WESTINGHOUSE LUCILLE BALL-DESI ARNAZ SHOW, THE: LUCY GOES TO MEXICO (TV)
Summary
One in this series of comedy specials based on the original "I Love Lucy" series. Desi Arnaz begins this installment by explaining that his production company, Desilu, has teamed up with Westinghouse Appliances for "The Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse," which will debut the following week. This week, Westinghouse will present the first of several "Lucy-Desi" specials. The program opens as French singing star Maurice Chevalier rehearses "Something's Gotta Give" for a USO show with Ricky Ricardo's band in San Diego, California. Chevalier's song is disrupted by the noisy arguments taking place on either side of his hotel room, where Lucy is fighting with Ricky and Ethel with Fred. The wives want to take advantage of their proximity to Mexico to embark on a shopping trip, but the husbands are unwilling to forward the money for such a trip. After Lucy threatens to crash Chevalier's act, Ricky relents, and Lucy and Ethel depart for Tijuana with Fred in tow; Ricky instructs his friend to buy maracas for the band and to keep an eye on the shoppers. "We are good neighbors with the Republic of Mexico," Ricky explains. "Let's keep it that way." Chevalier asks them to pick up a bottle of duty-free perfume for him on their trip. In Tijuana, Lucy teaches Ethel to haggle, and the two find bargains galore. They also meet a little boy named Alfredo, who stows away in the trunk of their car while helping to load their purchases. At the U.S. border, a guard asks them to open the trunk so that he may inspect Chevalier's perfume -- and finds Alfredo. Back in California, Chevalier, Ricky, and Little Ricky rehearse for a performance of "Valentine" in French, Spanish, and English. Ricky hears that Lucy has been arrested and rushes with Chevalier to the border, where a telephone call to the admiral of the aircraft carrier on which he is to entertain releases the captives. Lucy and Ethel convince him to return to Mexico for one more shopping bout as Fred has forgotten the maracas for that evening's performance. Chevalier, asleep in Ricky's car, unintentionally comes along. When the group arrives in Mexico, Chevalier awakes and informs Ricky that according to the terms of his visa he is not allowed to leave and reenter the United States. At the border once more, the same guard performs an inspection -- and finds not one but two stowaways. The admiral is unavailable to release the Ricardos and the Mertzes this time, and consequently both Ricky and Lucy try to find the American consul to explain the situation. Lucy's route takes her to a bullfight, where she dons a toreador costume to outwit pursuers and ends up in the ring facing a lethal bull. At the USO show that evening, Chevalier sings "Mimi" and his own version of "Yankee Doodle Dandy." Includes commercials and a promo. Commercials include Betty Furness for Westinghouse.
Details
- NETWORK: CBS
- DATE: October 6, 1958 10:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:57:03
- COLOR/B&W: B&W
- CATALOG ID: T:04719
- GENRE: Comedy
- SUBJECT HEADING: Comedy; Music, Popular (Songs, etc.); She Made It Collection (Lucille Ball)
- SERIES RUN: CBS - TV series, 1958-1960
- COMMERCIALS:
- TV - Commercials - Westinghouse radios, hi-fis, and appliances
- TV - Promos - "Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse: The Story of Bernadette"
CREDITS
- Desi Arnaz … Executive Producer
- Bert Granet … Producer
- Jack Aldworth … Associate Producer
- Jerry Thorpe … Director
- Bob Weiskopf … Writer
- Bob Schiller … Writer
- Everett Freeman … Writer
- Wilbur Hatch … Music by, Conductor
- Jack Baker … Choreographer
- Eliot Daniel … Theme Music by
- Lucille Ball … Cast, Lucy Ricardo
- Desi Arnaz … Cast, Ricky Ricardo
- William Frawley … Cast, Fred Mertz
- Vivian Vance … Cast, Ethel Mertz
- Keith, Richard (See also: Thibodeaux, Keith) … Cast, Little Ricky
- Maurice Chevalier … Cast, Himself
- Charles Lane … Cast, Border Guard
- Alan Costello … Cast, Alfredo
- Chalo Chacan … Cast, Bullfighter
- Addison Richards … Cast, Consul
- Vito Scotti … Cast, Shop Owner
- Trevino, George (Jorge Trevino) … Cast
- Roberts, Adam (audio i.d. only) … Cast
- Vincent Padula … Cast
- Albert Carrier … Cast
- Lewis Martin … Cast