DVD Release Date: March 13, 2007 (CBS DVD/Paramount)
Color / 1957, 1958-59
MSRP: $42.99
Number of Discs: 4
Number of Episodes: 13
Running Time: 739 Minutes
Languages, Subtitles, Closed Captioning: English; No
subtitles; Closed Captioned
Special Features: Flubs, restored footage, original
broadcasts, deleted scenes, Ford Motor commercials,
Desilu/Westinghouse Sponsor Presentation, rare on-set
color footage and more.
Introduction:
LUUUUCY! America's favorite redhead is gracing our
television screens for one more go around as that
wacky Lucy Ricardo. Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, William
Frawley and Vivian Vance reunited for 13-hour long
episodes of I LOVE LUCY, spanning the years of 1957,
1958 and 1959. The show relied on big name guest stars
and good old-fashioned comedy. For the last time, I
LOVE LUCY, or now known as THE LUCY-DESI COMEDY HOUR,
is available on DVD.
Episodes Included / Notable Guest Stars:
Since there were only 13 episodes, I will list them
all. "Lucy Takes a Cruise to Havana" in which Lucy and
Ricky recall how they met for the first time in
Havana. "The Celebrity Next Door" is the one in which
Lucy makes an enemy out of Tallulah Bankhead. "Lucy
Hunts Uranium" in which, on a road trip to Las Vegas,
Lucy, Ricky, Fred and Ethel are hit with gold rush
fever and scheme against Fred MacMurray in their hunt
for uranium. "Lucy Wins a Racehorse" is the one in
which Lucy wins a racehorse for Little Ricky. "Lucy
Goes To Sun Valley" in which Lucy uses Fernando Lamas
to make Ricky jealous. "Lucy Goes to Mexico" in which
a young Mexican lad stows away in Fred, Lucy and
Ethel's car and they land in jail! "Lucy Makes Room
For Danny" in which the Ricardos go to Hollywood and
they rent their house to the Williams family (of "Make
Room For Daddy"), but when the movie falls through,
the Ricardo's want their house back but the Williams
family refuses, so they end up in court! "Lucy Wants a
Career" in which Lucy is pestering of a star finally
pays off: she gets a job! "Lucy's Summer Vacation" in
which Lucy and Ricky vacation in Vermont but wind up
sharing their lodge with Ida Lupino and Howard Duff.
"Milton Berle Hides Out at The Ricardos" is the one in
which Ricky lets Milton Berle hide out in their house
to finish his book. "The Ricardos Go to Japan" in
which Lucy sets out to find real Oriental pearls to
replace her artificial ones. "Lucy Meets the
Moustache" is the one in which Ernie Kovacs and Edie
Adams invite Little Ricky to appear on his show.
Memorable guest stars this season include Hedda
Hopper, Ann Sothern, Cesar Romero, Rudy Vallee,
Tallulah Bankhead, Fred MacMurray, June Haver, Betty
Grable, Harry James, Fernando Lamas, Maurice
Chevalier, Danny Thomas, Marjorie Lord, Rusty Hamer,
Angela Cartwright, Gale Gordon, Red Skelton, Paul
Douglas, Ida Lupino, Howard Duff, Milton Berle, Bob
Cummings, Ernie Kovacs, and Edie Adams.
Packaging:
The main box art is the exact same as all six seasons
of I LOVE LUCY. The scheme is blue and features the
logo as well as Lucy as a tramp from the Freddie The Freeloader sketch that she performs with Red Skelton in "Lucy Goes To Alaska"
on the cover. There
are two snap-cases inside the box holding the four
discs for the set. The first case features Discs 1 and
2 while the second case contains Discs 3 and 4. Disc 1
contains episodes 1-3. Disc 2 contains episodes 4-6.
Disc 3 contains episodes 7-10. Disc 4 contains
episodes 11-13. The special features are spread out
over all four discs.
Menu Design and Navigation:
The menu is actually quite different from the first
six seasons! It is all animated, as the original LUCY
opening theme was and features the LUCY-DESI theme
music and animated stick figures of Lucy and Desi
running on the screen. Very fun and I was pleasantly
surprised by it. On the main menu, the episodes are
listed. When you select an episode, it takes you to a
scene selection sub-menu. Back on the main menu, there
is a PLAY ALL option. When you select the BONUS
option, it takes you to another menu that lists the
bonus features on that disc.
Video and Audio Quality:
The audio and video are crystal clear and in amazing
shape for a show literally 50 years old! I really have
no gripes--amazing restoration! Also of interest is
the first episode "Lucy Takes a Cruise To Havana" is
completely uncut, running the full 75 minutes that it
was originally intended to be, including the ORIGINAL
opening credits.
DISC 1
1- Lucy Takes a Cruise to Havana (1:06:18)
2- The Celebrity Next Door (51:16)
3- Lucy Hunts Uranium (50:37)
DISC 2
4- Lucy Wins A Racehorse (50:07)
5- Lucy Goes To Sun Valley (51:14)
6- Lucy Goes To Mexico (50:36)
EXTRA - Desilu/Westinghouse Sponsor Presentation
(38:22)
DISC 3
7- Lucy Makes Room For Danny (51:24)
8- Lucy Goes to Alaska (50:37)
9- Lucy Wants a Career (50:01)
10- Lucy's Summer Vacation (51:06)
DISC 4
11- Milton Berle Hides Out At the Ricardos (49:44)
12- The Ricardos Go To Japan (51:19)
13- Lucy Meets the Moustache (50:32)
EXTRA - On-Set Color Footage (3:51)
Special Features:
There are so many extras on this set! I will break it
down disc-by-disc:
DISC 1
* Flubs
- The Fur Flies (00:09)
- Slam That Door (00:33)
- Whirlwind Lucy (00:14)
* Guest Cast
Broken down by episode, the guest stars are given a
bio for everyone to read through.
* Restored Footage (15 scenes that were cut from "Lucy
Takes a Cruise to Havana" are restored here and you
can watch each one individually.)
* Original Broadcasts (scenes cut from the syndicated
version of "The Celebrity Next Door") (2:74)
- Original Opening (01:13)
- Trouble with Ethel (01:09)
- The Mertzes Rebel (00:52)
* Special Footage (3:60)
- Fancy Editing (01:53)
- Lucy-Desi Promo (01:02)
- I Love Lucy (01:05)
* Meet Special People (biographies of the people
behind the scenes of Desilu)
- Dann Cahn (film editor)
- Irma Kusely (hair stylist)
* Production Notes (facts of the show)
DISC 2
* Desilu/Westinghouse Sponsor Presentation (38:22)
In 1958, Desi struck a deal for two more seasons of
LUCY/DESI as well as a deal for the Desilu Playhouse.
To cement the relationship between Westinghouse and
Desilu, Lucy and Desi appeared in a 39-minute
promotional film that was shown to Westinghouse
dealers around the country. It offered the Arnaze's
plans for their new shows, and offered a special tour
of Desilu Studios.
* Flubs
- They Get Around (0:24)
* Guest Cast
Broken down by episode, the guest stars are given a
bio for everyone to read through.
* Original Broadcasts
- Original Opening from "Lucy Wins a Racehorse" (1:18)
- Korny Krinkles from "Lucy Wins a Racehorse" (2:17)
- Original Closing from "Lucy Wins a Racehorse" (2:33)
* Special Footage
- Animated Transition from "Lucy Goes to Mexico"
(0:14)
- Top 10 Lucy Shows (1:04)
* Meet Special People
- Madelyn Davis & Bob Carroll, Jr. (writers)
- Bob Weiskopf & Bob Schiller (writers)
* Production notes
DISC 3
* Flubs
- Active Child (0:14)
- Well-Made Bed (0:15)
* Guest Cast
Broken down by episode, the guest stars are given a
bio for everyone to read through.
* Original Broadcasts
- Original Opening from "Lucy Makes Room for Danny"
(0:35)
- Open & Shut Case from "Lucy Makes Room for Danny"
(1:35)
- Original Closing from "Lucy Makes Room for Danny"
(1:00)
* Special Footage
- I Love Lucy (2:11)
* Meet Special People
- Vivian Vance
- William Frawley
- Keith Thibodeaux
* Production Notes
DISC 4
* On-Set Color Footage (3:51)
On October 12, 1951, three days before I LOVE LUCY
premiered, Desilu filmed Episode #6 "The Audition." An
enterprising member of the studio audience secretly
brought a 16mm movie camera with him into the
bleachers that evening, and when no one was looking,
he managed to take a few "home movies" as the filming
proceeded. Greg Oppenheimer, son of series producer
and head writer Jess Oppenheimer, recently discovered
and obtained this rare color footage, and has edited
it together with scenes from the actual show! The
gentleman on the set with the Arnazes between scenes
is the show's director, Marc Daniels. This
never-before-released film is the only known color
footage of the Tropicana and Ricard apartment sets!
* Flubs
- Pearls (1:57)
* Guest Cast
Broken down by episode, the guest stars are given a
bio for everyone to read through.
* Original Broadcasts
- Original Opening from "Milton Berle Hides Out At the
Ricardos" (0:30)
- Clark Gable from "Milton Berle Hides Out At the
Ricardos" (0:33)
- Original Closing from "Milton Berle Hides Out At the
Ricardos" (1:46)
* Special Footage
- Lucy In Connecticut (01:06)
* Meet Special People
- Lucille Ball
- Desi Arnaz
* Production Notes
* Photo Gallery
14 still photos from episodes of I LOVE LUCY,
including a color photograph from "Lucy Hunts Uranium"
* Clippings
Clippings of what look like ads to promote the
episodes, which appeared to be used in TV Guide
magazines for all 13 episodes!
Final Comments:
Oh my gosh! Paramount did a fantastic job with this
release, yet again! Tons and tons of bonus features.
Truly amazing. Unbelievable, really. I applaud
Paramount for this amazing set and for them releasing
"The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour" onto DVD! I have no
complaints at all about this set and I think fans will
be ecstatic with this set. I have no idea who holds
the rights to "The Lucy Show" but I am crossing my
fingers that it is next on the list!
