I Love Lucy – The Facts

I Love Lucy, the iconic American TV comedy sitcom first aired on Oct 15, 1951, and ran to May 6, 1957. There was a total of 180 hilarious episodes! On this page we’ll discuss everything you’ve always wanted to know about the show

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The Beginning

After doing some modeling early in her career, Lucille Ball began getting roles in B-rated films and became known as the “Queen of the Bs”. Despite this nickname, however, Lucy managed to work steadily and made a lot of connections in the entertainment business. It was not until MGM Studios started using Technicolor that Lucy dyed her hair red and it really stood out!

I Love Lucy – The Show

In 1950, CBS asked Lucy to do a show on television with actor Richard Denning. The show was to be a TV version of a radio program the two had already been doing called “My Favorite Husband”. Lucy saw this as the perfect opportunity to suggest her husband Desi Arnaz, instead of Denning. It was a hard sell but Lucy pulled it off and the show was on it’s way. I Love Lucy began production in 1951

Arguments

The main sponsor of I Love Lucy, Phillip Morris, wanted the show to be shot on low-quality Kinescope (for the west coast audience). Lucy and Desi insisted that the show be shot on film so that viewers would see a quality picture at all times. Lucy and Desi settled the dispute by agreeing to take a pay cut to cover the expensive process of shooting on film.

I Love Lucy – Ground Breaking Ideas

In the early 50s, comedy shows on television were using a fake “laugh track”. Lucy and Desi found this idea absurd and therefore had producers renovate the studio to accommodate a live audience. Also, other tv shows were shooting their programs with only one camera, thereby limiting the angles viewers could see on their screens. Desi Arnaz developed a new system whereby the I Love Lucy show would be filmed with 3 cameras. Unheard of at the time! These innovations changed the history of television

Fred & Ethel

The roles of Fred and Ethel were originally offered to Gale Gordon and Bea Benaderet. Both had worked with Lucille Ball on My Favorite Husband and producers thought it would be a great fit. Both Gale and Bea had previous commitments, however, and declined the offer.

The roles were eventually filled by Vivian Vance as Ethel Mertz and William “Bill” Frawley as Fred Mertz. William Frawley was already an established actor in Hollywood with 100 film credits on his resume. Incidentally, Frawley had a reputation as a drunk and producers were not crazy about that. It is rumored, however, that Frawley called Lucy directly and asked for the role. He got it!

I Love Lucy – The Episodes

I Love Lucy ran for 6 seasons and produced 180 episodes. Between 1958 and 1960, Lucy and Desi decided to change the format to an hour-long show shown twice a month. It was called “Lucille Ball – Desi Arnaz Show” and featured many guest-stars. Along with Vivian Vance and William Frawley, Desi and Lucy filmed their last episode together in 1960. It was called “Lucy Meets The Moustache”. Lucy and Desi divorced later that year

I Love Lucy Cast

Lucille Ball – Lucy McGillicuddy Ricardo

Desi Arnaz – Ricky Ricardo

Vivian Vance – Ethel Mertz

William Frawly – Fred Mertz

Richard Keith – Little Ricky

I Love Lucy Fun Facts

• Vivian Vance was only 2 years older than Lucy in real life. Lucy did not want her in the role because of this fact but was eventually convinced that they could “frump her up”
• Many of the minor I Love Lucy characters such a Marion Strong were named after people Lucy had known throughout her life
• The I Love Lucy show has been dubbed in dozens of foreign languages so that the entire world can enjoy it
• In 2012, I Love Lucy was voted the “Best TV Show of All Time” by several prestigious organizations in the entertainment industry
• Producers wanted Lucy to hide her pregnancy from viewers but Lucy thought it was a good idea to incorporate her condition into the story-line. Another first in television history!
• Fred Mertz served honorably in WW1
• Longtime friend of Lucille Ball, Barbara Pepper was also considered to play Ethel Mertz but she was reportedly drinking heavily after the death of her husband Craig Reynolds
• Desi and Lucille hired famous cinematographer Karl Freund, who had worked on such masterpieces as Dracula (1931) and Metropolis (1927). His skills with lighting are legendary
• Episodes of I Love Lucy were filmed in front of a live audience and in scenes that Desi Arnaz was off camera, his loud boisterous laugh can be heard along with the crowd
• As Lucille Ball herself has said in interviews, Desi handled most business decisions on the I Love Lucy show. She did not become involved with “The Business” of Hollywood until later in her career
• William Frawley referred to Vivian Vance’s looks as “A sack of doorknobs”. It is well known that the two were at odds behind the scenes and squabbled consistently
• Vivian Vance was only 2 years older than Lucy in real life. Lucy did not want her in the role because of this fact but was eventually convinced that they could “frump her up”
• Many of the minor I Love Lucy characters such a Marion Strong were named after people Lucy had known throughout her life
• The I Love Lucy show has been dubbed in dozens of foreign languages so that the entire world can enjoy it

More I Love Lucy Trivia

• In 2012, I Love Lucy was voted the “Best TV Show of All Time” by several prestigious organizations in the entertainment industry
• Producers wanted Lucy to hide her pregnancy from viewers but Lucy thought it was a good idea to incorporate her condition into the story-line. Another first in television history!
• Fred Mertz served honorably in WW1
• Longtime friend of Lucille Ball, Barbara Pepper was also considered to play Ethel Mertz but she was reportedly drinking heavily after the death of her husband Craig Reynolds
• Desi and Lucille hired famous cinematographer Karl Freund, who had worked on such masterpieces as Dracula (1931) and Metropolis (1927). His skills with lighting are legendary
• Episodes of I Love Lucy were filmed in front of a live audience and in scenes that Desi Arnaz was off camera, his loud boisterous laugh can be heard along with the crowd
• As Lucille Ball herself has said in interviews, Desi handled most business decisions on the I Love Lucy show. She did not become involved with “The Business” of Hollywood until later in her career
• William Frawley referred to Vivian Vance’s looks as “A sack of doorknobs”. It is well known that the two were at odds behind the scenes and squabbled consistently

Interesting Stuff

– The show was the first to use a live audience for its filming, creating a new standard for sitcoms.
– The famous episode where Lucy tries to keep up with a candy factory conveyor belt has been referenced and parodied in countless TV shows and movies.
– Lucille Ball was the first woman to run a television studio, when she bought out Desilu Productions.
– Despite their on- and off-screen antics, Desi and Lucy remained close friends even after their divorce.
– The iconic “Vitameatavegamin” commercial scene took 68 takes to film and left Lucille Ball with a sore throat for days.
– The show was deemed so popular in Cuba, Desi Arnaz’s home country, that it was broadcast with Spanish subtitles.

I Love Lucy continues to be a beloved classic, with reruns and DVDs still available today. Its impact on television history and humor cannot be denied, and it’s no wonder why it remains a fan favorite after all these years.