The Benefit – I Love Lucy season 1, episode 13, originally aired 1/7/1952
After a friendly card game in the Ricardo’s apartment, Ethel enlists Lucy’s help in getting Ricky to perform at a charity fund raiser that her women’s club is throwing. Ricky is totally opposed to the idea, but Lucy persists, and Ricky agrees – and even agrees to let Lucy perform with him. Of course, there’s the matter of Lucy’s lack of talent to contend with.
A funny bit follows, where Lucy is practicing her (bad) singing at the piano, and when she tries to hit a high note, she hears a funny buzzing sound. After repeating twice, she realizes that it’s the door buzzer! Ricky has a special musical arrangement of Auf Wiedersehen, My Dear for Lucy – where her only line is ‘Auf!’ Lucy is none too pleased with this, and insists that Ricky find something else for them to do together.
Ricky chooses a comedy duet routine, in which Lucy would be the straight man and he would get all of the laugh lines. Lucy, however, turns the tables on Ricky, stealing all of the laughs. This routine is golden TV comedy, and has to be seen to be appreciated.
Songs performed include Shine On Harvest Moon, Auf Widerseh’n, My Dear, and We’ll Build a Bungalow
The Benefit is available as part of the season 2 I Love Lucy DVD collection.
I Love Lucy Quotes
Lucy Ricardo (Lucille Ball): I didn’t want to bid trump. That’s why I was kicking you under the table.
Ricky Ricardo (Desi Arnaz): You didn’t kick me.
Lucy Ricardo (Lucille Ball): Then who was I kicking?
Fred Mertz (William Frawley): Is there any liniment in the house?
Ethel Mertz (Vivian Vance): Lucy, I need your help. My women’s club needs Ricky.
Lucy Ricardo (Lucille Ball): I’d like to help, Ethel, but I’m not through with him yet.
Lucy Ricardo (Lucille Ball): Would you climb the highest mountain for me?
Ricky Ricardo (Desi Arnaz): Uh-huh.
Lucy Ricardo (Lucille Ball): Would you swim the deepest sea for me?
Ricky Ricardo (Desi Arnaz): Uh-huh.
Lucy Ricardo (Lucille Ball): Would you do anything for me?
Ricky Ricardo (Desi Arnaz): Anything but sing at Ethel’s benefit next week.
Ricky (Desi Arnaz): [setting his terms for picking the song] Beggars can’t be shoosers.
Lucy (Lucille Ball): Just make sure that you shoose something that shows me off.
Lucy (Lucille Ball): So you can’t get Ricky, you still have me. After all, what’s Ricky got that I haven’t got except a band, a reputation …
Ethel (Vivian Vance): … and talent.
Ricky and Lucy putting on the show
Ricky Ricardo (Desi Arnaz): Hey, Lucy, a funny thing happened to me on the way to the theater.
Lucy Ricardo (Lucille Ball): What?
Ricky Ricardo (Desi Arnaz): Some tramp comes up to me on the street and says he hadn’t had a bite in three days.
Lucy Ricardo (Lucille Ball): What did you do, bite him?
[Audience laughs]
Ricky Ricardo (Desi Arnaz): I’ve got a joke you never heard in your life. I know a girl who‘s so dumb she thinks a football coach has four wheels. Ha ha ha.
[Audience is silent]
Lucy Ricardo (Lucille Ball): How many wheels does it have?
[Audience laughs]
Ricky Ricardo (Desi Arnaz): Hey, Lucy, did you hear about the fire at the shoe factory?
Lucy Ricardo (Lucille Ball): I’ll bet some heel started it.
Ricky Ricardo (Desi Arnaz): You’re supposed to say, “What happened?”
Lucy Ricardo (Lucille Ball): What’s that?
Ricky Ricardo (Desi Arnaz): What happened?
Lucy Ricardo (Lucille Ball): 200 soles were lost
I Love Lucy Trivia
- Ethel’s women’s club is called the Middle East 68th Street Women’s Club – in later episodes, she and Lucy are members of the Wednesday Afternoon Fine Arts League.