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Here's Lucy: Season 5 -- FEBRUARY 28!


Brock

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While I see where the "miscast" venom comes from, I don't fully support it. I think Lucy especially fits in later in the film, when the character has grown older anyways.

 

Me, too. I don't know how many times I've heard "Lucille Ball is a clown and was miscast as sophisticated Mame". It's been said in so many words by everyone from Jerry Herman on down. One would think she was on par style-wise with Martha Raye, Joan Davis or Judy Canova. I want each of these people to watch her descend the stairs for her entrance on "The Steve Lawrence Show" and eat those words. The uniqueness of Lucy is that she could do both to a degree of competence that nobody else matched then, before or since.

 

Even the critics who skewered the movie admitted that the few "Lucy" moments we're given stand out: mounting the rickety moon, skating through the department store, staggering out of bed to the bathroom-post "It's Today". Judith Christ is her scathing review did say "who could possibly do this but Lucy?"

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Me, too. I don't know how many times I've heard "Lucille Ball is a clown and was miscast as sophisticated Mame". It's been said in so many words by everyone from Jerry Herman on down. One would think she was on par style-wise with Martha Raye, Joan Davis or Judy Canova. I want each of these people to watch her descend the stairs for her entrance on "The Steve Lawrence Show" and eat those words. The uniqueness of Lucy is that she could do both to a degree of competence that nobody else matched then, before or since.

 

Even the critics who skewered the movie admitted that the few "Lucy" moments we're given stand out: mounting the rickety moon, skating through the department store, staggering out of bed to the bathroom-post "It's Today". Judith Christ is her scathing review did say "who could possibly do this but Lucy?"

Yeah, i remember her review, used to like her till then. Lucy often played sophistocate, just yesterday i saw a still of Roz Russell in Auntie Mame and she's wearing this seemingly see through number and has the hip hair and the long cigarette holder, that's what they were looking for and Lucy gave it to them. She also supplied a marquee name that would bring people into theaters to see it, however they stayed away after those awful reviews came out. Loved your analogy of Raye and company, now SHE could not have pulled off the sophisticated part. Mame wouldn't do denture commercials.

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Yeah, i remember her review, used to like her till then. Lucy often played sophistocate, just yesterday i saw a still of Roz Russell in Auntie Mame and she's wearing this seemingly see through number and has the hip hair and the long cigarette holder, that's what they were looking for and Lucy gave it to them. She also supplied a marquee name that would bring people into theaters to see it, however they stayed away after those awful reviews came out. Loved your analogy of Raye and company, now SHE could not have pulled off the sophisticated part. Mame wouldn't do denture commercials.

 

I loved "Auntie Mame" and Roz in it. The one scene that falls flat is her attempt at slapstick..and it was not her fault. It is completely unrealistic for her to walk around in boots so small that she's dragging the shoe part (in the fox hunting scene).

I wonder if it was a conscious decision in "Mame" to underplay the comedy for both scenes with the Upsons. Lucy, the actress is doing what she's told to do and she's wonderful but she's so subdued (as are the scenes)that the comedy is all but lost. After hearing a recording of Lansbury's stage version, I realized that these scenes could have been hilarious. Indeed the live audience was howling. It's all played a couple of notches up on the farce scale than Lucy's movie which they could get away with on the stage more than the screen. Too bad they couldn't have aimed for something in between: a little more 'madcap' while retaining the realism necessary for a movie. It's a dilemma faced whenever a stage work is transferred to the screen, particularly a musical.

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Some of this, sadly, was Lucille's fault. I remember reading an interview at the time the film was being made -- and the columnist visited the set. Apparently after every "take," Lucille asked, "Was I too Lucy?" She wanted to leave her slapstick TV image out... which was a BIG mistake because in this case the script CALLED for riotous slapstick. If she'd been doing a straight-drama, mystery or some other type of story, I'd agree that the mugging needed to go... But as has been said here, in some instances, Roz Russell was much more physically funny in "Auntie Mame" than Lucille was in "Mame."

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I loved "Auntie Mame" and Roz in it. The one scene that falls flat is her attempt at slapstick..and it was not her fault. It is completely unrealistic for her to walk around in boots so small that she's dragging the shoe part (in the fox hunting scene).

I wonder if it was a conscious decision in "Mame" to underplay the comedy for both scenes with the Upsons. Lucy, the actress is doing what she's told to do and she's wonderful but she's so subdued (as are the scenes)that the comedy is all but lost. After hearing a recording of Lansbury's stage version, I realized that these scenes could have been hilarious. Indeed the live audience was howling. It's all played a couple of notches up on the farce scale than Lucy's movie which they could get away with on the stage more than the screen. Too bad they couldn't have aimed for something in between: a little more 'madcap' while retaining the realism necessary for a movie. It's a dilemma faced whenever a stage work is transferred to the screen, particularly a musical.

Exactly, and the most obvious thing about Auntie mame, the Roz Russell starer is it's theatricality, especially that kid, absolutely hated him, i think he grew up to star on Glee, and changed his name to Colfer. That kid just screams G A Y !

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Some of this, sadly, was Lucille's fault. I remember reading an interview at the time the film was being made -- and the columnist visited the set. Apparently after every "take," Lucille asked, "Was I too Lucy?" She wanted to leave her slapstick TV image out... which was a BIG mistake because in this case the script CALLED for riotous slapstick. If she'd been doing a straight-drama, mystery or some other type of story, I'd agree that the mugging needed to go... But as has been said here, in some instances, Roz Russell was much more physically funny in "Auntie Mame" than Lucille was in "Mame."

Because Roz had a good director. Lucy did not.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Did I miss the details of extras for this set yet?

According to MPI's web site, these are the extras for Season 5:

 

New Video Episode Introductions by Lucie Arnaz & Others

Featurette: Here’s Lucy Spotlight: Desi Arnaz, Jr.

Let‘s Talk To Lucy - Lost Interviews with Frank Sinatra

Lucy on The Donny & Marie Show

Treasures From Lucie‘s Vault (Bloopers, home movies)

Here‘s Lucy Slide Show, Production Files & Syndication Promos

 

Doesn't seem like as much as the other seasons but they could be running out of footage that they are able to license. Would be nice if they could include just one episode from "Life With Lucy" as a teaser possibly for a complete series set?!?

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:HALKING: Sounds great! I am so looking forward to hearing the Sinatra Let's Talk to Lucy. The Treasures for Lucy's Vault are always a wonderful surprise. I can't wait to see what will be included.

Sounds absolutely terrific, as all of them have been, i will especially enjoy the Sinatra interview as he was one of her all time favorite entertainers and mine also.

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I feel we got a bit gypped...

 

 

"Gyp-gyp-gyp-gyp-gypped!" ?

 

and

 

Treasures from Lucie's vault? I hope that's a misprint, because I couldn't take any more "Outtakes" from "Home Movie".

 

 

According to MPI's web site, these are the extras for Season 5:

 

New Video Episode Introductions by Lucie Arnaz & Others

Featurette: Here’s Lucy Spotlight: Desi Arnaz, Jr.

Let‘s Talk To Lucy - Lost Interviews with Frank Sinatra

Lucy on The Donny & Marie Show

Treasures From Lucie‘s Vault (Bloopers, home movies)

Here‘s Lucy Slide Show, Production Files & Syndication Promos

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"Gyp-gyp-gyp-gyp-gypped!" ?

 

and

 

Treasures from Lucie's vault? I hope that's a misprint, because I couldn't take any more "Outtakes" from "Home Movie".

 

 

According to MPI's web site, these are the extras for Season 5:

 

New Video Episode Introductions by Lucie Arnaz & Others

Featurette: Here’s Lucy Spotlight: Desi Arnaz, Jr.

Let‘s Talk To Lucy - Lost Interviews with Frank Sinatra

Lucy on The Donny & Marie Show

Treasures From Lucie‘s Vault (Bloopers, home movies)

Here‘s Lucy Slide Show, Production Files & Syndication Promos

Weren't the outtakes just the worst??? LOL! Spoiled kids grimacing and making faces, how friggin fascinating! LOL! I was hoping it was a misprint also.

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Weren't the outtakes just the worst??? LOL! Spoiled kids grimacing and making faces, how friggin fascinating! LOL! I was hoping it was a misprint also.

 

Hey, I did enjoy Lucie's Carol Channing impression. But that was about it. Her kids were kinda whiny when they were young. LOL

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Hey, I did enjoy Lucie's Carol Channing impression. But that was about it. Her kids were kinda whiny when they were young. LOL

 

I also enjoyed Carole Cook's story about the two little old ladies who thought she was Lucy when Lucy had already been dead for a few years. :lucyhaha:

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I also enjoyed Carole Cook's story about the two little old ladies who thought she was Lucy when Lucy had already been dead for a few years. :lucyhaha:

 

Oh God, that's another story like Carol Burnett's that Cook tells over and over again. It is funny but it's been told to death! lol

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Oh God, that's another story like Carol Burnett's that Cook tells over and over again. It is funny but it's been told to death! lol

Yeah, when Carole met those two little old ladies it was the second night of a show she was in, Once Upon a Mattress, they was sitting in the second row, both had flaming red hair, they called her KID, thank you! . . . .

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