I don't think people would've cared enough to write to, or call in to a local TV station over a woman holding a rather homely baby in her arms (Charlie wasn't managing CBS or NBC). But I agree that if someone like Marion Strong was watching, she'd sure like to know what happened that would make LUCY suddenly want to shake her nickers over STEVIE!
I personally don't find the ending to "The Business Manager" weak, as much as I find it falls under my other thread, Not Likely, but Possible. It is indeed a bit of a stretch to believe Ricky would fire Mr. Hickox. On the other hand, Ricky did place the bet, and after holding that cash in his hands, and seeing Lucy with her own wad and the expensive new dress...On balance, I think it's a cute ending, if not a particularly realistic one. By contrast, I find the "Baby Pictures" ending very believable, but uninspired.
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[email protected] (6082)
4 years ago
You really didn't like little Stevie! This is at least the second time you've called him "homely". lol I thought the kid was kinda cute.
Yes, it wasn't a major TV studio, but back then people only had a limited number of channels to watch. I just wondered if word would get around that Charlie Appleby was promoting his own kid on his TV station. lol
And Marion Strong? Lucy and her women's club members were huge gossips, so if one got wind of it, they'd ALL know!
"The Business Manager"? Okay, maybe under the other thread...but Ricky didn't "place a bet", he invested in a stock! I can see that you're not a big investor. LOL
It's "sort of" a cute ending. But to me it seems like a very abrupt turnaround for Ricky who only days before had NO faith in Lucy's money management skills.
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gary4movies (174)
4 years ago
But money talks, and the supposedly strapped Lucy was holding a HUGE way of cash (I love how Ricky's eyes bug out when Lucy exposes the money in her hand). The writing is inspired and I buy that Ricky sees "can all pet", and goes with his hunch.
I've only invested in stocks once, and that was for a company that produced a cream that when wiped on the face, turned homely babies into cute ones.
I lost every cent.
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[email protected] (6082)
4 years ago
Sorry that you lost money on your investment! lol
I've been thinking about this topic and I just can't come up with episodes with really weak endings. Even if the episode wasn't a favorite of mine, the endings are usually clever in some way.
The one weak ending I can think of is in an episode which would go under the thread I started about Lucy's criminal activity. It's the one where Lucy overhears her neighbors the O'Briens plotting to "blow up the Capitol".
The police Sargeant that Lucy calls arrives and knocks on the door. They all blast away at the door with their guns. The police officer just stands there looking annoyed. Certainly nothing that modern audiences would accept as usual procedure! The foursome would've been hauled off to jail.
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gary4movies (174)
4 years ago
Excellent choice. I like the first half of "New Neighbors", as Lucy has some great business pretending to be a chair. But in the second half, the ep just crumbles under first season greenery!
By the time the four are in army attire (and with Ricky taking orders from Lucy??), I check out of the episode completely.
Still, besides its weak second half, I feel the VERY last bit about the apartment being flooded and Lucy locking herself back in the jail cell to avoid Ricky's wrath is quite funny. Also, Lucy does a great " spider" when she finds out the O'Brien's are actors.
Side note: you were shocked when I told you Caesar Romero was gay. I never knew until you told me that Hayden Roarke was also.
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[email protected] (6082)
4 years ago
Another ending that wasn't necessarily weak but proved to be a bad choice in hindsight was the ending to "The Sublease".
It turns out that the Ricardos didn't need their apartment back because Ricky's manager got him a summer gig in Del Mar, California.
The next season they are so excited to be going to California. From all the dialogue, it appears that it's their first trip out west. Lucy is trying to decide how to get there, train, plane, bus or automobile?
Just last year they travelled to California. How did they go that time? Of course the audience is just supposed to forget that they made that trip last summer.
I suppose it's an ending that the writers came up with before they decided on the California story arc.
I wonder if any fans noticed? The writing could have included a nod to the fact that the Ricardos had been out west just a few months ago.
Lucy could've said something like, "It will be great to get back there. We really enjoyed California."
Of course the show just decided to ignore "The Sublease".
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gary4movies (174)
4 years ago
I've never really paid much attention to it, except that it was a nod to Ball and Arnaz, who vacationed in Del Mar frequently.
I always thought it strange that Lucy had gone to Hollywood years before their 1955 trip. She mentions this to Ethel in "Home Movies." Also think it's strange that Lucy knows how to edit movies!! This takes serious training - even to edit it as clumsily as Lucy did.
Another enjoyable episode that is filled with holes.
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[email protected] (6082)
4 years ago
I forgot all about Lucy mentioning that she toured a Hollywood studio. I had to rewatch "Home Movies' to find that line of dialogue.
Lucy travelled a lot. In the episode where she tells the truth, she feels left out when the others swap show biz anecdotes. She counters with her claim that she had been in musical theater. She says she was in 'Oklahoma'. Then she admits that she spent two weeks in Tulsa.
I think the writers just threw out dialogue like that without thinking about how it would affect future storylines.
When they visit Ethel's hometown, Lucy tells Mr. Potter that they've never been anywhere near that part of the country before. If they'd been to California and Lucy had been to Oklahoma, they had been in the southwest and out west. Maye I'm splitting hairs, but Lucy makes it sound as if they never went farther west than Ohio!
Another episode which I love with what I consider a weak ending is "Lucy Gets in Pictures". It was hilarious from start to (almost) finish. Lucy wrestling with that huge headdress and sliding down the stairs is genius.
But I always feel let down by the ending when Lucy writes her name on the bottom of her shoes. In 'Home Movies' Lucy was familiar with editing. She must've realized that it would've been seen in the editing room and her "part" would've been cut altogether.
I wish there had been a different ending.
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gary4movies (174)
4 years ago
I actually like the ending in "Lucy Gets in Pictures." It's such a desperate move, and so typical of Lucy's outlandish behavior.
I also think the Tulsa line is funny (from an already sharp script). Anyway, Lucy could've spent two weeks in Tulsa when she was a child. Her life didn't begin as Ricky's wife, so it's easy to see why Lucy says they've never been farther than Ohio.
As for Del Mar, I suspect that got cancelled too.
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[email protected] (6082)
4 years ago
Yes it was typical of Lucy's outlandish behavior. I think it's disappointing to me because I really wanted to see Lucy get ONE scene in that movie!
The whole business of wearing a heavy headdress that was hard to balance would have been rehearsed. But Lucy was brought on the set, in costume, with no rehearsal. She didn't have a chance to practice wearing that heavy headpiece. This was one of those times when Lucy tried hard and wasn't treated fairly.
The director was so funny in his reaction to her screw ups. But what did he expect? I got the impression that he was just pressured by the "higher ups" to give an actor's wife a scene in his movie. He gave her no rehearsal. He just put her in the next scene that he was filming.
The Tulsa remark by Lucy is funny. But Tulsa and Hollywood, apparently Lucy did go out west!
Del Mar? You think Ricky's summer gig got cancelled there too? Possibly, I never considered that.
But it does make me wonder why Ricky was up for "summer jobs". I know TV shows go on hiatus and the actors take on other projects. But why would Ricky who worked in a nightclub need a summer gig? I think nightclubs are open in New York City in the summer.
I never understood why Ricky and his band would need out of town jobs in the summer.
Did the Tropicana hire different acts for the summer ? These are things I don't know!
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gary4movies (174)
4 years ago
I'm sure Ricky wanted to give his band exposure. Touring is common for bands, and I'm sure he arranged for a fill-in band.
In "The Saxophone", Ricky plans a two week (or is it three week?) tour. That's a significant time away from Lucy. No wonder she wanted to go along.
My brother and his wife live on a ranch in Central CA. They're both retired, so when she takes her horse for a MONTH-long ride with her girlfriends, she and my brother enjoy " the break" from each other. But they have a solid marriage and aren't insecure like Lucy.
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[email protected] (6082)
4 years ago
"Lucy Writes a Play' occurred to me when Gary mentioned Ricky's costume in another thread.
It's a totally weak and unbelievable ending. The first part makes sense. Ricky refuses to play the lead. Fred volunteers but he can't do a Spanish accent, so Lucy changes the play to a British setting.
But Ricky finds out that a Hollywood producer will be in the audience. He shows up at the last second on stage doing a Cuban character.
He was never as birdbrained as Lucy. Did he really think she didn't cast ANYONE else in the lead?
Also, after Ricky's surprise appearance Lucy tells Fred and Ethel that they will return to the original script, "A Tree Grows in Havana".
Why in the world would they have brought their original costumes to the theater? Did they really think that they'd be switching to the other play?
And Ricky's new costume is a period costume. He's not even dressed for the right century! Why would he think that his get up was appropriate for a play set in the 20th century?
A weak ending for sure.
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