MovieChat Forums > I Love Lucy (1951) Discussion > Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving

posted a year ago by Garyandfilm (548)
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After viewing my Halloween marathon, I came across a reputable I Love Lucy website that states the 1956 Christmas show was filmed ON Thanksgiving day! What?? The produces couldn't wait and film it Friday? (The show was always filmed Thursday nights, so as to give the cast and company a three-day weekend). I've never before heard about movie or TV stars working ON a legal holiday, unless it's the Macy's day parade!

The site also states the Xmas show was filmed sans an audience, which makes sense, given all the "memory" clips. But, alas, I doubt any studio audience would've laughed much anyway, as this ep is rife with sentiment, but short on humor (past clips excluded).

The site further states that Desi wanted to finish all the apartment shows by the end of the year, strike the set and start fresh with the Conneticut shows by January '57.

[–] [email protected] (6082) a year ago

That is strange! Working on Thanksgiving.

The Christmas episode is okay, but not a favorite of mine. I can understand the characters remembering past events. But I never understood why they sent little Ricky to bed so they could decorate the tree. When we were kids that was a big event. We couldn't wait to decorate the tree.

[–] Garyandfilm (548) a year ago

Agree, PJ. Little Ricky was nearly 5. Of course he should've been allowed to stay up and help with the tree, but the writers wanted him out so they could focus on the four adults.

We always put our tree up two weeks before Christmas. As an adult, mine goes up pretty much after Thanksgiving.

Years ago, though, it was tradition to put up the tree Xmas Eve.

[–] [email protected] (6082) a year ago

I agree that the focus was on the adults reminiscing about some of the show's highlights. But the writers could have done it so the episode started with everyone finishing wit the tree including Little Ricky. Then he is sent off to bed to wait for Santa as the four adults drank eggnog and reminisced.

In our house we begged up parents to put up the tree starting two weeks before Christmas. A lot of people had theirs up and we could see them as we passed by their windows. But our mom had an ironclad rule about that. We decorated it after the last day of school before the holiday break.