California, Here We Come!

"" episode
"California, Here We Come!"
	Season 4, Episode #13 ; #110 in Series
Series:
Network:
Air date:	January, 10, 1955
Written by:	Bob Carroll Jr.; Madelyn Pugh; Jess Oppenheimer
Directed by:	William Asher
Production code:	4-13 / 110
	Episode guide
IMDB	California, Here We Come!
Episode chronology
"Lucy Learns To Drive"	"First Stop"

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s29/ABMfisher/ConfusingMap.jpg http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s29/ABMfisher/CarSinging.jpg

California, He Were Come! was the 110th overall episode of I Love Lucy, also the 13th episode in Season four of the series. The episode, was directed by William Asher, originally aired on CBS-TV on January, 10, 1955.

Synopsis[]

Lucy and Ricky are all ready to start their trek to Los Angeles when complications develop: Lucy's mother decides to join them. The car is also extremely overloaded with baggage strapped precariously on all sides.

Plot summary[]

Lucy gets a note from her mother, saying that she wants to accompany the Ricardos on their road trip to California. Ricky is so mad about the prospect of Lucy's mother coming along that he refers to the Mertzes as "tagging along." Ethel overhears this comment, and soon, she and Fred announce that they don't want to go on the trip, either. Soon, everybody makes up with one another, and it's the big day! Fred and Ricky pack the car with the suitcases, but the women want to add a bunch of new junk. In the end, Ricky says that they can just send the excess junk ahead to California. When it's time to leave, Mrs. McGillicuddy announces that she gets carsick, and she had no idea that it would take 2 weeks to get to Hollywood from New York. It is decided for Lucy's mother to stay with Little Ricky in New York until the Ricardos and Mertzes arrive in Hollywood, and they'll just fly out when it's time. Finally on the road, the foursome happily sing "California, Here I Come" while driving across the Washington Bridge.

Trivia[]

The scene where the Ricardos and Mertzes sing while crossing the bridge is the first process shot ever used on television.
This is Kathryn Card's first on-screen appearance as Lucy's mother, Mrs. McGillicuddy. Card was on the show the previous season as anti-Kinsey Tropicana customer Minnie Finch in episode #83.
In the scene playing behind the foursome, you can see the Pontiac driving on the bridge behind them. This was footage shot by the director.
Lucy's mother says that she's never been west of Youngstown, Ohio.
For tourist spots, Ethel wants to see the Ozark Mountains and the Carlsbad Caverns, Ricky wants to see New Orleans and the Rockies, Fred wants to see Cincinnati and Niagara Falls, and all four want to see the Grand Canyon. Fred also says that they can't miss seeing Salt Lake City. We have no idea if the gang saw any of these locations. We only know that they stayed at George Skinner's somewhere in Ohio; Bent Fork, Tennessee; a motel in Amarillo, Texas; and Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Mrs. McGillicuddy tells Lucy that Marion Van Vlack (and presumably Marion's husband, Norman) moved way up on top of Hunt Rd. in Jamestown. This road really existed in Jamestown, and it was most likely named for Lucy's mother's family. Deedee Ball, Lucy's mother, had the maiden name of Hunt.
The manuscript/book Mrs. McGillicuddy wants to take to California is the story of her family.

Starring[]

Guest starring[]

Joseph and Michael Mayer ... as Little Ricky
Kathryn Card ... as Mrs. McGillicuddy (Lucy's Mother)
Elizabeth Patterson ... as Matilda Trumbull