I Love Lucy (TV Series) The Amateur Hour (1952) User Reviews

Marvellous

[studioAT · 7/10 · 22 July 2017]

A regular feature on 'best of' DVD's for 'I Love Lucy' this is a great example of sitcom acting from Lucille Ball, and storytelling in general.

Full of twists and turns, and great gags, I thoroughly enjoyed this episode that doesn't appear over 60 years old as it's still funny today.

I would recommend you watching this episode if you were a fan of the show, or indeed a fan of comedy in general.

Lucy and the twins for the win!

[gregoryserrano · 8/10 · 6 September 2021]

I really enjoyed this episode, largely because it is one of the few to introduce children into the fray, and honestly, any episode that slightly deviates from the usual Lucy & Ethel trope is entertaining.

These two kids are pure evil though! So much so that it was hard to laugh at some of the dialogue intended to be funny, but they were true comics to hold their own alongside Lucille Ball!

Perils of babysitting

[kellielulu · 7/10 · 23 October 2022]

Lucy buys a new dress ( again ! ) . Unlike some other episodes Ricky doesn't seem as inflexible about her keeping it if she pays for it. He also tells her he will be home late he's hosting a benefit.

She answers and add to babysit a little boy for five dollars an hour an unheard amount at the time. Ethel thinks it's fishy but Lucy is undeterred. The mother drops the kid off and instantly we know she's in for it after he kicks her in the shin and the mother lets it pass . The woman's club is putting on a benefit and she and her son are in it . Lucy takes him into the kitchen for milk and cookies and the mother sneaks in the twin brother. For a while they fool her and she doesn't know what's happening. The twins are pretty mouthy especially for that era and are full of pranks some rather dangerous ones. They're are a lot of exchanges between them and Lucy . With one of them - Lucy " what kind of a nitwit do you think I am ?" Kid " I don't know what kind are you?" !

They really take it too far when they are going to burn her at the stake! The mother calls and when one of the twins says Lucy can't talk his mother ask if Mrs Ricardo is on fire! Not yet he replied. " well it's a good thing for you she's not! You know your father said he would spank you both if you burn just one more sitter at the stake! Now let me talk to her!" She's tied up at the hairdresser. Lucy " well that makes two of us!" . She wants Lucy to take her place at the show and keep the prize if she wins! A hundred dollars! More than enough to pay for the dress. The boys actually don't do any further damage . It's actually the benefit Ricky is hosting and he ends up handing Lucy the prize money! He's shocked to see that it's Lucy!

I am pretty sure the twins would now have a diagnosis of some kind for their behavior but this was played for laughs and Lucy gets to perform and keep her dress .

Adventures in babysitting

[rgxdzrybr · 8/10 · 16 May 2024]

Lucy takes on an unlikely job to keep a dress she bought.

She ends up babysitting for twin brothers who seem more like four kids.

The mother of the twins is getting her hair done to appear in a show her club is putting on . I don't know why she needs her hair done. Held up at the hairdresser's she calls and asks Lucy to take her place at the show and keep the prize money ( $100 dollars) if she wins .Lucy does and a mishap with one of the twins frog puts Lucy on the spot but she gives such an amazing performance they win and Lucy can pay for her dress !

The down side of the episode is very little of Ricky and Ethel and none of Fred .

It's also an episode many don't like the twins are pretty destructive and scary.

My least favorite episode

[angelahptrio · 4/10 · 29 July 2020]

I honestly consider this the weakest episode. I don't like the twins nor the mother they're terrible to Lucy it's not even funny. Other characters that are horrible to Lucy had a reason and it worked, but Lucy didn't do anything to deserve poor treatment. I have other least favorite episodes but I rather see those than this one, like the Scotland episode not my favorite but it is more entertaining than this. But, there's only 3 writers so it's not easy to come up with a winner each time.

These cookie monsters are hard to find funny.

[mark.waltz · 3/10 · 2 August 2020]

Lucy has double trouble when she turns to babysitting for only $5 an hour to pay for a dress she bought that Ricky refuses to take care of. In what is essentially a repeat of a gag that Lucy did in "The Fuller Brush Girl", she takes care of two look-alike monsters for 4 hours, and it is an unfunny attempt to gain laughs through bad seeds obviously spoiled by their scheming mother. Ironically the mother has plans to perform in an amateur night that Ricky is hosting, and Lucy ends up taking her place. This is very difficult to get through because there was nothing endearing about these kids and the situation is completely unrealistic.