I Love Lucy - Sentimental Sunday No. 55

“I Love Lucy” was one of my favorite shows growing up. During the summer months it was on television every weekday morning at 9am. I watched all the episodes with my Mom. Those are happy memories.

The show never fails to make me laugh, no matter how many times I’ve seen the episode.; and I’ve seen ALL the episodes at least five or six times. (All 194 of them)

It is difficult to choose my favorite episodes, but some are  “Vitameatavegemin”, “The Chocolate Factory” and of course “The Grape Stomping” episode. But there are many that are less well known that tickle my funny bone. For example, the one when Lucy and Ethel buy a walk in freezer and a side of beef – without Ricky and Fred knowing about it – and Lucy gets locked in the freezer and nearly freezes to death. Or the time they decide to live in “pioneer days” and Lucy bakes the loaf of bread that is huge and comes out of the oven and pins her against the cabinets – because she thought the recipe said 13 cakes of yeast, rather than three.

Especially dear to my heart are all of the episodes when they are travelling to California, and then when they are in Hollywood. Who could ever forget the girls stealing John Wayne’s footprints from in front of Grauman’s Chinese Theater? Or, when Lucy is asked to be in a fashion show, but she gets so sunburned… and then has to wear a 100% wool suit on the runway. Her agony was palpable.

I am always instantly happy whenever I watch an “I Love Lucy” episode. She was a genius - and so was Desi Arnaz. He invented the 3-camera sitcom and was an incredible visionary when he had the show filmed, rather than recorded on kinescope.  I Love Lucy was the first television show to be shot in front of an audience on 35mm film.  It is because of his vision that we have all of these treasures more than 50 years later. What a gift they left us all.

I loved Lucy when I was young – and to this day I still do. I own the entire collection on DVD and watch them while walking on the treadmill. And, as I’m watching episodes I can almost hear my Mom’s laughter – because she loved Lucy too. 

Lucille Ball was credited with many clever quotes – but I’ll leave you with my favorite, “The secret of staying young is to live honestly, eat slowly, and lie about your age.”

Who doesn’t "love Lucy" - she was FABULOUS!