All posts by Patricia

Lucy in Paris : Brittany Poster

Scene from Lucy Meets Charles Boyer
Brittany Poster in a Scene from” Lucy Meets Charles Boyer”

In the I Love Lucy episode “ Lucy Meets Charles Boyer”  we spot a travel poster promoting Brittany,  Bretagne, La Pointe du Raz. Original vintage travel posters like this 1950’s original below are ever popular as wall art. Click on the poster below for more info on the seller website.

Date: c. 1950s Size: 24.5 x 39 inches Artist: Unknown This poster was produced in the 1950s by the “Ministère des Travaux Publics, des Transports et du Tourisme” or Ministry of Public Works, Transport and Tourism of France.


Lucy Meets Charles Boyer
Lucy Meets Charles Boyer

I Love Lucy prop-alikes seen on eBay recently

Utrillo print as seen on I Love Lucy
Utrillo print on I Love Lucy

Currently on eBay is this vintage Maurice Utrillo print matching the well-known framed picture in the living room of the I Love Lucy set. This one for sale has some damage so read the sellers description for details. See it on eBay :

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Lithograph-by-listed-artist-Maurice-Utrillo-done-early-20th-century/254346467591

Next is a hard to find small Gouda ashtray that matched one used as a small wall plate in the I Love Lucy kitchen. There were a pair of these each side of three larger ones.

This ashtray matches one on I Love Lucy

A similar small ashtray was later seen on a small side table next to an armchair to the left of the Hollywood apartment set.
See it on eBay
Also on offer is a pair of owl bookends like the bookends I repainted to match the pair on I Love lucy in a previous project:

Owl Bookends Seen on eBay

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vtg-Owl-Bookends-Book-Ends-Heavy-Jade-Green-Gold-Bronze-color-Figurines-8-tall/323661311445

The above items are currently on eBay at the time of writing.
I also spotted this TV lamp with plume design similar to one seen on the I Love Lucy set It was recently sold on eBay however this was the first time I have seen one with a maker mark by Stewart B McCulloch who also made the pair of asian man and woman mantel statues https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vtg-Art-Deco-Stewart-B-McCulloch-California-Pottery-Desk-Lamp-Vase-Black-White-/163828742916

Lucy’s LA Chair in The Joey Bishop Show

Moulded Plywood Chair on I Love Lucy LA Episodes

In the above capture from I Love Lucy  Season 4 , Lucy Gets in Pictures we spot a stylish mid-century molded plywood chair that would later show up in another Desilu production. Says contributor John Dalessio “I have  identified a prop reuse from the “I Love Lucy” Hollywood apartment! The chair at the Hollywood desk appears in a color episode of “The Joey Bishop Show” called ‘That’s Show Biz’ ”

The Joey Bishop Show
USA 1967–1969 S1 E25 That’s Showbiz

Sure enough a scene from The Joey Bishop Show S1 E25 That’s Showbiz has the matching chair. The molded/bent plywood chair is seen in color a rich reddish brown seat section on contrasting lighter wood frame. We can also notice a pattern of inlaid contrasting pieces in the bent plywood seat section which we can also make out in the screenshot from I Love Lucy S4 Lucy Gets in Pictures below.

Molded Plywood Chair detail

Thanks to John Dallessio for contributing this example of I Love Lucy set decor items in use in other Desilu productions, says John “It’s a reddish color. The Joey Bishop Show was a Desilu production so it makes sense. Also, the Franciscan Ivy dishes appear every now and then throughout the show as well!”

Reference:

The Mertzes’ Kitchen : Ethel’s Rooster Plates

Ethel Mertz in her kitchen with rooster plates on the shelf

In the I Love Lucy episode Never Do Business with Friends, S2, #67 6/29/53, we get a rare opportunity to see the Mertzes’ kitchen. Apparently the set of the Ricardo’s kitchen could be used, with some modifications, as the Mertz kitchen.  In the screen capture above there are kitchen cabinets under the window, where Lucy had a stove and to the right are shelves similar to those in Lucy’s kitchen. On an upper shelf are some Brock of California, Chanticleer pattern plates and on the shelf below there appears to be a matching Brock bowl. Below that on the counter top sits an Accent shaker set as seen in Lucy’s kitchen usually positioned on top of the stove.

Brock of California Chanticleer Plate seen on eBay

(Thanks to Rickster for spotting the plates!).

Card Games on I Love Lucy

Ethel uses Fan back Bicycle Playing Cards when she reads the cards for Lucy in S1, E4 “Lucy Thinks Ricky Is Trying To Murder her”

A Survey of Card Games played on I Love Lucy

Thanks to  contributor Jamie.

s01 e02 – Be A Pal
Poker, played by Ricky, Fred and Lucy

s01, e13 – The Benefit
Bridge, played by all.

s01 e16 – Lucy Fakes Illness
Ricky says “how about a game of cards?” and then “what will it be, bridge or canasta?” – Later Ricky plays poker with two of his band members.
Continue reading Card Games on I Love Lucy

Ethel’s 49er Pendleton Jacket

Ethel Mertz (Vivian Vance) wearing a 49’er Pendleton Jacket

The Classic 49’er Pendleton jacket was popular during the I Love Lucy early years and was seen on Lucy, Desi and Vivian in various episodes and promotional stills. Here we see Ethel (Vivian Vance) wearing hers.

Pendleton 49er shirt jacket
Pendleton 49er shirt jacket

You can tell whether a vintage Pendleton 49er jacket is a man’s size or woman’s size by the color of the label, the womenswear label is always white, and the menswear label is blue.  Early Pendleton labels did not have a Woolmark symbol,  it was not used before the mid 1960’s.

Seen on eBay: Stewart McCulloch Oriental Statues as seen on I Love Lucy

Pair of Stewart B McCulloch statues on eBay

On eBay this week  pair of Stewart B McCulloch Asian style statues in the same pattern and color as the pair seen on the mantel of the Ricardo’s living room on I Love Lucy:   https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vtg-RARE-1950s-Stewart-McCullouch-I-Love-Lucy-Oriental-Figure-Statues-Pink-Black/292805488795

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