Lucy and Ethel Buy the Same Dress – I Love Lucy episode 69, season 3, originally aired10/19/1953
Lucy and Ethel arrange for their club, the Wednesday Afternoon Fine Arts League, to put on a show on the local television station courtesy of Carolyn Appleby’s husband, the station manager. Various members will do various acts, and after a short squabble, Lucy and Ethel decide to close out the show singing a duet, Friendship. But who can they get to be the Master of Ceremonies? Ricky is the obvious person, but Lucy knows that he will turn down a direct request. In an inspired bit, Lucy and Ethel talk back and forth, in front of Ricky, about who they could possibly get to emcee the show. Mentioning everyone except Ricky. Ricky’s ego gets the best of him, and he volunteers to be the show’s Master of Ceremonies.
Later, Lucy and Ethel practice performing ‘Friendship’ as Ricky plays the piano and Fred serves as the audience. After this, the girls show each other the new dresses that they’ve purchased for the performance. One from Macy’s, and one from Gimbel’s department stores – the exact same dress! After some initial discussion between the ladies about who will return their dress, Ricky makes the sensible suggestion that they both return the dress, and Lucy and Ethel agree to return the dresses and buy something different.
On the night of the performance, however, it turns out that neither woman has returned the dress, and they go on stage together, with each angry at the other for wearing ‘her’ dress! While singing ‘Friendship’ again, they start to act out their anger, ripping parts of each other’s dress off – in time to the music!
Lucy and Ethel Buy the Same Dress is available on the season 3 I Love Lucy DVD collection.
Funny quotes from Lucy and Ethel Buy the Same Dress – I Love Lucy
Fred Mertz (William Frawley): Is the meeting of the Claw and Cackle club over?
Ethel Mertz (Vivian Vance): We can sing a duet. Isn’t that a wonderful idea?
Lucy Ricardo (Lucille Ball): No. I don’t get to sing by myself.
Ethel Mertz (Vivian Vance): That’s what makes it a wonderful idea!
Lucy Ricardo (Lucille Ball): I’m going to use my head.
Ethel Mertz (Vivian Vance): What are you going to do, beat him with it?
Lucy Ricardo (Lucille Ball): Next to sugar, Cuba’s biggest export is ham.
Trivia about Lucy and Ethel Buy the Same Dress – I Love Lucy
- Music performed on this episode includes Red, Red Robin, Friendship and Vaya Con Dios.
- This episode was based on an episode of Lucille Ball’s successful CBS radio show, My Favorite Husband (“Liz Appears on Television”)
- Lucille Ball had previously sung the ‘Friendship’ duet with Red Skelton in the 1942 movie, Du Barry Was A Lady.