Hollywood, I love lucy, I love Lucy Props

I Love Lucy Screen Used LA Prop Postcard

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.

Ref: “http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:jglVlA_Q7-0J:www.rrauction.com/content/PastAuctionItem/3366616+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us“

California Pottery, Cruet, Kitchen, Olde Thompson

Olde Thompson Ivy Ceramic piece

Olde Thompson Ivy piece seen on eBay

Here is a vintage Olde Thompson Ivy ceramic piece,  possibly a planter pot or kitchen container of some sort, from the same collection as the ivy cruet set in Lucy Ricardo’s kitchen. It has the original Olde Thompson sticker still on the base and is approx 4″ by 6″ in size.

Source : http://www.ebay.com/itm/Olde-Thompson-George-S-Thompson-Imperial-Ivy-brand-ceramic-piece-/351992400477

Soap

Lucille Ball: Vintage Lux Soap

Lucille Ball advertises Lux soap shortly before the I Love Lucy era.   You can listen to an original radio show sponsored by Lux Soap  at

http://www.radioarchives.com/The_Lux_Radio_Theatre_Murder_and_Mayhem_p/ra304d.htm

Look for #589 The Dark Corner Starring Lucille Ball and Mark Stevens originally broadcast on Monday, November 10, 1947 – 60:00 – CBS, sponsored by Lux Soap

and here are some vintage 1940’s soaps just like the soap bar Lucy is seen with in the original Lux ads – these are currently on ebay! click on the pictures below to go to the eBay pages.

50s Retro, Coffee Grinder, Kitchen

Coffee Grinder similar to Lucy’s


There is a vintage coffee grinder like Lucy’s on eBay but painted differently at http://www.ebay.com/itm/B-O-Garantie-COFFEE-GRINDER-Mill-80T-Czechoslovakia-Vintage-Wood-Green-WORKS-/222409060237.
See previous post on repainting one with an added ivy motif to match the coffee mill on the show: http://www.50slucy.com/restoration-project-i-love-lucy-inspired-coffee-grinder.html

50s Retro, Ben Seibel, The Long Long Trailer

The Long Long Trailer: Brass Bookends


In the behind the scenes photo from the set of The Long Long Trailer Desi makes a romantic gesture by presenting a giant “ring” to Lucy. The ring is a Ben Seibel bookend turned upside down. Ben Seibel Orb Bookends for Jenfred Ware can be found in brass metal and are sought after mid-century pieces.


Detail of the Ben Seibel bookend .

 

 

 

 

 

Example of Ben Seibel bookends on eBay at http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ben-Seibel-Bookends-MCM-Decor-/302216724101

See more like this:
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=ben+seibel+bookends&_sop=10&_frs=1

50s Retro, I love Lucy Props, Kitchen, Mid Century Lamps

Lucy’s Kitchen: Nautical Lamp Shade

Ships Pilot Wheel Wooden Wall Lamp on I Love Lucy Kitchen Set

In a previous post we looked at Lucy Ricardo’s nautical style wall lamp in the kitchen. This time we take a closer look at the lamp shade.  It is rare to get a close look at the design in the on screen scenes but the picture above gives an idea what to look for. The shade is a clip-on shade made of paper with a novelty printed nautical theme.

I found a few examples in different colorways so we can try to guess which color might have been used in the kitchen. The first one below is a blue version, followed by the same pattern in orange and lastly a green one.

The green is certainly a possible choice for the show since we know that the color green is used on several other items in the kitchen – such as the ivy patterned dinnerware and the ivy cruet on the wall rack beneath the lamp.  Green elements set off Lucille Ball’s hair color for the studio audience. The orange would also be possble as a compliment to the greens. Perhaps the blue one is the least likely as it would have clashed with the green of the cruet below it.

The shade is a clip-on novelty print paper shade – similar vintage shades can be found on eBay.com that date to the 40’s and 50’s.

Here is a link I use to search for similar shades:

http://www.ebay.com/sch/Lamps-Lighting/1404/i.html?_sop=1&_nkw=lamp%20shade%20%28nautical%2Cship%29&LH_PrefLoc=2&rt=nc&_mPrRngCbx=1&_udlo&_udhi=30

50s Retro, Art, Framed Prints

I Love Lucy: Framed Ballet Prints


LUCY VISITS GRAUMAN’S #128 S5, 10.3.55
After Lucy gets her foot caught in the pail of cement at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, she hides from Ricky over at the Mertz’s hotel room. On the back wall above Fred and Ethel’s beds we see two framed ballerina prints.
They are done by painter Cydney Grossman, entitled, “Between the Acts” on the left and “Curtain Call” on the right.

Ref:

RICKY SELLS THE CAR #131 S5, 10.24.55
When Lucy tries to switch back her train tickets while Fred is sleeping in his hotel room, we now see two different ballerina prints over Fred and Ethel’s beds. They are done by painter Pal Fried.

http://www.blouinartinfo.com/artists/pal-fried-4033

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Fried-Pal-Print-framed-artwork/322376880288

I love lucy, Lucille Ball

Cate Blanchett on playing Lucille Ball

Lucille and Desi in 1950. (Photo Credit: Getty Images)

Interview Excerpt from Entertainment Weekly
CB: Lucie Arnaz has been incredibly, unbelievably generous. We met a few years ago and started talking about this and now Aaron Sorkin is in advanced talks to adapt her mother and father’s story. It’s incredible. I mean, you want to talk about astonishing women who have made a lasting impact? You walk onto a film set and you’ve got the female bathrooms called “Lucy” and the male bathrooms called “Desi.” [Laughs] She was the first female studio head, for goodness sake, and a mother and she broke all the rules and changed comedy and was this incredible actress. And then you’ve got this amazing love story between these two people. He’s Cuban and he’s younger than her.

I don’t think I realized he was younger.

CB: Of course, we won’t be casting anyone younger than me. [Laughs] But really, it’s so great and Lucie Arnaz has been so amazing to give us the authorized version of her story. It’s an incredible act of trust.

I take it that I Love Lucy made it to Australia?

CB: Oh god, yes. I think she was watched around the globe. I’ve watched them all. But of course, it’s one thing to watch as a fan and then it’s another to think about how to delve in. There’s so much there and it’s so rich. But it’s a lot to try and think about inhabiting that genius!”

Source http://ew.com/article/2016/10/14/cate-blanchett-oceans-8-thor-ragnarok-lucille-ball-biopic/

50's Lucy Fan