"I Love Lucy" (1951) TV series 1951-1957

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

Release Date:

15 October 1951 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Family

Plot:

A daffy woman constantly strives to become a star along with her bandleader husband and gets herself in the strangest situations.

Plot Keywords:

Bandleader | Sitcom | Friendship | Product Placement | Wife And Husband Lead Actors

Awards:

Won 4 Primetime Emmys. Another 3 wins & 24 nominations

Cast

Lucille Ball	...	Lucy Ricardo / ... (181 episodes, 1951-1957)
Desi Arnaz	...	Ricky Ricardo (181 episodes, 1951-1957)
Vivian Vance	...	Ethel Mertz (176 episodes, 1951-1957)
William Frawley	...	Fred Mertz (175 episodes, 1951-1957)

Series Directed by
William Asher		(101 episodes, 1952-1957)
James V. Kern		(39 episodes, 1955-1957)
Marc Daniels		(33 episodes, 1951-1953)

Series Writing credits
Bob Carroll Jr.		(174 episodes, 1951-1957)
Madelyn Davis		(174 episodes, 1951-1957)
Jess Oppenheimer		(151 episodes, 1951-1956)
Bob Schiller		(50 episodes, 1955-1957)
Bob Weiskopf		(50 episodes, 1955-1957)

Series Produced by
Desi Arnaz	....	executive producer / producer / ... (158 episodes, 1952-1957)
Jess Oppenheimer	....	producer / co-producer (155 episodes, 1951-1956)
Al Simon	....	associate producer (33 episodes, 1951-1952)
Jack Aldworth	....	associate producer (22 episodes, 1956-1957)

Series Original Music by
Eliot Daniel		(181 episodes, 1951-1957)
Wilbur Hatch		(33 episodes, 1951-1954)

Series Cinematography by
Karl Freund		(149 episodes, 1951-1956)
Sidney Hickox		(14 episodes, 1956-1957)
Robert De Grasse		(8 episodes, 1956)

Series Film Editing by
Bud Molin		(105 episodes, 1953-1957)
Dann Cahn		(33 episodes, 1951-1952)

Series Casting by
Kerwin Coughlin		(20 episodes, 1956-1957)

Series Art Direction by
Ralph Berger		(106 episodes, 1953-1957)
Larry Cuneo		(17 episodes, 1951-1952)

Series Set Decoration by
Ted Offenbecker		(2 episodes, 1954)

Series Costume Design by
Edward Stevenson		(35 episodes, 1955-1957)
Eloise Jensson		(9 episodes, 1953-1954)

Series Makeup Department
Max Factor	....	makeup artist (122 episodes, 1951-1955)
Irma Kusely	....	hairstylist / hair stylist (99 episodes, 1952-1957)
Hal King	....	makeup artist (47 episodes, 1955-1957)

Series Production Management
Argyle Nelson	....	production manager (135 episodes, 1952-1957)

Series Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jack Aldworth	....	assistant director (51 episodes, 1954-1956)
Jerry Thorpe	....	assistant director (33 episodes, 1953-1954)
James Paisley	....	assistant director (31 episodes, 1952-1953)
Jay Sandrich	....	assistant director (14 episodes, 1956-1957)
Edward M. Hillie	....	assistant director (7 episodes, 1956)

Series Art Department
Ted Offenbecker	....	set dresser (103 episodes, 1953-1957)
Dick Henrikson	....	property master (50 episodes, 1954-1956)

Series Sound Department
Cam McCulloch	....	sound recordist (104 episodes, 1953-1957)
Robert Reeve	....	re-recording editor (104 episodes, 1953-1957)
Glen Glenn	....	sound (25 episodes, 1954-1957)
E.C. Norton	....	re-recording editor (2 episodes, 1956-1957)
Jim Bullock	....	sound editor (unknown episodes)
John Speak	....	boom operator (unknown episodes)

Series Camera and Electrical Department
Maury Thompson	....	camera coordinator (23 episodes, 1956-1957)
Louie Anderson	....	camera operator (unknown episodes)
Emily Daniels	....	camera coordinator (unknown episodes)
Sam Leavitt	....	camera operator (unknown episodes)

Series Costume and Wardrobe Department
Eloise Jensson	....	wardrobe supervisor / wardrobe: Miss Ball / ... (48 episodes, 1953-1955)
Edward Stevenson	....	wardrobe: Miss Ball / wardrobe: Lucille Ball / ... (12 episodes, 1955-1957)

Series Editorial Department
Dann Cahn	....	editorial supervisor / supervising editor (136 episodes, 1952-1957)

Series Music Department
Wilbur Hatch	....	musical director / conductor / ... (135 episodes, 1951-1957)
E.C. Norton	....	music editor (44 episodes, 1955-1957)
Ralph Carmichael	....	composer: incidental music (unknown episodes)

Series Other crew
Lee Scott	....	choreographer (17 episodes, 1951-1952)
Bob Gilbreath	....	helicopter pilot (unknown episodes)
Hal Hudson	....	network supervisor (unknown episodes)
Frank Inn	....	animal trainer (unknown episodes)
Maury Thompson	....	script supervisor (unknown episodes)

Production Companies

• CBS Television Network (1951-1957)
• Desilu Productions

Distributors

• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1951-1957) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Independent Television (ITV) (1955) (UK) (TV) (original airing)
• Viacom (1971-1994) (USA) (TV)
• CBS Films (1967-1971) (USA) (TV)
• Paramount Television (1994-2006) (USA) (TV)
• CBS Paramount Domestic Television (2006-) (USA) (TV)
• CBS Paramount International Television (2004-) (Non-USA) (TV)
• NHK (1957) (Japan) (TV)
• Paramount Home Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Ohrbach's  fashion
• Philip Morris Cigarettes  original sponsor
• Procter & Gamble  original sponsor (Cheer detergent)

Also Known As:

Lucy (USA) (working title)
Lucy & Ricky (USA) (working title)
Lucy in Connecticut (USA) (rerun title)
The Sunday Lucy Show (USA) (rerun title)
The Top Ten Lucy Show (USA) (rerun title)

Runtime:

30 min (179 episodes) | Argentina:30 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:TV-G (TV rating) | Argentina:Atp | Canada:G

Filming Locations:

General Service Studios - 6625 Romaine Street, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

CBS Television Network

Trivia:

Lucy and Ricky's comic foils were initially going to be Ricky's agent and an out-of-work clown, but the parts were dropped when they did not prove successful in the series pilot.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: In one episode (where Lucy thinks she won new furniture from the Home Show) Fred can be seen waiting for his cue to enter the bedroom when Ricky first enters the room.

Quotes:

Ricky Ricardo: Did Ricky give you a tough day?
Lucy Ricardo: No, just the same as any other day: after breakfast, I put on his snow suit. I pull on his galoshes. I slip on his mittens. I walk him to the park. He chases the pigeons. I chase after him. He runs after the squirrels. I run after him. He get's on the swing...
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Designing Women: Anthony Jr. (#2.3)" (1987)

Soundtrack:

Jingle Bells

I Love Lucy...

Lucille Ball changed television forever when "I Love Lucy" hit the air in 1951. It featured a woman as a main character, which was rare back during that time and age. And the fact that the woman did not listen to her husband often was even more controversial. Everything the show was was rebellious. It was also extremely controversial because her husband was Cuban, and back in the '50's, barely anyone married other races, and if so, the subject was definitely not the premise for a television show.

So, through the ages, I Love Lucy has had a major impact on generations, and has not slipped into culture like many shows, but has been accepted into culture. Not to mention all the Lucy impersonators who have pageants each and every year. But the thing I remember most, is the famous "Eeeooowww!"

5/5 stars --

John Ulmer