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Lucy Ricardo wanted to act, to perform, to sing, to dance. She wanted to be in show biz, period. And when an opportunity arises for her to do a TV commercial, you bet she takes it. If actress Lucille Ball repeatedly proved her brilliance at physical comedy, there is no better example than the episode "Lucy Does a TV Commercial." Lucy convinces her husband, bandleader Ricky Ricardo (Desi Arnaz), to let her do a commercial during a TV variety show. And so Lucy becomes the Vitameatavegamin girl--and does a darn good job at it. The stuff tastes horrible, but she's a good sport, downing spoonful after spoonful for repeated rehearsals. But by the time the live commercial is to air, Lucy's drunk as a skunk. Turns out that Vitameatavegamin is loaded with vitamins
and alcohol. "Lucy and the Loving Cup" is another fine example of Ball's physical comedic talent. In this episode, when Ricky insults Lucy's new hat, she shows
him by donning a loving cup atop her head. Not only does the cup get stuck there, but Ricky's set to present the trophy to jockey Johnny Longden at a National Turf Association dinner. Whatever was actually going on behind the scenes between real-life husband and wife Ball and Arnaz, Lucy and Ricky's marriage, despite the antics and disagreements, is always a happy one by the end of an episode. These two shows are great examples of the tight cast's talent, and great showcases of the hilarious dynamic between the Ricardos.
--N.F. Mendoza
