| "" episode | ||||
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| Season 4, Episode #22 #119 in Series | ||||
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| Air date: | March 21, 1955 | |||
| Written by: | Bob Carroll Jr. Madelyn Pugh Jess Oppenheimer | |||
| Directed by: | William Asher | |||
| Production code: | 4-22 / 119 | |||
| Episode guide | ||||
 IMDB
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Don Juan Is Shelved | |||
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http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s29/ABMfisher/DoreSpelvin.jpg
Don Juan Is Shelved was the 119th overall episode of I Love Lucy, also the 22nd episode in Season four of the series. The episode, was directed by William Asher, originally aired on CBS-TV on March 21, 1955.
Synopsis[]
When producer Dore Schary decides to shelve Ricky's film, "Don Juan," Lucy schemes to create public demand for Ricky's talent. Vivian Vance's then-husband, Philip Ober, appears as Schary.
Plot summary[]
Ricky is devastated when he finds out Don Juan has been shelved. Lucy and the Mertzes first try writing fake fan mail for Ricky, to show his popularity. Then, Lucy and Ethel find the real Dore Schary down at the pool, and, not knowing who he is, hire Schary to play a famous movie executive who wants to hire Ricky. Schary goes along with the plan, and Lucy and Ethel are speechless when Schary reveals his true identity to Ricky and explains that, while Don Juan has been shelved, MGM plans to make another movie with Ricky.
Vivian Vance's then-husband, Philip Ober, appears as Schary.
Trivia[]
- The real Dore Schary was supposed to play himself in this episode, but he had to back out at the last minute due to developing an acute kidney infection. So, Vivian Vance's then-husband, Phil Ober, took over the role. The real Dore Schary said that Phil Ober would do a better job playing him than he could himself.
- While trying to hide his identity from Lucy and Ethel, Schary says his name is George Spelvin. This got a laugh from some of the audience members, because "George Spelvin" is a name used in theater to represent when one person is assuming another role.
- The reason Don Juan is getting shelved is because there were too many production problems with it. Dore Schary promises to put Ricky in a picture as soon as an appropriate role comes up, and Ricky does end up making a movie, but we never hear the title of the movie, let alone the plot or the character Ricky played.
- When Fred's right hand got tired from writing fan letters, he switched to using his left hand. Ethel said that Fred's left-handed writing looked like he wrote with his left foot.
- While posing as Ricky's fan club bobbysoxers, Lucy plays the ukulele. The DVD calls this "Lucy's Ukulele Song."
- Frank Sinatra is mentioned for the bobbysoxers part, but Frank is one famous celeb that never guest starred on the show. Maybe the cast and crew didn't think Frank's swinger image fit in with that of the family-friendly series? It can't be that he wasn't an MGM star. After all, he appeared in Guys and Dolls the same year that the Ricardos were out in LA.
- In this episode, Mrs. McGillicuddy asks like she's never heard of Dore Schary before, but only nine episodes ago, in #110, she wanted to give her book manuscript to Dore Schary directly!
- Fred says in this episode that he hasn't seen Lana Turner yet, so it's quite likely that he hadn't yet gotten her lipstick print for a prize souvenir.
Starring[]
- Lucille Ball ... as Lucy Ricardo
- Desi Arnaz ... as Ricky Ricardo
- Vivian Vance ... as Ethel Mertz
- William Frawley ... as Fred Mertz
Guest starring[]
- Jody Drew ... Miss Balentine
- Kathryn Card ... as Mrs. McGillicuddy (Lucy's Mother)
- John Hart ... as Jim Stevens
- Bob Jellison ... as Bobby the Bellboy
- Philip Ober ... as Dore Schary