Final Lucy box set to include "I Love Lucy: The Movie" (1 Viewer)

[Brian W.]

The L.A. Times had an article today about the Museum of Television and Radio showing the "I Love Lucy Movie" Friday night. For those who don't know, it was cobbled together in the early '50s from three episodes of the show, plus additional linking footage shot specifically for the movie, including Desi warming up the audience.

The presentation will also include the unfinished opening credits featuring stick figures of Lucy and Desi, as well as rare color footage of the set and cast that was secretly taken by an audience member.

But this was the really exciting news:

 

[Joe Lugoff]

That is exciting, and we've already discussed it here. But it can't be repeated enough!

 

[Brian W.]

Really? I spent about 10 minutes searching, and I didn't see a thing.

 

[PaulP]

AWESOMENESS!!!!

Is there a link to the article?

 

[Randy Korstick]

That's because all 6 seasons of "I Love Lucy" have already been released. This set will be the 3 seasons of the Lucy/Desi Comedy Hour which followed I Love Lucy and added up to 13 hour long episodes. The long running thread is under Lucy/Desi Comedy Hour.

 

[David Rain]

Mmm . . . Lucy-licious. I have been forcing myself to wait all this time in hopes to get an entire series box set. I do hope it will be coming at some point in the future now that the last shows are being released.

 

[PaulP]

Well, David, there is a 1-6 box available on Amazon. Isn't that it? Are you Lucyless all this time??

 

[Brian W.]

Oop! Skimmed that thread, missed the post in question.

However, I get the impression from the latest L.A. Times article that they are calling the box set "I Love Lucy: Seasons 7-9."

 

[Joe Lugoff]

Yes, they think the name "I Love Lucy" will sell better than "The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour," and they're probably right.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

I don't think I ever saw these hour-long episodes.

Can someone tell us a bit about the Lucy/Desi comedy hour?
Where did it take place? Were Vance and Frawley co-stars?

This upcoming set sounds absolutely awesome -- particularly
for the inclusion of the secretly taped color footage of the set.

 

[Joe Lugoff]

The hour shows are just a continuation of the half-hour series. The entire cast, including Vance and Frawley and Little Ricky, appear in the hour shows. They're living in the house and chicken farm in Connecticut, which is where they were when the half hour series ended.

The first episode (which was 75 minutes long, originally) is a flashback to how Lucy met Ricky in Havana.

Several episodes take place in the house in Connecticut (including the two best, "The Celebrity Next Door" and "Lucy Makes Room for Danny" -- those two are, in my opinion, the two best "I Love Lucy" scripts of all time.) Many episodes feature the Ricardos and Mertzes in other places -- Alaska, Las Vegas, Japan, etc.

Some people don't care for them, which amazes me. I think if you like "I Love Lucy," you're almost guaranteed to like the hour shows. It's really the same series! Calling it "I Love Lucy Seasons 7, 8 and 9" isn't technically correct, but it's not really wrong, either.

 

[ScottR]

I also read that they are releasing a box of the entire series..hopefully "Lucy Meets the Queen" will be fixed of the digital glitch and maybe those of us who have already purchased it can get replacements.

 

[Rob W]

I would agree with Joe that the two best episodes were ' The Celebrity Next Door' and 'Lucy Makes Room for Danny' which were also closest to the 1/2 hour series in plotting and presentation. The later episodes used a lot less of the live audience that was so critical to the show's success ( Desi always said Lucy really needed an audience to shine ) and added a lot of poorly shot and edited comic setpieces involving chases, etc that just don't have the feel of the dozens of classic moments from the original series. Too often the shows would stop dead so Lucy could perform a routine with the celebrity guest star of the week and it just seems to be more padding than anything else. To me they're an interesting but very mixed bag.

 

[David Rain]

Yes, I have been Lucy-deprived all this time. I originally refused to buy the first season cause it was coming out in separate volumes which I consider blasphemy especially for a series like this. Then I began hearing about technical issues and debate or missing scenes. As the series continued to be released I became hopeful for an eventual complete series box set which I now think may truly see the light of day, perhaps even next year.

I understand that some people consider the series over-rated but anyone who doesn't think that Vitameatavegamin is hysterical has a broken picture tube where their heart should be.

"Are you tired, run - down, listless?

Do you poop out at parties?

Are you unpopular?

The answer to all your problems is in this little bottle."

 

[ScottR]

The only problem I have with Season One is that it is not as cleaned up as the rest of the series is. It still looks good, just not as good as it could. Also, some of the copyright dates are wrong, they have 1952 when they were broadcast in 1951. Other than that, no complaints here. And of all of the seasons, only one episode has any technical glitches and it is minor (although I hope they fix it.)

 

[Brandy681]

I cannot wait!