| "I Love Lucy" episode | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Season 2, Episode #22 #57 in Series | ||||
| Series: | I Love Lucy | |||
| Network: | CBS-TV | |||
| Air date: | April 20, 1953 | |||
| Written by: | Bob Carroll, Jr., Madelyn Pugh & Jess Oppenheimer | |||
| Guest stars: | Elizabeth Patterson John Hart Vivi Janiss Charlotte Lawrence Margie Liszt Peggy Rea June Whitley Taylor Kay Wiley Richard and Ronald Lee Simmons Jerry Hausner | |||
| Directed by: | William Asher | |||
| Production code: | 2x22 / 057 | |||
| Episode guide | ||||
 IMDB
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No Children Allowed | |||
| Episode chronology | ||||
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| "Lucy Goes to the Hospital" | "Lucy Hires a Maid" | |||
No Children Allowed was the 57th episode of I Love Lucy, also the 22nd episode aired in Season 2 of the series. The episode, was co-written by Bob Carroll, Jr., Madelyn Pugh and Jess Oppenheimer and directed by William Asher, originally aired on CBS-TV on April 20, 1953.
| "No Children Allowed" | ||
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| Also see: | ||
| Full Credits | Transcripts | More Images |
Synopsis[]
The Ricardos' lease says no children allowed, and the squalling new baby doesn't help matters with the landlord. This episode marked the beginning of a recurring character- Mrs. Trumbull (Elizabeth Patterson).
Plot summary[]
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?[]
Goofs[]
- Continuity
In "Vacation from Marriage" and several other episodes, it is clearly established the Ricardos' first apartment in the building (before they move in the middle of the third season) is on the fourth and top floor (with the roof above). Yet now, Mrs. Trumbull lives directly over them on the fifth floor.
Soundtracks[]
- Soundtrack Credits
- Theme From I Love Lucy (Instrumental) - Written by Eliot Daniel, performed by Wilbur Hatch and the Desi Arnaz Orchestra
Scene excerpts[]
- Quotes
- Ricky: [coming in at 3:00 am, Ricky stumbles over the crib, wakes the baby, then speaks directly to the kid] Gee, I'm sorry I woke you up, old man.
- Lucy: Now that you got him awake and yelling, what are you gonna do about it?
- Ricky: Well, I apologized to him. What else do you want me to do?
- Ethel: How are you, Mrs Trumbull?
- Mrs. Trumbull: As well as could be expected after two hours sleep.
- Lucy: Oh, I'm sorry about that Mrs Trumbull. The baby was a little fussy. He won't annoy you again.
- Mrs. Trumbull: No, I'm sure of that. Perhaps you'll recall this piece of paper, Mrs Mertz.
- Ethel: Your lease?
- Mrs. Trumbull: Yes.
- Mrs. Trumbull: [she reads aloud] "It is expressly understood that at no time will children be allowed to live in said building."
- Ethel: Little Ricky!
- Lucy: He's a children!
- Mrs. Trumbull: Since it says, "No children" in plain English, what excuse is there for Mrs Ricardo's baby?
- Ethel: Uhhhh, ahhh...
- Lucy: He can't read.
[Lucy and Ethel laugh nervously; Mrs Trumbull is not amused]
- Lucy: [Fred succeeds in putting Little Ricky to sleep when everyone else has failed] How'd he do that?
- Ethel: Beginner's luck.
- Fred: Beginners luck nothin'. It's my phenomenal memory.
- Ethel: Memory?
- Fred: Yeah. It's not generally known, but I was a little bit of a baby boy myself once.
- Ethel: You know, to look at him now, it's hard to believe he was ever a little baby anything!
Cast (in Credits Order)[]
Main Cast[]
- Lucille Ball as Lucy Ricardo
- Desi Arnaz as Ricky Ricardo
- Vivian Vance as Ethel Mertz
- William Frawley as Fred Mertz
Guest starring[]
- Elizabeth Patterson as Matilda Trumbull
- John Hart as Tom Henderson
- Vivi Janiss as Clubwoman
- Charlotte Lawrence as 2nd Clubwoman
- Margie Liszt as 3rd Clubwoman
- Peggy Rea as 4th Clubwoman
- June Whitley Taylor as 5th Clubwoman
- Kay Wiley as 6th Clubwoman
- Richard and Ronald Lee Simmons as Ricky Ricardo, Jr.
- Jerry Hausner as Little Ricky's voice (uncredited)
