Visitor from Italy

Visitor from Italy - Lucy with an immigration official

Visitor from Italy – I Love Lucy season 6, episode 5, originally aired October 29, 1956

Synopsis of Visitor from Italy

In Visitor from Italy, Mario (Jay Novello, 1904-1982) from Italy comes to visit on his way to San Franchesca to see his brother. But Lucy thinks it’s supposed to be San Francisco so she helps Mario get a job in a pizza parlor to raise money, only to have to flip some pizza dough herself.

Review of Visitor from Italy

In Visitor from Italy Ricky Ricardo (Desi Arnaz) and Lucy (Lucille Ball) are preparing for a game of bridge with the Mertzes, when a stranger shows up at their door. He clearly knows them, from their trip to Italy, but neither Ricky or Lucy can remember him. They pretend to remember, and when the Mertzes arrive — they don’t remember him either. Eventually, it comes across that he was the gondolier they met, and told them to look them up if was ever in New York.

But Mario is on his way to visit his brother, and Lucy mistakenly thinks that he needs to go to San Francisco, and needs $60 to go. Lucy suggests that Mario can work at Ricky’s nightclub as a busboy. Despite Ricky’s misgivings, he tries – and is soon fired. But Mario finds a new job working as a pizza restaurant.

However, Mario’s on a visitor visa, and he’s not allowed to work – for even one more day. But Mario’s employer agreed that Mario would work for three days, and he’s only worked two. So, no pay – unless Lucy can fill in for him. But Lucy’s never worked in a pizza parlor before … so the physical humor begins!

Ricky eventually finds out, and tracks Lucy down to the pizza parlor, causes a fire in the oven, and gets Lucy fired. Eventually, they get Mario on his bus to San Fransisco. Just after he left, his brother Dominic shows up, looking for Mario. He hadn’t moved to San Fransisco … he was staying with his sick friend, Sam Franchesco!