Lucy is having a birthday party on the same day that little Ricky's best friend is having his birthday party. All the friends of both children are the same identical friends of both little Ricky and his best friends and all will go to Ricky's friends' party as they have entertainment. Big Ricky offers Superman ( George Reeves)for Little Ricky's birthday. Lucy is so happy about this that Lucy shouts "yes" and phones everyone and informs them that Superman will be at little Ricky's party. Everyone is coming to see Superman at Ricky's party, even the other birthday party boy. Well, Superman cannot make little Ricky's birthday party as he had other previous engagements. Lucy dresses up as Superman in order that the party will not be a flop. Lucy also those not want all those children including little Ricky to be disappointed. Well, Lucy goes upstairs to an upstairs empty apartment that Fred is trying to rent. Lucy goes up there as she wants to come into her apartment downstairs, from the window. This will seem as if Superman (Lucy) flew into the window. A couple comes to see the upstairs empty apartment. Ethyl shows the apartment that is for rent to them. While the couple is upstairs looking at the apartment and after Ethyl leaves the upstairs empty apartment to return downstairs to the Ricardo's apartment and Ricky's party; the real Superman arrives. Back upstairs the lady of the couple interested in renting the apartment sees Lucy outside on the ledge. Lucy is dressed as Superman. The lady is very scared. She tells her husband, whom sees nothing. The lady sees Lucy again. The couple decides against the apartment as it is too high up and scares the woman. The height of the upstairs apartment is so high that is causing the woman to hallucinate. It starts too rain so the couple closes and locks the window before they leave. Lucy cannot get in. Meanwhile, the real Superman is at Little Ricky's part downstairs and all the children and the grown ups are having an excellent time without Lucy. Ricky comments that he sure wished Lucy could have met Superman as she really likes Superman. Superman responds that he wanted to meet her also as 'he heard a lot about her'! The mention of Lucy's name causes Ethyl to remember that Lucy is upstairs outside on the ledge and it is pouring rain now, so she tells Ricky. Ricky is furious and attempts to move the huge piano to shout out the window. He even enlists the assistance of Fred. Both of them together cannot move the piano. Superman easily tosses the piano aside and goes out on the ledge to save Lucy. Ricky is still hollering and Lucy asks Superman if he can teach her to fly in order that she can escape Ricky's wrath. When they get inside Superman asks Ricky how long has Ricky and Lucy been married? Ricky answers 17 years. Superman responds " and they call me Superman". This is where I derived the title of my comments. Happy ending. Fantastic show.
9 Reviews
Luce and the cast at their best.
embalmzu20 July 2006
one of the most under rated classics of the I Love Lucy series, kiddo's to actress Madge Blake as the nervous prospective tenant, and who could forget Fred Mertz, even then as a cheapskate he could still make you laugh. One of the best children based episodes of Lucy for both Kids and Parents alike. My compliments to whoever came up with the idea of teaming those two TV show members definitely deserve credit on this web site..I would of liked to seen maybe Jack Webb make an appearance as a cop or sheriff in the show during it's run, I know networks usually frowned on " loaning out actors ", but think what great memories we would of enjoyed beyond what we have..
And they call me Superman?
angelahptrio26 October 2023
Probably the best season 6 episode, hands down. And perhaps one of the best of the series because it's one of those shows you watch over and over again. But not just because George Reeves appearance as Superman, but also the set up at the beginning of the episode. The dialogue between Caroline and Lucy over who was born first Little Ricky and Stevie is so well written I didn't appreciate it until I got older. I had to listen to line by line to understand what they were talking about. The writing is so superb on this show, that it disappoints me we don't have much of those today. Of course, Superman's entrance is hands down the best guest star entrance ever.
Superman meets Batman?
tonyaldr2 April 2014
In addition to being a great episode, one of the most interesting details is that Madge Blake who plays the frightened woman later went on to play Aunt Harriet in the Adam West "Batman" series a decade later. So there you have a link between two of the greatest comic book television series! Surprisingly I have never seen this mentioned anywhere before. I noticed it years later when I recognized Blake's distinctive voice which I had heard so many times in stately Wayne manor! Now if only Neil Hamilton or Alan Napier could have played her husband! I'm sure that would have made a fascinating footnote in TV history!
A tender moment where Superman is paternal
cashbacher16 November 2020
To the modern viewer, the episodes of the Lucy Show in the early seasons now seem quaint. Lucille Ball played a ditzy woman that was always getting into absurd situations due to her often limited thought processes. This was a complete contradiction to what she was in real life. She was the first woman to run a major television studio and was an active producer of many productions on stage and television. In many ways she was one of the major pioneers of females in executive positions in entertainment.
While this episode degenerates into the silliness of Lucy donning a pseudo-Superman costume on the pretense of fooling a group of children into thinking that Superman has attended their birthday party, it was enjoyable to see George Reeves as Superman act paternal in picking up a child and holding them. He was a hero to children, and the thought of being picked up by Superman was the height of wishful fantasy.
Severely restricted in what could be done, many of the early television shows based on comedy have not worn well. Most of the episodes of the Lucy Show remain funny, but only if you put your fifties prism on first.
Interesting, Unique, Memorable & Still Quite Funny!
zacdawac6 January 2022
My perceptions, as a rapidly ageing adult are slightly different from what I remember from when I was eleven. However, this is still one of my favorite episodes of the series and it is filled with colorful and interesting guests.
Of course, there's Superman. Crossovers between two popular shows were rarely done in the fifties, especially when one was a CBS comedy and the other was a syndicated (dare I call it a) drama. The presence of Superman seemed so unique and essential that I don't think many people realized that he only had a few minutes of screen time and a half dozen actual lines.
And of course, there was Madge Blake, who might have been the only regular or recurring performer from the Batman series of the sixties, to also be on a show with Superman. Even when I was an eleven year old aspiring writer, I was sorry that they had actually given Madge's character the first name, Martha. If they had left her unnamed, it would have been easy to imagine that this was actually Dick Graison's Aunt Harriett, ten years earlier. Maybe her husband had since died and she had been taken in by Bruce Wayne to assist in raising Dick. The arguably crass innuendo in my last line was unintentional but I'll leave it, just the same. Though Madge's character was considered minor, and Superman was the show's special guest, the two essentially had the same amounts of dialogue and screen time.
Superman and Batman, though long term friends from the comic books, could never have met, on the Adam West series. George Reeves was long dead and the children who watched Batman when it was new were also watching Superman in syndicated reruns. Having a different actor play Superman, on Batman, might have confused a lot of kids. One might say that Madge Blake's appearance here provided the missing link between the two shows.
And then there's Doris Singleton, a regular guest on Lucy and Desilu shows for roughly thirty years, and George O'Hanlon , who had made his mark as Joe McDoakes in a series of comedic movie shorts and would later voice George Jetson. George's face wasn't recognizable when I first saw this show because movie shorts were essentially lost, for several decades, until they were resurrected on classic movie stations.
Finally, though I Love Lucy was innovative for filming multi-camera, in front of live audiences, I can't imagine that this episode was done that way. A dozen five year olds at Little Ricky's birthday party would have likely been difficult to direct without room for multiple takes, though not nearly as difficult as the dozen actual live birds, on the ledge. Clearly, this scene was shot in an indoor space but I can't imagine how all of those birds were trained to stand still, to walk in place and especially to stand on Lucy's arms and shoulders. The show was normally rehearsed and shot over the course of a few days. How did they find and train an assortment of pigeons and sea gulls, so quickly? If there is an article or if there's footage anywhere that elaborates on how this episode was shot, I'd love to learn more.
All in all, I'd say that this is a rather memorable moment in time that is just as worth watching today as it was when it was first broadcast, sixty five years ago.
Of course, there's Superman. Crossovers between two popular shows were rarely done in the fifties, especially when one was a CBS comedy and the other was a syndicated (dare I call it a) drama. The presence of Superman seemed so unique and essential that I don't think many people realized that he only had a few minutes of screen time and a half dozen actual lines.
And of course, there was Madge Blake, who might have been the only regular or recurring performer from the Batman series of the sixties, to also be on a show with Superman. Even when I was an eleven year old aspiring writer, I was sorry that they had actually given Madge's character the first name, Martha. If they had left her unnamed, it would have been easy to imagine that this was actually Dick Graison's Aunt Harriett, ten years earlier. Maybe her husband had since died and she had been taken in by Bruce Wayne to assist in raising Dick. The arguably crass innuendo in my last line was unintentional but I'll leave it, just the same. Though Madge's character was considered minor, and Superman was the show's special guest, the two essentially had the same amounts of dialogue and screen time.
Superman and Batman, though long term friends from the comic books, could never have met, on the Adam West series. George Reeves was long dead and the children who watched Batman when it was new were also watching Superman in syndicated reruns. Having a different actor play Superman, on Batman, might have confused a lot of kids. One might say that Madge Blake's appearance here provided the missing link between the two shows.
And then there's Doris Singleton, a regular guest on Lucy and Desilu shows for roughly thirty years, and George O'Hanlon , who had made his mark as Joe McDoakes in a series of comedic movie shorts and would later voice George Jetson. George's face wasn't recognizable when I first saw this show because movie shorts were essentially lost, for several decades, until they were resurrected on classic movie stations.
Finally, though I Love Lucy was innovative for filming multi-camera, in front of live audiences, I can't imagine that this episode was done that way. A dozen five year olds at Little Ricky's birthday party would have likely been difficult to direct without room for multiple takes, though not nearly as difficult as the dozen actual live birds, on the ledge. Clearly, this scene was shot in an indoor space but I can't imagine how all of those birds were trained to stand still, to walk in place and especially to stand on Lucy's arms and shoulders. The show was normally rehearsed and shot over the course of a few days. How did they find and train an assortment of pigeons and sea gulls, so quickly? If there is an article or if there's footage anywhere that elaborates on how this episode was shot, I'd love to learn more.
All in all, I'd say that this is a rather memorable moment in time that is just as worth watching today as it was when it was first broadcast, sixty five years ago.
Lucy meets Superman
kellielulu24 September 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Kind of a sweet episode. Lucy doesn't want to break a promise to Little Ricky even if she has to pretend to be Superman! Fortunately it doesn't come to that and he appears at little Ricky's birthday party. There is also a funny subplot about a vacant apartment and Fred desperate to rent it . Ethel even brings her mother's good silver to Lucy so Fred won't pawn it! He would have too he comes looking for it!
Batsman's Aunt Harriet even makes an appearance as a potential tenant . It's actually that apartment that Lucy uses to get dressed as Superman and climb onto the ledge. It starts raining though and the husband of the couple looking at the apartment closes the window stranding Lucy after Superman shows up. He actually ends up rescuing Lucy.
The part of the episode that doesn't make sense is Lucy and Caroline Appleby competing on who gets to hold the birthday party first. Stevie Appleby and little Ricky's birthdays are only days apart. They could have combined the parties as they were in the same class.
One thing that brings back memories is when Caroline and Fred are doing London Bridge is falling down for the kids.
Batsman's Aunt Harriet even makes an appearance as a potential tenant . It's actually that apartment that Lucy uses to get dressed as Superman and climb onto the ledge. It starts raining though and the husband of the couple looking at the apartment closes the window stranding Lucy after Superman shows up. He actually ends up rescuing Lucy.
The part of the episode that doesn't make sense is Lucy and Caroline Appleby competing on who gets to hold the birthday party first. Stevie Appleby and little Ricky's birthdays are only days apart. They could have combined the parties as they were in the same class.
One thing that brings back memories is when Caroline and Fred are doing London Bridge is falling down for the kids.
A Crossover of the Iconic
redryan6423 August 2016
Warning: Spoilers
BASIC PLOT TYPE for this now iconic series. It was rendered a cut above the pack by the unusual twist of having Little Ricky's birthday party having a special visitor in George Reeves as Superman. In a sense, it was a natural as Mr. Reeves was doing personal appearance tours in the off season of filming the ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN TV Series.
THE MAIN CRISIS that occurred in the episode came when Ricky, Sr. (Mr. Arnaz) failed to secure Reeves' commitment for the kiddie party due to Superman's being scheduled to fly (in a plane) to Terre Haute, Indiana. Lucy intervenes and failing to get a male substitute in a makeshift costume, took it upon herself to pinch-hit for the pinch-hitter.
SOME TOTALLY IN character bits of business transpire as Lucy, being in costume, goes through a litany of appropriate gags. Trapped on a narrow ledge and then accidentally locked out of the apartment building, she finds laugh producing interplay with a flock of lethargic pigeons, a rain storm and a nervous elder couple looking to be perspective tenants for Fred & Ethel Mertz.
ALL IS WELL when the Man of Steel "rescues" her and all is ended up with a fade-out gag tat went something like:
Superman: "You mean you've been married to her for 15 years?"
Ricky: "Yes!"
Superman: "And they call me Superman!"
THE CAST OFG this, our favourite I LOVE LUCY Episode included George O'Hanlon, star of the JOE McDOAKES Series of theatrical short subject comedies from Warner Brothers/Vitaphone. Also doing a short appearance was Madge Blake, who, less than a decade later, would portray Aunt Harriet Cooper on the BATMAN TV Series.
THE ONLY DISAPOOINTMENT that we have here is that the production company (Desilu) could have/should have done a little to credit George Reeves as guest star. Our suggestion would have been having a freeze frame intro at the opening featuring a studio portrait and verbally giving him credit.
THE MAIN CRISIS that occurred in the episode came when Ricky, Sr. (Mr. Arnaz) failed to secure Reeves' commitment for the kiddie party due to Superman's being scheduled to fly (in a plane) to Terre Haute, Indiana. Lucy intervenes and failing to get a male substitute in a makeshift costume, took it upon herself to pinch-hit for the pinch-hitter.
SOME TOTALLY IN character bits of business transpire as Lucy, being in costume, goes through a litany of appropriate gags. Trapped on a narrow ledge and then accidentally locked out of the apartment building, she finds laugh producing interplay with a flock of lethargic pigeons, a rain storm and a nervous elder couple looking to be perspective tenants for Fred & Ethel Mertz.
ALL IS WELL when the Man of Steel "rescues" her and all is ended up with a fade-out gag tat went something like:
Superman: "You mean you've been married to her for 15 years?"
Ricky: "Yes!"
Superman: "And they call me Superman!"
THE CAST OFG this, our favourite I LOVE LUCY Episode included George O'Hanlon, star of the JOE McDOAKES Series of theatrical short subject comedies from Warner Brothers/Vitaphone. Also doing a short appearance was Madge Blake, who, less than a decade later, would portray Aunt Harriet Cooper on the BATMAN TV Series.
THE ONLY DISAPOOINTMENT that we have here is that the production company (Desilu) could have/should have done a little to credit George Reeves as guest star. Our suggestion would have been having a freeze frame intro at the opening featuring a studio portrait and verbally giving him credit.
George Reeves was mentioned in the closing credits
bpatrick-819 December 2017
Warning: Spoilers
When this show originally aired announcer Roy Rowan did mention that George Reeves appeared as Superman. That was cut, however, from subsequent airings of the episode. One problem the writers had was to make children believe this was indeed Superman, but to let adults know that this was an actor on a publicity tour. That's why Reeves is always referred to as Superman throughout the episode.
I'm surprised anybody was fooled by the makeshift Superman costume Lucy wore.
I'm surprised anybody was fooled by the makeshift Superman costume Lucy wore.
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