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.
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’ ”
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.
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:
In the screen capture from the I Love Lucy episode Lucy and the Loving Cup which aired on 7 January 1957, Lucy is wearing the thinly disguised Loving Cup on her head as she travels the subway. On the wall is a Red Cross Disaster Relief poster and an NYC Subway map. Below are pasted in vintage color versions.
The Red Cross Poster was found on eBay at this link: http://www.ebay.com/itm/1956-Red-Cross-Poster-On-The-Job-Series-Join-and-Serve-/252978239454
The Subway map looks very like the 1951 version which can be seen at this link: http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-York-City-1951-Subway-Map-MTA-20×36-/371347257031
And finally a few more colors added:
Lucy’s Postcard to Lillian Appleby – original prop from the show offered for sale on eBay at http://www.ebay.com/itm/I-love-Lucy-Screen-Used-Prop-1954-Post-Card-Season-4-episode-18-Very-RARE-/391678032281 “Dear Lillian, Having a wonderful time. So busy every day at the studio. Will let you know when my pictures play New York, Lucy.” The right side is addressed to “Lillian Appleby, 1423 E. 67th St., New York City, New York, New York.”
Sold last November at RRAuction.com Item 7393 – I Love Lucy Screen-Used Postcard Catalog 488 (Nov 2016)
Minimum Bid: $300.00
Sold Price: $1,226.23
Original Description from RR Auctions: “Rare screen-used and handwritten postcard from the I Love Lucy show, 5.5 x 3.5, depicting two colorful images of Hollywood on the front, with the reverse filled out in an unknown hand in blue ballpoint, in full: “Dear Lillian, Having a wonderful time. So busy every day at the studio. Will let you know when my pictures play New York, Lucy.” The right side is addressed to “Lillian Appleby, 1423 E. 67th St., New York City, New York, New York.” In fine condition, with minor corner creases. Played by Doris Singleton, Caroline Appleby was Lucy’s snobbish rival, part-time friend, and fellow Fine Arts League Club member. Caroline, whose original character name was ‘Lillian,’ had her name changed by producers after her first appearance in season three, dating this prop to around 1953-54. Interestingly, this particular postcard also seems to correlate with a prolonged story arc from season four, in which the Ricardos and the Mertzes head to Hollywood for Ricky’s big break. A fantastic early screen-used prop humorously reflecting Lucy and Caroline’s competitive relationship.”
I wondered if handwriting on the card was Lucy’s – I do believe the signature looks like Lucy’s. According to one observer ” I think the overlay writing is hers .. In the lower right where it looks like someone went over the ink again. In the opening scene she’s finishing the card so I think she went over the letters for the camera.” There were a pile of cards that Desi picked up on the show and this card is likely one of them if not the card he is actually holding in the photo.
Comparison of the postcard at auction and the one Desi is holding shows some differences, such as the angle of the postage stamp but the handwriting looks mostly similar, notably the large loops of the capital L as we see in Lucy’s original autographs.
The Ricardo’s European cruise episodes were filmed over December 1955 to January 1956 with a promotional deal with American Export Lines. Lucy is seen above with a brochure giving a starting price of $520.00 US. You can read more about the original advertised offer in the vintage ad below. Continue reading Lucy’s Sunlane Cruise Voyage on the S.S. Constitution
In the LA based episode “Lucy Gets in Pictures” Lucy is seen using a small glass bud vase as a pencil holder. I see one or two just like it on eBay this week. Following is an example with a handy link to search results on ebay in case you missed it.
This is a small glass bud vase with cranberry color base and gold trim. The size of the vase is about 3 3/4″ tall with a 2″ top diameter and 1½” diameter base. The gold tends to be worn on the examples I’ve seen.
See similar items on ebay
A pair of table lamps similar to Lucy’s LA lamps appear in the moview A Hole in the Head (1959) starring Framk Sinatra and Edward G Robinson. The are seen at either ends of a green sofa. Screen captures below. The neo-classical column lamps in the hollywood regency style have gilt details.
A trellis with plants is seen on I Love Lucy LA set. The plants appear to grow over time. Note the dates in the photos above which suggest they are real plants. An original color publicity picture of Lucy and Desi below appears to have been taken in front of the same trellis. The tall plant has red branched and small flowers/leaves with a shape similar to a type of orchid . An orchid expert at PacOrchidExpo on instagram has looked at it a said it is not an orchid. My search fror a shrub with red branches on google came up with Red twig Dogwood ( Cornus sericea ‘Cardinal’) or Cornus Siberica
On the left is a Red twig Dogwood shrub and on the right is the original color photo of Lucille and Desi taken on the I Love Lucy LA set. The red branches do look similar. Could the small flowers seen in the photo be from another plant?
The lower plants appear to include Philodendron, Anthurium ‘Flamingo Flower’ and a Rubber Plant.
This one is Dogwood Siberica ( Cornus siberica) with small leaf clusters.
My photoshop impression of the plants in color based on the color photo.
Thanks again to johndalessio and PacOrchidExpo on instagram for valuable input.
The striped wallpaper on the Ricardo’s Hollywood set may have been vertical stripes that were applied horizontally. The red arrow indicates a possible join which appears on both sides of the set at the same height making a wider center band across the middle of the wall – at around shoulder height to the bell boy as he enters the door.
Here is an alternative view – the picture is rotated 90 degrees. This is a look that is easily created using a similar vertical striped wallpaper or even fabric for a mid century themed room.
In the I Love Lucy episode Lucy Meets Orson Welles she goes shopping with Ethel for her trip to Florida. In the department store sports department she sees skin-diving gear and decides to try it on.
When Orson Welles appears at the store Ethel calls for Lucy who rushes out from the changing room to meet him wearing a full face rubber dive mask.
