In Palm Springs, I Love Lucy season 4, originally aired April 25, 1954
In Palm Springs begins with Ricky and Lucy Ricardo, and Fred and Ethel Mertz, in the Ricardos’ hotel room, trying to decide what to do … which turns into a discussion of the “little things” that couples do that annoy each other — Ricky drumming his fingers, Lucy stirring her coffee, Fred jingling his keys in his pockets, and Ethel’s eating etiquette. Thinking that they’ve been together too much, Lucy decides that half of them should go to Palm Springs — and despite losing a coin toss (“best 4 out of seven …”) she and Ethel drive to Palm Springs.
The ladies on their own
In Palm Springs, Lucy, Ethel and Mrs. McGillicuddy are rained out — and soon Lucy and Ethel are at each others’ throats over their personal habits. They miss their husbands, but are too proud to call them and ask them to come to Palm Springs. Back in Hollywood, it’s raining there too — and Fred and Ricky are at each other’s throats as well. Ricky realizes that they miss their wives, but their pride gets in the way … until a producer’s secretary calls and wants Ricky to come to Palm Springs to meet with him about a movie.
Rock Hudson visits
Finally, the sun comes out, and the girls are sunning themselves by the pool, when Rock Hudson comes by. Apparently, a mutual friend of Ricky’s has had a big fight with her husband over an annoying personal habit — and she left her husband. On the way to reconcile with his wife, the man was in a fatal car accident. Ricky and Fred have, of course, set up the whole thing, and come in to hug their wives … and laugh at the situation. And, it turns out that Lucy has lured Ricky and Fred there, impersonating the producer’s secretary.
In Palm Springs is available on DVD on the I Love Lucy season 4 DVD.
Funny quotes from In Palm Springs
Lucy (Lucille Ball): I don’t blame her! Imagine, telling Ethel she chews like a cow! If it were me …
Fred (William Frawley): That’s enough, I just went a round with old Bossie.
Lucy (Lucille Ball): Heads we go, tails you stay.
Ricky (Desi Arnaz): [interrupting] Oh, no you don’t! That’s how I got married.
Lucy (Lucille Ball): [watching out the window as it rains] I was hoping a movie star would float by.
Lucy (Lucille Ball): I miss Ricky!
Ethel (Vivian Vance): I can top that — I miss Fred!
Lucy (Lucille Ball): But we were wrong and we do miss them!
Ethel (Vivian Vance): You tell husbands a thing like that and you’ll set wives back a thousand years!
Ricky (Desi Arnaz): We can’t golf, and we can’t go swimming. What are we going to do?
Fred (William Frawley): Well, if this rain keeps coming down, we could start building an ark.
Ethel (Vivian Vance): What was all that about “fun in the sun”?
Lucy (Lucille Ball): It’s the principle of the thing — I paid for the sun, it’s up to me if I use it or not.