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

you were 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,

maybe playing cards or something and the

boys will move in, but you just watch and

see that at not 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. Thank you, doll.

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.

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 was

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 tentatively]

Hey, sit down.

[more playing piano keys]

Oh, sing, Ricky.

[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 take it from the

top.

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.

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.

[singing] Ahhhhhhh.
Fred?

[singing] Ahhhhh.

Ethel?

[singing] Ahhhhhh.

Lucy?

[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

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?

Well, hello hon, it's about time you got

home. Come in, dear.

Are you mad at me, honey?

[laughter]

Why of course not, honey.

Are you sure?

Positive. Come in, honey.

[splash of water]

[laughter]

[Ricky laughs]

Ricky Ricardo!

Well, I guess I had it coming.

Ha ha ha!

Ha ha ha!

[applause]

Now we're even.

Cut!

[theme music]

[applause]

Vivian!

[applause]