When a wanna bee entertainer meets a vain Broadway legend, it's not quite love at first sight. Lucy adores Tallulah Bankhead, but the queen of theatrical melodrama realizes quickly what a wacky character she's entangled with. Lucy is unaware of who the newcomer moving in next door is, and in earshot of the divine Miss B., insults her seemingly tacky furniture. Making amends, Lucy throws a traditional southern dinner, abusing butler Fred and maid Ethel, resulting in disaster. But Tallulah proves to be a good sport and agrees to star in their PTA production that Lucy ends up sabotaging out of revenge. In true Lucy style, all she can think of to say when she realizes what she's done is, "Eeew!"
The funniest and perhaps the most popular of the "I Love Lucy" hour long specials, this is a riot from start to finish. Replacing "rival" Bette Davis, Tallulah proves that she is one of the funniest women outside of Lucy and Ethel themselves. I wonder how a Tallulah in Connecticut sitcom would have gone over with guest appearances by Lucy and Desi (and Frawley and Vance) from time to time. It could have been an early variation of "Green Acres". Indeed at this time, Tallulah was still busy on stage, and for those unfamiliar with her stage work, there's a recap of her greatest hits thanks to a gushing by Ethel Mae in her mail's outfit. "When Miss Bankhead is bored, Miss Bankhead will say so!", Tallulah barks at Lucy who just reprimanded Ethel. Even with minimal material, Vivian is funnier than Lucy here, with "big red" coming off as more mean than funny, even though her imitation of Tallulah is dead on.
The sketch like plot doesn't just stop with the failed dinner party, but continues with Lucy accidentally spraying with paint, false accusations of revenge and ultimately, Lucy's schemes against during the play. Even with Lucy's unlawful like behavior, it is hysterical. Richard Deacon provides a delightfully droll performance as Bankhead's butler, while sitcom veteran Elvia Allman is simply silly in a delightful bit as the eccentric head of the PTA. Delightful one liners, perfect comic timing and surprise after surprise makes this assoc T.V. viewing at its most outstanding.
The funniest and perhaps the most popular of the "I Love Lucy" hour long specials, this is a riot from start to finish. Replacing "rival" Bette Davis, Tallulah proves that she is one of the funniest women outside of Lucy and Ethel themselves. I wonder how a Tallulah in Connecticut sitcom would have gone over with guest appearances by Lucy and Desi (and Frawley and Vance) from time to time. It could have been an early variation of "Green Acres". Indeed at this time, Tallulah was still busy on stage, and for those unfamiliar with her stage work, there's a recap of her greatest hits thanks to a gushing by Ethel Mae in her mail's outfit. "When Miss Bankhead is bored, Miss Bankhead will say so!", Tallulah barks at Lucy who just reprimanded Ethel. Even with minimal material, Vivian is funnier than Lucy here, with "big red" coming off as more mean than funny, even though her imitation of Tallulah is dead on.
The sketch like plot doesn't just stop with the failed dinner party, but continues with Lucy accidentally spraying with paint, false accusations of revenge and ultimately, Lucy's schemes against during the play. Even with Lucy's unlawful like behavior, it is hysterical. Richard Deacon provides a delightfully droll performance as Bankhead's butler, while sitcom veteran Elvia Allman is simply silly in a delightful bit as the eccentric head of the PTA. Delightful one liners, perfect comic timing and surprise after surprise makes this assoc T.V. viewing at its most outstanding.
