Mot Morenzi Posted August 24, 2011 Report Share Posted August 24, 2011 For those of you who've seen both CBS biopics about Lucille Ball, who do you think was the better Lucy: Frances Fisher or Rachel York? I think Frances Fisher was more age appropriate and looked more like Lucy than York did, but she was hampered by the weak script and only really got to play a vague caricature of Lucille Ball. Rachel York didn't look much like Ball, but she had the voice down and did a good job at showing both Ball's assertiveness and her loving side. She was a bit young, however, to be totally convincing in the later half of the movie. While the story still stuck mainly to the surface and didn't really dig down deep, it was arguably more balanced than the Before the Laughter one. Ultimately, while I do like both the TV movies (the 2nd one moreso), I think both ladies were worthy choices to play Ball and both could've benefited from stronger scripts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C L A U D E Posted August 24, 2011 Report Share Posted August 24, 2011 For those of you who've seen both CBS biopics about Lucille Ball, who do you think was the better Lucy: Frances Fisher or Rachel York? I think Frances Fisher was more age appropriate and looked more like Lucy than York did, but she was hampered by the weak script and only really got to play a vague caricature of Lucille Ball. Rachel York didn't look much like Ball, but she had the voice down and did a good job at showing both Ball's assertiveness and her loving side. She was a bit young, however, to be totally convincing in the later half of the movie. While the story still stuck mainly to the surface and didn't really dig down deep, it was arguably more balanced than the Before the Laughter one. Ultimately, while I do like both the TV movies (the 2nd one moreso), I think both ladies were worthy choices to play Ball and both could've benefited from stronger scripts. Well, you said it all, no need to add anything to that, LOL! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mot Morenzi Posted August 24, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 24, 2011 Well, you said it all, no need to add anything to that, LOL! LOL, you flatter me! I was lucky enough to track down one of the Emmy screener copies of the 2nd film and a DVD copy of the official laserdisc release of "Before the Laughter", so I've been able to review them a lot and analyze them. I know, I have too much time on my hands, but it's something I enjoy doing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C L A U D E Posted August 24, 2011 Report Share Posted August 24, 2011 LOL, you flatter me! I was lucky enough to track down one of the Emmy screener copies of the 2nd film and a DVD copy of the official laserdisc release of "Before the Laughter", so I've been able to review them a lot and analyze them. I know, I have too much time on my hands, but it's something I enjoy doing OH! So that's where MY copy of the second film came too, i was wondering why it looked like that, it was a screener then. I enjoyed BOTH films although the first was definitely the weakest scriptwise, but both actresses were great in the role. I thought Frances was not as adept at the comedy, it looked cartoonish, but that could have been the director's fault. I dun't remember the second Desi, the first one was that soap actor whose accent was horrible, i think Desi jr did a better job playing his dad in Mambo Kings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mot Morenzi Posted August 24, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 24, 2011 Maurice Benard played Desi in the first film. And yes, he was miscast. Very poor accent, and he played Desi as too much of a goofball. Daniel Pino did an admirable job with Desi's accent in the second film, and I know Lucie Arnaz commented that she liked both him and Rachel York. And I agree, York did a better job portraying Lucy's comedy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mot Morenzi Posted August 29, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 29, 2011 I particularly love the scene in the 2nd one where York plays Ball describing her Gone With the Wind audition. "Miss Ball, maybe we can try it with you....standing up!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C L A U D E Posted August 30, 2011 Report Share Posted August 30, 2011 I particularly love the scene in the 2nd one where York plays Ball describing her Gone With the Wind audition. "Miss Ball, maybe we can try it with you....standing up!" LOL! Yes, true stories are always the best, where have you been? Missed you and your posts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mot Morenzi Posted August 30, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 30, 2011 LOL! Yes, true stories are always the best, where have you been? Missed you and your posts. So sorry, was away for the weekend at the lake house...no internet down there. Rewatched part of this film while down there, that's what reminded me of the Gone with the Wind scene. I also noticed an interesting little goof. When they re-created one of Lucy's MFH Jell-O commercials (the lost one where she did her first spider face) she's eating grape Jell-O. Those who've heard the original ads know that there were only six flavours of Jell-O at the time (strawberry, raspberry, cherry, orange, lemon and lime)...so GRAPE Jell-O???? I don't think so! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C L A U D E Posted August 30, 2011 Report Share Posted August 30, 2011 So sorry, was away for the weekend at the lake house...no internet down there. Rewatched part of this film while down there, that's what reminded me of the Gone with the Wind scene. I also noticed an interesting little goof. When they re-created one of Lucy's MFH Jell-O commercials (the lost one where she did her first spider face) she's eating grape Jell-O. Those who've heard the original ads know that there were only six flavours of Jell-O at the time (strawberry, raspberry, cherry, orange, lemon and lime)...so GRAPE Jell-O???? I don't think so! Wow, with expertise like that and you should have been a consultant on the film. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mot Morenzi Posted August 30, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 30, 2011 Wow, with expertise like that and you should have been a consultant on the film. Ahaha, why thank you! If I do say so myself, had I read the script before shooting it, young as I was, I could've corrected a few things! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C L A U D E Posted August 30, 2011 Report Share Posted August 30, 2011 Ahaha, why thank you! If I do say so myself, had I read the script before shooting it, young as I was, I could've corrected a few things! Same here, at least the new edition of Desilu has the C O R R E C T E D salaries of Lucy and that manager hubby of hers, on Life with Lucy. I had read and was upset by the figure of 100 thousand for Lucy and 125 for the jerk, but it seems that was an error and Stu Shostak says it was the other way around which certainly makes more sense but toupee boy is still overpaid at 100 grand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mot Morenzi Posted September 11, 2011 Author Report Share Posted September 11, 2011 The thing that bugged me most about the 2nd telefilm was how they depicted the Ricardo's in living in apartment 4A for the entire series, while ignoring the move to 3B/D. Obviously they only had the budget to build the first set, but still...frustrating to nitpickers like us! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeySanJoaquin Posted September 11, 2011 Report Share Posted September 11, 2011 The thing that bugged me most about the 2nd telefilm was how they depicted the Ricardo's in living in apartment 4A for the entire series, while ignoring the move to 3B/D. Obviously they only had the budget to build the first set, but still...frustrating to nitpickers like us! I don't think it's nitpicking to get easy-to-check facts straight! It may have been "just a movie", but enough people watch something like that and take whatever in it as gospel. Arghh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mot Morenzi Posted September 11, 2011 Author Report Share Posted September 11, 2011 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4MAvZnIJFs Here are a few rare TV spots for the 2 films I found. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C L A U D E Posted September 12, 2011 Report Share Posted September 12, 2011 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4MAvZnIJFs Here are a few rare TV spots for the 2 films I found. Nice, thanks, but that first one still makes me CRINGE when i see pics of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mot Morenzi Posted September 12, 2011 Author Report Share Posted September 12, 2011 Nice, thanks, but that first one still makes me CRINGE when i see pics of them. True. I wonder what Frances thought of the film. I've never found any interviews where she discussed playing Lucy and her opinion of the film, etc. Apparently, Maurice Benard hated it and blamed it for pigenholing him into daytime TV the rest of his career. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C L A U D E Posted September 12, 2011 Report Share Posted September 12, 2011 True. I wonder what Frances thought of the film. I've never found any interviews where she discussed playing Lucy and her opinion of the film, etc. Apparently, Maurice Benard hated it and blamed it for pigenholing him into daytime TV the rest of his career. She was excellent, and he was terrible, but that lousy script is what did them both IN. The constant going back and forth and that cartoonish LOOK of the whole movie when they had such great source material and such a great story that they wasted in a badly made crapfest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mot Morenzi Posted September 12, 2011 Author Report Share Posted September 12, 2011 She was excellent, and he was terrible, but that lousy script is what did them both IN. The constant going back and forth and that cartoonish LOOK of the whole movie when they had such great source material and such a great story that they wasted in a badly made crapfest. Totally. I also hated how it victimized Lucille and made Desi into a monster. I know that's the Lifetime formula, but there's so much more to it than that!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C L A U D E Posted September 12, 2011 Report Share Posted September 12, 2011 Totally. I also hated how it victimized Lucille and made Desi into a monster. I know that's the Lifetime formula, but there's so much more to it than that!!!! No, i liked THAT part, LOL! But that must have been the reason Lucie hated it so, well, besides the fact that he got money and she didn't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mot Morenzi Posted September 12, 2011 Author Report Share Posted September 12, 2011 No, i liked THAT part, LOL! But that must have been the reason Lucie hated it so, well, besides the fact that he got money and she didn't. Not a Desi fan? I hope they do a film that focuses on the later half of her life one day, and shows what a schmuck Morton was! "And what did you ever produce, you son of a bitch, that your wife didn't arrange for you?" - Milton Berle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C L A U D E Posted September 12, 2011 Report Share Posted September 12, 2011 Not a Desi fan? I hope they do a film that focuses on the later half of her life one day, and shows what a schmuck Morton was! "And what did you ever produce, you son of a bitch, that your wife didn't arrange for you?" - Milton Berle I was J O K I N G abot the monster Desi part, they BOTH had faults but being a womanizing gambling drunk beats being a perfectionist any day of the week. And yes, at least he was the love of her life and not somebody who latched on to her to get stature and money out of her. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mot Morenzi Posted September 12, 2011 Author Report Share Posted September 12, 2011 I was J O K I N G abot the monster Desi part, they BOTH had faults but being a womanizing gambling drunk beats being a perfectionist any day of the week. And yes, at least he was the love of her life and not somebody who latched on to her to get stature and money out of her. Oh yes. They were both far from perfect, but at least their love was genuine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeySanJoaquin Posted September 12, 2011 Report Share Posted September 12, 2011 Oh yes. They were both far from perfect, but at least their love was genuine. Awwwwwww. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annaleigh Posted September 16, 2011 Report Share Posted September 16, 2011 I just realized that the 2nd Lucy film came out in what? May 2003? It's already been that long? Haha. But you and Claude said it all, I agree with your comments exactly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mot Morenzi Posted September 16, 2011 Author Report Share Posted September 16, 2011 [quote name=DroopyDrawers ' timestamp='1316145334' post='20835] I just realized that the 2nd Lucy film came out in what? May 2003? It's already been that long? Haha. But you and Claude said it all, I agree with your comments exactly. I know! Seems like yesterday I was putting a blank tape in the VCR! I hope both films see commercial DVD releases one day. I have a laserdisc rip of Before the Laughter and a screener of Lucy, but I'd love to own both officially, too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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