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Desi Arnaz curses in I LOVE LUCY!  

post #1 of 52
4/13/08 at 8:40pm
Thread Starter 
WOW I just watched an episode of I LOVE LUCY in the complete series set and in one classic episode Desi actually curses! I am amazed that the scene was not redone although I know they never did retakes! Let see how good you all are - what episode is it in? And what does he say?
post #2 of 52
4/13/08 at 9:23pm

Re: Desi Arnaz curses in I LOVE LUCY!

I give up. Was it an English or Spanish word?
post #3 of 52
4/13/08 at 9:29pm
Thread Starter 

Re: Desi Arnaz curses in I LOVE LUCY!

English!


I will give you more! He says "Damn right"


Alright here it is - the episode is FIRST STOP. They are in the one room bungalow. Fred and Ethel are in the bed hmmm in fact that got by the standards and practices Lucy and Ricky could not be in the same bed but Fred and Ethel did for this episode! Well the bed moves across the room again because the train comes and makes everything in the room move that is not nailed down.

The bed travels to the bunk beds where Lucy and Ricky are sleeping Ricky says "I don't know about you but I'm getting out of here" someone says "what about the 16 dollars we paid" Ricky says he will sue the owner, someone asks him to the effect "you are going to sue him?" to which Ricky replies "you're damn right" play it a couple of times he clearly says it, the close caption does not caption that line, but he clearly says it!
post #4 of 52
4/13/08 at 11:19pm

Re: Desi Arnaz curses in I LOVE LUCY!

And so an entirely new thread had to be started for this ? For heaven's sake put things like this in the main show thread where they belong.
post #5 of 52
4/14/08 at 3:37am

Re: Desi Arnaz curses in I LOVE LUCY!

I don't know the episode by heart, but I vaguely recall the moment. Are you sure he doesn't say "darn right", but it sounds like "damn" with his accent?
post #6 of 52
4/14/08 at 6:00am
Thread Starter 

Re: Desi Arnaz curses in I LOVE LUCY!

After first hearing it, someone watching the episode with me said the same thing you thougt so we pumped up the sound and went back more than a few times and he clearly says "damn right" we then went back past the scene and put on the closed caption and that line was the only line not captioned in the entire scene.
post #7 of 52
4/14/08 at 11:36am

Re: Desi Arnaz curses in I LOVE LUCY!

This would (somewhat) contradict the conventional wisdom that the first use of a four-letter word on Network TV was in the 1967 Star Trek TOS episode "The City on the Edge of Forever".

At the conclusion of that ep, the "Guardian of Forever" tells Kirk and his crew "Many such adventures are possible. Let me be your guide." Kirk stares into the Time Portal for a bit knowing that he could just step through there and be with the love of his life. But doing so could possibly mean the end of history as he knows it. His immortal response?
"Let's get the hell out of here!!"

I guess now we'll have to amend history such that this is now the first time *censors* allowed the use of a four-letter word on Network TV.

But you know what? Both of these shows were Desilu Productions!!!
post #8 of 52
4/14/08 at 12:01pm

Re: Desi Arnaz curses in I LOVE LUCY!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Joe Karlosi
Are you sure he doesn't say "darn right", but it sounds like "damn" with his accent?
That's certainly what I think it is too. I haven't pulled out the disc to watch the scene but I find it impossible that they wouldn't have re-shot it if he cursed. Considering this is one of the most famous and widely viewed series of all time, I don't think people missed the first use of a curse word on network TV for 50 years.
post #9 of 52
4/14/08 at 2:48pm
Thread Starter 

Re: Desi Arnaz curses in I LOVE LUCY!

Well Travis check out the disc he says DAMN RIGHT. If you realize that the show was not videotaped but filmed it would have not been caught until the film was processed, they would not go back and get an audience in and refilm that one scene later someday but I betcha if anyone did pick up on it they said "people will think he said darn right because of his accent" which is kind of funny because DARN is nowhere similar to DAMN!
post #10 of 52
4/14/08 at 3:10pm

Re: Desi Arnaz curses in I LOVE LUCY!

But the sound on TV in those days was terrible compared to today. The networks sent the audio out via telephone lines until the late 1970s. Couple that with the optical sound from the 35mm film chains (and 16mm backups if the need arose) and I can see people hearing it as "darn."
post #11 of 52
4/14/08 at 3:51pm

Re: Desi Arnaz curses in I LOVE LUCY!

Quote:
Originally Posted by RobertGr
Well Travis check out the disc he says DAMN RIGHT. If you realize that the show was not videotaped but filmed it would have not been caught until the film was processed, they would not go back and get an audience in and refilm that one scene later someday but I betcha if anyone did pick up on it they said "people will think he said darn right because of his accent" which is kind of funny because DARN is nowhere similar to DAMN!

I've always heard the line as "darn" in the many, many times I've seen this episode. But I'll take another listen.

But they wouldn't have to go to any trouble at all the fix the line. Rather than refilming, Desi would have merely looped the one line in the recording studio. Things like that happened all the time when someone flubbed a line or the mike didn't pick it up. Several instances of relooping are shown in the flubs sections of the DVD sets.
post #12 of 52
4/14/08 at 4:23pm

Re: Desi Arnaz curses in I LOVE LUCY!

And subtitles, whether they use them or not, don't prove a darn thing. I have seen so many obviously incorrect subtitles, it's ridiculous.
post #13 of 52
4/14/08 at 4:33pm

Re: Desi Arnaz curses in I LOVE LUCY!

This should be stickied.
post #14 of 52
4/14/08 at 4:36pm

Re: Desi Arnaz curses in I LOVE LUCY!

"Damned right we're gonna sneak outta here." It's there, plain as day! Others are talking at the same time, so perhaps it was felt that the line wouldn't be noticed...and I've honestly never heard this until tonight, in 40+ years of viewing "I Love Lucy" reruns.

The below link contains a brief, very high bitrate .mp3 clip of the line in question, if anyone would like to hear it:

Lucy Excerpt - First Stop.mp3
post #15 of 52
4/14/08 at 6:49pm
Thread Starter 

Re: Desi Arnaz curses in I LOVE LUCY!

Thanks for posting the sound clip! You have helped to make tv history!
post #16 of 52
4/14/08 at 9:08pm

Re: Desi Arnaz curses in I LOVE LUCY!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Joseph Bolus
This would (somewhat) contradict the conventional wisdom that the first use of a four-letter word on Network TV was in the 1967 Star Trek TOS episode "The City on the Edge of Forever".

Tuesday Weld says "hell" in a 1962 "Naked City" that's on DVD. It's at the top of the page linked below, where the writer provides the context but a spoiler or two as well:

TUESDAY WELD ON TV 1962 - Movie on DVD! - Naked City & Dick Powell + Fabian
post #17 of 52
4/14/08 at 10:18pm

Re: Desi Arnaz curses in I LOVE LUCY!

I've seen that episode at least 20 times over the years, and always thought Desi said "darn" or "darned".

I just listened to the sound bite and ---- there is no question in my mind that he's saying either "darn" or "darned". With his accent and the cluttered sound track at that point, it could be heard as "damn" or "damned," but if you concentrate with all your might and put a Cuban accent in your head, you'll hear that it's "darn" or "darned".

There is no question that it would not have been left in back in 1955 and that it would have been very easy to fix. There is also no question that it's "darn".

With all the bloopers pointed out on the "I Love Lucy" discs, if there were even a remote possibility that he slipped and said "damn" they'd have included it as a blooper. But they didn't, because he didn't. It's "darn", damn it.
post #18 of 52
4/14/08 at 11:52pm

Re: Desi Arnaz curses in I LOVE LUCY!

I seem to remember an ep where Fred Mertz walks in and says "Hey, Rick! Whadduya say we smoke some pot and pick up some whores?!"

....maybe not.......

post #19 of 52
4/14/08 at 11:55pm

Re: Desi Arnaz curses in I LOVE LUCY!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Joseph Bolus
This would (somewhat) contradict the conventional wisdom that the first use of a four-letter word on Network TV was in the 1967 Star Trek TOS episode "The City on the Edge of Forever".

I don't think I've ever seen that assertion before...

For the record, there's a recording of Red Skelton saying "damn" during one of his routines on a 1959 episode of "The Jack Paar Show".

-Kevin
post #20 of 52
4/15/08 at 4:42am

Re: Desi Arnaz curses in I LOVE LUCY!

I think he says "darn". My in-laws were Cuban, so I know what cursing sounds like with that accent.
post #21 of 52
4/15/08 at 5:20am

Re: Desi Arnaz curses in I LOVE LUCY!

This reminded me of a similar thing in the Gilligan's Island episode where the lion lands on the island. Skipper is dressed like a circus clown and the lion approaches. My sister once said that Skipper says "The da da damn lion!" I corrected her that Skipper says "The da da daaaa..lion." No "damn" in there damnit! But she wouldn't let up about it. We didn't have a VCR at the time, much less a recording of the episode, so we had to wait until it was played again. Of course I was right.

But on I Love Lucy, I don't even think they could say "pregnant" much less "damn".
post #22 of 52
4/15/08 at 5:24am

Re: Desi Arnaz curses in I LOVE LUCY!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Joseph Bolus
This would (somewhat) contradict the conventional wisdom that the first use of a four-letter word on Network TV was in the 1967 Star Trek TOS episode "The City on the Edge of Forever".

At the conclusion of that ep, the "Guardian of Forever" tells Kirk and his crew "Many such adventures are possible. Let me be your guide." Kirk stares into the Time Portal for a bit knowing that he could just step through there and be with the love of his life. But doing so could possibly mean the end of history as he knows it. His immortal response?
"Let's get the hell out of here!!"

So the end line of that Futurama episode was a reference to this? And all this time I thought it was just an extremely funny and insightful line.
post #23 of 52
4/15/08 at 6:25am
Thread Starter 

Re: Desi Arnaz curses in I LOVE LUCY!

Well Joe, I think you might need to clean your ears because as the sound bite proves he clearly says "Damn right." In the bonus material for the show they say that retakes were never done, rememeber the show was filmed and not videotaped and they worked according to Bart Andrews book with a very short filming to airing timeframe. So the film was processed and scored and then aired, there was no looping etc. The budgets did not allow for rebuilding the sets as on to another episode and differect sets and get another audience in to film the one scene would have been impossible, plus the one scene involved key dialogue so they clould not take it out. More than likely if it was picked up they all probably prayed for the best that no one would pick up on it and honestly or fellow poster here was correct I think it was the remastering of the sound that made the blooper so noticeable if years of muddy and duped prints or worn tapes that have been servicing tv stations for the last 40 plus years!
post #24 of 52
4/15/08 at 6:27am

Re: Desi Arnaz curses in I LOVE LUCY!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Joseph Bolus
This would (somewhat) contradict the conventional wisdom that the first use of a four-letter word on Network TV was in the 1967 Star Trek TOS episode "The City on the Edge of Forever".

I don't think that has ever been considered conventional wisdom. The only controversial "first" that Star Trek was noted for was the interracial kiss in Plato's Stepchildren, even though in the storyline, that kiss was coerced.

The thing about Kirk's line at the end was that to avoid it being cut, the producers did have to provide justification for its use. In Bob Justman and Herb Solow's book, they mention having to do this sort of thing (justification of content) with S&P all the time.

If I remember correctly, in the 1980s version of The Outer Limits: The Official Companion, there is a discussion of Harlan Ellision having to battle the censors over one of his scripts, and photos of script page(s) with censor's notes written on them.
post #25 of 52
4/15/08 at 6:31am

Re: Desi Arnaz curses in I LOVE LUCY!

Quote:
Originally Posted by RobertGr
Well Joe, I think you might need to clean your ears because as the sound bite proves he clearly says "Damn right." In the bonus material for the show they say that retakes were never done, rememeber the show was filmed and not videotaped and they worked according to Bart Andrews book with a very short filming to airing timeframe. So the film was processed and scored and then aired, there was no looping etc. The budgets did not allow for rebuilding the sets as on to another episode and differect sets and get another audience in to film the one scene would have been impossible...

Yes, erecting sets to re-film would've been impossible, but I don't see how relooping the dialogue wouldn't have been possible, since you don't have to do any filming to do that, just re-record that one line of dialogue.

I haven't seen the episode and have no opinion either way, but I don't understand how looping would've been out of the question, particularly if they thought there would be even the slightest chance of running afoul of the censors.
post #26 of 52
4/15/08 at 6:56am
Thread Starter 

Re: Desi Arnaz curses in I LOVE LUCY!

you make great points and probably correct, but I do think they just got it out there and really hoped it would squeak by which it did for so long. I think the clarity of the sound in todays dvd and remastering also made it possible to correctly hear it for what it was a blooper. I find the post about Star Trek interesting, now I need to go and wacth the CITY ON THE EDGE OF FOREVER when it airs again. Here is another fun blooper although it is in a film not a tv show, in GHOSTS ON THE LOOSE Bela Lugosi is trying to frighten Huntz Hall by doing the old eyes moving and strange figure in a painting routine Hall dusts him off with a featherduster and Lugosi sneezes at the same time says SH--- I first read about that in the book about the Bowery Boys but I had seen that film for years and never heard that, well finally I taped it off channel 21 here in Long Island one late evening and watched the tape and sure enough it was there!
post #27 of 52
4/15/08 at 8:32am

Re: Desi Arnaz curses in I LOVE LUCY!

Quote:
Originally Posted by RobertGr
Well Joe, I think you might need to clean your ears because as the sound bite proves he clearly says "Damn right." In the bonus material for the show they say that retakes were never done, rememeber the show was filmed and not videotaped and they worked according to Bart Andrews book with a very short filming to airing timeframe. So the film was processed and scored and then aired, there was no looping etc. The budgets did not allow for rebuilding the sets as on to another episode and differect sets and get another audience in to film the one scene would have been impossible, plus the one scene involved key dialogue so they clould not take it out. More than likely if it was picked up they all probably prayed for the best that no one would pick up on it and honestly or fellow poster here was correct I think it was the remastering of the sound that made the blooper so noticeable if years of muddy and duped prints or worn tapes that have been servicing tv stations for the last 40 plus years!
You need to let this go, because you're totally wrong. The bonus material says retakes were seldom done, not never done. There are some obvious insertions in some episodes. There are a few times when you can tell a line was dubbed, and you can see that what's being said doesn't match the actor's lips.

The fact that it was filmed and not videotaped is irrelevant. You don't think film can be post-dubbed?

When they needed small shots to correct errors, they didn't invite the audience back in. They just did it later that night or the next day. You can often tell these inserts a mile away because the lighting changes.

But this argument is silly, because he's obviously saying "darn" or "darned" there and maybe your ear isn't sensitive enough to pick up the subtle difference. Don't forget that Cuban accent!
post #28 of 52
4/15/08 at 8:53am
Thread Starter 

Re: Desi Arnaz curses in I LOVE LUCY!

Joe, evidently you did not read Bart Andrews book which states the quick turnaround time on the series from film to air. THis was not motion picture filming where a film could take three months to shoot, edit, retake. You also tell me its silly to say he says damn right even adter hearing the sound byte that confirms it. You are the one being silly here, insisting because you have thought for all these years he said something different, maybe you should open your mind to fact you might be wrong ahem for at least once.

This thread hjas become interesting with some other famous bloopers being uncovered or discusssed so I think it has been a productive discussen except when the usual people start saying "you are silly" "you are wrong" or whatever so unclog those ears, blast the sound up and then come and post "you know he did say damn right after all." But to think this is silly stuff tell that to Dick Clark who made a lot of moolah by creating and hosting a show about Bloopers!

History wise start reading books about early tv history, budgets were low, they could ill afford the luxuries of the type given over to the film makers. With the money being so short and the fact they were rehearsing and then filming over a four day week then getting the film ready to air in a weeks short weeks while still pumping out a weekly show you will understand they had no time to correct the bloopers.


despite being so closed minded you do manage to post some interesting stuff, maybe you should try Channeling Senior Arnaz and ask him personally what he really said in the scene!
post #29 of 52
4/15/08 at 11:37am

Re: Desi Arnaz curses in I LOVE LUCY!

I watched the scene in question and I have no doubt that he's saying "darned". Even if by some miracle, Desi Arnaz and everyone else involved in all the steps of production didn't realize that he cursed (and no matter how the low budget or how fast they had to work, they would have done another take on the spot or re-looped the line), the show has been on constantly for 50 years and someone else would have caught this decades ago.
post #30 of 52
4/15/08 at 12:46pm

Re: Desi Arnaz curses in I LOVE LUCY!

Quote:
Originally Posted by RobertGr
Joe, evidently you did not read Bart Andrews book which states the quick turnaround time on the series from film to air. THis was not motion picture filming where a film could take three months to shoot, edit, retake. You also tell me its silly to say he says damn right even adter hearing the sound byte that confirms it. You are the one being silly here, insisting because you have thought for all these years he said something different, maybe you should open your mind to fact you might be wrong ahem for at least once.

This thread hjas become interesting with some other famous bloopers being uncovered or discusssed so I think it has been a productive discussen except when the usual people start saying "you are silly" "you are wrong" or whatever so unclog those ears, blast the sound up and then come and post "you know he did say damn right after all." But to think this is silly stuff tell that to Dick Clark who made a lot of moolah by creating and hosting a show about Bloopers!

History wise start reading books about early tv history, budgets were low, they could ill afford the luxuries of the type given over to the film makers. With the money being so short and the fact they were rehearsing and then filming over a four day week then getting the film ready to air in a weeks short weeks while still pumping out a weekly show you will understand they had no time to correct the bloopers.


despite being so closed minded you do manage to post some interesting stuff, maybe you should try Channeling Senior Arnaz and ask him personally what he really said in the scene!

I think you're the one being closed-minded. You continue to ignore the point that looping was done many times on this and other filmed programs. There are even bloopers on the "Lucy" DVD's that point out lines that were redubbed for various reasons. It's a simple process and the turnaround time to air for the show is not really a factor. Too many people are involved to have let something like this slip out or try to get away with something, especially at that time in television history.
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