This Is Why the Cast Had To Smoke So Heavily

[@dbeaus]

53 years smoke free. The doctors who did my triple bypass said if I had not quit when I did, I probably would not have made it. Over 5 years and going strong

[@dbeaus]

Much love to the Veteran Administration Health Care.

[@mariafisher9259]

Congratulations that's awesome ​@@dbeaus

[@mariafisher9259]

Congratulations 👏 🎉 ​@@dbeaus

[@SandySexy]

I don't understand?

[@h0rriphic]

Congratulations on overcoming such a daunting challenge. You are a rockstar OP!

[@miracas1206]

11 yrs smoke free! Don't miss it either. Quit while you can folks.

[@davidmann4533]

Good for you I quit 30 years ago that’s $98,000 ago plus I can breathe😂

[@randysills4418]

Yes! Smoking cut the lives of most of my relatives short by many years!

[@CarlRennhack]

I quit in Fall 1978 in Philadelphia, PA, about a month before I turned 27. Cancer sticks at that time were $6.50 a CARTON; I recently saw a single pack selling for $15 here in NYC!

[@vi2623]

Quit in 1989.Took a year of gradually letting go of one cigarette at a time - the “in the car” cigarette went first. I was smoking 3 packs a day when I “started” quitting.

[@RhondaCroom]

Congratulations

[@doreenbarrick2134]

I'm 67 and never thought I'd quit. My Anthony was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer 8 mos ago and passed 6 mos ago. I'm 5 months cigarette FREE! I Miss Him Everyday!! Congrats to all who quit! Blessings to All!!

[@Laura-v9p7q]

my mom could not quit. she died of lung cancer at 71

[@christienelson1437]

Thank you for being a hero. 🙏💕

[@michellesmith3516]

🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽💪🏽💪🏽💪🏽💪🏽💪🏽❤❤❤❤❤

[@siobhanharte5075]

Thank you so much for this. And I wish you peace and happiness ❤

[@annettefelton7157]

@@doreenbarrick2134 God bless you. 10 years for me was never a smoker. But that second hand smoke is terrible. Family members.

[@clbcl5]

While Desilu produced Star Trek, it was Lucy who would get Star Trek past the 1st year when the network want to cancel it. History was then made.

[@threynolds2]

Yes, Lucy saved Star Trek.

[@mm4894]

Desilu put out many shows that are still popular today. They include "Star Trek", "Dick VanDike", "Twilight Zone", "Andy Griffith" and "Gomer Pyle".

[@MCTeck]

Don't forget "Our Miss Brooks" .

[@billgrandone3552]

I laugh when I think that the infamous right wing nonsense group the House Select Committee for the Investigation of Un-American Activities once branded Lucille Ball as a card carrying Communist because she had signed up in deference to her grandfather in 1938 when she was 27 never went to a meeting, read The Worker" or did anything to otherwise involve herself in communist activities. Nevertheless in the 1950s they branded her as a communist even though her and Desi were one of Hollywood's most successful capitalists because of the success of Desilu Productions started by Desi and Lucy. Lucy survived HUAC. HUAC did not survive Lucy and common sense, but not after ruining the careers of many fine artists and people.

[@silviamtz8961]

And a couple of cowboy shows!

[@igotudave]

And Mission impossible

[@Jaque1961]

Dyke, not Dike...

[@fromthesidelines]

Philip Morris was the original sponsor of "I LOVE LUCY" from 1951 through 1955. They insisted the cast "light up" on camera as often as possible, and for Lucy and Desi to "plug" their brand in commercials at the end of every episode.

[@maryevens4261]

I read somewhere that Lucy really like Chesterfield cigarettes. So when she had to smoke onscreen she put her brand into the Philip Morris pack.

[@sexymama1966]

I love it!, the clever portion that is​@@maryevens4261

[@CarolMortensen-e2b]

@@maryevens4261 I heard that, too.

[@irisfryer6531]

Ethel and Fred only lit up once and then put the cigarettes in the ash tray. They never inhaled.

[@CarolMortensen-e2b]

@@irisfryer6531 I noticed that,too.

[@tomsmith2013]

I love Lucy and Lucy loves me. She's as happy as a cat up a tree, and when I say that I love her ... She purrs back, "I'm dreaming of ya." And I love Lucy and Lucy loves me. She's as happy as a kitty can be, and when I say, "I love you" ... She purrs, "I love you too." We're happy ..., I love my Lucy kitty true! R.I.P Lucy Kitty, Sept. 2021 - Age 19 💔💔💔

[@h0rriphic]

Ooof. I am so, so sorry OP. Our furry friends sure do take a huge part of our heart w/them when they go, huh. I promise you that we will all be together forever again, someday. We just have to be patient for now 🩵

[@glennso47]

They made a theatrical movie called “The Long Long Trailer” (1954)

[@CarolMortensen-e2b]

I love that movie. I've seen it many, many times. There is also the film, "Forever Darling" that followed.It seems kind of dark and not nearly as funny as , "The Long, Long Trailer". The mid century sets and costumes were fantastic in both.

[@toryberch]

Loved that movie 🎥🍿

[@wendyhubbard3109]

That is an awesome movie!

[@ettaplace6716]

Great fun movie for sure !

[@Hillers62]

I love that movie...He was called Mickey instead of Rickey...and the rocks she collected!!!!

[@bar10ml44]

Nothing is ever as it seems. Thank you for putting this together.

[@Jaded57]

I know….. it’s awful when we discover that 💔

[@Gary_Jaffe]

This video is filled with misinformation. Yes, it's true that Phillip Morris sponsored Lucy, and Lucy and Desi smoked on the show - but that was no secret, so I'm not sure what you mean by "nothing is ever as it seems." The rest of this video is about 90% incorrect, so I wouldn't thank them for putting it together, especially since it's done with artificial intelligence and a bot reading the narration.

[@ladyzen]

@@Gary_Jaffe 🤣💯

[@bobpierce115]

At the 15:10 mark, the narrator states Vivian and William only appeared in 7 episodes of the show's run, all within the first season. This is completely false. He says it like it's true. Unbelievable.

[@lindahandley5267]

It was hard to believe!

[@jamesrobiscoe1174]

@@lindahandley5267 Don't.

[@Sirianstar10]

I think he meant appeared together..not sure. I know that hated each other.

[@lindahandley5267]

'Don't' what?

[@bobpierce115]

@@lindahandley5267 Yes, don't what James? And what does this have to do with MY comment, which I believe was really clear!

[@tommunyon2874]

Remember when Gilda Radner did her Lucille Ball impression. She told the interviewer that she and Viv visit over the back fence and discuss how time has ravaged their faces. I'm sure that all the smoking really did age the faces of the actual actors.

[@bryanspindle4455]

I think that's why Lucy's voice was so raspy in later years.

[@bryanspindle4455]

I think that's why Lucy's voice was so raspy in her later years.

[@patronsaintofnow9765]

It did - smoking is awful for the skin& vascular health - Lucy never had any plastic/cosmetic surgery due to bleeding complications and being terrified of being under anethesia, so, by the end of the series, she was undergoing a grueling 2-3 hour process were her head/face was pulled, taped & wrapped in a skull fracture bandage with a wigpinned on top resulting in a 'facelift'. Remember the scene in 'Mrs. Doubtfire' where Robin Williams is trying to settle on a 'look' and they pull the strings back on his scalp? That was an actual process actresses used. If you look at candid photos of Lucy in later years at home,and at family functions as opposed to her public appearances, she looks years older when not in front of the camera.

[@michaelmckenna6464]

@@bryanspindle4455The demands of the set also played a number on Lucy’s voice. Her Lucy Ricardo voice was higher than her natural voice. Behind the scenes, she did a lot behind the scenes, which required her to yell a lot, both were hard on her voice.

[@suestephan3255]

The smoking definitely affected Lucy’s voice.

[@RhondaCroom]

17 yrs for me I truly don't miss smoking cigarettes 🎉

[@AndyTempleman-ot6lu]

Frawley and Vance made this show so great!

[@leelarson107]

They stole the show. But I still didn't like the show anyway.

[@mayorb3366]

They faked it very well. Their distain for each other never showed at all. True professionals.

[@TheloniousJackson]

@@mayorb3366it’s called acting

[@mayorb3366]

@@TheloniousJackson Frawley overheard Vance say that she should play a role as his daughter instead of his wife during casting (he was 22 years her senior). That enraged him and the feeling did not go away. She thought he was being ridiculous and kept her distance from him off the set. Their ill feelings about each other involved no acting whatsoever.

[@TheloniousJackson]

@@mayorb3366 I know they didn’t get along off camera. But when in character you wouldn’t know that… that’s why I said it’s acting

[@jaelge]

I love Lucy, Ricky, Fred, and Ethel. So many days I´d play hooky and it was among the daytime rerun lineup, along with the Bob Cummings show, Andy Griffith, Gomer Pyle USMC, etc. Man, those were the days.

[@darksarcasm4835]

Me too❤

[@Jean-ni6of]

Has all gone brain dead. Where oh where did the good shows go? NONE SURVIVED. NONE!

[@sallykohorst8803]

Thanks so much for this great behind the scenes.

[@Gary_Jaffe]

The video is filled with misinformation. The majority of what is said here is flat out wrong.

[@joannelarose8198]

Desi was a very handsome man.

[@Hillers62]

He was seen as the Latino Lover...unfortunately he was cheating on Lucille before the show began...that is why when the show ended, she filed for divorce...

[@bwenluck9812]

@joanne And Desi knew it and played it to the hilt, lol.... It eventually caught up to him when Lucy cut him off....

[@Robert.Robertson.NorthMiami]

*ALthough I was Forced to VOTE for KAM & HoyLe(House)===>* *DemonicRatScuum who Own U-666-Tube; Keep Waging WAR on GOD & TRUTH!!!* *IF TRUMP WINS I am Going to JUMP with JOY =====>*

[@sherrihaight2724]

Also who woukd notice at the time? Heck even in 70s you couldnt walk two feet without a cloud of smoke. Even hospitals had cig vending and smokers all over.

[@MrEd9574]

I grew up in the 60s. Everyone smoked and stank. I hated it so much and have never smoked even though i stood out as being odd. Then it became practically obsolete .

[@christienelson1437]

I agree I don’t know how many kids were bullied because they stank like stale cigarettes when being driven by their parents to school. Luckily most kids walked, road buses or the car windows were open. Cigarettes were everywhere, restaurants, gas stations, hospitals, elevators, schools. I never wanted to look into cigarette machines for change because I thought it was so gross, but the machines were everywhere.🙏💕

[@redfields5070]

I grew up in the 50s and I just didn't need to be cool. I didn't give a damn what other kids thought of me.

[@paulburley7993]

I saw a cigarette butt on the sidewalk in our neighbourhood. I was so surprised I pointed it out to a neighbour and we discussed "how it got there and who would do that!" How times have changed!🇨🇦

[@Tazzman225]

@@paulburley7993 --- We had a kid who used to pick up the cigarette butt and smoke. We explained to him the dangers of lip cancer and lung cancer. He did listen and stopped smoking.

[@WilAdams]

Speaking of the theme song, there is an old film (from the 1940s called Junior Prom (it was part of a series called 'The Teenagers. During the end celebration in the film you can HEAR the Lucy Theme. No one has ever pointed this out so I thought I would.

[@carminecrapanzano1407]

Yes you are correct I was there and I heard it for myself.

[@chryssoraidy9838]

I've never heard of that, so i did some research. it's NOT the Lucy theme, which was written 7 yrs after Junior Prom was released. But it's VERY VERY close!!! I quickly found the film on Tubi! I've never seen it until now, and i'm amazed by the scene in question. The girl who comes out and dances to it (like a real gymnast!), looks SO MUCH like Lucy when she would let her hair down, but that's probably a coincidence. She even wore an outfit similar to what i'd seen Lucy wear somewhere. I checked IMDB, and that movie number is not listed on the soundtrack!! But we do know it was performed by the Abe Lyman Orchestra. It's definitely not THE same song, but it's SO similar! There are differences in key, but the similarities outweigh the differences, for sure. SO similar, that I Love Lucy's composer, Elliot Daniel, could have been sued for plagiarism. I mean, that theme song is one of the most well-known songs in the world. Thinking about it further, Desi wrote the lyrics to I Love Lucy. He was a band leader, and even the stage presence of the actors were the same in I Love Lucy days. He and Lucy had been married 6 years by the time Junior Prom came out. Mayyyyybe, he saw the film and saw this Lucy-like beauty, and locked into the tune. Even if it wasn't deliberate or conscious, it's entirely possible this film is how he would have come up with this music, and had Mr. Daniel edit the composition. I can imagine the tune being stuck in his head, and him putting his own lyrics to it, the way i do with my cats (i have so many parodies my pets, it's just obnoxious). That was almost 80 years ago. So, so much for a plagiarism lawsuit. haha.

[@tinarash7772]

You never HAVE to smoke!

[@celialovett5880]

I temped for around a month at Philip Morris back in the early 80s. Once a week, they gave out free cigarettes based on seniority. I got a free pack for every day I worked and long time employees got all the way up to 4 cartons. The company nurse was the one who kept track and gave them out! I can still see her in her white nurse uniform, calling out each employee's name in a 3 pack a day for 30 years voice. It was wild.

[@owlfethurz8377]

Wow. By the grace of God, I never started smoking. I remember when they started putting warnings on the boxes. However, it was already widely known for years how dangerous it was. They were about as bad as drug cartels today. The love of money...

[@chryssoraidy9838]

The early EIGHTIES? Damn, that's crazy! But when i was a kid in Catholic school in the 70s, they'd show us films with doctors holding up blackened lungs, and talk about the pollution that only made it worse. I grew up in the Los Angeles area, and i've been breathing that smoggy filth my whole life. Mom died of lung cancer, cuz she just couldn't behave herself after quitting 30 yrs in. Dad had asbestosis, so he quit smoking when he found out. He'd also damaged his lungs in a jeep accident. So we thought his lungs would be what took him out one day. BUT when he quit smoking, he didn't quit drinking. Probably needed it more. So his liver got him, after he started taking Tylenol every day with his drinks. Between the accelerated liver damage and his low oxygen from the lung damage, he died of hepatoencephalopathy (but not from the colon cancer he had!) All 3 siblings in our family chose not to smoke. Thinking about what Philip Morris had been doing though... I smoked at bars when my friends did sometimes, just because they had to stand outside, and if i had to stand there, i wanted to play with a cigarette. But never got hooked. Girls representing tobacco companies would show up at the bars with trays of smokes and give out free packs if you signed up. Then they'd send you free smokes by mail long enough to get you hooked, and then start charging you a good price for shipments. I got a case of smokes and gave them away for free drinks when i was low on cash for gig night. That was in the early 2000s! Ironically they stopped doing that right around the time my dad died. Irony.

[@reglook1]

My Doctor used to smoke while he talked to me.

[@apollomemories7399]

Incredible.

[@EM-mw2qr]

A doctor I once went to did that too.

[@reglook1]

@@EM-mw2qr Bank then it was a given, people had a right to smoke every where. Even the school administrators all smoked in there offices.

[@EM-mw2qr]

@@reglook1 True. When I was a kid I used to do volunteer work at the parish rectory and both priests and their housekeeper smoked and I would go home with a sore throat from the smell.

[@rr7firefly]

One of my doctors after college smelled like a trashy pool hall when he walked into the examining room. I always wondered what his problem was.

[@mayorb3366]

Frawley's angst for Vance started while casting. He overheard her say that she should be playing his daughter, not his wife. (She was 22 years younger). He held a grudge throughout the show's run. Conversely, Lucy was 6 years older than Desi.

[@billgrandone3552]

And Lucy was also older than Vivian Vance.

[@mayorb3366]

@@billgrandone3552 Off topic, but Estelle Getty, who played the older lady (Sophia) in The Golden Girls was in real life younger that Bea Arthur who played her daughter (Dorothy). I'm sure there are many examples of actual age vs roles played in TV and movies. One that surprised me was Kevin Bacon, played a college student in Animal House (1978), and six years later (1984) played a high school student in Footloose. Also on Welcome Back Kotter, John Travolta (Vinnie Barbarino) was the youngest one of the "Sweat Hogs" when the series premiered (1975). He was 21. Ron Palillo (Arnold Horshack) was 29 in the final season.

[@kiwitrainguy]

@@mayorb3366 In the movie North By Northwest, Cary grant and the actress who played his mother were actually born in the same year.

[@carminecrapanzano1407]

I had the privilege of meeting Desi Arnaz Sr. He was a warm and loving man. He took me under arms like i was family. And he never stopped love of Lucy til the day he died.

[@shaystern2453]

I had the privilege of seeing Desi on TV

[@bellesterbeatty3571]

Lucy said, "Desi was the love of my life, but I couldn't take it anymore. " (he cheated like crazy)

[@maryellenquinn5267]

What a dick was Desi! All men that cheat on their wives are DICKS!

[@cdean2950]

40 years smoke free!! Cant stand the smell of it !!!😂

[@kelf114]

Lucky Strike sponsored quite a number of shows, including Jack Benny. You rarely saw anyone smoking a cigarette outside the advertising. Plus, it was an era when smoking was common. You could smoke anywhere. Restaurants, stores, theatres.... anywhere. You cannot judge the past by modern standards. It doesn't work.

[@trudieristich795]

Smoking on a plane that's crazy I I remember being younger and after partying Stopping at Denny's In smoking at the table while you're eating , it's a crazy to think of now

[@shaystern2453]

the marketers won big back then. 4 out of 5 doctors recommend chesterfields

[@BETTERWORLDSGT]

In those days, almost everyone smoked! Both My Parents smked 2 to 3 Packs a day! There were Ashtrays all through the House, occasionally they were used in various domestic disputes to attack ine or the other

[@mousehouse3591]

My mother always had a cigarette hanging from her mouth, she could get an ash of at least an inch still hanging on, even while cooking. Eventually we just called the ashes dropped in our meals as mom's special pepper.

[@Smedleydog1]

There were some contradictory statements in this video. One that was the most egregious is the segment Absent Mertzes, where it is stated that: "William Frawley and Vivian Vance were only in 7 episodes of the show's run, all which were in the first season, despite having relatively supporting roles." (that's a direct quote from this video). I know that this isn't right because I've been around for a few years and have watched I Love Lucy literally thousands of times. Also, IMDB credits both Frawley and Vance for 179 episodes.

[@mayorb3366]

IMDB is a fantastic reference for TV and movie data. I go there frequently for answers about actors and to fact check my BS, to make sure it's not BS. Problem for me is that it segways into more questions, and I get stuck there for an hour or two.

[@pennybourban3712]

I caught that too. Not sure what they were referring to. Perhaps that they had not been intended to be permanent characters? Sort of like Fonzie?

[@mayorb3366]

@@pennybourban3712 Early on in Happy Days, they wanted to shift the focus of the show onto Henry Winkler's character. Henry flat out said that if that happened, he'd quit the show. Henry insisted that the show should remain on Ron Howard's character. Sidenote; in 1976 Halloween day at my middle school, there must have been 50 kids dressed up as Fonzie. Fun days! Happy Days!

[@Gary_Jaffe]

@@pennybourban3712 This is a classic example of the new "AI/Bot" video. They are poorly researched and those who post them don't bother to fact check or edit them. They post them hoping for views and likes because they make money from KZbin off of it. KZbin needs to police all the misinformation going on - it's literally ruining KZbin.

[@owlfethurz8377]

I agree. Although I generally enjoyed the video, there were several statements that were either oddly stated, just wrong, or confusing. Very disjointed and stilted. Probably AI?

[@Imintune...]

Even the Flintstones smoked in commercials.

[@maxspeed57]

I finally quit 8 months ago. Thanks Desi and Lucy.

[@JDRMC]

This was supposed to be about the awful ciggy sponsors. You said a ton of stuff I already knew. 😂

[@douglassmith2989]

happy birthday Lucy, August 6 1911

[@jacquelineharrod6386]

Absolutely fascinating. Thank you 😊

[@rickfromjersey]

Interesting facts, First while Phillip Morris sponsored I Love Lucy, Lucille Ball refuse to smoke them because she did not like the taste so her assistant would replace the Phillip Morris cigarettes with Chesterfield in the Phillip Morris pack. Second even through Vivian Vance and William Frawley did not get along when Frawley died Vance showed up at his funeral out of respect, surprising Frawley's family and funeral attendees including Ball and Arnaz.

[@k.b.tidwell]

How many Dragnet episodes have I seen where Jack Webb advertised Chesterfield! The cigarette that's "the best possible smoke"!

[@PKr25-R17]

The show was so fun and silly. A smash hit in its time. We never missed and episode or a rerun in later years. It’s fun to find out more about the behind the scenes part of the show, but that will never change the hours of fun, laughs and entertainment “ I Love Lucy” gave its fans. ❤

[@hectormedina7198]

May they all Rest In Peace, Amen!

[@mikealban5194]

Background music is distracting 😮

[@dmdohse55]

i heard they wanted gail gordon for a lucy show but he was busy w/something else and heon that showlater w the puppets at yje beggining and that houseMR> MOONY

[@mrskenscott9643]

While Lucy & Ricky smoked during every show, Fred & Ethel rarely smoked.

[@Gary_Jaffe]

They didn't smoke on every show. Untrue.

[@northwesttravels7234]

Chain smoking and throwing cigarette butts everywhere is very annoying. Billions of cigarette butts along America's roadways.

[@MK-ft3qt]

So what.

[@susanlightbourn4637]

😂😂😂😂😂​@@MK-ft3qt

[@Robert.Robertson.NorthMiami]

@@MK-ft3qt*

[@tapper701]

A disgrace & people should be fined for littering, IMHO

[@MK-ft3qt]

@@northwesttravels7234 So what. Go pick them up if you don't like it.

[@kevinjones5715]

When you make 2 minutes of information EVERYONE already knows into a 22 minute video.

[@Hillers62]

When Lucille Ball had later series, you could hear how her voice became more raspy...

[@shaystern2453]

like stephanie nicks

[@samrumohr2691]

​@@shaystern2453who

[@kathleenmckeithen118]

I adored the show along with the rest of America and everything did stop for "I Love Lucy" just as everything stopped for the "Ed Sullivan Show". All of the characters together were hilarious and I can't imagine the show being as funny as it was without each of them. Desi was just as much fun for me to watch as Lucy was and he even taught me the Spanish vowel sounds in the episode he was trying to read a child's storybook. ❤😊

[@DarleneHarris-s6h]

I bought several “I Love Lucy” Barbie dolls still in the original box🎉💖💕

[@prmath]

Smokers are a dying breed. And Very painful……..

[@leelarson107]

More women are smoking, like it or not. Non-Whites smoke a lot, generally speaking. I have smoked a pipe for 48 years. My annual chest X-rays show nothing out of the ordinary. Most of those who self-righteously condemn smokers are usually White liberals and are more likely women than men. *Fact.

[@Ronni.M]

My favorites are their trip to Hollywood and while they were there.

[@roysnider3456]

I remember that Lucy famously used henna hair dye and when she heard they were going to stop making it she went around to all the beauty supply stores and bought all of it she could find. At least that’s what I heard.

[@miapdx503]

My grandmother used henna in her hair, and even into her 80s and 90s was a flaming redhead. She once asked me if I thought it was awful...I'm sure she took a lot of criticism. I told her no! I was in my twenties and said when I got older I'd do the same. In my late thirties I went blonde...😏 I miss that lady.🌹😊

[@roysnider3456]

@@miapdx503 what a great memory of your grandmother 👍

[@jamesrobiscoe1174]

Her hair is red, it's dyed they say. But it looks pretty henna way.

[@TheSaltydog07]

Doctors touted cigarettes beneficial to health in those days.

[@thefamouspeopleus]

This video dives deep into the untold stories behind "I Love Lucy." It's fascinating to learn that the seemingly carefree smoking habits of the cast were actually a product of the era and the show's financial ties to a cigarette company.

[@Gary_Jaffe]

This deep dives into nothing. The majority of information here is false and generated by artificial intelligence. Both Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz were lifelong smokers, with habits that started long before the I LOVE LUCY series. Their habits were not a product of the era or the show being sponsored by Phillip Morris. I'm not minimizing the shame cigarette companies deserve because they absolutely knew of the health hazards but, until forced, did not warn the public. But, what you say is not the case - that the stars picked up their smoking habits BECAUSE of the advertiser involved.

[@justiceforall466]

Fred Flintstone and Barney Rubble smoked Winston's on air😮.

[@eadecamp]

Until Wilma got pregnant.

[@ugaais]

Ahhh the good all days..

[@NYNC88]

There were a lot of problems with the narration in this video, but one of the most glaring was the mispronunciation of "biopic."

[@richfeinberg5130]

The AI bots always get that one wrong!

[@reginaroth2543]

Ya gotta thank Lucy for star trek

[@musicloverme3993]

Thanks Lucy!

[@alainaaugust1932]

I once spoke with a man who had worked in Hollywood in the old days. His job was to go around from set to set to leave off multiple cartons of cigarettes. Its was the usual thing. All the manufacturers did it. Now maybe producers and big-wigs were paid off. And maybe they were paid in cigarette cartons, or some other tobacco products. Though news about the health risks came out in the 50s, no one in or outside of Hollywood paid it any attention. It took all the way to the 80s before not smoking got any traction. Most of the old, smoking stars were dead by the early 90s. Some had died quite young.

[@Thomas-yr9ln]

It was normal for someone Fred's age to have trouble remembering lines. I liked Fred.

[@Elainerulesutube]

He didn't get along with Vivian Vance.

[@Gary_Jaffe]

We all love Fred, but his trouble with memorization was less about age and more about his well-known alcoholism. Although he reportedly did not drink before or during filming, the habit can have a huge effect on something like the ability to retain information. The truth is that Fred had FAR less dialogue than the other three stars of the show, so William Frawley's complaint that he had "too much" to remember is ... well, his attempt to cover up the reality. You can often see his hands shaking in the scenes, another sign of alcoholism. I'm in no way judging or making light of it, just being clear that it wasn't "just age."

[@Tazzman225]

Lucille Ball got her start in a 3Stooges segment, There Little Pigskins. She is a blond in that one.

[@nlpnt]

Philip Morris bowed out as sponsor in 1955; Pontiac Division of GM was in there for a while (the Hollywood cycle) and I can only wonder if they had cone on with it whether Lucy and Ricky would've moved to LA in-series and used, as was done in those episodes, establishing shots of their Pontiac pulling up to places rather than navigating NYC on the subway off-camera.

[@jfitzgerald6039]

Lucille Ball was way ahead of her time. Especially choosing not to include her own children on the show. Being Black, I love the simple storylines of the show, even though my race had no appearances on this American classic. Surprisingly, on The Andy Griffith Show, I have seen only two of my people. Unfortunately, this was the norm.

[@loriforges6304]

If you are going to quote the lyrics, do it correctly!

[@Gary_Jaffe]

Yes! That is just ONE of many FALSITIES in this garbage video.

[@miriam.6304]

You actually pronounce the song completely wrong it goes. “I love Lucy and she loves me. We are as happy as two can be sometimes we quarrel but then how we love making up again.Lucy kisses like no one can. She’s my Mrs. and I am her man and life is haven you see because I love Lucy. Yes, I love Lucy and Lucy loves me.😊”

[@terryhaines8351]

Michael Franks did an excellent version of the song "I Love Lucy." It's slow and romantic.

[@Robert.Robertson.NorthMiami]

*ALthough I was Forced to VOTE for KAM & HoyLe(House)===>* *DemonicRatScuum who Own U-666-Tube; Keep Waging WAR on GOD & TRUTH!!!* *IF TRUMP WINS I am Going to JUMP with JOY =====>*

[@michaeltutty1540]

The Henna Red dye was chosen because the colour suited her in black and white cinematography. The blond looked washed out. Her natural colour made her skin tone look washed out.

[@BTScriviner]

Fred also mocks Ricky's accent periodically.

[@thomasosullivan1704]

Just picked up the Blu-Ray box set today

[@jefferysmith9320]

Why was there no mention of their movie? "the Long Long Trailer"?

[@Gary_Jaffe]

Because this video is artificial intelligence garbage, with no particular perspective or reason to exist. It's nonsense and misinformation created to generate income based on number of views.

[@marshamariner7897]

I thought Ricky sang that 2 Lucy in the episode ...Lucy tells Ricky she having a baby✌️✌️🤔

[@arizonasunflowers5226]

Ricki DOES sing it! He sings: “We’re having a baby, my baby and me…” that’s just the beginning of the song, but it was definitely Ricky! (Desi)

[@arizonasunflowers5226]

This person knows nothing about the show! He obviously NEVER saw it! Write about something you know or it just makes people upset.

[@patgalvez4563]

Desi didn't smoke that much....but he drank like a fish

[@randysills4418]

He died of lung cancer...

[@Julie-ji3nj]

Damn. My late mother lit her first cigarette in 1952, at age TWELVE! She didn’t stop until around 2003…. Ended up on O2 and died of bladder cancer - a direct result of tobacco use.

[@Robert.Robertson.NorthMiami]

*ALthough I was Forced to VOTE for KAM & HoyLe(House)===>* *DemonicRatScuum who Own U-666-Tube; Keep Waging WAR on GOD & TRUTH!!!* *IF TRUMP WINS I am Going to JUMP with JOY =====>*

[@sandranynj7118]

Did you know that: CHER'S Mother was on the Lucy show when they are in Paris and Lucy notices models (CHER'S mother was one of the models walking past them as Lucy and Ethel were at the cafe and noticed them and what they have on) and Ricky and Fred buy them a mock dress made from Horse Feed bag.

[@randysills4418]

The Mertzes appeared in the vast majority of the 179 episodes!!! Not just 7!!!

[@Gary_Jaffe]

EPISODES WITHOUT WILLIAM FRAWLEY as FRED MERTZ: Season 1: “The Quiz Show” “Lucy Is Jealous Of Girl Singer” “The Amateur Hour” Season 4: “Lucy’s Mother-in-Law” (but his voice is heard off screen shouting “Ethel!”) “The Star Upstairs” EPISODES WITHOUT VIVIAN VANCE as ETHEL MERTZ: Season 1: “The Audition” “Lucy Does A TV Commercial” EPISODES WITHOUT WILLIAM FRAWLEY and VIVIVAN VANCE as FRED AND ETHEL MERTZ: Season 1: “The Young Fans” “Lucy Plays Cupid”

[@richfeinberg5130]

@@Gary_Jaffe So maybe he was supposed to say there were only 7 episodes WITHOUT them?

[@Hillers62]

Why? Phillip Morris sponsored the show..."Call for Phillip Mooooorrissss!!!!"

[@stevie68a]

It was trickery: "Fill lip more ease".

[@andytaylor5476]

Sixty years ago in 1964, the US Surgeon General released his report on smoking, cigarettes, risks and dangers. Up till then, health risks were ignored. After all, cigarettes were big business and tobacco companies had powerful lobbies in government. Doctors appeared in TV, Radio ads promoting smoking as healthy and beneficial! Everyone smoked almost everywhere. I Love Lucy was no longer in production. The fact that people smoked then was acceptable. Cigarettes should be outlawed!

[@kathleenking47]

Cigarettes, seed oils, and soap Paid for early TV

[@dymondlyfe1603]

Look at how much alcohol is glamourized. Alcohol should be banned, too!

[@Gary_Jaffe]

If you outlaw cigarettes, you've got to outlaw alcohol, red meat, sugar and many many more products that are known to lead to serious health problems and death. We live in a free country (at least conceptually), so the best that can be done is warning the public about the risks. After that, it's the individual that decides. And because smoking can be harmful even if you're just AROUND a smoker, smoking in public places was banned a long time ago. But, be careful of what you wish for, if we lived in a world where all things that had harmful risks were outlawed, before you know it, mountain climbing, boxing and football will be banned. Or, swimming ... from 2005-2009, there were an average of 3,533 fatal unintentional drownings (non-boating related) annually in the United States. The right to take risks is a big part of freedom.

[@Morning-doom]

My parents had n ashtray on the dinner table and often smoked at the table. I had an aunt Mabel who ironed with a cig hanging out of her mouth. My mom bought me cigs. Drs smoked. It was crazy!🤗

[@67band]

An enjoyable video. Oddly, there are "conflicting" (?) details. Did you notice them?

[@laurachristianson1688]

Showing is reruns constantly in the late sixties I hated I Love Lucy, but completely adored the Dick Van Dyke show.

[@cathynewyork7918]

I agree with you on both points.

[@leelarson107]

I never liked either show. I didn't like Lucille Ball and I didn't like Dick Van Dyke. Still don't.

[@cathynewyork7918]

@@leelarson107 I liked Dick Van Dyke, just never got onboard with Lucy. I used to love "Lassie" and Mary Tyler Moore and All in the Family and The Jeffersons.

[@mayorb3366]

As a small kid, my favorite part of the show was in the opening when he tripped over the ottoman. The humor in the show was still over my head at the time. But I'm pretty sure it's no longer allowed to name someone "Dick Van Dyke". And certainly the fable about the Little Dutch Boy is long out of print. [edit] If you got that reference, you're old too!

[@cathynewyork7918]

@@mayorb3366 I am old, and I do get that reference about the little Dutch boy ... but Dick Van Dyke is his real name, NOT a joke.

[@jamesschwartz3837]

What do they mean Vance and Frawley only appeared in 7 episodes?

[@threynolds2]

15:07. This must be that Mandella Effect everybody is talking about. I've seen Fred and Ethel in almost every episode, not just seven in the first season.

[@nuaru100]

Thank you, Lucy, for keeping kids at a minimum. She knew they couldn't act.

[@Renee60722]

It was always weird to me that Fred was so much older than Ethel.

[@mayorb3366]

Twenty-two years her senior. It was the crux of Frawley's long-lasting angst for her when he overheard her say that she should have been cast as his daughter.

[@mousehouse3591]

@@mayorb3366 And yet now we have people like Jack Nicholson, Leo DiCaprio, and Toby McGuire who are with young women at least 25 years their junior. Those young women never get as far as engagement never mind a long term marriage.

[@chryssoraidy9838]

@@mousehouse3591 You're talking about real-life. The TV show CHOSE a much older man, which wasn't good for either actor. But in real life, it's not a "now" thing. I thought my family was different when my mom was the only 35 yr old grandma anyone seemed to have heard of. My brother was born when she was 16. Think about Elvis and Jerry Lee Lewis. They weren't all that unusual, but they were very public. Even after women started being more independent, there was still a casting couch or bosses lap to deal with. Sugar daddies have always been around, because most men will always be attracted to young, nubile women. But women are a normal part of the workforce, and are more often choosing to have children to raise alone, not just because they got knocked up and abandoned, or widowed. Boys will be boys, and they prefer that girls stay girls. But girls don't NEED men anymore to be a woman.

[@michaelcase8574]

Lucy didn't like Philip Morris cigarettes, so she had her assistant place her brand in the Philip Morris packs when the sponsor was on set.

[@TboneWTF]

You asked why they smoked so much? LOL. Because they were addicted to nicotine! That's why!

[@LearnAboutFlow]

Yup, can't say 'pregnant' as it will offend people but you can promote drug addiction.which seemed to be awesome with every religion

[@janadeubner9883]

That Lucy statue is actually very pretty and looks like Lucy. I saw pictures of the original statue and yes it was scary. Thank God it was replaced!

[@Robert.Robertson.NorthMiami]

*GOD, had ZERO to do with the Lucy Statue!!!!*

[@toniconnor6380]

I love Lucy❤

[@TheloniousJackson]

Fred and Ethel only smoked in one episode

[@mzcocoblaque]

I find it funny how people say fell pregnant like pregnancy is a disease like she was overcome with pregnancy.

[@spideraxis]

A few misconceptions and clarifications. Lucille Ball knew from the start that the show would be a success, Fred and Ethel were in more than seven episodes of the first season. In fact, I believe, they were in all but one. "Disco Lucy" wasn't a phenomenal hit. Placing 40 on the Billboard charts isn't a hit. I never heard that Lucy took the name "Belmont" from the racetrack, but it may be true. Lucy and Desi divorced in 1960, technically the last year of the 1950s.

[@shiroibasketshoes]

The great "Disco Lucy" by Wilton Place Street Band peaked at #24, not #40. Casey Kasem called the Top 40 of the Hot 100 the biggest hits. So it was not only a hit, but one of the biggest.

[@spideraxis]

@@shiroibasketshoes It got very little airplay and wasn't on the charts long. Not quite the hit you make it to be.

[@shiroibasketshoes]

​@@spideraxis Actually, no #24 peaking song of 1977 spent more weeks on the Hot 100 than "Disco Lucy." The Hot 100 chart rankings of all six of them are: "Mainstreet" by Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band: 10 weeks. "Do Ya" by Electric Light Orchestra: 12 weeks. "Too Hot Ta Trot" by The Commodores: 12 weeks. "The Greatest Love Of All" by George Benson: 14 weeks. "The Way I Feel Tonight" by The Bay City Rollers: 17 weeks. "Disco Lucy" by Wilton Place Street Band" 17 weeks, indicating a strong and consistent seller. The Top 40 and airplay alone does not tell the whole story. To what airplay statistics were you referring? Just how often you heard it yourself? Play in disco clubs was becoming more and more of a factor around then.

[@Gary_Jaffe]

This video is artificial intelligence garbage. Here's the truth: EPISODES WITHOUT WILLIAM FRAWLEY as FRED MERTZ: Season 1: “The Quiz Show” “Lucy Is Jealous Of Girl Singer” “The Amateur Hour” Season 4: “Lucy’s Mother-in-Law” (but his voice is heard off screen shouting “Ethel!”) “The Star Upstairs” EPISODES WITHOUT VIVIAN VANCE as ETHEL MERTZ: Season 1: “The Audition” “Lucy Does A TV Commercial” EPISODES WITHOUT WILLIAM FRAWLEY and VIVIVAN VANCE as FRED AND ETHEL MERTZ: Season 1: “The Young Fans” “Lucy Plays Cupid”

[@sctsh1491]

The tobacco companies paid to write smoking into every script of every show on TV back in the day. or a pipe...gee, I wonder what the are selling now... on shows...on tv

[@TheDriftwoodlover]

And it still goes on. There are companies that have manufacturer contracts to get their products placed on the show

[@Robert.Robertson.NorthMiami]

*NOW they are SeLLing Trump!!!!*

[@JedTaub]

Remember the 1960's boy band Dino, Desi, and Billy? Dino was Dean Martin's son, Desi was the son of Luci and Desi Arnaz, and Billy was a friend of theirs.

[@mousemd]

I am not old enough to see the original run. I wouldn't have noticed reruns because of Lucille's incident. My father is my oldest parent. He would have been a teenager when it started. Like 15

[@Gary_Jaffe]

Not sure I understand your point. What is Lucille's incident?

[@jimstokes6742]

well-done!

[@erikabimbo7555]

They had a live audience? But it always sounded like "canned" laughter.

[@Hate_Tube_SLime]

*DonaLd Trump, Took $2,BiLLion dollar Traitors PayOff &---->* *the ShitHo American PeopLe wiLL Re-ELECT Trump #47!!!*

[@Robert.Robertson.NorthMiami]

*Bimbo is NOT HeLpFuLL!!!*

[@mariamercer472]

Because the cigarette companies paid their salaries!!!!

[@BruceGordon925]

I quit for a couple years then was having a problem breathing while I slept. Throat cancer, Now I breath thru a hole in my neck.

[@Robert.Robertson.NorthMiami]

*OnLy MORALLY FiLthy Ones EVER became SMOKERS !!!*

[@W4BIN]

Bad writing, William Frawley was never late to the studio in the mornings. Ron W4BIN

[@carolinematusevich889]

So basically, they got the cast to chain smoke, which made it worse for them to quit. I think only Fred didn't smoke.

[@Gary_Jaffe]

Lucy and Desi were heavy smokers long before the series began - I'm not sure about Vivian Vance. As shameful as Phillip Morris was keeping the information about smoking and its health hazards from the public, "they" didn't get the cast to form smoking habits. The habits were already firmly in place (at least with the two stars).

[@cyndedawson3129]

True that for sure !!!!!!😙😘

[@francisadams-u9l]

Philip Morris, a FINE tobacco company!!!😃😃😃😃😃😃😃😃😃😃

[@shiroibasketshoes]

They deserved all the fines they got!

[@melindahall5062]

I’ve read William Frawley was drunk most of the time…..makes it hard to remember your lines.

[@dymondlyfe1603]

Right. If people are going to demonize cigarettes they need to demonize alcohol, too.

[@nomadmarauder-dw9re]

His contract said Be Sober on the set. Being on time helped. Hard to be on time when drunk.

[@janadeubner9883]

@@nomadmarauder-dw9re I had an ex that made it to work every day until they fired him after sending him for treatment 5 or 6 times.

[@cindytrayer4279]

And I had read/seen videos that said he would often keep his hands in his pockets and jingle coins due to the fact his hands were shaking from withdrawal. I recall many times seeing him do that .

[@searchthewind99]

He went to bars after work. He was sober on the set.

[@DStuart-s1q]

wheres the part about smoking?

[@suzannespanier4492]

Smoking be Morally null for persons of that generation. The contradictions amongst people to be seen and treated as authority figures was indecipherable. What the hell? From a child of this world.

[@lollipoplemur5073]

I quit 10 yrs ago. I dont miss it.

[@babycakes1402]

They must have had such a stench to be around them, wow, so glad I quit & it wasn't as much for 'health' as it was because of the smell, 5 1/2 years & I still don't like being around the smell & avoid it whenever possible.

[@EYE_GOTCHA]

I don’t understand why you recited the “I Love Lucy” lyrics wrong. 🙄