The Young Fans – I Love Lucy episode 20, originally aired 2/25/1952
The Young Fans begin when a neighborhood girl named Peggy (played by Janet Waldo) develops a crush on Ricky. There’s a very funny scene where Ricky is eating his breakfast and, while Lucy is out of the room, Peggy sneaks in through the back door, and (without Ricky noticing) refills his coffee cup — wondering how it happened, and if he’s getting forgetful. After being surprised by Peggy (and spilling his coffee all over himself), Ricky escapes out the front door, and leave Lucy to deal with her.
A boy her own age?
After a funny heart-to-heart talk with her teenage “rival,” Lucy finds out that there’s one boy her own age that Peggy likes — a shy boy named Arthur (played by Richard Crenna). Lucy tries to solve the problem by having the girl transfer her affections to Arthur — but he can’t dance, which is important to Peggy. However, after Lucy tries to help the shy boy out by giving him a dance lesson — a very funny scene — the boy promptly develops a crush on Lucy!
When Ricky comes home, he finds Lucy soaking her feet (after the painful dancing lesson) and updates him with the situation. To solve the problem, Lucy and Ricky pretend to be much, much older in order to scare the young lovebirds away – and into each others’ arms. It’s a funny scene, with Ricky and Lucy in old age makeup — and Lucy pushing the “old” Ricky into the living room in a wheelchair.
The Young Fans is available on the season 1 I Love Lucy DVD collection.
I Love Lucy Quotes
Peggy: Did I startle you?
Ricky Ricardo (Desi Arnaz): No, I always wash my hands in the coffee every morning.
Peggy: That’s interesting.
Peggy: But I walk him to the subway every morning!
Lucy Ricardo (Lucille Ball): He’s a big boy, he can find his way all by himself.
Lucy Ricardo (Lucille Ball): [about Ricky] He’s a little older too.
Peggy: I know. He’s middle age.
Lucy Ricardo (Lucille Ball): What?!
Peggy: He must be pushing 23.
Lucy Ricardo (Lucille Ball): Yeah, he’s pushing 23 alright. In fact, he’s pushed it all the way to 35.
Lucy Ricardo (Lucille Ball): Now what about boys your own age?
Peggy: Oh, they’re all so icky.
Lucy Ricardo (Lucille Ball): They’re icky, huh?
Peggy: Yeah, except Arthur.
Lucy Ricardo (Lucille Ball): Arthur?
Peggy: Arthur Morton. He’s wonderful. He’s got curly hair, big sad eyes, and floppy ears. He looks like Gregory Peck.
Lucy Ricardo (Lucille Ball): Sounds more like Lassie.
Arthur: Mrs. Ricardo, I can’t dance with you. You’re a woman.
Lucy Ricardo (Lucille Ball): Yeah, my husband likes me that way.
Arthur: Well, I don’t know … a woman.
Lucy Ricardo (Lucille Ball): Look, Arthur. Some people are men and some people are women. They’re made that way so they can dance together.
Lucy Ricardo (Lucille Ball): Arthur, Arthur, take shorter steps. You’ll be dancing with a girl, not an antelope.
Lucy Ricardo (Lucille Ball): I gave Arthur a dancing lesson.
Ricky Ricardo (Desi Arnaz): Arthur. Arthur who?
Lucy Ricardo (Lucille Ball): Well, believe me, it wasn’t Arthur Murray.
Lucy Ricardo (Lucille Ball): [with lowered voice] I had Arthur come over here, and I gave him a dancing lesson to get Peggy off your neck.
Ricky Ricardo (Desi Arnaz): What are you whispering about?
Lucy Ricardo (Lucille Ball): If my feet ever find out that it was my idea, they’ll kill me!
Lucy Ricardo (Lucille Ball): Oh swell. Here we are in the middle of a four-sided triangle.
Lucy Ricardo (Lucille Ball): [to Ricky] I used to think I’d enjoy growing old with you, but after this preview you better grow old alone.
Lucy Ricardo (Lucille Ball): Yeah, he’s babaed his last lu.
Ricky Ricardo (Desi Arnaz): Keep jiggling, Peggy! You’re a much better jiggler than Lucy.
Peggy: Gosh, you have that certain something.
Lucy Ricardo (Lucille Ball): Well, that’s quite a compliment. But how would a girl your age know I have that certain something?
Peggy: I can tell by the way my mother looks at my father when my father looks at you.
Arthur: Mrs. Ricardo doesn’t look so old. She’s kinda well preserved.
I Love Lucy Trivia
- No appearance by Fred or Ethel Mertz.
- Richard Crenna co-starred in Desilu’s second TV series, Our Miss Brooks
- Janet Waldo provided the voice of several well-known cartoon characters, including Judy Jetson, Penelope Pitstop, and Josie from Josie and the Pussycats