by Suzanne Marsh

Created on: June 02, 2009   Last Updated: July 14, 2009

Classic television sitcoms evolved from a truly phenomenal redhead: her name was Lucille Ball. I Love Lucy was the comedy to watch in the 1950's, reruns in the 1960's to today in 2009. Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, William Fraley and Vivian Vance made audiences laugh with the crazy antics.

Remember when Lucy, Ricky, Ethel and Fred went back in time to the gay 1890's? Lucy wanted to join a hoighty toighty society club but she also wanted to prove to Ricky that she could do without electricity among other necessities of the 1950's. Ethel came up from her apartment with her hands wrapped around a butter churn which she had been using and Lucy was baking the bread. She and Ethel were watching the time and when the bread was done Lucy opened the oven door only to have the bread attack her and pin her against a kitchen cabinet.

Lucy also featured many big name movie stars when the episodes were done about the trip to Hollywood. Harpo Marx appeared in a classic Lucy. Lucy was attempting to get several movie stars to visit since her nemisis Carolyn Appleby was visiting. In typical Lucy fashion she does her best only to produce the worst. She devises a way to keep Carolyn from seeing the movie stars up close, she snips Carolyn's glasses and hides them. Harpo and Lucy do a comedy routine that is absolutely comical from beginning to end. These two fantastic comedians out did themselves. Harpo and Lucy do a hands routine: their hands move palm to palm the image being mirrored. Harpo thinks he is seeing himself in a mirror. The spell is broken when Harpo plays his harp, there is quiet as he plays TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALLGAME. William Holden guested as himself, with the backdrop of Gromman's, Lucy out did herself when Bill Holden ended up with a pie in his face. Then when Ricky brings Bill Holden home Lucy panics, she reshapes her nose with stage makeup. Bill Holden of coarse does not recognize her, as she becomes nervous she begins to pull on her nose and suddenly enter Cyrano/Lucy with the huge nose. Bill Holden offers her a cigarette which of course sets fire to her nose!

I Love Lucy was not the only sit com of the fifties there was Ozzie and Harriett, theirs was a family sit com, and each week we met the Nelson's Ozzie, Harriett, David and Rick. We watched them grow from boys to young men. David married June Haver, and is now the only member of the cast stil alive. Rick married Chris Harmon on the show and in real life they were divorced at the time that Rick passed

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