Tag Archives: Ricky Ricardo

Ricky Eats Van Camp’s Pork & Beans

March 22, 2016 Patricia

Ricky-eatsVan-Camps-Pork-and-Beans — Ricky eats Stokely Van Camp’s Pork and Beans the brand name is concealed.

Van-Camps-Pork-and-Beans-Tin — Vintage Stokely Van Camp’s Pork and Beans Tin Can 31 oz.

In I Love Lucy Season 2 Episode 19 – The Club Ricky Ricardo eats from a large can of Van Camp’s Pork & Beans. The brand name is covered over for the screen but the tin is recognizable.

From vancampsbeans.com: “Pork & Beans
America’s #1 Pork & Beans since 1909! Van Camp’s Pork & Beans traces its roots back to 1861 when Gilbert Van Camp and his wife Hester opened a family grocery store in Indianapolis, IN where they canned fruits and vegetables. Gilbert’s son, Frank, discovered that their Pork & Beans tasted even better when served hot in tomato sauce. He began to advertise the notion, and an American favorite was born. ”

Van-Camps-Pork-and-Beans2 Van-Camps-Pork-and-Beans-ad Reference:

Coffee Pot, Orson Welles, Vintage Electrical Appliances

Ricky Ricardo’s Sunbeam Automatic Coffeemaster

March 2, 2016 Patricia 2 Comments

Sunbeam-Automatic-Coffeemaster-ilovelucy2 — Ricky serves coffee to Orspn Welles at his club.

Ricky Ricardo and Orson Welles meet at Ricky’s Babalu Club for rehersals on the I Love Lucy episode Lucy Meets Orson Welles. Ricky serves the coffee in a Sunbeam Automatic Coffeemaster.

sumbeamcoffeemastermanual1

Sunbeam-Automatic-Coffeemaster-ilovelucy

50s Retro, Ashtray, I love Lucy Props

Ricky’s Glass Ashtray

November 3, 2015 Patricia

Ricky Ricardo’s glass ashtray on I Love Lucy looks like Erickson Art Glass

In an I Love lucy scene from Lucy Thinks Ricky Is Trying To Murder Her we spot an interesting looking glass ashtray on Ricky’s desk. Ricky’s ashtray looks very like an Erickson Art Glass piece.

Carl Erickson founded Erickson Glassworks in Bremen, Ohio. they were world famous glassworks and the hand made art glass pieces are now in several museums. The were in production from 1943-1961. The ashtray in green above (also on eBay HERE) is an example of their trademark bubble design – small bubbles encased in thick glass.

Art Glass

Reference:

Golf, I love Lucy Props, MacGregor Golf

Ricky Ricardo’s MacGregor Golf Clubs

October 16, 2015 Patricia

Sentimental Anniversary Original air date: February 1, 1954

macgregor-clubs Lucy and Ricky exchange gifts in celebration of their anniversary in the I Love Lucy episode Sentimental Anniversary. Lucy’s gift to Ricky is a set of MacGregor Golf clubs. MacGregor Golf was founded in 1897 and is the second oldest golf company in the United States after Spaulding. MacGregor clubs were used by famous 1950’s golfers like Ben Hogan and Jimmy Demaret. and many of the top PGA players.
The McGregor popular clubs in 1954 were the Tourney series of clubs (with four choices of shaft flexes), Eye-O-Matric woods, the Pro Peel steel shaft and ceramic-face irons.

MacGregor c.1954 M55W Persimmon Driver seen on eBay

The vintage MacGregor M55W Persimmon Driver pictured above is similar to one seen in Ricky’s golf bag. In real life Desi Arnaz was a keen golfer and an early member of the Rancho Mirage Thunderbird Country Club where they owned a home. Desi Arnaz, Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, Dean Martin, Jack Benny, Gordon MacRae, Hoagy Carmichael, Phil Harris, and Desi Arnaz were among the first members at Thunderbird Country Club.

golf-clubs-fred-ethel — Fred and Ethel admire Ricky’s new golf clubs

References:

50s Retro, I love Lucy Props, Waste Basket

Don Juan and the Starlets: Ricky’s Metal Waste Basket

October 11, 2015 rickster

In the I Love Lucy episode Don Juan and the Starlets Ricky is seen holding an interesting metal waste basket. It is decorated with an antique song sheet.

There was an identical trash can on Etsy recently as pictured below. You can see more pictures of it on the Etsy listing.

See it at Etsy (US)
The sheet music is reproduced from an original copper plate print by engraver George Bickham. The sheet of music entitled “To Chloe” (#63) is from The Musical Entertainer circa 1737 and 1739

An exerpt from George Bickham’s “To Chloe” from the publication The Musical Entertainer
HwdBedroom_Wastebasket1

References:

I love Lucy Props, Vintage Electrical Appliances

Ricky Ricardo’s Radiant DeLuxe Champion Projection Screen

September 28, 2015 Patricia

Radiant-screen-ad-Popular-Mechanics-Oct-1949 — Radiant ad-Popular Mechanics Oct-1949

Ricky Ricardo is seen on his home projection screen in the I Love Lucy episode Home Movies. A closer look at the logo tells us it is a Radiant DeLuxe Champion Projection Screen from the Radiant Manufacturing Corporation. The original Radiant Champion model was renamed as the Radiant DeLuxe Champion in 1949 and was advertised at a price of $15 that year. It was described as made from a new glass beaded fabric called Vyna-Flect “which overcomes the hazards of fire and mildew“.

Radiant-DeLuxe-Champion — Radiant DeLuxe Champion Projection Screen seen on eBay – click picture for details

Logo seen on the Radiant DeLuxe model seen on Amazon.com – click picture for details on Amazon

Popular-Photography---ND-May-1950 — Popular Photography May-1950

Popular-Photography---ND-Dec-1949 — Popular Photography Dec-1949

In the video clip above there is a section of the western sketch in Lucy’s home movie where the video and sound in some of the segments run backwards, on youtube there is anther video clip from the show that reverses the video so you can find out what they are saying at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57oENa8VeXc
References

50s Clocks, I love Lucy Props, Mid-century, Vintage Electrical Appliances

Ricky’s Telechron Alarm Clock

September 26, 2015 Patricia

telechronalarclock-ilovelucy — The Telechron Dorm Electric Alarm Clock with the front cover removed on I Love Lucy

In the Season 5 episode of I Love Lucy entitled Lucy Hates to Leave Lucy is awake at night worrying about the move to their new house in the country. On the bedroom shelf there is a hexagonal alarm clock.

TELECHRON-ALARM-CLOCKad3f — 1953 Telechron Electric Alarm Clock Ad

The shape and dial of the clock is an exact match for the white dial verson of the Telechron “Dorm” alarm clock. A closer look at the clock in the screen capture reveals it to be missing the cover in front of the dial. With the cover removed we notice clips at edges of the clock face to keep it in place. Pictured below is a black version of the same clock on Etsy (US) and from the photo we see how the window in front of the dial is curved and catches the light and would be too reflective for the studio lights- a practical reason for removing the front cover on set.

TELECHRON-ALARM-CLOCK-dorm — The alternative dark dial version of the Telechron Dorm model – also seen in the ad above

Telechron Alarm Clock on Etsy (US)

1950s ad for the Telechron Dorm Alarm Clock

See more like this on eBay

Books on I Love Lucy, I love Lucy Props, Ricardo's Bookshelf

Ricardo’s Bookshelf: Lobagola

September 15, 2015 Patricia

ricky-ricardo-lobagola-book — Lobagola book on Ricky’s bedroom shelf

In the I Love Lucy episode ” Little Ricky gets a Dog” we see the book Lobagola on Ricky Ricardo’s bedroom shelf. Bata Kindai Amgoza ibn LoBagola (1877 – 1947) was an early 20th-century American impostor and entertainer who posed as a native of Africa, his real name was Joseph Howard Lee from Baltimore, Maryland.

“LoBagola” posing as an African “savage” managed a long career in the early 20th century, during which he delivered lectures to institutions and conducted public debates and published articles. This book from publishers A.A. Knopf,1933, a pseudo biography, was an attempt to capitalize on public interest at the time.
References

I love Lucy Props, Little Ricky, Mid-century, Vintage Electrical Appliances, Vintage Tape Recorders

Ricky Ricardo’s 1953 Webcor Tape Recorder

September 14, 2015 Patricia

Ricky's Webcor Tape Recorder on I Love Lucy — Ricky’s Webcor Tape Recorder on I Love Lucy

The I Love Lucy episode titled “Sales Resistance” opens with Ricky using a new Webcor tape recorder to record his song “There’s a Brand New Baby in Our House”. The tape recorder was the must have gadget in 1953, the year Little Ricky was born. Ricky is seen using a 1953 Webcor Reel to Reel tape recorder from Webster-Chicago.

webcor210reeltoreel — Webcor Model 210 with 2 hour tape and microphone $197.50

According to the ad pictured above the Webcor Model 210 with 2 hour tape and microphone sold for $197.50 in 1953, which calculates to a buying power of $1,765.21 in 2015 dollars.

A closer look at a Webcor 210 as seen on eBay

Pictured above is a vintage portable Webcor seen on eBay this week (Click Here to view) selling for below the 1953 price although not in 1953 condition. Continue reading Ricky Ricardo’s 1953 Webcor Tape Recorder →

Figurines, Goebel Hummel

I Love Lucy Goebel Hummel Figurines

September 10, 2015 Patricia

ricky-statues

goebelhummelfarewell65 — HUMMEL #65 FAREWELL

Hummel Figurines had gained wide popularity in the post war years when US soldiers stationed in West Germany began sending them home and here we see some on the I Love Lucy show Season 2 Episode 9 Ricky Loses his Voice. The figurines of little children seem to emphasize Ricky’s child-like refusal to take his medicine.

Volunteers Goebel Hummel Figurine #50 — Goebel Hummel Figurine #50 Volunteers

In the screen capture above we note two Goebel Hummel figurines on the shelf behind Ricky. On the left is Hummel number 65 “Farewell” and on the right is Hummel number 50 “Volunteers”

50slucy.com