Making cigars... undercover
| "" episode | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Season 6, Episode #9 #162 in Series | ||||
| Series: | ||||
| Network: | ||||
| Air date: | December 3, 1956 | |||
| Written by: | Bob Carroll, Jr. Madelyn Martin Bob Schiller Bob Weiskopf | |||
| Directed by: | James V. Kern | |||
| Production code: | 6-09 / 162 | |||
| Episode guide | ||||
 IMDB
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The Ricardos Visit Cuba | |||
| Episode chronology | ||||
| ← Previous | Next → | |||
| "Desert Island" | "Little Ricky's School Pageant" | |||
http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s29/ABMfisher/TioAlberto.jpg http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s29/ABMfisher/LongCigar.jpg
The Ricardos Visit Cuba was the 162nd overall episode of I Love Lucy, also the 9th episode of season 6, the final season of the series. The episode was directed by James V. Kern, originally aired on CBS-TV on December 3, 1956.
Synopsis[]
Lucy and Ethel's scheme to prevent the boys from judging a beauty contest leaves the Ricardos and the Mertzes marooned on a desert island. Claude Akins guest stars as himself.
What a cigar!
Plot summary[]
After their trip to Florida, since Cuba is so close, everybody's flying down to Ricky's home country to meet his family. Ricky warns Lucy that the only one who is important to impress is Uncle Alberto. But Lucy makes a mess of things, including ruining Uncle Alberto's hat and his expensive cigars! When Little Ricky performs "Babalu" alonside his father, however, Uncle Alberto accepts Lucy, saying that any mother of a boy like Little Ricky is welcome in the family.
Trivia[]
- For a long time, due to Cuba becoming Communist during the Cold War and the strife between Cuba and the US from the Cuban Missile Crisis, this episode was not shown in syndication.
- Keith Thibodeaux said that "Babalu" was in the wrong key for him to sing in this episode, so he had to squeak really high to keep up with the notes.
- Lucy reveals in this episode that she took Spanish in high school.
- Ricky has a HUGE family. Besides Uncle Alberto, who is the head of the family, he has Uncle Eduardo (a Cuban judge), Uncle Pedro, Aunt Rosa, Uncle Rafael, Aunt Silvia, Aunt Maria Pepa, Uncle Jorge, Uncle Guillermito Menendez, Nandine, Manuel, Amberta, Amparo, Pepe, Enrique, Josefina, and a pair of unnamed twins in his family!
- Uncle Alberto wanted Ricky to marry a Cuban girl, so Lucy already had quite a bit to do to impress Alberto. Her messing up so badly certainly didn't help things!
- Instead of saying "muchas gracias," Lucy says "mucha grasa" to Uncle Alberto. This literally means "a lot of fat," NOT "fat pig." "Cerdo gordo" would be the literal translation of "fat pig." Ricky was likely making a point that she insulted him severely.
- Uncle Alberto wears straw hats so much that it's possible that Ricky adopted his frequent straw hat wearing from his uncle.
- For the flight from Miami to Cuba, the gang once again flies Pan Am.
- Corona Grande is Alberto's choice of cigar brands.
- Lucy saying Ricky has "a memory like an elephant" probably was a reference to Desi's phenomenal memory capabilities.
- The book that Little Ricky is reading on the plane is called "Three of Us". [1]
Starring[]
- Lucille Ball ... as Lucy Ricardo
- Desi Arnaz ... as Ricky Ricardo
- Vivian Vance ... as Ethel Mertz
- William Frawley ... as Fred Mertz
Guest Starring[]
- Mary Emery ... as Ricky's Mother
- Richard Keith ... as Little Ricky
- Amapola Del Vando ... as Ricky's relative
- Abel Franco ... as Ricky's Relative
- Rodolfo Hoyos Jr. ... as Ricky's Relative
- Lillian Molieri ... as Ricky's Relative
- Manuel París ... as Ricky's Relative
- Jorge Treviño ... as Uncle Alberto
- Nacho Galindo ... as Cigar Store owner
- Eddie Le Baron ... as Emcee