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Category:    Home > Reviews > TV Situation Comedy > The Lucy Show – The Official Third Season (1964 – 1965/CBS DVD)

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

 

 

-   Fred Grandinetti


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