Lucy, Kim and Craig finally con Harry into seeing The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and Ed McMahon. And Lucy ends up winning the “Stump the Band” contest with her childhood lullaby “Snoops the Lawyer”.
Lucy and Johnny Carson – Here’s Lucy, season 2 – Originally aired December 1, 1969
Uncle Harry is kindly taking his sister-in-law Lucy, and her children Craig and Kim to the filming of an “educational” TV show — The History of Money! Lucy and the kids are, understandably, less than thrilled. So she sneaks the group into the filming of “The Tonight Show” with Johnny Carson. And while there, she gets a chance to win an audience participation game, Stump the Band. And she actually manages to stump them with an old 1920 Ruby & Kalmar song.
She and Harry get to have dinner at the famous Brown Derby restaurant with Johnny Carson and Ed McMahon. But star-struck Lucy makes it hard for anyone to enjoy their dinner. So, Harry kindly distracts her for a moment, so the TV hosts can escape!
Cast of characters
- Lucille Ball (I Love Lucy, The Big Street) … Lucy Carter
- Gale Gordon (The Lucy Show, Our Miss Brooks)… Harry Carter
- Lucie Arnaz (Here’s Lucy) … Kim Carter
- Desi Arnaz Jr. (House of the Long Shadows) … Craig Carter
- Ed McMahon (Lucy Calls the President) … Ed McMahon
- Johnny Carson (Lucy moves to NBC) … Johnny Carson
- Sid Gould (Advise & Consent) … Maitre D’
- Dede Ball … Woman in Audience – Lucy’s mom
Trivia
- From 1968 to 1980 Lucille Ball made 16 appearances on “The Tonight Show” with Johnny Carson and Ed McMahon. One appearance was just two weeks before this episode aired.
- Johnny jokes that Ed’s sending money to a Clydesdale each month. This is a reference to Ed McMahon’s association with Budweiser beer, a company whose advertising featured a beer wagon pulled by Clydesdale horses. Oblivious, Lucy says “Does Alyce know?” This is a reference to McMahon’s first wife, Alyce Ferrill.
- Extras in “The Tonight Show” audience include Lucille Ball’s real-life mother Dede.
- Harry plans to take Lucy and the kids to the taping of an educational TV panel show titled “The Origin of Money,” which Lucy says he drools over saying like he’s watching Raquel Welch take a bubble bath. Welch was featured on the cover of Time Magazine a few days before this episode aired.
- For winning ‘Stump the Band,’ Kim and Craig will be Carson’s guests at the Factory Discotheque. The Factory (named for the furniture business on the first floor) opened in 1968. Only a few years later, it transformed into Studio One. Lucie Arnaz was one of the many celebrities who performed there during its heyday.
- While the kids are at the Factory, Lucy and Harry are Carson’s guests at the Brown Derby for dinner. Harry distracts starstruck Lucy by saying he sees Cary Grant so that Carson and McMahon can leave the Brown Derby when she’s not looking.
Leave a Reply