Lucille Ball asked Carmen Miranda for permission to impersonate her before filming the comedy routine in "Be A Pal."

In "The Audition," the TV bigwigs were played by "I Love Lucy" producer, Jess Oppenheimer and CBS vice president, Harry Ackerman.

In "Men Are Messy," the press agent was played by Kenny Morgan. At the time Kenny was married to Lucille Ball’s cousin Cloe and was also Desilu’s PR representative.

Arroz con pollo (chicken with rice) was Desi Arnaz’s favorite dish.

In "Drafted," the Sedgwicks, Orsattis, Buzzells, and Willard Josephy were real-life friends of the Arnazes.

Lucille Ball once dislocated her shoulder doing an apache dance at age twelve for a Masonic musical revue.

Bea Benaderet who played Miss Lewis in "Lucy Plays Cupid" also appeared on Lucy’s radio show "My Favorite Husband" and was Lucy’s first choice to play what eventually became the Ethel Mertz character.

In "Lucy Writes A Play," the stage manager was played by Maury Thompson whom was also the shows script clerk.

The first Ricardo-Mertz fight was in "Breaking The Lease."

In "The Ballet," Lucille Ball ad-libbed brilliantly when her foot accidentally got caught in the ballet practice bar.

Richard Crenna who played "teenager" Arthur Morton in "The Young Fans" was actually twenty-four when this episode was filmed.

During a dress rehearsal of "Fred And Ethel Fight," stage manager Herb Browar played a practical joke on Lucille Ball. For the scene featuring Lucy in her cast lying in bed, he replaced the standard reading material with a very graphic anatomy book, opened to a page featuring a male specimen. Lucille took a long look at the page, threw a glance in the direction of Browar, and cracked up laughing.

"The Moustache" episode was the first instance of Vivian Vance and William Frawley doing a song-and-dance act in the show.

According to ARB, "The Marriage License," was the first TV show to be seen in 10 million U.S. homes.

In "Lucy Does A TV Commercial," apple pectin was used for the Vitameatavegamin liquid.

"Job Switching" was one of Lucille Ball’s favorite "I Love Lucy" episodes.

When the writers first dreamed up "The Saxophone" episode, Lucille Ball was asked if she could play. Her response was "No, but give me a week." By the time rehearsals started she knew enough to get by.

In "The Anniversary Present," Grace Foster worked at Joseff Jewelry company which was a real jewelry company located in Burbank, California, that supplied jewelry for movies and TV shows.

In "The Handcuffs," director Marc Daniels worked out these handcuff routines with his wife (and "I Love Lucy" camera coordinator) Emily, before instructing Lucille and Desi.

According to Newsweek (1/19/53), "The Operetta" was the first episode that Little Lucie Arnaz was allowed to stay up and watch.

In "Redecorating," the character name Dan Jenkins, who was played by Hans Conried, was a favorite write of Lucy and Desi’s, first with the Hollywood Reporter and then with TV Guide. This same episode was prompted by Lucille Ball who said she just got tired of the old furniture.

In "Pregnant Women Are Unpredictable," while trying to agree on a name for the baby and at the end of the episode Lucy sobs, "You haven’t even mentioned little Robert or Madelyn." Robert and Madelyn referred to Robert G. Carrol, Jr. and Madelyn Pugh, the two talented "Lucy" scribes.

In "Lucy Goes To The Hospital," it was mentioned that Lucy’s doctor was Joe Harris which also happened to be Lucille Ball’s real life physician.

In "The Inferiority Complex," the character name Dr. Henry Molin was in reference to Henry Molin an "I Love Lucy" film editor.

In "The Club Election," Jerry Hausner provided the baby cries in the scene introducing the flashback, for which he was paid a hundred dollars.

"The Girls Go Into Business" episode was filmed on the night of the ëred scare’ incident.

In "Fan Magazine Interview," the character name Eleanor Harris was actually a real magazine writer who wrote about Lucy and Desi as far back as 1940.

Such contests like the "Bonus Bucks" episode proliferated in the 1950s, usually under the name "Lucky Bucks." However, Desilu’s contract with sponsor Philip Morris precluded them from ever using the word "lucky," the name of a competing cigarette.

In "Lucy Writes A Novel," Lucy received a hundred-dollar advance from Dorrance & Company publishers which is a genuine publisher based in Philadelphia.

The "First Stop" episode was the first time the "I Love Lucy" crew ventured out of the studio to film location footage.

The putty nose routine in "L.A. At Last!," was Lucille Ball’s favorite comedy bit.

The dessert that was dumped on William Holden in "L.A. At Last!" was actually applesauce. In the same episode, Bill Sherman’s secretary was played by Dani Sue Nolen, "I Love Lucy" director Bill Asher’s wife.

In "Don Juan Is Shelved," M-G-M’s Dore Schary was suppose to play himself but backed out at the last moment. Vivian Vance’s then-husband, Phil Ober stepped in.

In "The Tour," the exterior shots when Lucy and Ethel got off the tour bus included Lucille Ball’s home, where a similar wall surrounds her property.

In "Lucy’s Bicycle Trip," they used honey as "goat nip" for the scene where Lucy is awakened by a goat in the barn.

In "Return Home From Europe," the propman had rented the musical instruments from Ellis Mercantile Company in Hollywood and then spent all day on April 6, 1956 getting the cheese out of them before returning them to the rental company.

Due to Bob Hope’s busy performing schedule, he could not memorize his lines in "Lucy and Bob Hope" so he had to rely on cue cards held by propman Jerry Miggins, who also had the dubious job of throwing the baseball that hits Hope on the noggin.

The tango/eggs routine in "Lucy Does The Tango" was not rehearsed with real eggs because Lucille Ball wanted the experience to be fresh when the cameras rolled; hard-boiled eggs were used for the run-throughs.

In "Lucy Goes To Sun Valley," a double was used for the scene depicting Lucy skiing. It was a good thing for Lucille Ball because the double wound up with a broken leg!

In Ep.4,The Diet, Fred owns a dog named Butch (who we never see again. In Ep.57, No Children Allowed, Mrs Trumble show the lease which says no children or pets, but in Ep.100, The Business Manager, Mrs. Trumble asks for All Pet for her cat. I guess by Ep.165 Little Ricky gets a Dog, they give up on the lease.

In Ep.19,The Ballet, Freds old vaudville partner is Ted Kurtz. In Ep.102 his name is Barney.

In Ep.20, Young Fans, Peggy startles Ricky and he spills coffee on his suit. He manages to leave the kitchen & upon entering the living room the coffee is no longer on his jacket.

In Ep.36,The Anniversary Present, Ricky buys Lucy a real strand of pearls,but in The Lucy/Desi Comedy Hour The Ricardos Go To Japan, Lucy says all she has is her bargain basement pearls from Gimbels.

In Ep.47, The Club Election,the name is Lillian Appleby.In Ep.69, Lucy & Ethel Buy the Same Dress, it is now Caroline.In Ep.116, Lucy Gets In Pictures, Lucy accidently refers to her as Lillian again.

In Ep.80, Ricky Minds The Baby, Lucy paces in the Mertzes living room worried over leaving little Ricky. Look at her shoes, in this scene she is wearing a pair with a "V" back line. In the next scene as she leaves she is wearing a different pair.

Lucie Arnaz and Desi Jr. had a cameo appearance in the last I Love Lucy

episode entitled "The Ricardos dedicate a statue."
Lucy4ever9@aol.com

We have some of those I Love Lucy facts thanks to melissa's I LOVE LUCY page. Do you know an "I Love Lucy" fact that you don't see here, then send it to me.

Michele's Lucy Place