Here’s Lucy – Season Two (1969 – 1970/MPI DVD)
Picture:
C+ Sound: C+ Extras:
A Episodes: B
Lucille
Ball, Gale Gordon, Lucie Arnaz and Desi Arnaz Jr. return for another season of Here’s Lucy. This four DVD set features a lot of location
shooting which was created with the cooperation of the Air Force and the states
of Arizona and Colorado. These episodes feature beautiful location
photography, exciting action and physical comedy. The guest stars who appeared during the show’s
Second Season included: The Andrews
Sisters, Milton Berle, Ann Margaret, Liberace, Lawrence Welk and Vivian Vance;
producing some truly classic moments.
The more
memorable episodes on this set are “Lucy
and the Used Car Dealer” (with Milton Berle as the shady car dealer), “Lucy and Lawrence Welk” (which includes guest star
Vivian Vance and Ball’s longtime television girlfriend, Mary Jane Croft), “Lucy and Ann Margaret” (a showcase for
musician, Desi Arnaz Jr.) and “Lucy and Carol
Burnett” (Burnett and Ball become competitors in a Secretary Beautiful
Contest).
Ball and
Gordon handle the physical comedy requirements expertly. The Arnaz children keep up with the antics of
the seasoned adults with professional ease.
Lucie Arnaz is hysterically funny as a blonde secretary who torments
Harry in “Lucy Protects Her Job”.
What was missing from the First Season’s
episodes is also barely visible this year. There is still no character development, nor
any engaging relationships between the show’s recurring players.
Introductions
to each episode feature people involved with the program’s production.
For “Lucy and Vivian Vance”, actor
Don Diamond said Lucille Ball and Vivian Vance were “completely polished”
working together. James Hong, who appeared in “Lucy the Laundress”, noted Lucy made herself the fall guy. He stated by Ball, dressing up as a
stereotypical Asian, was making fun of a society which pictured the race in
this same manner.
The
picture and sound are the same as the first DVD set, looking and sounding very
good; so much that DVD cannot handle how good the shows really looked. The extras are even better this time and
include a lot of home movie footage including twelve year old Desi playing the
drums, location footage from the episodes filmed outside of the studio, Lucie
singing with Wayne Newton and Ball harmonizing with muscle bound men who looked
as they stepped out of an episode of I
Dream of Jeannie.
During
the different extras interesting comments were heard. For example, Lucie Arnaz
stated, “My mother hated canned laughter”. The most insightful was made by Ball
herself during the segment entitled, “USC
Honors Lucy”. The comedienne said she was so grateful to be part of the
entertainment business nothing was beneath her. She would do anything. That statement is one of the reasons people
around the world still love Lucy.
For more
on the first season, try this link:
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/8939/Here%E2%80%99s+Lucy
- Fred Grandinetti
