Behind the scenes of I Love Lucy

[upbeat opening music]

[more upbeat music]

[excited chatter of crowd]

Okay, folks. Keep moving.

Keep moving now.

Hold it, right there.

[I Love Lucy theme music]

So this is television.

And now that we're all
comfortable and ready,

it is my privilege to present
to you the co-star of the

I Love Lucy show, a grand fellow
and a great showman. He's going

to bring you up to date in the
proceedings and give you the real

lowdown in all this television magic.
Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Desi Arnez.

[applause and music]

Thank you, Riley. Good evening,
ladies and gentlemen. Thank you very

much. We welcome you to Desilu Playhouse.

As you know, this is film and that's why

you see all these cameras down here
and the boom and the lights and all the

people and all the stuff because it's just
like making a movie, see? Now, just to

show you that the cameras will never get
in your line of vision, we'll make believe

that we're taking a scene right now.
And I'll sit here in this chair.

And if you concentrate on the action,

you will see that no matter how many

moves they make, they will never get

in your line of vision. Now, boys, you
just go ahead and make your moves

like we're taking a shot to show the
people that they're, they're going to be

able to see everything.
You know, I'm sitting

here, smoking a cigarette, talking to you,

we might be playing cards
or something and the boys

will move in, but you just watch and
see that at no time your line of

vision will be interrupted, you see.
[laughter]

Now you see what I mean? [laughter]

No, we just kidding.
We're [unintelligible]

Not that bad happens during the show.

We didn't, we'd like you to meet some of

the folks that work with us every week.

And first of all, I'd like you to meet a

young lady. She plays our landlady in the

show. She plays Ethel Mertz.

Ms. Vivian Vance, ladies and gentlemen.

[applause]

Viv. [applause continues]
Thank you, doll. [applause]

And the fellow that plays our landlord,

he plays Fred Mertz. He's married to

Vivian, in the show, that is. [laughter]

A wonderful fellow that I know
you've seen many, many times

on the screen. He's one of the
greatest character actors and

comedians of our time. Mr. William
Frawley. Bill Frawley, ladies and

gentlemen. [applause] Fred Mertz,
come out here, Bill. Take a bow.

[unintelligible]

Thank you, old man. Thank you, very much.

And now the, the other girl
in the show. [laughter]

My favorite redhead.
My favorite wife.

The, the vice president of Desilu

Productions, Incorporated. [laughter]

I am the president.
[laughter]

The mother of my children,
ladies and gentlemen.

She plays Lucy. Lucille Ball.
[applause]

[unintelligible as he
says something to her]

Thank you, mommy. Thank you.

This - by the way, I play Ricky.

The scenes open tonight.
[applause]

Thank you. [applause]

The scenes opens tonight
in our living room.

We just had dinner and
we're playing bridge with

the Mertzes.

[dramatic music]

Action!

[I Love Lucy music]

Ha ha! That's it, partner.
Game and rubber.

How do you like that, Ricky?
We didn't take a single trick.

Yeah, fortunately, you only bid six
spades, double!

Ohhhh.
[light laughter]

When I was needing diamonds
and you didn't have any diamonds,

why didn't you play trumps?

I didn't have any trumps!
I thought you knew that.

Why do you think I wa s
kicking you under the table?

[laughter]

You didn't kick me.

Well, then who did I kick?

Is there any liniment in the house?

[laughter]

Oh, Fred! I'm sorry.

I didn't know I was kicking you.

Ha ha. I rather enjoyed it.
I thought we were playing shin-zies.

[laughter]

Well, here it is. 14,625 points for us.

[whistle] And 73 points for you.

[laughter]

Let's see. You owe us 14,000 at, let's

see, five and carry two. 85 cents.

[laughter]

Pay 'em, Ricky.

I'll get my purse.

[laughter]

Oh.

Yeah, I've been sitting still
too long. I'll tell you that.

Whew! I have, too.

[laughter]

Shine on Harvest Moon.
What are you doing with

this old tune, Ricky?

Oh, we're doing it in the show.
You know, an old-fashioned

June moon number.

Yeah? [plays piano]

Hey, sit down.

[more playing piano keys]

Oh, sing, Ricky.

All right.
[singing] Oh shine on, shine on harvest

moon, up in the sky.
I ain't had no lovin'

since January, February, June or July.

Hey! Fred, you're pretty good!

Oh, sure he is. Let's
Let's take it from the

top again.

All right.

[singing]
Ohhh. Shine on, shine on

harvest moon,
up in the sky.

I ain't had no lovin' since
[Lucy joins singing off tune]

January, February, June or July.

Snow time ain't no time to

stay outdoors and spoon.
[off-tune singing]

Shine on, shine on harvest -

Hold it, hold it!

moon.

Hold it. Somebody's singing off key.

Yeah, watch it, will you?
[laughter]

Somebody's singing off key.
[laughter]

Well, who was it? Who was it?

Well, there's only one way to find out.
[single piano note]

[singing] Ahhhhhhh.
Fred? [single piano note]

[singing] Ahhhhh.

Ethel?
[single piano key]

[singing] Ahhhhhh.

Lucy?
[single piano key]

[singing off tune] Ahhhhhhh.

[laughter]

At ease, Mounties! We found our man.
[laughter]

You have not! I hit the right note.

The piano needs tuning.
[laughter]

Ah, honey, why don't you just go
and sit down and

listen to the rest of us, huh?

No, either we all sing or nobody sings.

[laughter]

Well, all right then. If
nobody wants to sing, I'll just

sing by myself.

Noooo!

[laughter]

[Ricky singing in background]

[laughing at various antics]

[laughter]

[music]

Ricky? Ricky?

[fake nice voice]
Well, hello hon, it's about

time you got home.
Come in, dear.

Are you mad at me, honey?

[light laughter]

[fake nice]
Why of course not, honey.

Are you sure?

Positive. Come in, honey.

[splash of water]

[laughter]

[Ricky laughs with crowd]

Ricky Ricardo!

Well, I guess I had it
coming to me.

Ha ha ha!

Ha ha ha!

[applause]

Mmmmmm.
Now we're even.

[applause]

Cut!

[theme music]

[applause]

Vivian!

[applause and theme music]