"I Love Lucy" (1951) TV series 1951-1957

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

Release Date:

15 October 1951 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Family

Plot:

A daffy woman constantly strives to become a star along with her bandleader husband and gets herself in the strangest situations.

Plot Keywords:

Bandleader | Sitcom | Friendship | Product Placement | Wife And Husband Lead Actors

Awards:

Won 4 Primetime Emmys. Another 3 wins & 24 nominations

Cast

Lucille Ball	...	Lucy Ricardo / ... (181 episodes, 1951-1957)
Desi Arnaz	...	Ricky Ricardo (181 episodes, 1951-1957)
Vivian Vance	...	Ethel Mertz (176 episodes, 1951-1957)
William Frawley	...	Fred Mertz (175 episodes, 1951-1957)

Series Directed by
William Asher		(101 episodes, 1952-1957)
James V. Kern		(39 episodes, 1955-1957)
Marc Daniels		(33 episodes, 1951-1953)

Series Writing credits
Bob Carroll Jr.		(174 episodes, 1951-1957)
Madelyn Davis		(174 episodes, 1951-1957)
Jess Oppenheimer		(151 episodes, 1951-1956)
Bob Schiller		(50 episodes, 1955-1957)
Bob Weiskopf		(50 episodes, 1955-1957)

Series Produced by
Desi Arnaz	....	executive producer / producer / ... (158 episodes, 1952-1957)
Jess Oppenheimer	....	producer / co-producer (155 episodes, 1951-1956)
Al Simon	....	associate producer (33 episodes, 1951-1952)
Jack Aldworth	....	associate producer (22 episodes, 1956-1957)

Series Original Music by
Eliot Daniel		(181 episodes, 1951-1957)
Wilbur Hatch		(33 episodes, 1951-1954)

Series Cinematography by
Karl Freund		(149 episodes, 1951-1956)
Sidney Hickox		(14 episodes, 1956-1957)
Robert De Grasse		(8 episodes, 1956)

Series Film Editing by
Bud Molin		(105 episodes, 1953-1957)
Dann Cahn		(33 episodes, 1951-1952)

Series Casting by
Kerwin Coughlin		(20 episodes, 1956-1957)

Series Art Direction by
Ralph Berger		(106 episodes, 1953-1957)
Larry Cuneo		(17 episodes, 1951-1952)

Series Set Decoration by
Ted Offenbecker		(2 episodes, 1954)

Series Costume Design by
Edward Stevenson		(35 episodes, 1955-1957)
Eloise Jensson		(9 episodes, 1953-1954)

Series Makeup Department
Max Factor	....	makeup artist (122 episodes, 1951-1955)
Irma Kusely	....	hairstylist / hair stylist (99 episodes, 1952-1957)
Hal King	....	makeup artist (47 episodes, 1955-1957)

Series Production Management
Argyle Nelson	....	production manager (135 episodes, 1952-1957)

Series Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jack Aldworth	....	assistant director (51 episodes, 1954-1956)
Jerry Thorpe	....	assistant director (33 episodes, 1953-1954)
James Paisley	....	assistant director (31 episodes, 1952-1953)
Jay Sandrich	....	assistant director (14 episodes, 1956-1957)
Edward M. Hillie	....	assistant director (7 episodes, 1956)

Series Art Department
Ted Offenbecker	....	set dresser (103 episodes, 1953-1957)
Dick Henrikson	....	property master (50 episodes, 1954-1956)

Series Sound Department
Cam McCulloch	....	sound recordist (104 episodes, 1953-1957)
Robert Reeve	....	re-recording editor (104 episodes, 1953-1957)
Glen Glenn	....	sound (25 episodes, 1954-1957)
E.C. Norton	....	re-recording editor (2 episodes, 1956-1957)
Jim Bullock	....	sound editor (unknown episodes)
John Speak	....	boom operator (unknown episodes)

Series Camera and Electrical Department
Maury Thompson	....	camera coordinator (23 episodes, 1956-1957)
Louie Anderson	....	camera operator (unknown episodes)
Emily Daniels	....	camera coordinator (unknown episodes)
Sam Leavitt	....	camera operator (unknown episodes)

Series Costume and Wardrobe Department
Eloise Jensson	....	wardrobe supervisor / wardrobe: Miss Ball / ... (48 episodes, 1953-1955)
Edward Stevenson	....	wardrobe: Miss Ball / wardrobe: Lucille Ball / ... (12 episodes, 1955-1957)

Series Editorial Department
Dann Cahn	....	editorial supervisor / supervising editor (136 episodes, 1952-1957)

Series Music Department
Wilbur Hatch	....	musical director / conductor / ... (135 episodes, 1951-1957)
E.C. Norton	....	music editor (44 episodes, 1955-1957)
Ralph Carmichael	....	composer: incidental music (unknown episodes)

Series Other crew
Lee Scott	....	choreographer (17 episodes, 1951-1952)
Bob Gilbreath	....	helicopter pilot (unknown episodes)
Hal Hudson	....	network supervisor (unknown episodes)
Frank Inn	....	animal trainer (unknown episodes)
Maury Thompson	....	script supervisor (unknown episodes)

Production Companies

• CBS Television Network (1951-1957)
• Desilu Productions

Distributors

• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1951-1957) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Independent Television (ITV) (1955) (UK) (TV) (original airing)
• Viacom (1971-1994) (USA) (TV)
• CBS Films (1967-1971) (USA) (TV)
• Paramount Television (1994-2006) (USA) (TV)
• CBS Paramount Domestic Television (2006-) (USA) (TV)
• CBS Paramount International Television (2004-) (Non-USA) (TV)
• NHK (1957) (Japan) (TV)
• Paramount Home Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Ohrbach's  fashion
• Philip Morris Cigarettes  original sponsor
• Procter & Gamble  original sponsor (Cheer detergent)

Also Known As:

Lucy (USA) (working title)
Lucy & Ricky (USA) (working title)
Lucy in Connecticut (USA) (rerun title)
The Sunday Lucy Show (USA) (rerun title)
The Top Ten Lucy Show (USA) (rerun title)

Runtime:

30 min (179 episodes) | Argentina:30 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Colour:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:TV-G (TV rating) | Argentina:Atp | Canada:G

Filming Locations:

General Service Studios - 6625 Romaine Street, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

CBS Television Network

Trivia:

In the episodes when the Ricardos and the Mertzes are in Hollywood, the backdrop of Hollywood outside of the Ricardo's hotel suite replicates the view as it would be have been seen from the top of the stages at the Desilu lot on Cahuenga Boulevard (now Ren-Mar Studios), two blocks to the west of Vine Street where most of the "I Love Lucy" episodes were shot. Most of the landmarks at Hollywood and Vine that are on the backdrop (except for the Brown Derby Restaurant, which was demolished in the 1980's) may still be seen at that location today, over fifty years later. The Capitol Records Building was under construction when these episodes were being filmed and is not seen on the backdrop. The "Beverly Palms Hotel" was a fictional hotel, but its interior and exterior set designs combined elements of the Hollywood Plaza Hotel, the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel and the Bevery Hills Hotel.

Goofs:

Factual errors: For an entire season, the closing credits list Wilbur Hatch conducting the "Dezi" Arnaz orchestra. He spelled it Desi.

Quotes:

Lucy Ricardo: What are you? The Cuban television network?
Ricky Ricardo: Yes. CBS. The Cuban Broadcasting System.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement (2004)

Soundtrack:

I Love Lucy

Perfection.

There was never a dull episode.They all made us laugh and continue to do so fifty years later.This is,without question,the only perfect TV series ever produced.I don't have to mention names,you all know who they are.I don't have to name the funniest episodes,because all of us can name them.This show had an appeal with no expiration date.Everything about it is just as funny now as I know it was then.And they thought the idea of a white woman being married to a Cuban band leader wouldn't last,or be accepted by the viewing public.How wrong they were.Very few shows of it's time are still around in reruns.This speaks volumes. If I had to sum it all up in one word,it would be "perfection".