Lucy in London, Sleepy in Seats
A rare screening; an uncommonly good
nap
We arrived in Jamestown in time for a rare public
screening of the 1966 Lucy special, "Lucy in London." Unfortunately, it's a bad
print. The color needs to be corrected.
I do not persnally enjoy this oddly
edited special, in which Lucy Carmichael is made to look like an idiot. It is a
nice time capsule of the London Mod Scene, though, with Lucy donning Carnaby
Street fashions and a multitude of
wigs.
About halfway through, I leaned on
Eric's arm and had a nice nap.
After
checking into the Holiday Inn, we went to nearby Celoron, NY, to go to the Lucy
Fan Reunion and an indoor picnic. A funny Lucille Ball impersonator was on hand,
as was a loud Desi imitator who does his songs well.
The food was completely dreadful. I
don't care if it was donated. it was cold and bad. That did not stop me from
going back for more, though.
The
Lucy-Desi Museum was given the donation of a fireman's helmet from "The Lucy
Show." Or was it. We might never know, but the faithful still want to kiss it.
We watched an episode of "The Lucy Show" featuring Hans Conreid giving La Ball
singing lessons.
That night we went to
see the "I Love Lucy" movie, which has not been seen since one preview screening
in 1953 in Bakersfield, CA. Editor Dann Cahn explained that the episode was
woven together from three episodes of "I Love Lucy" and was bookended with
filmed sequences of a couple going to the Desilu Playhouse to watch a TV episode
being filmed.
Not only did the movie
feature good filmed transitions between the episodes to tie them together, it's
a good records of Desi Arnaz in the studio warming up the crowd and introducing
his wife, Vivian Vance, and William Frawley. I don't know how premeditated this
part was, since the actors are in the same costumes they will be wearing in the
actual episodes.
Did they go back and
re-film a fake audience warm up, or did they know that episode being introduced
was going in the film? Either way, it shows the entire studio and the warm up
still seemed genuine.
The print was in
great shape and far superior to the "Lucy in London" print. We later learned
that the London special needs color correction. The "I Love Lucy" movie was
pristine by comparison.
Posted: Sat
- May 28, 2005 at 02:33 PM