Ricky Loses His Temper – I Love Lucy season 3, originally aired February 22, 1954
Ricky Loses His Temper is a very funny “Ricky versus Lucy” episode, that begins with Lucy Ricardo (Lucille Ball) trying to show off her new hat to her husband, Ricky Ricardo (Desi Arnaz). Since Ricky always dislikes her new, expensive, hats, Lucy has decided to turn the tables on him and wear her new hat and put the old hat in the new hat box. Ricky is too clever, however, and claims to like the ‘new’ hat more. Lucy is disappointed, and the two of them are laughing over it — until the frugal Ricky asks her how much the new hat costs. Lucy doesn’t want to tell, and it’s a funny physical comedy as Lucy tries to eat the price tag. Only to have Ricky grab the string attached to the tag and pull it out and explode in anger over the price – $49.50!
The bet is on!
Lucy tries to justify her purchase since she doesn’t have any hats to wear, Ricky, however, pulls her hat boxes out of the closet, and starts putting one of them on her head after another, causing her to start crying. They fight, with Ricky losing his temper again. Just then an agent calls with a ventriloquist act that Ricky wants for his club, but is asking for 500 dollars per week. Even though Ricky knows he was performing at another club for 250. Ricky yells at the man that he has until noon tomorrow to change his mind, and hangs up the phone. This ends with a bet between Ricky and Lucy: He can go without losing his temper longer than she can go without buying a hat.
Resisting temptation
Lucy has to return the new hat, and takes Ethel Mertz (Vivian Vance) along to help her resist temptation. It’s a very funny scene as the proprietor is trying to ‘tempt’ Lucy with a new hat as Lucy keeps her eyes covered, and as she’s leaving the store she succumbs to temptation, and buys it. Asking them to deliver the hat the next day, giving her only one day to get Ricky to lose his temper.
Lucy’s cruel streak
This leads to a very funny scene as Lucy tries, by hook and by crook, to irritate Ricky into losing his temper. The things Lucy does (reminding him of the lousy day he had at work, blaring the radio as he’s falling asleep, filing her nails, dropping a box full of crackers all over Ricky’s bed, cracking walnuts with a hammer) are just shy of cruel.
Even so, it’s a very funny scene, with Desi Arnaz demonstrating some of his own comedy skills. By morning, when Lucy rolls him out of bed, he lets her know that he knows what’s going on. Just then, he tries to put on his slippers, which Lucy has “helpfully” nailed to the floor. The audience thinks that Ricky’s about to lose his temper as he counts to ten (in Spanish) very loudly, but he manages to keep his temper anyway. And the new hat will be delivered soon …
The torture kicks into high gear
At the breakfast table, the torture kicks into high gear, as Ethel brings over a ‘dribble’ glass for Ricky to drink his morning tomato juice out of. And spilling it all over his white suit. But Ricky still doesn’t lose his temper, not even when Fred Mertz (William Frawley) returns Ricky’s golf club (bent in half). Ricky still keeps his temper, even when the agent calls back. With his newfound control over his temper, he’s able to talk him down to the two hundred fifty dollars that he originally offered.
Winning … and losing
He’s so happy, that he cancels the bet in celebration and tells Lucy that she can get a new hat. Lucy pretends to order the new hat, only to have the doorbell ring as soon as she hangs up the phone. Ricky realizes what’s happened, and that Lucy ordered the hat (and lost the bet) the day before. Having put him through that torment for no reason. They end laughing at it, until Ricky gets his revenge by putting Lucy over his lap for a spanking (something that definitely wouldn’t be funny today, of course).
Ricky Loses His Temper is available on DVD as part of the I Love Lucy season 3 DVD collection.
Funny quotes from Ricky Loses His Temper
Ricky Ricardo (Desi Arnaz): You only got one head, why do you buy so many hats?
Lucy Ricardo (Lucille Ball): I never should have married a hot-blooded Cuban, I should have married a cold-blooded Swede.
Ricky Ricardo (Desi Arnaz): [shouting] What do you mean, I lose my temper? I never lose my temper!
Lucy Ricardo (Lucille Ball): You’re the first person I ever saw whose veins bulge just because he has a good disposition!
Ricky Ricardo (Desi Arnaz): Well, maybe you’re right. Nobody’s perfect. I gotta accept you with all your faults, too.
Lucy Ricardo (Lucille Ball): That’s right, dear. That’s the only sensible way to look at it. After all … [pause] What do you mean, all my faults?
Lucy Ricardo (Lucille Ball): What’s the matter?
Ricky Ricardo (Desi Arnaz): [about to drink a glass of tomato juice] I don’t trust you.
Fred Mertz (William Frawley): Who shot him?
Lucy Ricardo (Lucille Ball): Nobody.
Fred Mertz (William Frawley): You cut his throat?
Fred Mertz (William Frawley): Ricky, I’m returning the golf club you borrowed [twisted into a U shape] I was golfing in Central Park, and a tree jumped out in front of me.