The Ed Wynn Show - Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz

The Ed Wynn Show – Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, with a beach sketch, Lucy puzzling Ed with applause, and a silent movie spoof.

The Ed Wynn Show – Season 1, Episode 14 ∙ Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz – originally aired Dec 24, 1949

After a punny introduction with a cat carrying him onstage, Ed Wynn introduces his new sponsor, Camel cigarettes. At the beach, Ed is a life guard, surrounded by bathing beauties. Desi Arnaz comes by, and pretends he doesn’t speak English. So, Ed has one of the swimsuit models “translate”.

Desi next sings “The Straw Hat Song” followed by “Babalu”. Prior to “Babalu”, there’s a funny bit as Ed keeps going off stage to get the bongo drum, bolero jacket, etc. — and Lucille Ball comes onstage from the opposite side with the same items for Desi, each time to applause. Which Ed can’t figure out why a jacket gets applause! Finally seeing Lucille, of course. And it’s a running gag of Lucy and Ed interrupting Desi as he’s about to perform, to talk about their upcoming silent movie skit. Reducing poor Desi to uncontrolled laughter on the stage! “He should buy a ticket.”

Then Ed and Lucy do a silent movie sketch with Lucille Ball as Theda Bara, complete with “title cards”. Which is outrageously funny, as “Theda” is trying to steal a formula from Ed’s pocket, with lots of prop comedy …. And poor Desi interrupting repeatedly to try and sing “Babalu”!