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Here's Lucy: Season Four -- Reviews and First Impressions


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Here's my review -- so far -- on the this new, fantastic DVD set:

 

Garret and George at GAB Entertainment have done another stellar job with the Here’s Lucy Season Four release. Although I haven’t watched all of the episode introductions yet, what I have seen so far is fantastic. Lucie’s introductions appear to have been filmed in the same sitting as the previous release. I watched the intro to Kim Cuts You-Know-Who’s Apron Strings first and am glad to report that Alan Oppenheimer still looks essentially the same. It must be all the organics! He spends a great deal of his time talking about Susan Tolsky (Hello?) and Lucie seems to imply that she was... enamoured with her British racing star beau from the episode. The intro from Kim Hamilton for Lucy & Flip Go Legit is great too. She seems to have great admiration for Lucy. Kaye’s intro to Italian Bombshell is short but sweet, and what it lacks in length is made up in the fact that she says, “a long-a long-a time” twice and performs an abbreviated impromptu musical number. LOL

 

Onto the special features...

 

The first up is a 15 minute featurette entitled “Here’s Harry: Remembering Gale Gordon”, which is a wonderful tribute to Gale. Nobody featured in the featurtte has a bad word to say about him and as a huge Gale fan it was very heartening to see and hear. They talk about his professionalism, his sense of humour on and off the set, being “game” for anything (Lucie’s words), fitting into HL’s “over-the-top” sense of humour (Doris’ words), clips of some of Harry Carter’s finest/funniest/best musical and dance moments, and so forth. Two of my favourite segments of the featurette are compilations of his cartwheels and a re-creation of a reel Lucy had made highlighting all the times Gale got soaked or a water cooler jug in the crotch through the course of the series. Wonderful stuff! I also enjoy Lucie and Desi’s brief analysis of and insight into Gale’s comedy style. They would definitely know better than anyone! I’m so glad they also included the more tender moments shared by Lucy and Harry that came on the scene when Bob and Madelyn came back on board. And a special thanks to Garret and George for plugging the Gale site at the end of the piece! Interviewees include Lucie, Desi, Carole Cook, Doris Singleton, Kaye Ballard, Anita Mann, Jim Bates, Lola Fisher, and Shirley Anthony (Lucy & Danny Thomas, Lucy & Joan Rivers Do Jury Duty).

 

Next up is the regular Let’s Talk To Lucy feature, this time featuring THREE – count ‘em! – episodes of Lucy interviewing Dinah Shore. These are wonderful as always, even though they don’t integrate the same bells and whistles that they had in the Dean Martin releases. Hell, it is just great hearing these as the ladies clearly had such high regard for each other and talked about everything under the sun from art to their kids (of particular note was Lucy’s discussion that she used to ask Lucie and Desi WHY they wanted to be friends with the people they brought through the Roxbury door). Oddly enough they seemed to talk very little of their professional lives.

 

After Dinah’s episodes comes what I think will probably be the general favourite feature of many people here – Lucy on The Pearl Bailey Show. It is not the complete episode but it is a colour copy of Lucy’s guest appearance and she looks sensational and performs wonderfully. She makes a grand entrance like Gale’s entrance in Generation Gap, except instead of being carried in my “amazons”, Lucy is carried in by Pearl’s ushers in a grand evening gown throwing furs to the audience. She has some patter with Pearl once she eventually gets to the stage. The second featured segment includes Lucy singing and Dancing in a patriotic musical number (“Grand Old Flag”?) and is joined at the end again by Pearl. The quality of the video has deteriorated with this, but it is still highly watchable and fantastic to see!

 

After a segment of Lucy filming a commercial for the Australian carrier of HL and the regular slide show, comes the always spectacular “Treasures From Lucy’s Vault”. In Season Four’s offering, we’re treated to a section featuring two lengthy Westinghouse Commercials featuring Lucy, Desi, Viv, and Bill (These commercials have been featured in the Goodtimes videos, but it is great to see them here again), a segment called “Lucy On The Farm” which features home movies of Lucy and Gary horseback riding with Arthur Godfrey (and his wife?) at Godfrey’s sprawling Virginia ranch, a segment called “Lucy Hits The Slopes”, with Lucy, Gary, and Lucie in and around Snowmass, skiing, tobogganing, etc., , joined by someone who bears a resemblance to Jack Donohue* (I think everyone will get a kick out of Lucy and Lucie going down the hill together on the same toboggan!), and finally (well, this part came first, but I wanted to save the best for last!) “Lucy & Family At Home” which features home movies of Lucy, Gary, Lucie, and Desi (and a Tinker) clowning around in the front yard and back yard of Roxbury. (Claude, you may never recover!). It is great to see all four of them having such a great time together – Lucy even performs a little dance routine with her kids, and Gary and Lucie have their own time step routine! After watching the Arnaz-Morton Clan frolicking (LITERALLY) on their front lawn in full view of passers-by, I can’t help but think bus tours of the movie stars’ homes must have been a lot more fun back in the day. Try and imagine driving down the street and seeing Lucille Ball, Lucie Arnaz, and Desi Arnaz Jr., doing the can-can at the side of the road! A wonderful clip, although I’m curious as to who the kid skipping down the front path is as Gary drives them all away in a limo. I did not realise the front lawn of Roxbury was so lush... once upon a time. :(

 

The special features section concludes with the syndication promos as usual (this section could have benefited from being able to select the promos individually rather than going through it chapter by chapter and hoping for the best), the original sponsor billboards and tags for Lever Brothers (Twice As Nice shampoo, Pepsodent (with zirconium silicate!), Close-Up Toothpaste, Lifebuoy (watch for their commercials within HL episodes!) etc) and Oscar Meyer, production files as read by Wanda, trailers for other MPI releases, and a special “message” from Kaye guilting you into buying her (spectacular) audio book! LOL

 

I hope everyone who hasn't already reserves their judgement on HL as a series until the can see Season Four in its entirety. With Bob and Madelyn on board the series really enters its Golden Age. The only episodic duds here can be blamed on the animals, and there are some truly classic episodes here, including the criminally underappreciated Won't You Calm Down, Dan Dailey? and the musical bank robbery sequence in Lucy & Candid Camera.

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I'll post a few screen captures in a little while but I am open to requests, if any. LOL!

THE ROXBURY HOUSE, THE ROXBURY MANSION, THE GIGANTIC AND BEAUTIFULLY LANDSCAPED ROXBURY MANOR, THE GIANT HOUSE ON THE CORNER OF LEXINGTON AND ROXBURY, THE BIG HOUSE AT 1000 NORTH ROXBURY DRIVE PLEASE PLASE PLEASE!

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Home Movies:

 

hl-s4-c1.jpg

 

hl-s4-c2.jpg

 

hl-s4-c3.jpg

 

hl-s4-c4.jpg

 

(I also forgot to mention that the "Farm" home movie also features audio highlights from one of Godfrey's Let's Talk To Lucy "appearances")

Is that the BACK and SIDE view of the house, the tree looks like the one that was in the front but it can't be, i went to the house yesterday and it looks HORRIBLE now compared to BACK THEN. The landscaping was the very best part of the house at that time, now it just looks cold and so much smaller. The next two pics are definitely the FRONT of the house as you can see the BIG WALL in the background.

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The next two pics are definitely the FRONT of the house as you can see the BIG WALL in the background.

 

The video shots with the big wall in the background is taken from the right hand side of the lawn (if facing the house), so that wall is across Lexington towards Jimmy and Gloria's joint.

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I was unclear on which side the top picture was taken from but I guessed it was the side view from the front.

Side view from the front? That looks like the long sideways part on the left side so it can't be seen from the front. But i had no idea the landscaping went all the way to the back and as impressive as it was in the front. Your review was excellent by the way.

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The video shots with the big wall in the background is taken from the right hand side of the lawn (if facing the house), so that wall is across Lexington towards Jimmy and Gloria's joint.

Oh i KNOW that, those two pics are very clear, the third one with that part of the house in the background HAS TO BE taken from the back as it shows the house on the left and the connecting part to the guesthouse in the background, got any other pics?????

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When you DO get HOME, can you post the pics so we can see them much L A R G E R and can we zoom in to any windows to see the inside? :lucythrill: I'd like to be able to see the TIME on her watch.

 

 

We had another "jungle" episode this season, appropriately titled "Lucy in the Jungle." How was that one? Better than the GORBOONA episode? :lucydisgust::lucyhaha:

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We had another "jungle" episode this season, appropriately titled "Lucy in the Jungle." How was that one? Better than the GORBOONA episode? :lucydisgust::lucyhaha:

 

Yes, but ANYTHING was.

 

I have a particular affection for the 4th season, because it was when I started paying attention to who the writers were which led me to a correspondence with Bob and Madelyn and eventually meeting Lucy!

It was the October 25, 1971 episode, "Someone's on Ski Lift with Dinah" that inspired me to write them. I loved the show, the highlight of course was the classic B-M bit with Lucy rolling over the bed on skis and then down a flight of stairs. But what really impressed me was the scene with Lucy and Harry discussing their childhood memories. It was the FIRST time Lucy and Harry ever had a CONVERSATION that didn't lead to a punch line and it was refreshing to see these characters calmly interacting.

I agree with Brock as I always do except when he's wrong (and when I tell him he's wrong....HE'S WRONG) that "Dan Dailey" is an underrated half-hour, the highlight being the scenes with Gale and Dan Dailey discussing the problem, Lucy. Dan describes the spectacle of Lucy grabbing his leg: "Did that ever happen to you?" Harry: "About once a week. One of my pant legs is longer than the other."

This season has the greatest contrast in episode quality. You'd have "Dinah" and then you'd get "Bonus Bounces"; then "Ginger/Tea" then "Jungle". Two of the best followed by two of the worst.

This is Milt's last season on the show and not-coincidentally that last to use those old radio buddies of his as freelance writers. I believe this is the first season of Here's that does NOT contain some sort of show she's involved in or putting on, and did anyone miss them? I think the only musical moments are she and Dan doing "I Want to Be Happy" , the Ginger Rogers charleston and Lucie's "I Got Love".

 

I haven't got my copy yet but I was able to see "Pearl Baily" and Brock's screen caps look better than the video I saw!

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I agree with Brock as I always do except when he's wrong (and when I tell him he's wrong....HE'S WRONG)

 

:marionstrong:

 

Oh yeah? Well try these additional Season Four musical numbers on for size:

 

- Lucy and Dinah singing on the ski lift

- Shine On Harvest Moon in Astronauts

- The brilliant type writer scene in Lucy's Replacement

- and, of course, the even more brilliant Musical Bank Robbery sequence in "Candid Camera"

 

Shows Lucy gets involved in:

 

- Harry's Encino production of Gone With The Wind

- The third act of All Nun Band

 

But I think we can agree that Lucy's Lucky Day NEVER happened. ;) I'll deny it if you will.

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Yes, but ANYTHING was.

 

I have a particular affection for the 4th season, because it was when I started paying attention to who the writers were which led me to a correspondence with Bob and Madelyn and eventually meeting Lucy!

It was the October 25, 1971 episode, "Someone's on Ski Lift with Dinah" that inspired me to write them. I loved the show, the highlight of course was the classic B-M bit with Lucy rolling over the bed on skis and then down a flight of stairs. But what really impressed me was the scene with Lucy and Harry discussing their childhood memories. It was the FIRST time Lucy and Harry ever had a CONVERSATION that didn't lead to a punch line and it was refreshing to see these characters calmly interacting.

I agree with Brock as I always do except when he's wrong (and when I tell him he's wrong....HE'S WRONG) that "Dan Dailey" is an underrated half-hour, the highlight being the scenes with Gale and Dan Dailey discussing the problem, Lucy. Dan describes the spectacle of Lucy grabbing his leg: "Did that ever happen to you?" Harry: "About once a week. One of my pant legs is longer than the other."

This season has the greatest contrast in episode quality. You'd have "Dinah" and then you'd get "Bonus Bounces"; then "Ginger/Tea" then "Jungle". Two of the best followed by two of the worst.

This is Milt's last season on the show and not-coincidentally that last to use those old radio buddies of his as freelance writers. I believe this is the first season of Here's that does NOT contain some sort of show she's involved in or putting on, and did anyone miss them? I think the only musical moments are she and Dan doing "I Want to Be Happy" , the Ginger Rogers charleston and Lucie's "I Got Love".

 

I haven't got my copy yet but I was able to see "Pearl Baily" and Brock's screen caps look better than the video I saw!

Lucy's classic B M bit? Are you STILL on those bowel movement jokes? And i agree, MY copy of Pearl's show with Lucy is horrid compared to the screen caps Brock posted. And Lucy DOES look sensational on there!

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