcast recently, an interview with Desilu exec Bernie Weitzman, and Stu said that he had heard that Desi was actually brought in during the Joan Crawford episode to essentially calm down Lucy. Sounded like Bernie wasn’t aware of that story, but the timing would make sense, as Desi probably would have been nearby working on ‘Mothers-in-Law’ at that time. But I found it to be interesting, as I’ve read that Desi knew how to handle Lucy when she would become upset about something on the ILL set (and vice versa)... but they were divorced 8 years at this point. Says a lot about their relationship if true. And I wonder what Gary thought about it.

This one was definitely true. Sharon Thober, a Here's Lucy costume lady, wrote about the Joan Crawford episode in detail in her book My Lucy Years. Desi was asked in to 'schmooze' Joan over and convince her to do her best work. Apparently he did a good job with her but it came too late in the episode's rehearsals. Sharon describes a nice moment between Lucy and Desi that day. Apparently she walked out at the end of that day and saw Lucy and Desi walking alone down the set holding hands. She said that they were standing very close and talking quietly to each other while holding hands and that the whole moment looked very intimate. She said that she would have thought there were still married from that behavior.  It's a good ebook read! 

[Luvsbway]

I read a small portion of Sharon's book. It seemed pretty accurate on her observations of Lucy, Viv and Gale. is it worth the Kindle buy and read?  I hate bitchy, trashy books. 

[RodMcK1]

1 hour ago, Luvsbway said:

I hate bitchy, trashy books. 

I do too, if they're B.S., which many are.  But when true, they can be fun.

 

[HarryCarter]

4 hours ago, Luvsbway said:

I read a small portion of Sharon's book. It seemed pretty accurate on her observations of Lucy, Viv and Gale. is it worth the Kindle buy and read?  I hate bitchy, trashy books. 

There was a lot that was hard to believe in her book. 

[Luvsbway]

3 hours ago, HarryCarter said:

There was a lot that was hard to believe in her book. 

That's what I was looking for. 

[Caewi]

On 1/17/2019 at 2:25 PM, Luvsbway said:

That's what I was looking for. 

I can't remember much that was particularly mean and overall the commentary seemed to match what we know about everyone. I think that she amplified her role in many events as I doubt that she was as important, or as relied upon, as she claimed. Her facts do seem accurate though and we know that she was the costumer so there seems less ambiguity around how often she saw Lucy as other books. A large portion of it goes in an odd direction and talks about her mentor / friendship with a teenagers. Then that sort of goes nowhere and you're left feeling confused and a bit annoyed at the waste of time. 

Overall I think that it's well worth a read! She provides a behind the scenes description of times we know well and some interesting insight into Gary. At least it's not expensive! 

[Luvsbway]

1 hour ago, Caewi said:

I can't remember much that was particularly mean and overall the commentary seemed to match what we know about everyone. I think that she amplified her role in many events as I doubt that she was as important, or as relied upon, as she claimed. Her facts do seem accurate though and we know that she was the costumer so there seems less ambiguity around how often she saw Lucy as other books. A large portion of it goes in an odd direction and talks about her mentor / friendship with a teenagers. Then that sort of goes nowhere and you're left feeling confused and a bit annoyed at the waste of time. 

Overall I think that it's well worth a read! She provides a behind the scenes description of times we know well and some interesting insight into Gary. At least it's not expensive! 

Thanks. It was only $3 so I think I'll take a shot and just skip that teenager stuff. 

[HarryCarter]

2 hours ago, Luvsbway said:

Thanks. It was only $3 so I think I'll take a shot and just skip that teenager stuff. 

The teenager is implied to be Steven Spielberg and there’s more holes in that story than in Swiss cheese. 

[Caewi]

On 1/20/2019 at 8:05 AM, HarryCarter said:

The teenager is implied to be Steven Spielberg and there’s more holes in that story than in Swiss cheese. 

I thought that that was where it was leading but instead it took the side path into utter oblivion  If she was implying it then she needed to say it. I agree though, really REALLY unlikely. I'll give her the benefit of the doubt as she never actually claimed it was Steven Spielberg but the Lucy parts of the story more or less matched up to what we know.