Lucy’s Barbershop Quartet – The Lucy Show season 1 – Lucy takes singing lessons to join Viv’s quartet, but then its stage fright!
Lucy’s Barbershop Quartet – The Lucy Show season 1 originally aired February 4, 1963
Chris Carmichael: I think you have a lovely voice.
Lucy Carmichael: Well, thank you dear, but apparently I have a voice only a daughter could love.
At the beginning of the episode, Viv’s practicing for her new lady barbershop quartet, for the volunteer fire department. And Chris is “chased” to the kitchen, to help her mother with the dishes. Which turns into a funny and sweet moment, as momma Lucy shares some old-time song snippets. And explains to her that, one day, Chris will have to explain “You ain’t nothin’ but a hound dog” to her children!
But when a member of Viv’s female barbershop quartet drops out, Lucy convinces them to let her fill the vacancy. It’s not easy, as Lucy keeps dropping hints, that the other ladies keep missing!
To perform well — or at least better — Lucy takes singing lessons to project her voice. And it’s absolutely hilarious as voice coach Hans Conried coaches Lucy! It’s some hilarious physical comedy.
But, her training can do nothing for Lucy’s stage fright when she learns that their first performance is in front of 3,000 people! But, her fellow singers can, and they actually win the contest. And then Lucy learns that the next performance will be on live television in front of millions!
Cast of characters
- Lucille Ball (I Love Lucy; Here’s Lucy) … Lucy Carmichael
- Vivian Vance (The Great Race) … Vivian Bagley
- Hans Conried (Rock-A-Bye Baby; The Patsy) … Dr. Gitterman
- Candy Moore (Raging Bull) … Chris Carmichael
- Carole Cook (The Incredible Mr. Limpet) … Thelma Green
- Dorothy Konrad (Futureworld) … Dorothy Boyer
- Allan Ray (Cape Fear 19622) … M.C.
Songs
- By the Light of the Silvery Moon
- Music by Gus Edwards
- Lyrics by Edward Madden
- Performed by Lucille Ball, Vivian Vance, Carole Cook and Dorothy Konrad
- Oh Johnny, Oh Johnny, Oh! (1917)
- Music by Abe Olman
- Lyrics by Ed Rose
- Sung by Lucille Ball in the kitchen to Candy Moore
- Be My Little Baby Bumble Bee (1912)
- Music by Henry I. Marshall
- Lyrics by Stanley Murphy
- Sung by Lucille Ball & the quartet, when she’s trying to convince them to sing this instead. It fails.