Lucy Hires a Maid

"I Love Lucy" episode
"Lucy Hires a Maid"
	Season 2, Episode #23 ; #58 in Series
Series:	I Love Lucy
Network:	CBS-TV
Air date:	April 27, 1953
Written by:	Bob Carroll, Jr., Madelyn Pugh & Jess Oppenheimer
Guest stars:	Verna Felton; Richard and Ronald Lee Simmons ; Jerry Hausner
Directed by:	William Asher
Production code:	2x23 / 058
	Episode guide
IMDB	Lucy Hires a Maid
Episode chronology
"No Children Allowed"	"The Indian Show"

Lucy Hires a Maid was the 58th episode of I Love Lucy, also the 23rd episode aired in Season 2 of the series. The episode, which was co-written by Bob Carroll, Jr., Madelyn Pugh and Jess Oppenheimer and directed by William Asher, originally aired on CBS-TV on April 27, 1953.

"Lucy Hires a Maid"
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Synopsis[]

Ricky hires a maid because Lucy keeps falling asleep during the day from staying up nights with the new baby. Verna Felton guest stars as the pushy, demanding maid.

Full Storyline[]

Newborn Little Ricky just won't stop crying for whatever reason. Lucy has no idea what is wrong, why her son is inconsolable. Upstairs neighbor Mrs. Trumble can't take the noise. She keeps banging on the floor, to signal to the Ricardos to keep the baby quiet. In the morning, Mrs. Trumble says that, if she hears the baby cry one more time, she's going to call the police. She complains to Ethel, saying that the tenants' lease specifically says that children aren't allowed to live in the building. Ethel sticks up for Lucy, telling Mrs. Trumble that her friendship with the Ricardos is much more important than rent money, and that the Ricardos and their baby aren't going anywhere.

Ethel soon begins telling everyone and their brother the story about what happened with Mrs. Trumble. Lucy gets annoyed with hearing the story over and over again. Finally, during bridge club, Lucy starts telling the story right along with Ethel, mimicking her every gesture and intonation. Ethel, of course, gets offended and storms off with her half of the bridge club. When Ricky comes home that night, Lucy begs him to be quiet. Ricky says that he's not worried, because they have Ethel on their side. Well, not anymore... In the Mertzes' apartment, Fred sympathizes with Ethel regarding Lucy's insolence, but he does tell Ethel that he's sick of hearing the story himself.

Fred and Ricky force the two women to apologize to one another. So, as Ricky is leading Lucy down to the Mertzes' apartment, they find Fred dragging Ethel to the Ricardos' front door. The girls apologize, and all is well. Ricky and Fred say how glad they are that the feud is over. But they soon begin fighting themselves, when Ricky agrees with Fred about how Ethel told the story so many times that it got "sickening." Fred says that he'd rather be married to a chatterbox than an ingrate.

The two men leave the apartment, and the wives rush out after them. The women force the men to apologize in the Mertzes' apartment, but the state of calm is short-lived. Lucy realizes that they left the baby all alone in the apartment! When they rush in the bedroom, who do they find but Mrs. Trumbull taking care of Little Ricky. Mrs. Trumbull has bonded with the baby, and she tells him that nobody will ever leave him alone again, because she'll always be there to take care of him.

Did You Know?[]

Trivia[]

Verna Felton, who plays the maid, also appears in the Season 2 episode "Sales Resistance" (#17) as a housewife Lucy meets when going door to door trying to sell a vacuum cleaner.
Mrs. Porter was also Mrs. Simpson in episode 52 'Sales Resistance' portrayed by veteran actress Verna Felton. She was an American character actress who was best known for providing many female voices in the numerous Walt Disney Pictures animated films, Dumbo, Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland, Lady and the Tramp, Sleeping Beauty, and The Jungle Book, as well as voicing Fred Flintstone's mother-in-law Pearl Slaghoople for Hanna-Barbera's The Flintstones.
When Lucy starts unfolding the card table, the underside is bare. In the next scene, when she has fallen asleep on the table, there are numbers written under the table by the set manager.
Most of the work that Lucy has is taking care of Little Ricky, and once Mrs. Porter was hired, she only was getting a maid to help with the regular housework. Mrs. Porter refused to take care of the baby.
As part of the plan to mess up the house, Fred brings feather-covered pillows. Fred must be a real fan of feather-covered furniture. He has pillows with feathers in this episode, and his favorite chair in episode #74 is also filled with feathers.
The paste that Ethel smears all over everything in the kitchen was composed of peanut butter, mustard, and molasses.
Now that the baby has been born, Lucy says that playing cards with the Mertzes once a week is the only fun she has.

Scene excerpts[]

Quotes

Ricky: Well, honey, I know it's a lot of hard work taking care of the baby, but that's what mothers are for.
Lucy: Oh, and what are fathers for?
Lucy: The next time we have a baby, I get to be the father!
Ricky: Listen- tonight, I'm gonna make sure you go to bed real early.
Lucy: Oh, no! We're gonna play bridge with the Mertzes.
Ricky: Oh, no, no. I'll call that off.
Lucy: Oh, no! Don't do that! That's all the fun I have!

Fred: So, you're thinking of getting Lucy a maid, huh? Say, that idea might be a good thing for us, too.
Ethel: Why, Fred, are you thinking of getting ME a maid?
Fred:' Nope. I'm thinking of hiring you out to the Ricardos.

Lucy: (to Ricky) I must still be asleep. I thought you said you were gonna get me a maid!

Lucy: Oh, I forgot- what is your name?
Maid: Mrs. Porter.
Lucy: Oh, and what do I call you?
Maid: Mrs. Porter.

Mrs Porter: Are you in to a Mrs. Mertz?
Lucy: Ask her which Mrs. Mertz.
Mrs. Porter (into phone) Which Mrs. Mertz? (to Lucy) The one you owe two months' rent to.

Lucy: Some people are cut out for champagne and caviar. I'm more the beer and pretzel type.

Lucy: I'm gonna let [Mrs. Porter] go, but I'm going to give her a good recommendation and a week's pay. A whole week!
Ricky: A good recommendation!

Cast (In credits order)[]

Starring[]

Guest starring[]

Verna Felton as Mrs. Porter
Jerry Hausner as Little Ricky (voice)
Richard and Ronald Lee Simmons as Little Ricky Ricardo