S5.E23

Lucy's Italian Movie

Episode aired Apr 16, 1956
TV-Y
30m

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Desi Arnaz, Lucille Ball, William Frawley, and Vivian Vance in I Love Lucy (1951)

In Rome, a film producer asks Lucy if she'd be interested in auditioning for his new film entitled "Bitter Grapes." Thinking that the film has something to do with the production of wine, sh... Read allIn Rome, a film producer asks Lucy if she'd be interested in auditioning for his new film entitled "Bitter Grapes." Thinking that the film has something to do with the production of wine, she goes to the only non-automated winery left in the area.In Rome, a film producer asks Lucy if she'd be interested in auditioning for his new film entitled "Bitter Grapes." Thinking that the film has something to do with the production of wine, she goes to the only non-automated winery left in the area.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

9.1/10

544

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See production info at IMDbPro

Trivia
The grape stompers were actual Italian women who didn't speak English. In a 1974 interview with Dick Cavett, Lucille Ball went in-depth on the making of the infamous scene in which she got in a fight in the grape vat, revealing that the fight was scripted but the other woman didn't understand that it was supposed to be phony, and as a result she wound up actually beating the hell out of Lucy. The audience and crew were oblivious to what was really happening and the fight stretched on so long that it had to be severely edited in the final cut of the show. Despite the hardships she endured during the making, Ball cited this as her favorite episode of the series.

Goofs
It doesn't make sense that the train trip the Ricardos and the Mertzes embark should take 11 hours. In last week's episode they were in Florence and now they are heading to Rome which is approximately a 3 hour car ride away.

Quotes
Lucy Ricardo: Do you like earthy women?
Ricky Ricardo: What's earthy?
Lucy Ricardo: [shows him a picture in a magazine] That.
Ricky Ricardo: Well, we don't call that earthy in Cuba.
Lucy Ricardo: Oh, what do you call it?
Ricky Ricardo: We have 5 words for it, Ay-yi-yi-yi-yi!

Connections
Featured in The 33rd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards (1981)

Soundtracks
Theme From 'I Love Lucy' (Instrumental)
Written by Eliot Daniel
Performed by Wilbur Hatch and the Desi Arnaz Orchestra

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Review

Featured review

10/10

Lucy Makes It In Film And Grapes

A classic episode where Lucy goes to a vineyard and predictable hilarity ensues. Starstruck Lucy gets in a mess. These episodes away from home are comedy classics. Remarkable how the series got funnier as it went along.