Princess of Tap Posted November 11 Next: I Love Lucy Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Princess of Tap Posted November 11 1) I Love Lucy is based on Lucille Ball's hit radio show, " My Favorite Husband". Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nightbird311 Posted November 11 2) Bea Benaderet was the original choice to play Ethel Mertz Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Desilufan Posted November 11 3. William Frawley and Vivian Vance actually hated each other in real life. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Peebs Posted November 11 4. When Lucy was pregnant with Little Ricky the show was not allowed to use the word "pregnant" opting for the word "expecting" instead. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Princess of Tap Posted November 11 5) Lucy originally wanted Gale Gordon to play Fred Mertz. But he was already busy on TV playing Mr. Conklin on "Our Miss Brooks". Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Desilufan Posted November 11 6. Desi and Lucy refused to move to New York to make the show because they wanted to start and raise their family in California resulting in them creating Desilu so they could do the show. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LonesomePolecat Posted November 11 7. THe show's prints survive so well because it was photographed on actual film Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TopBilled Posted November 11 8. Jess Oppenheimer, the producer, developed the main character and the concept after working on Fanny Brice's show Baby Sooks which also featured a grown woman doing childish things. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Princess of Tap Posted November 11 9) Lucy and Desi had to do a live "Cuban Pete" vaudeville show in a New York City Theater to convince CBS that the American public would accept Desi Arnaz as her husband. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TopBilled Posted November 11 10. Producer Jess Oppenheimer sued Lucille Ball midway through The Lucy Show, claiming that she was still using the character and concept he had developed for her on My Favorite Husband and I Love Lucy. Oppenheimer won the court case, and Ball had to pay him a creator's fee, even though he remained uncredited on The Lucy Show. When she prepared to launch her next series Here's Lucy she had her attorneys pay Oppenheimer again, so that he wouldn't sue her a second time. 1 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Princess of Tap Posted November 11 Next: Leave It to Beaver 1) Max Showalter, AKA Casey Adams, was the first Ward Cleaver in the "Leave It To Beaver" pilot, which was called "It's a Small World". Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TopBilled Posted November 11 2. Beaver's friend Larry disappears midway through the series, at the beginning of Season 4. Rusty Stevens was fired because his mother caused trouble behind the scenes. Larry's absence is not really explained. But he does appear again in the very last episode in a flashback scene. Stevens reprised the role in the 1983 TV movie STILL THE BEAVER. 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Princess of Tap Posted November 12 3) Madge Blake played the always flustered mother of Larry Mondello. Also she was a regular on several other classic TV series, but her claim to fame was as a MGM character actress in "An American in Paris" and "Singin' in the Rain". 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LonesomePolecat Posted November 12 4) On the wall in the Cleaver's house were two famous Gainsborough portraits, Pinkie and Blue Boy, which are on permanent display at the Huntington Library in San Marino, CA. (This is one of my favorite things about this show) 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TopBilled Posted November 12 5. Hugh Beaumont died in 1982. So he was unable to be part of the 1983 TV reunion movie STILL THE BEAVER. But the special was dedicated in his memory, and Ward Cleaver's death was written into the story. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Princess of Tap Posted November 12 6) Richard Deacon was a standout as Lumpy's formal and business-like father, who always called him Clarence. A few years later, "Deac" would become a character actor star in "The Dick Van Dyke Show". Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TopBilled Posted November 13 7. The ratings success of STILL THE BEAVER led to a revival series The New Leave It To Beaver. However it was not filmed at Universal studios in California like the first series; it was filmed at Universal Studios in Florida. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LonesomePolecat Posted November 16 8. Leave It to Beaver debuted on CBS in 1957, then moved to ABC. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BagelOnAPlateOfOnionRolls Posted November 16 9. The most expensive episode in the series to produce was "In The Soup" from Season 4. This is the episode where Beaver takes a dare to find out if there is really soup in the soup bowl on a billboard. He ends up falling into the bowl. 3 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TopBilled Posted November 16 10. There were 234 episodes produced of Leave It to Beaver. The revival series, The New Leave It to Beaver, had 101 episodes. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Princess of Tap Posted November 16 Next: You'll Never Get Rich/The Phil Silvers Show AKA Sgt Bilko 1) This sitcom received eight Emmys during its run with three consecutive Emmys for best comedy series. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Princess of Tap Posted November 20 2) Nat Hiken created, produced and wrote "The Phil Silvers/ Bilko Show". Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TopBilled Posted November 20 3. Ran for four seasons and 144 episodes were produced. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Princess of Tap Posted November 21 4) Nat Hiken featured some up-and-coming young talent on "Bilko" who became big stars: Dick Van Dyke, Alan Alda, George Kennedy and Fred Gwynne. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites