Customer Reviews

I Love Lucy - Season One (Vol. 6)

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I am just about fed up and at my wits end with Studios releasing these partial "sets". You know, you've seen several studios doing it: putting 4 or 5 helter-skelter episodes from a particular year or years on a DVD rather than boxing the entire season in chronological order. To say that they nickle and dime you to death by these underhanded practices wouldn't be so bad if indeed we were talking about "nickles and dimes", however, we are talking about major tens, twenties, fifties, and hundreds of dollars to fully complete these series. The unabashed greed of the Studios, represented by putting a measley four episodes per DVD is appalling. I Love Lucy is certainly not the first and only show that is doing this, but that hardly makes it any more palletable. Speaking for myself, but with certainly many, many more movie and TV buffs like myself sharing this opinion, I refuse to be lurred in to buying these partial sets any more, only to discover months later that the studio has put out the individual full seasons in chronological order. Listen, I'm not going to say that series' such as M*A*S*H, Cheers, Frazier, All in the Family, and The Simpsons are any better than I Love Lucy, but they are brilliant in their own right, and they all put out full-season box sets and I have every one of them, just as I would have I Love Lucy if they were available, but I cannot allow myself to be ripped off any more. So if any of you Studio "heads" (and I'm being kind in not using a more appropriate body part here) are listening - you will get zilch from me from this point forward until you live the words of Spike Lee and "Do the Right Thing". Just remember, a Rolls-Royce costs two or three hundred thousand dollars per copy, and they sell a few dozen every year, whereas Ford sells millions of reasonably-priced vehicles every year. Now it just happens to be a fact that Ford owns Rolls-Royce and not the reverse. There is a lesson for the greedy here, but whether they are astute enough to read it is another question: RELEASE FULL-SEASON BOX SETS!!! Get it???

The sixth volume of I Love Lucy's first season features episodes 20-23, which are all favorites of mine, especially "The Young Fans." Although, like many other people, I wish they would release season-by-season DVDs, this is still a must have collection. Lucy's brand of humor and physical gags transcends time and it shows on this set.

"The Young Fans" (aired 2/25/52)- When Peggy (Janet Waldo), a teenaged girl, develops a huge crush on Ricky, Lucy decides to have a talk with a friend of Peggy's named Arthur (Richard Crenna), in hopes that the two will get interested in each other. The plan backfires and the boy becomes infatuated with Lucy. The Ricardos then decide to dress up as ninety-year-olds, hoping to diminish the love-struck teenagers' crushes.

"New Neighbors" (aired 3/3/52)- Lucy and Ethel are dying to check out the new neighbors' apartment, but Ricky forbids her to set a foot in the O'Brien's place. Of course, that doesn't stop Lucy from sneaking in on her hands and knees. When she overhears the couple rehearsing for a play, she assumes they're planning to take over the government.

"Fred and Ethel Fight" (aired 3/10/52)- While trying to patch things up between the Mertzes after they've had a fight (Fred: "She said my mother looks like a weasel!" Lucy: "Ethel... apologize!" Ethel: "I'm sorry your mother looks like a weasel."), Lucy and Ricky begin fighting over who apologized first in their last argument.

"The Mustache" (aired 3/17/52)- Ricky has been growing a mustache for a movie he wants to audition for, but Lucy hates it. To make him shave, she borrows a fake beard from Fred and puts it on with what she thinks is spirit gum. When Ricky finally breaks down and shaves, Lucy tries to take her beard off and then realizes it's been glued on with Bulldog cement!

With Volume 6 of Season One of "I Love Lucy" we are in the second half of the season as the show was really starting to hit stride. Lucy temporarily puts aside her eternal quest to get into show business by playing the helpful wife and neighbor on this particular quartet of episodes:

Episode 20, "The Fans" (February 25, 1952) has a young bobby-soxer (Janet Waldo) developing a crush on Ricky. Fortunately Lucy is there to help save Ricky. This episode is of historic note because it was the debut of William Asher as a director on the show. While this was the only first season episode not directed by Marc Daniels, Asher would be the primary director on "I Love Lucy" for the rest of its run. Richard Crenna also appears in this episode; he was about to become a notable character on "Our Miss Brooks," which was also produced by Desilu.

Episode 21, "New Neighbors" (March 3, 1952) has Lucy and Ethel getting the wrong idea about the new couple have just moved into the building. Yes, that is Hayden Rorke from "I Dream of Jeannie" you see in this episode. This is a good DVD for spotting future TV stars.

Episode 22, "Fred and Ethel Fight" (March 10, 1952) is something of a misnomer as a title, because while the episode starts off giving second bananas Vivian Vance and William Frawley a chance to shine as the Mertzes have a fight, it is Lucy and Rick who end up just about destroying their own marriage trying to help Fred and Ethel make up.

Episode 23, "The Mustache" (March 17, 192) presents a classic sitution comedy Lucy plot. Ricky has grown a mustache. Lucy does not like Ricky's mustache. To show him the error of his ways, Lucy comes up with her own false whiskers. However, she has, of course, put on the mustache a little bit too well...

Overall there is a nice thematic unity to these four episodes as Lucy tries time and time again to be helpful and only succeeds in making matters worse. "The Mustache" is another great example of Lucille Ball's skills as a comedian, even when all she is working with is a fake mustache. All of these episodes were written by the legendary team of Jess Oppenheimer, Madelyn Pugh, and Bob Carroll, Jr. The second half of Season One is clearly a lot stronger, and the best is yet to come (one word: Vitametavegamin).

I read another comment on how Lucy should be available by having it on DVD as a complete season, I totally agree, I also see shows that are not all that popular have First Season on DVD and the classic shows should also do that...Maybe if enough people respond to this it can happen...I really hope so..

I LOVE LUCY continues on DVD with the 6th volume of episodes from the historic first season.

"The Young Fans" - Ricky and Lucy unwittingly become embroiled in the love-lives of two teenagers (Janet Waldo and Richard Crenna). It's up to Lucy to take drastic action!...

"New Neighbors" - A new couple moves into the building. As usual, Lucy and Ethel snoop around to find out all their secrets, but a misunderstanding leads them to believe that the neighbors are Russian spies!

"Fred and Ethel Fight" - The Mertzes are having a rough patch in their marriage, so Ricky and Lucy decide to get them back together - and almost break up themselves!!

"The Moustache" - In order to get Ricky to shave off his new moustache, Lucy glues on a fake beard...with disastrous results!

Starring Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, Vivian Vance and William Frawley. The DVD includes flubs, guest-cast information, a bonus episode of the "My Favorite Husband" radio show, production notes and restored elements. (Single-sided, single-layer disc).

The second half of season one was certainly stronger, as these four episodes demonstrate.

Unfortunately, this disc starts with a weak episode. "The Young Fans" finds both Ricky and Lucy with crushes from young neighbors. Fred and Ethel are completely missing (a common complaint of mine early on) and I find the ending unbelievable. Fortunately, the other three episodes are much better.

"New Neighbors" finds Lucy thinking he's over heard a plot to kill her and Ricky when she spies on the new tenants. This episode is hysterical, especially for Lucy's impersonation of a chair.

When "Fred and Ethel Fight," Lucy and Ricky get caught in the middle. And after the Mertzes have made up, it's the Ricardos who aren't speaking to each other.

Lastly, "The Moustache" finds Lucy trying to get Ricky to shave only to wind up with a beard herself. This episode features some truly funny facial expressions from a frustrated Lucy.

This DVD is a collector's dream. The episodes are presented in their entirety, and they look and sound sharp. There are occasional flaws in the picture, but considering the source material is 50 years old, it really isn't bad at all. The sound is presented in mono. While it won't challenge your sound system, it serves the purpose well and is faithful to the original audio recording. The extras this time around feature two original openings since they changed starting with "New Neighbors." Also included are the now familiar guest cast info, trivia, mistakes, and episode of "My Favorite Husband."

While not an ideal way to be released, it's wonderful to have these shows on DVD. I can't get enough Lucy, and this disc will be played many times at my house.

Season One of I Love Lucy has finally made it to a complete box set however, what is up with the price? I just purchased Season Two and Three and paid less for the two combined than what Season One costs. $82.00 for a new set ($74.00 for a "like new" set) is way to much considering that Season One was the weakest season of all. You would think that the Studio Heads would want to sell Season One at a more affordable price just to get them off the shelves. I even went as far as adding up all of the individual DVD's, volume by volume of Season One and, if you buy them used, you still come out cheaper than buying the complete set. Therefore, considering that most of the episodes of Season One were not my favorite, I just brought a few of the individual volumes that had some good episodes and left it at that.

I agree with the comments made by Brian B. I Love Lucy should be available in box sets like all the other series. I love the show but I am very unhappy that they are not available in box sets.

All "I Love Lucy" episodes on this DVD are in the same order filmed. "The Young Fans", episode 20, filmed January 18, 1952, broadcast February 25, 1952. Vivian Vance and William Frawley are not in this episode. "New Neighbors", episode 21, filmed January 25, 1952, broadcast March 3, 1952. Yes that's Hayden Rorke who later was cast in "I Dream Of Jeannie" tv series. K.T. Stevens was one of Vivian Vance's closest friends. "Fred and Ethel Fight", episode 22, filmed January 30, 1952, broadcast March 10, 1952. "The Moustache", episode 23, filmed February 8, 1952, broadcast March 17, 1952.