LET'S TALK TO CAROLE from "The Lucy Show: The Official Second Season" (CBS Home Video, 2010)

In memory of
MILDRED FRANCES 'CAROLE' COOK
January 14 1924 - January 11 2023
Truly one a kind.
This interview was filmed on Carole Cook's 86 birthday, January 14, 2010.
FULL INTERVIEW
The one and only Carole Cook, in conversation with host Tony Maietta, discusses being "discovered" by Lucille Ball, her relationship with Vivian Vance, and her insights into the artistry and comedic genius of Lucy.
from "The Lucy Show: The Official Second Season" CBS Home Video, 2010.
For more info visit tony-maietta.com

[@frederickcombs8661]

This was such a choice interview and I enjoyed it even more this time.

[@tonymaietta7899]

Thank you Frederick! I can always count on you. 😊

[@robertmeyer7836]

I was blessed to meet Carole Cook at Belinni's Italian Restaurant in Dallas a few years back. She stopped at my table, sat down and we spoke for an extended time. What a delight she is!! Down-to-earth, funny, and completely open. I love her!!

[@jamesfox2579]

This is such a marvelous TREAT! Thank you!!💕

[@tonymaietta7899]

You are so welcome! Glad you enjoyed it. She was one of a kind!

[@darreylhenderson702]

Thank you so much for posting this, I absolutely adore Carole and this was such a fun, hilarious and informative interview!!

[@tonymaietta7899]

Thank you Darreyl!

[@garypesci746]

That was great! She had me laughing so many times, with "Miss Arballs" and "I haven't been feeling well lately". I watched The Lucy Show as a kid in the 1960s, as well as reruns in later years, and came to recognize all of the supporting actresses on the show, including Carole Cook. She was in a movie from 1963 called "Palm Springs Weekend", sort of a west coast version of "Where the Boys Are", and she played 9 year old Billy Mumy's mother. Just last week I was watching a rerun of Maude and Carole Cook was in it playing Walter's ex-wife who was marrying Maude's uncle and, after seeing this, I think she wore the dress with the fur collar that Lucy gave her. It was a very 1950s style dress and the Maude episode was from about 1974. And then I come across this video. Thank you! edit: It just occurred to me to do a google search and I found a picture of Carole Cook from the Maude episode and it does look like she is wearing the dress she got from Lucy. Here's a link to the page, hope it works: www.kennethinthe212.com/2020/04/maude-broad.html

[@MissPerriwinkle]

we adore carole..... fabulous energy.....

[@tonymaietta7899]

Yes we do

[@driveinfan1955]

The first time I ever saw Carole Cook was in The Incredible Mr. Limpet. I loved her in that! Wonderful interview and wonderful seeing her again!

[@haroldstella1398]

LOVE YOU CAROLE COOK ❤️❤️

[@chrislucchetti4494]

How wonderful

[@videox222ify]

Loved the beautiful and talented star, Carole Cook. She was so funny and a great actress and such a wonderful singer. Godspeed.

[@garyroyals4441]

Lucy was brilliant in picking the women she did (and men) to surround herself with that complemented her talents while she allowed theirs to shine through. I will also appreciate Lucille's contribution to television and to humor. It got me through a tough childhood and today provides the escape i need in a world that has become so cruel and senseless at times. She, Carole, and the other ladies are as funny today as they were when I was a child. Carole Cooke was always a zany and fun character no matter which character she played. Glad to claim Carole not only as a former Texan but as a former Baylor University student. Carole thanks for sharing your experiences. Love you.

[@vistaestrada]

Beautiful interview! Thank you for sharing Miss Cook and your talent with us.

[@tonymaietta7899]

Our pleasure! THANK YOU

[@renesagahon4477]

Very Well done interview. So much like American archive documentary refreshing !!

[@csymindspring]

Such fun stories and recollections. A real class act.

[@CoopyKat]

I love these interviews, with people who were really there when these classic shows were created. To hear all of the extra things we never knew or heard of before! I remember seeing Carole on the show but never knew her name, she looks so beautiful in those 60's fashions, and still looks so great.

[@Cherryshake]

So happy to see this interview. What a fun life she’s lived.

[@noahjackson2]

Her character in the Volunteer Firefighter episode was sooo funny when she came down the pole

[@Mezzotenor]

Jeez, she was funny, no wonder Lucy hired her. God bless her!

[@patriciagiles5833]

I enjoyed your interview with Carole Cook. She's a genuinely down-to-earth character- friendly, animated & witty. It must've been a pleasure for you.

[@josephquillian2866]

I LOVED watching this interview again! :-) :-) Jody

[@tonymaietta7899]

Thank you Jody!

[@January.]

You're so lucky to have met her

[@missmarymary6506]

Around 342 when she says Lucy and Desi where little kids her demeanor changed for a sec and said they weren't That young and then says it doesn't matter she's not in the will. 🤣🤣...makes me think she had a Mrs Robinson moment with Desi Jr

[@drednm]

Hilarious woman! What a treasure she was.

[@January.]

I have the utmost respect and appreciation for Carole Cook and everyone from her generation.

[@oceanlover3530]

What a fun lady! Such a great conversation! Thank you for posting Tony! ✌🏻😉✌🏻

[@tonymaietta7899]

Thank you!

[@delshores5017]

Just an amazing interview. Thank you Tony. RIP Carole Cook. A legend.

[@xtcBEBOP]

Carole is a gem!!

[@johnflynn9619]

Carole is a Doll. Very Talented woman.

[@Kangourou66]

Thank you so much! How wonderful!

[@misfittoy327]

What a treasure! I was a little kid in the '60s, and we never missed The Lucy Show or Here's Lucy. The only thing that surprised me is that Miss Cook was basically a very lucky apprentice well-chosen by a genius to mentor. I always assumed she was another great character actress like Mary Wickes and Mary Jane Kroft who was hired because she had a ton of experience, just like her colleagues! Thank you for posting this.

[@Sababarghout]

OMG she looks AMAZING!!! 98 years young…

[@tonymaietta7899]

Well, this interview was from 2010, so not 98 then. But still going strong! :)

[@jeffreymartin6369]

Lucy helped Carol Burnett get her show... kind of. Carol was offered a one hour special by the network IF she could provide a genuine star. She knew no one well enough to ask, but Lucy had told her years before in NYC "if I can ever do anything to help you, let me know". Carol called and Lucy said when? Carol told her and she said sure! Carols told her, don't you wanna know about the fee? Lucy said no, it'll be fun, I'll be there. Once Carol finally landed the show full time Lucy was a guest every year.

[@JSB1882]

Carole Cook is currently 98!! She seems like a lot of fun!

[@tonymaietta7899]

She IS!

[@peliasadventurer602]

@@tonymaietta7899 Sadly she died January 11 just 3 days shy of 99😢

[@mkofftiger]

That story about the ladies in the drug store was hilarious! My father-in-law was a drama student at Baylor with Ms. Cook; whenever they happened to meet (usually at Baylor homecoming), their friendship was renewed as though they'd never left school. She was a pip.

[@David_USF]

R.I.P. Carole Cook (January 14, 1924 - January 11, 2023) She has passed away from heart failure at the age of 98.

[@wendellnelson1118]

I worked with Carole when she was still Mildred here at Casa Manana here in Ft. Worth, Texas. I remember one night she opened the male dancer's dressing room and yelled out " Ok boys, I don't want to see any doe eyes bigger than mine on stage tonight". I fell to the floor. The show was Shoestring Revue. The funniest woman I've ever met, but also one of the nicest.

[@peliasadventurer602]

😢😢RIP Carole and just 3 days shy of 99.

[@Scorchy666]

I enjoyed the interview and the sexy interviewer.

[@tonymaietta7899]

Thanks! 😆

[@drednm]

Love Carole Cook..... Lucy's comedy inspirations were Marion Davies and Carole Lombard.

[@abc70231]

Thelma in The Lucy Show.

[@judd442009]

Carole Cook's performance with Dick Kallman in the Desilu Review was amazing--check it out: kzbin.info/www/bejne/p3WTl3V_mNSXp7c

[@judd442009]

TONY: Had you seen the Cooke & Kallman performance before?

[@tonymaietta7899]

I have yes. Thanks for sharing that

[@marcusj4641]

What season did she play Tennessee Ernie Ford's wife?

[@hanschristianbrando5588]

"Lucy was the consummate professional." True, but she could have taken lessons in a more spontaneous kind of comedy from the wonderful Carole Cook. Desilu should have built a show around her. I laughed more watching this than most episodes of "The Lucy Show."

[@DonnaBrooks]

You must not have watched the early seasons with Vivian Vance. The "Electric Mattress" ep & the "Kangaroo" ep are both pee your pants funny! The Cleopatra ep had a hilarious final scene. Viv had perfect timing with, "The end is near!" And then "Julius Caesar killing them both because neither would die! Putting the TV antenna on the roof, trying to catch Mr. Mooney's cockatiel & someone reporting them to the police because they thought they were crazy! Lucy getting amnesia. Viv: "Don't you remember anything? Don't you remember your children? Mr. Mooney?" "I have a child named Mr. Mooney??!" Lucy conducting a symphony. Jumping on a trampoline to get up to the window in Viv's room, so Viv can let her in, or the other time when Lucy & Mr. Mooney were using a fishing pole & magnet to try to pull the lease out of a sleeping Viv's PJ pocket and ended up "catching" all kinds of other metal things instead. And the shower installation scene is a classic. People who've never watched the show have seen that one. Some of the eps with Vivian are as funny as I Love Lucy. I mean, you had the same ILL WRITERS, AND Lucy & Viv's chemistry & how they worked together as a comedic team to make their scenes even funnierå,- as described in this video & confirmed by the man who played Jerry as a child. ILL was iconic, but TLS was a funny show in itself, at least when Viv was Lucy's co-star in S1-S3. It lost that magic when Vivian left the show. Lucy was at her best when onscreen with Vivian!