Lucy had made memorable I Love Lucy episodes about going to California and Europe. But the sad truth is that she never left the safe confines of her studio. It was all faked inside soundstages with stock footage to highlight the foreign location. “Lucy Joins the Air Force Academy” has the family and Uncle Harry get inside a motor home and drive to Colorado, viewers must have anticipated more hijinks in front of a studio audience. But they were in for a major surprise. That’s really Lucy on the grounds of the Academy and not merely a body double. Here’s Lucy: Season Two has plenty of remote moments that take this TV landmark to national landmarks.
“Lucy Joins the Air Force Academy” is a two-part episode that takes Lucy (Lucille Ball), Kim (Lucie Arnaz), Craig (Desi Arnaz Jr.) and Uncle Harry (Gale Gordon) on the road to Colorado Springs. Uncle Harry’s unique employment agency gets hired to drive a motor home to San Francisco. Lucy sees this trip as a great way to get Craig interested in going to the Air Force Academy. She makes a detour while Uncle Harry is sleeping. He’s not amused. This isn’t a calm campus visit. In the midst of the Vietnam War, she becomes the biggest threat this military college. Most shocking part is when she races around the campus in her nightie. This incident inspired the policy of “Don’t Ask. Don’t Tell.” The family gets messed up in war games. The next two episodes also keep the action away from the studio. “Lucy and the Indian Chief” opens with a major stunt. Lucy hangs onto the top of the motor home on a windy road. Later in the episode she finds herself married to a Navajo Indian Chief. Iron Eyes Cody pops up as a medicine man. He’s the Indian that shed a single tear in the don’t litter PSAs. “Lucy Runs the Rapid” puts the crazy red head on a rushing river in the middle of a canyon. This is like a comic version of Deliverance except Gale Gordon doesn’t get told to squeal like a pig by the locals.
The entire season wasn’t done on location. The show verges on being a variety show with major guest stars and musical numbers. “Lucy and the Andrews Sisters” is a bit of a cheat since only Patty Andrews shows up. It’s up to Lucy and Kim to play the missing sisters. Craig impersonates Bing Crosby. “Lucy at the Drive In” has her and Harry spy on Kim and her date. They dress up as a pair of hippies to fit in with the scene. “Lucy and Johnny Carson” also includes the recently late Ed McMahon. Harry has tickets to see a panel show about the origins of money. He drags the relatives along. His show was the night before. Lucy plots to sneak into a taping of The Tonight Show. They built their own Tonight Show set instead of heading over to NBC’s Burbank studios. Lucy was the Queen of CBS so the Peacock network wasn’t going to be too helpful. “Lucy and the Generation Gap” is a musical sensation. The family puts on a play that lets us see the generation gap over the years. “Lucy and the Bogie Affair” has nothing to do with a cameo from Humphrey Bogart since he’d died 13 years before. The Bogie here is a lost dog that squirts out puppies while staying with Lucy.
“Lucy and Liberace” shall tinkle your ivories. Craig collects odd items as part of a scavenger hunt. He begs the glamorous pianist for a spare candelabra. When Lucy finds it, she thinks Craig stole it. Ultimately the show wraps up with Librace and the family singing and dancing. “Lucy the Laundress” makes her an employee at a Chinese Laundry after she drives into the place. The legendary James Hong (Kung Fu Panda) gets driven mad by her. “Lucy and Lawrence Welk” proves the bubbling band leader wasn’t great at playing himself. Vivian Vance (I Love Lucy‘s Ethel Mertz) arrives in town hoping to meet Welk since Lucy wrote that they’re friends. Lucy plots to use a wax dummy to fool her blind as a bat friend. However the real Welk shows up. The guy is hilariously bad on the stage. He just keeps staring around as if he’s in trouble. “Lucy and Viv Visit Tijuana” was shot on the soundstage instead of taking the production across the Mexican Border. They get in trouble for smuggling. Viv cracks me up when she demands to be searched by the hunky border patrol cop. “Lucy and Ann-Margret” has the sex kitten looking purrfect in a leopard skin outfit. She ends up singing a duet with Craig. They shake it up. “Lucy and Wally Cox” also gives us Alan Hale (The Skipper from Gilligan’s Island). “Lucy and Wayne Newton” takes the crew to Vegas and Wayne’s ranch. There’s a musical number involving dancing horses. The season finale is “Lucy and Carol Burnett.” The two fight over a secretary beauty contest.
The location action on Here’s Lucy: Season 2 sets it apart from the usual episodes. Even outside her normal element, Lucy knows how to pull off a physical stunt. There’s a strange element of danger knowing that Lucy is really on the rapids. There’s also a bit of fun in seeing Johnny and Ed doing their old Tonight Show routines while they were still middle aged. The singing and dancing angle of many episodes keeps the show lively without just turning into Lucy and her goofy schemes. Folks who adore Lucy will enjoy knowing that she did leave Los Angeles.
The Episodes
“Lucy Joins the Air Force Academy” (Two-parter), “Lucy and the Indian Chief,” “Lucy Runs the Rapids,” “Lucy and Harry’s Tonsils,” “Lucy and the Andrews Sisters,” “Lucy’s Burglar Alarm,” “Lucy at the Drive-In Movie,” “Lucy and the Used Car Dealer,” “Lucy the Cement Worker,” “Lucy and Johnny Carson,” “Lucy and the Generation Gap,” “Lucy and the Bogie Affair,” “Lucy Protects Her Job,” “Lucy the Helpful Mother,” “Lucy and Liberace,” “Lucy the Laundress,” “Lucy and Lawrence Welk,” “Lucy and Viv Visit Tijuana,” “Lucy and Ann-Margret,” “Lucy and Wally Cox,” “Lucy and Wayne Newton,” “Lucy Takes Over” and “Lucy and Carol Burnett.”
The video is 1.33:1 full frame. The color transfers allow Lucy’s hair to glow red. The audio is Dolby Digital Mono. The audio is clear with good levels for the musical moments. The subtitles are English.
Introductions are given for each episode. Mostly it’s Desi Jr. and Lucie giving background. There’s also proud guest stars and crew members remembering their time with Lucy.
Here’s Lucy On Location (15:04) gives behind the scenes footage to prove it really was Lucy on the river. Wayne Newton discusses working with his horses.
Let’s Talk to Lucy (10:51) is her radio show interview with Carol Burnett. These two women sounds like such great friends. Lucy is backstage while Carol takes off her make up. There’s plenty of factoids and visuals to make this a feast for ears and eyes.
Lucy Sings (1:17) has her belting out “It’s So Nice to Have A Man Around the House.” She’s in an Arabic theme with a musclebound male harem. Looks like it’s video from a variety show.
Lucie & Wayne Newton (4:01) is a clip from Wayne Newton’s variety show. They sing a duet of “The State of Alabama.” Do they play this at halftime of Crimson Tide games?
Treasures from Lucy’s Vault is a series of home movies from various events. Air Force Academy Adventures (3:46) is home movie footage of the cast arriving in Colorado Springs. More footage of Lucy running around the campus in her nightie. If you know someone who attended the Academy during this time, they might be in the cafeteria shot. Roll ‘Em On The River (2:37) has Lucy and cast arrive at the rubber raft point. They show how the camera crew followed the raft down the river. Lucy Scouts the Rapids (3:34) is just that. At Home with Desi Jr. (4:27) has actress June Havoc chatting with him when he’s barely a teenager. USC Honor Lucy (14:26) is an award ceremony hosted by Bob Crane (Hogan’s Heroes).
Syndication Promos (14:48) gives previews for all the episodes. They really should include these with the episodes instead of lumping them together as a single feature.
Original CBS-TV Promo (1:00) is the catch all commercial for the series with highlights from the first season.
Production Files has the press releases for 7 episodes as read by Wanda Clark, Lucy’s personal secretary.
Slide Show (3:49) are still photos from the various episodes accompanied by snazzy late ’60s score.
Here’s Lucy: Season 2 keeps up Lucy’s antics on the small screen. She knows how to drive Gale Gordon nuts and take her real kids along for the insanity. Getting outside the studio gates opens up the action without diminishing the weirdness. The guest stars are golden even when they are complete stiffs like Lawrence Welk. The bonus features with home movie footage of Lucy should delight any fan of the whacky redhead.
MPI Home Video presents Here’s Lucy: Season 2. Starring: Lucille Ball, Gale Gordon, Lucie Arnaz and Desi Arnaz Jr. Boxset contents: 24 episodes on 4 DVDs. Released on DVD: November. 3, 2009. Available at Amazon.com
