The Lucy Show – The Official Third Season (1964 – 1965/CBS DVD)
Picture:
B- Sound: C+ Extras: A+ Episodes: A-
The reason the new Lucy
Show – Season Three DVD set makes an excellent purchase is not for the
episodes but the documentary feature: Lucy
at the World’s Fair. It chronicles
the celebration of Lucy Day at the World’s Fair which took place on August 31,
1964. Albert Fisher, who was involved
with the event, recalls Lucille Ball’s 15 hour visit. Featured is silent and sound footage from
Lucy’s special day.
Additional
extras feature the series’ original openings and closings including the
program’s sponsors. Interesting to this
viewer was the removal of Vivian Vance’s co- starring billing on the episodes
she was absent. I recall seeing her name
and the co-staring billing, though with no announcer, on these same episodes in
syndication.
A clever
segment from The Danny Kaye Show,
featuring no set or props, has Ball and Kaye as a married couple with a maid
problem.
Guest
stars on this volume include Jack Benny (Lucy
and the Plumber), Danny Kaye (Lucy
Meets Danny Kaye), Ann Southern (Lucy
and the Countess, My Fair Lucy, Lucy and the Countess Lose Weight and Lucy and the Old Mansion) and Arthur
Godfrey (Lucy and Arthur Godfrey). Tony Maietta and Lucy impersonator, Suzanne La
Rusch, are featured in a charming opening segment to Lucy and the Plumber.
Ann
Southern, as the penniless Countess Framboise (a.k.a. Rosie Harrigan) fills in
for Vivian Vance admiralty. The pair,
having appeared on each others prior sitcoms, works well together.
Gale
Gordon returns with all his bluster intact as Theodore J. Mooney but the
children (Candy Moore, Jimmy Garrett and Ralph Hart) are only seen
sporadically.
Sadly
this would mark the final season Ball and Vance would work together as a team. According to The Lucy Book (Renaissance Books, 1999), Vivian wanted to leave the
show unless she received more creative control.
Lucille’s advisors warned her that if this happened she would have
become her partner. Vance’s request was
turned down and she left the program except for the occasional guest
appearance. The actress said to the press, “I’m quitting the series this year. I want to live home with my husband. I’m tired
of commuting.” (The Bulletin,
September 8, 1964). At the time Vance
was married to literary agent John Dodds. The couple maintained a home in Stamford, CT. These episodes have great color in their 1.33
X 1 presentations and the Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono is impressive, though you can
see the show with some black and white footage again as the option to see it
with classic commercials is once again included.
For both
the episodes and extras this DVD set is an excellent purchase for Lucy fans and
viewers looking to laugh out loud.
For more
on Lucy, try these links:
Lucy Show – Season Two
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/10407/The+Lucy+Show+%E2%80%93+The
I Love Lucy – Seasons One thru
Six/The Complete Series
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/3676/I+Love+Lucy+%E2%80%93+The+Com
Lucy Desi Comedy Hour
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/5328/I+Love+Lucy+%E2%80%93+The+Com
Lucille Ball Specials
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/8748/Lucille+Ball+Specials:+Lucy+Gets+Luc
Here’s Lucy – Season One
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/8939/Here%E2%80%99s+Lucy+%E2%80%9
Here’s Lucy – Season Two
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/9405/Here%E2%80%99s+Lucy+%E2%80%9
Lucy Calls The President
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/10024/Lucy+Calls+The+President+(1977/MP
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Fred Grandinetti
