Darth Maul was a weapon forged by the hateful energies of the dark side to ensure the victory of the Sith over the Jedi order. A creature of pure evil, Maul had no personality beyond his ultimate devotion to his master, Darth Sidious. His goal was singular -- to exact vengeance upon the Jedi for the decimation of the Sith ranks.
The Republic first came to know of Maul only as a mysterious attacker. While Qui-Gon Jinn was escorting the fugitive Queen Amidala from Tatooine to Coruscant, Darth Maul swept down from above, lunging at Qui-Gon from his rocketing Sith speeder. Maul's attack was relentless; he hammered down lightsaber strikes against the accomplished Jedi Master, forcing him back time and again. It was only the timely interception of Qui-Gon by the Queen's Royal Starship that spared him.
Qui-Gon was utterly surprised and unprepared for such an attack. The Sith, everyone knew, were extinct, disappeared from the galaxy for a millennium. Yet the evidence was there -- a dark attacker, trained in the Jedi arts, brandishing a lightsaber no less.
Maul was dispatched by Darth Sidious to track down the Queen, a feat he accomplished through mysterious yet effective means. Traveling aboard his sleek Sith Infiltrator, Maul scouted the galaxy for the missing monarch, and reported his findings to his master. When Amidala returned to Naboo, Maul was there, waiting to face the Jedi once more.
As an undeniable example of his skill and devotion, Maul plunged headlong into battle against two Jedi warriors. Using his double-bladed lightsaber, Maul held off both Obi-Wan Kenobi and Qui-Gon Jinn in the heart of the Theed Royal Palace. When the Jedi became separated, Maul killed Qui-Gon with a well-placed saber strike. Kenobi, enraged, attacked Maul. This barrage was deflected by Maul who used Obi-Wan's touching of the dark side as a conduit for a Force attack; using the Force, Maul pushed Obi-Wan into a deep mining pit. Kenobi held onto an outcropping for dear life. Calming himself by calling upon the light side of the Force, Kenobi was able to surprise Maul, and cleave him in half with his saber.
A pained look of bewilderment crossed Maul's tattooed face as death overtook him. His body fell into the melting pit, splitting in two as it tumbled into oblivion.
It was only a matter of time before Sidious acquired a new apprentice.
The Republic first came to know of Maul only as a mysterious attacker. While Qui-Gon Jinn was escorting the fugitive Queen Amidala from Tatooine to Coruscant, Darth Maul swept down from above, lunging at Qui-Gon from his rocketing Sith speeder. Maul's attack was relentless; he hammered down lightsaber strikes against the accomplished Jedi Master, forcing him back time and again. It was only the timely interception of Qui-Gon by the Queen's Royal Starship that spared him.
Qui-Gon was utterly surprised and unprepared for such an attack. The Sith, everyone knew, were extinct, disappeared from the galaxy for a millennium. Yet the evidence was there -- a dark attacker, trained in the Jedi arts, brandishing a lightsaber no less.
Maul was dispatched by Darth Sidious to track down the Queen, a feat he accomplished through mysterious yet effective means. Traveling aboard his sleek Sith Infiltrator, Maul scouted the galaxy for the missing monarch, and reported his findings to his master. When Amidala returned to Naboo, Maul was there, waiting to face the Jedi once more.
As an undeniable example of his skill and devotion, Maul plunged headlong into battle against two Jedi warriors. Using his double-bladed lightsaber, Maul held off both Obi-Wan Kenobi and Qui-Gon Jinn in the heart of the Theed Royal Palace. When the Jedi became separated, Maul killed Qui-Gon with a well-placed saber strike. Kenobi, enraged, attacked Maul. This barrage was deflected by Maul who used Obi-Wan's touching of the dark side as a conduit for a Force attack; using the Force, Maul pushed Obi-Wan into a deep mining pit. Kenobi held onto an outcropping for dear life. Calming himself by calling upon the light side of the Force, Kenobi was able to surprise Maul, and cleave him in half with his saber.
A pained look of bewilderment crossed Maul's tattooed face as death overtook him. His body fell into the melting pit, splitting in two as it tumbled into oblivion.
It was only a matter of time before Sidious acquired a new apprentice.
by P.redeckis June 07, 2006
Sabé is the most important of Queen Amidala's royal retinue of handmaidens. During crisis situations, Sabé and Amidala switch roles. Sabé becomes a decoy, disguised as the Queen, while Amidala adopts a simple gown of a handmaiden, and goes by her less formal name of Padmé Naberrie. When in this role, Sabé and Padmé secretly communicate with subtle signals as to not divulge their true identities. During the Trade Federation invasion of Naboo, Sabé posed as the Queen on several occasions.
by P.redeckis June 07, 2006
Born Padmé Naberrie, Queen Amidala was the formal name of the royal leader of Naboo. As a child, Amidala was prodigiously talented and extremely well educated. She had long been interested in public service, volunteering in the Refugee Relief Movement as a youth. Her efforts helped in the Shadda-Bi-Boran exodus. At the age of eight, she joined the Apprentice Legislature and became an Apprentice Legislator at age 11. By 14, she was elected Queen of Naboo.
During the Trade Federation siege of Naboo, the scheming Neimoidians tried to force the strong-willed Amidala to sign a treaty that would legitimize a brazenly illegal occupation. Amidala refused, and was sentenced to a prison camp. En route to incarceration, Amidala was freed by Jedi ambassadors. They took the Queen and part of her retinue to Coruscant, to plead her case before the Senate with the help of Naboo's galactic representative, Senator Palpatine.
On Coruscant, Amidala learned of the inefficiencies of galactic politics, watching as Trade Federation political maneuvering stalemated her plea. Following advice from Senator Palpatine, Amidala called for a Vote of No Confidence in Supreme Chancellor Valorum.
Fed up with the Senate, Amidala returned to Naboo. She requested aid from the native Gungans in freeing her captured capital. During the Battle of Naboo, Amidala infiltrated her own palace, and forced Neimoidian Viceroy Nute Gunray to end the occupation. The cowardly Neimoidians, having their armies defeated, capitulated and freedom was brought back to Naboo.
While Queen Amidala was the ruler of Naboo she had a large staff of advisors and aides that handled the day-to-day affairs. Sio Bibble, for instance, was Naboo's governor. Captain Panaka was Amidala's loyal bodyguard and head of security. Ric Olié was the pilot of the Queen's gleaming Royal Starship and leader of Bravo Flight.
Perhaps most important in Amidala's entourage were her five handmaidens. Saché, Yané, Rabé, Sabé and Eirtaé not only helped the Queen with her intricate gowns, hairstyles and make-up, but they were also trained in self-defense. When in danger, Queen Amidala disguised herself as one of her handmaidens, and adopted her less formal name of Padmé. When disguised as Padmé, Sabé assumed the role of Queen in her place.
When her terms ended, Amidala was constitutionally obligated to step down as Queen, although the public would have easily backed an amendment allowing her to serve longer. Though she had every right to retire and concentrate on her personal life, Amidala continued to be passionate about public service. At the request of the new Naboo monarch, Queen Jamillia, Amidala served as Senator of Naboo, taking the position once occupied by Palpatine. In a galaxy undergoing tumultuous changes, her outspoken nature shone as a beacon of reason and rationality in an increasingly fragmented Senate.
With the rise of a Separatist movement that threatened the stability of the Republic, Amidala was one of the few championing a peaceful resolution to the crisis. Alarmist Senators rallied to create a military force to protect the Republic, but Amidala led the opposition against the Military Creation Act. She believed such a measure would inevitably lead to hostilities against the Separatists.
On the day of the Military Creation Act vote, Amidala's starship was attacked upon arrival at Coruscant. Seven people, including her decoy Cordé, died in the explosion. Some suspected that disgruntled spice miners from the moons of Naboo were the culprit, but Amidala believed that it was actually Count Dooku, leader of the Separatists, behind the attack. In truth, it was an old enemy, Nute Gunray, who was behind the bounty hunters hired to finally silence the young woman from Naboo, though that would go undiscovered for some time.
At the behest of Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, Amidala was placed under the protection of the Jedi Knights. Amidala was once again reunited with Obi-Wan Kenobi and his apprentice Anakin Skywalker, whom she had not seen in a decade. A second assassination attempt by the bounty hunter Zam Wesell revealed just how gravely in danger Amidala was.
Anakin escorted Padmé to Naboo, where she would be sequestered while the Jedi investigated the attacks against her. In moments of quiet solitude against the beautiful landscape of Naboo's Lake Country, Anakin and Padmé bonded, rekindling an affectionate friendship that had been interrupted ten years ago, and falling into a deeper love.
It was a love forbidden to both. As per the tenets of the Jedi Code, Anakin could not enter into a romantic relationship, and Padmé needed to focus on her career. Despite their strong feelings, it was Padmé who remained the realist, rebuffing Anakin's overtures while attempting to still her own heart.
Anakin's love for Padmé was not all that was troubling him. He suffered from terrible nightmares of his mother in danger. When he could bear it no more, Anakin returned to Tatooine, with Padmé in tow, to find Shmi Skywalker.
Anakin did find his dying mother, and lashed out in vengeance against the Tusken Raiders that had tortured her. When he returned to Padmé, he confessed his actions, and he collapsed with shame and despair over what he had done. Padmé saw the wounded, sobbing youth, and let her compassion guide her heart as she comforted him.
Shortly thereafter, Anakin and Padmé voyaged to Geonosis, to rescue Obi-Wan who had been captured by Separatist forces. Padmé hoped to use her diplomatic skills to parley with the Separatists, but she and Anakin were captured by the Geonosians. Placed on trial for espionage, Amidala and Anakin were sentenced for execution.
Faced with overwhelming evidence of her mortality, Padmé lowered her emotional guard and professed her love to Anakin. The two were then placed in an execution arena alongside Obi-Wan, and three deadly beasts were unleashed upon them, much to the delight of the Geonosian spectators. Though sustaining a glancing slash from a ferocious nexu, Padmé held her own, and disappointed her would-be executioners.
The spectacle was cut short with the arrival of Jedi reinforcements, and then the opening battle of the historic Clone Wars. Despite her initial objections to a Republic army, Padmé nonetheless fought alongside the newly created clone troopers against the Separatist droid forces.
After the Battle of Geonosis, Anakin escorted Padmé Amidala back to Naboo. There, at a secluded lake retreat, the same place where their forbidden love began to blossom, the two were quietly wed in a ceremony witnessed only by C-3PO and R2-D2. This tranquil expression of love preceded some of the darkest moments to be faced by Amidala and by the galaxy as a whole.
Amidala continued to serve the Senate faithfully, though she was often distracted by the growing career of her secret husband. Anakin was becoming a war hero known throughout the Republic, and while the citizens thrilled at his exploits, she was deeply worried for his safety. The few moments they could snatch together were all too brief. The war was concentrated in the Outer Rim, far from Coruscant, and Padmé saw very little of Anakin. By the time the Outer Rim Sieges ended, Padmé had stunning news to deliver to Anakin --- he was to be a father.
The war years saw the continued transformation of the Republic. To efficiently battle the Separatists on numerous fronts, Chancellor Palpatine enacted executive decrees that saw more power funneled to his office, stripping away the last of the Senate's lackluster ability to wage war. Many welcomed the handover of power, particularly the corrupt politicians.
A small group of Senator grew increasingly wary of Palpatine's amendments. Senators Bail Organa and Mon Mothma spoke of drastic alternatives in clandestine gatherings. Padmé was one of these secretive idealists, along with Senators Fang Zar, Giddean Danu, Chi Eekway, Terr Taneel and Bana Breemu. They swore to keep their discussions absolutely secret, even from their closest associates. Padmé agreed, even though she feared Anakin would sense her duplicity... and perhaps misconstrue it for something else.
Though early talk of action against Palpatine was carefully couched and measured so as not to border on extreme acts of sedition, Padmé favored a diplomatic solution within the boundaries of the law. She even asked Anakin to use his relationship with Palpatine to press for a peaceful resolution to the war, but her beleaguered husband resented the request. He wanted such overtures to remain in political circles, where they belonged. Her doubts about the system troubled Anakin. To his ears, she was starting to sound like a Separatist.
Padmé began collecting the pledges of what would become the Delegation of 2,000, a group of disaffected Senators formally critical of Palpatine's rule.
She presented the Delegation's concerns to Palpatine, who disregarded them. Palpatine carefully planted seeds of doubt of Padmé's intentions in Anakin's mind, even as he continued to exploit Skywalker's fears about losing her.
Anakin was plagued with terrifying nightmares of Padmé dying during childbirth. Given his prophetic dreams that predicted the death of his mother, these visions greatly unsettled Anakin. He could not stand to lose Padmé, and would do anything to keep her with him. A gateway to dark powers that could unnaturally preserve life beckoned to Anakin -- it was a power that could be achieved by allying himself to Darth Sidious, Dark Lord of the Sith.
Padmé, like the rest of the Republic, was unaware that Chancellor Palpatine was in fact a Sith Lord. He lured Anakin to the dark side, and Skywalker knelt before him, becoming Darth Vader, his apprentice. As Vader, Anakin led an ambush on the Jedi Temple, and traveled to Mustafar to kill the leadership of the Separatists, effectively bringing an end to the Clone Wars.
It was Obi-Wan who told Padmé the truth. He had seen evidence of Anakin's transgressions. Padmé was stunned. Unable to grasp this dark reality, she traveled to Mustafar to confront Anakin. Unbeknownst to her, Obi-Wan Kenobi stowed away aboard her ship.
It was just as Obi-Wan described. Padmé could not reason with Anakin. In his twisted perception, he had done all of his wicked deeds to better the galaxy for their union, to make the corrupt Republic into a just Empire for their children. Deluded with power, Anakin even promised that he could depose the Emperor, and make the galaxy exactly what he and Padmé wanted it to be.
Padmé was devastated by Anakin's transformation. When her enraged husband witnessed Obi-Wan emerging from her starship, he jumped to the worst of conclusions. Anakin saw the most stinging in a long line of betrayals -- now his wife had brought his former mentor to Mustafar to kill him. Anakin raised his hand and caught Padmé in a telekinetic chokehold. Padmé gasped for breath as life began to escape from her.
Anakin released his grip as he faced Obi-Wan, and Padmé collapsed. As Kenobi and Skywalker dueled in the Mustafar collection facility, C-3PO and R2-D2 faithfully carried her inert form aboard her starship. Despite the abbreviated medical suite aboard her ship, or the full medical facility at a refuge on Polis Massa, her life signs continued to dwindle.
Padmé never knew what had become of Anakin. She never saw the damage he suffered from Kenobi's blade or the lava of Mustafar. She still felt there was good within him. With her dying breath, she tried to convince Obi-Wan of this.
Before slipping away, Padmé remained strong enough to give birth. In the strange alien facility of Anakin's nightmares, she gave birth to twins -- Leia and Luke Skywalker. Obi-Wan Kenobi, Yoda, and Bail Organa vowed to keep the children safe.
Amidala's body was returned to Naboo. At a state funeral, thousands of Naboo citizens came to pay their respects to their beloved representative.
During the Trade Federation siege of Naboo, the scheming Neimoidians tried to force the strong-willed Amidala to sign a treaty that would legitimize a brazenly illegal occupation. Amidala refused, and was sentenced to a prison camp. En route to incarceration, Amidala was freed by Jedi ambassadors. They took the Queen and part of her retinue to Coruscant, to plead her case before the Senate with the help of Naboo's galactic representative, Senator Palpatine.
On Coruscant, Amidala learned of the inefficiencies of galactic politics, watching as Trade Federation political maneuvering stalemated her plea. Following advice from Senator Palpatine, Amidala called for a Vote of No Confidence in Supreme Chancellor Valorum.
Fed up with the Senate, Amidala returned to Naboo. She requested aid from the native Gungans in freeing her captured capital. During the Battle of Naboo, Amidala infiltrated her own palace, and forced Neimoidian Viceroy Nute Gunray to end the occupation. The cowardly Neimoidians, having their armies defeated, capitulated and freedom was brought back to Naboo.
While Queen Amidala was the ruler of Naboo she had a large staff of advisors and aides that handled the day-to-day affairs. Sio Bibble, for instance, was Naboo's governor. Captain Panaka was Amidala's loyal bodyguard and head of security. Ric Olié was the pilot of the Queen's gleaming Royal Starship and leader of Bravo Flight.
Perhaps most important in Amidala's entourage were her five handmaidens. Saché, Yané, Rabé, Sabé and Eirtaé not only helped the Queen with her intricate gowns, hairstyles and make-up, but they were also trained in self-defense. When in danger, Queen Amidala disguised herself as one of her handmaidens, and adopted her less formal name of Padmé. When disguised as Padmé, Sabé assumed the role of Queen in her place.
When her terms ended, Amidala was constitutionally obligated to step down as Queen, although the public would have easily backed an amendment allowing her to serve longer. Though she had every right to retire and concentrate on her personal life, Amidala continued to be passionate about public service. At the request of the new Naboo monarch, Queen Jamillia, Amidala served as Senator of Naboo, taking the position once occupied by Palpatine. In a galaxy undergoing tumultuous changes, her outspoken nature shone as a beacon of reason and rationality in an increasingly fragmented Senate.
With the rise of a Separatist movement that threatened the stability of the Republic, Amidala was one of the few championing a peaceful resolution to the crisis. Alarmist Senators rallied to create a military force to protect the Republic, but Amidala led the opposition against the Military Creation Act. She believed such a measure would inevitably lead to hostilities against the Separatists.
On the day of the Military Creation Act vote, Amidala's starship was attacked upon arrival at Coruscant. Seven people, including her decoy Cordé, died in the explosion. Some suspected that disgruntled spice miners from the moons of Naboo were the culprit, but Amidala believed that it was actually Count Dooku, leader of the Separatists, behind the attack. In truth, it was an old enemy, Nute Gunray, who was behind the bounty hunters hired to finally silence the young woman from Naboo, though that would go undiscovered for some time.
At the behest of Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, Amidala was placed under the protection of the Jedi Knights. Amidala was once again reunited with Obi-Wan Kenobi and his apprentice Anakin Skywalker, whom she had not seen in a decade. A second assassination attempt by the bounty hunter Zam Wesell revealed just how gravely in danger Amidala was.
Anakin escorted Padmé to Naboo, where she would be sequestered while the Jedi investigated the attacks against her. In moments of quiet solitude against the beautiful landscape of Naboo's Lake Country, Anakin and Padmé bonded, rekindling an affectionate friendship that had been interrupted ten years ago, and falling into a deeper love.
It was a love forbidden to both. As per the tenets of the Jedi Code, Anakin could not enter into a romantic relationship, and Padmé needed to focus on her career. Despite their strong feelings, it was Padmé who remained the realist, rebuffing Anakin's overtures while attempting to still her own heart.
Anakin's love for Padmé was not all that was troubling him. He suffered from terrible nightmares of his mother in danger. When he could bear it no more, Anakin returned to Tatooine, with Padmé in tow, to find Shmi Skywalker.
Anakin did find his dying mother, and lashed out in vengeance against the Tusken Raiders that had tortured her. When he returned to Padmé, he confessed his actions, and he collapsed with shame and despair over what he had done. Padmé saw the wounded, sobbing youth, and let her compassion guide her heart as she comforted him.
Shortly thereafter, Anakin and Padmé voyaged to Geonosis, to rescue Obi-Wan who had been captured by Separatist forces. Padmé hoped to use her diplomatic skills to parley with the Separatists, but she and Anakin were captured by the Geonosians. Placed on trial for espionage, Amidala and Anakin were sentenced for execution.
Faced with overwhelming evidence of her mortality, Padmé lowered her emotional guard and professed her love to Anakin. The two were then placed in an execution arena alongside Obi-Wan, and three deadly beasts were unleashed upon them, much to the delight of the Geonosian spectators. Though sustaining a glancing slash from a ferocious nexu, Padmé held her own, and disappointed her would-be executioners.
The spectacle was cut short with the arrival of Jedi reinforcements, and then the opening battle of the historic Clone Wars. Despite her initial objections to a Republic army, Padmé nonetheless fought alongside the newly created clone troopers against the Separatist droid forces.
After the Battle of Geonosis, Anakin escorted Padmé Amidala back to Naboo. There, at a secluded lake retreat, the same place where their forbidden love began to blossom, the two were quietly wed in a ceremony witnessed only by C-3PO and R2-D2. This tranquil expression of love preceded some of the darkest moments to be faced by Amidala and by the galaxy as a whole.
Amidala continued to serve the Senate faithfully, though she was often distracted by the growing career of her secret husband. Anakin was becoming a war hero known throughout the Republic, and while the citizens thrilled at his exploits, she was deeply worried for his safety. The few moments they could snatch together were all too brief. The war was concentrated in the Outer Rim, far from Coruscant, and Padmé saw very little of Anakin. By the time the Outer Rim Sieges ended, Padmé had stunning news to deliver to Anakin --- he was to be a father.
The war years saw the continued transformation of the Republic. To efficiently battle the Separatists on numerous fronts, Chancellor Palpatine enacted executive decrees that saw more power funneled to his office, stripping away the last of the Senate's lackluster ability to wage war. Many welcomed the handover of power, particularly the corrupt politicians.
A small group of Senator grew increasingly wary of Palpatine's amendments. Senators Bail Organa and Mon Mothma spoke of drastic alternatives in clandestine gatherings. Padmé was one of these secretive idealists, along with Senators Fang Zar, Giddean Danu, Chi Eekway, Terr Taneel and Bana Breemu. They swore to keep their discussions absolutely secret, even from their closest associates. Padmé agreed, even though she feared Anakin would sense her duplicity... and perhaps misconstrue it for something else.
Though early talk of action against Palpatine was carefully couched and measured so as not to border on extreme acts of sedition, Padmé favored a diplomatic solution within the boundaries of the law. She even asked Anakin to use his relationship with Palpatine to press for a peaceful resolution to the war, but her beleaguered husband resented the request. He wanted such overtures to remain in political circles, where they belonged. Her doubts about the system troubled Anakin. To his ears, she was starting to sound like a Separatist.
Padmé began collecting the pledges of what would become the Delegation of 2,000, a group of disaffected Senators formally critical of Palpatine's rule.
She presented the Delegation's concerns to Palpatine, who disregarded them. Palpatine carefully planted seeds of doubt of Padmé's intentions in Anakin's mind, even as he continued to exploit Skywalker's fears about losing her.
Anakin was plagued with terrifying nightmares of Padmé dying during childbirth. Given his prophetic dreams that predicted the death of his mother, these visions greatly unsettled Anakin. He could not stand to lose Padmé, and would do anything to keep her with him. A gateway to dark powers that could unnaturally preserve life beckoned to Anakin -- it was a power that could be achieved by allying himself to Darth Sidious, Dark Lord of the Sith.
Padmé, like the rest of the Republic, was unaware that Chancellor Palpatine was in fact a Sith Lord. He lured Anakin to the dark side, and Skywalker knelt before him, becoming Darth Vader, his apprentice. As Vader, Anakin led an ambush on the Jedi Temple, and traveled to Mustafar to kill the leadership of the Separatists, effectively bringing an end to the Clone Wars.
It was Obi-Wan who told Padmé the truth. He had seen evidence of Anakin's transgressions. Padmé was stunned. Unable to grasp this dark reality, she traveled to Mustafar to confront Anakin. Unbeknownst to her, Obi-Wan Kenobi stowed away aboard her ship.
It was just as Obi-Wan described. Padmé could not reason with Anakin. In his twisted perception, he had done all of his wicked deeds to better the galaxy for their union, to make the corrupt Republic into a just Empire for their children. Deluded with power, Anakin even promised that he could depose the Emperor, and make the galaxy exactly what he and Padmé wanted it to be.
Padmé was devastated by Anakin's transformation. When her enraged husband witnessed Obi-Wan emerging from her starship, he jumped to the worst of conclusions. Anakin saw the most stinging in a long line of betrayals -- now his wife had brought his former mentor to Mustafar to kill him. Anakin raised his hand and caught Padmé in a telekinetic chokehold. Padmé gasped for breath as life began to escape from her.
Anakin released his grip as he faced Obi-Wan, and Padmé collapsed. As Kenobi and Skywalker dueled in the Mustafar collection facility, C-3PO and R2-D2 faithfully carried her inert form aboard her starship. Despite the abbreviated medical suite aboard her ship, or the full medical facility at a refuge on Polis Massa, her life signs continued to dwindle.
Padmé never knew what had become of Anakin. She never saw the damage he suffered from Kenobi's blade or the lava of Mustafar. She still felt there was good within him. With her dying breath, she tried to convince Obi-Wan of this.
Before slipping away, Padmé remained strong enough to give birth. In the strange alien facility of Anakin's nightmares, she gave birth to twins -- Leia and Luke Skywalker. Obi-Wan Kenobi, Yoda, and Bail Organa vowed to keep the children safe.
Amidala's body was returned to Naboo. At a state funeral, thousands of Naboo citizens came to pay their respects to their beloved representative.
by P.redeckis June 07, 2006
I Love Lucy is a television sitcom that aired in the 1950s. During that time, it was the most popular American sitcom. It starred comedienne Lucille Ball, her husband Desi Arnaz, Vivian Vance and William Frawley. The series ran from October 15, 1951 to May 6, 1957 on CBS (180 episodes, including the "lost" Christmas episode). This show was ranked #2 on TV Guide's top 50 greatest shows of all time in 2002, behind Seinfeld and ahead of The Honeymooners. The program was filmed at Desilu, the production studio jointly owned by Ball and Arnaz.
The sitcom was based on a radio show starring Lucille Ball and Richard Denning called My Favorite Husband. Denning was enthusiastic to continue his role as Ball's husband, but Ball wanted her real-life husband, Cuban-born musician Desi Arnaz, to play her onscreen spouse. Studio heads were worried that American audiences would not find such a "mixed marriage" to be believable, and were concerned about Arnaz's heavy Cuban accent. But Ball was adamant, and they were eager to have her in the part. To help sway their decision, Ball and Arnaz put together a vaudeville act featuring his music and her comedy, which was well received in several cities. In the end, CBS agreed, but refused to let Desi Arnaz's role be part of the show's title (as in "Lucy and Ricky"). After lengthy negotiations, Arnaz relented and agreed to "I Love Lucy", reasoning that the "I" would be his part.
Arnaz persuaded Karl Freund, cinematographer of Fritz Lang's Metropolis (1927) and Tod Browning's Dracula (1931) as well as director of The Mummy (1932), to be the series' cinematographer, which many critics believe accounts for the show's lustrous black and white cinematography.
Lucille Ball was the last main cast member still living when she died on April 26, 1989. The only living cast member is Keith Thibodeaux (credited as "Richard Keith") who played Lucy and Ricky's young son "Little Ricky" in the last two seasons.
Contents hide
1 The show
2 Innovative techniques
3 Episodes
4 Themes and Highlights
5 Cast
6 Emmy Awards
6.1 I Love Lucy (The Show)
6.2 Lucille Ball
6.3 Desi Arnaz
6.4 Vivian Vance
6.5 William Frawley
7 DVD Releases
8 Trivia
9 References
10 External links
edit
The show
"Oh Ricky, you're wonderful!"Set in New York City, I Love Lucy is centered around Lucy Ricardo (Lucille Ball), a housewife, her husband Ricky Ricardo (Desi Arnaz), who is a singer and bandleader, and their friends and landlords Fred and Ethel Mertz (William Frawley and Vivian Vance). Most episodes take place in the Ricardos' modest brownstone apartment at 623 East 68th Street — which in reality would be in the middle of the East River — or at the downtown "Tropicana" nightclub where Ricky is employed, and sometimes elsewhere in the city. Later episodes took the Ricardos and the Mertzes to Hollywood for Ricky to shoot a movie, and then they all accompanied Ricky while he and his band toured Europe. Eventually the Ricardos and the Mertzes moved to a house in the rural town of Westport, Connecticut.
Lucy Ricardo is a loving if somewhat naïve housewife with an ambitious character who has a knack for getting herself into trouble. In particular, she is obsessed with joining her husband in show business. Fred and Ethel are themselves former vaudevillians, which strengthens Lucy's resolve to prove herself as a performer. Unfortunately, Lucy Ricardo cannot carry a tune or play anything other than an off-key rendition of "Glow Worm" (or "Sweet Sue") on the saxophone and evidently has no other artistic or managerial talent. Yet Lucy is determined to show everyone around her that she is much more than an ordinary housewife. A typical I Love Lucy episode involves one of Lucy's ambitious but hare-brained schemes, whether it be to sneak into Ricky's nightclub act, find a way to associate with celebrities, show up her fellow women's club members, or simply try to better her life. Usually she ends up in some comedic mess, often dragging in Ethel as her reluctant companion. Legend says that Ricky often cried: "Lucy! You got some 'splainin' to do!" However, like other supposed "famous quotes" (Cary Grant saying "Judy, Judy, Judy", or "Peetah, give me the lettah" by Bette Davis), this line was never actually spoken by Desi Arnaz. Perhaps the closest he came to this line was his admonition to Lucy, "That's no 'scuse!" to which she mockingly answered, "That's plenty 'scuse!"
edit
Innovative techniques
"It's so tasty, too!"At the time, most television shows were broadcast live from New York City, and a low-quality 35mm or 16mm kinescope print was made of the show to broadcast it in other time zones. But Ball was pregnant at the time, and she and Arnaz therefore insisted on filming the show in Hollywood. The duo, along with co-creator Jess Oppenheimer, then decided to shoot the show on 35 mm film in front of a live studio audience, with three cameras, a technique standard among present-day sitcoms. The result was a much sharper image than other shows of the time, and the audience reactions were far more authentic than the "canned laughter" used on most filmed sitcoms of the time. The technique was not completely new — another CBS comedy series, Amos 'n' Andy, which debuted four months earlier, was already being filmed at Hal Roach Studios with three 35mm cameras to save time and money. But I Love Lucy was the first show to use this technique with a studio audience.
Scenes were often performed like a play, from start to finish, without interruption. As retakes were rare, dialogue mistakes were often played off as intentional as the actors continued. For example, in her last run-through of the famous Vitameatavegamin commercial, Lucy skips to the end of the speech (unscripted), realizes her mistake, and returns to the midpoint without missing her comic timing. This technique allowed the show to remain fresh for years and appear as a "live" performance.
On January 19, 1953 68% of all United States television sets were tuned in to I Love Lucy to watch Lucy give birth. The next month on February 18 Ball and Arnaz signed an $8,000,000 contract to continue I Love Lucy through 1955. After the end of the weekly series, the actors reunited for monthly one-hour specials under the title The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour.
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Episodes
Main article: List of I Love Lucy episodes
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Themes and Highlights
In the course of the show, numerous comic ideas were introduced, and often reappeared in subsequent episodes. Several bits remain famous and beloved, often listed amongst television's best. The following list reviews some of the high points.
The clown
Considered by professional clowns to be one of their own, Lucille Ball's 'clown character' was "Lucy Ricardo." (nee "Lucille McGillicuddy" — an instantly recognizable clown moniker). Lucy Ricardo was a friendly, ambitious and somewhat naïve housewife, constantly getting into trouble of one kind or another.
The setup of the show provided ample opportunities for Ball to display her skills at clowning and physical comedy. She is regarded as one of the best in the history of film and television at physical 'schtick'.
In the course of the television series, Lucy shared the screen with numerous famous clowns. Prominent among these were Red Skelton and Harpo Marx.
Lucy tries to get into the act — a recurring and almost omnipresent theme on the show, was that "talentless" plain old Lucy the Housewife dearly desired a chance to perform, as anything: a dancer, showgirl, clown, singing cowboy — or in any role. The real joke here is that Lucille Ball, aside from being regarded as beautiful, was also quite talented in a variety of performance arts, as well as being a ground-breaking television producer.
Perhaps the best example of this gag is when Lucy shows up unannounced at Ricky's club, toting a clown-modified cello and pretending to be a musician, asking to speak with "Risky Riskerdoo" (Ricky Ricardo) this classic includes Lucy winding the cello's tuning peg as if it were a watch (to the accompaniment of ratcheting sounds) and shooting the cello's bow at Ricky's backside.
Lucy in the Candy Factory — ("Speeeeeeed it up a little!!") Lucy and Ethel attempt to get jobs — for which they are demonstrably unprepared — the classic candy-gobbling scene in this episode is an American cultural icon. This bit was a variation on an old vaudeville routine. Jackie Gleason also did a variation, involving decorating and boxing cakes as they came off an assembly line.
The Mirror Gag — now a classic improvisational acting exercise (with Harpo Marx), in which Lucy, dressed as Harpo Marx encounters the real Harpo while hiding in the kitchen doorway. Perplexed at what he sees he confronts his reflection and Lucy is forced to mimick his every move. This bit was a tribute to Harpo and Groucho's famous mirror scene in the Marx Brothers comedy classic, Duck Soup.
The Stranger with a Kind Face (aka Slowly I Turned) in which a veteran clown introduces Lucy Ricardo to some basics of the clown art, and is schooled in this classic (and at that time quite familiar) vaudevillian routine, complete with 'seltzer bottles' (a familiar clown prop) and slapstick. The Three Stooges are among many others who performed variations on this classic.
Vita-meata-vege-min — One of the most memorable episodes was titled "Lucy Does a Commercial", filmed during the first season (episode 30 of 35) on March 28, 1952, and first aired on May 5 of that year. In this episode Lucy manages to get a role as the "Vitameatavegamin girl" and is tasked with trying to sell the public a tonic that has healthy amounts of vitamins, meat, vegetables, minerals — and the less than healthy dose of 23% alcohol. "And it's so tasty too - grimacing - just like candy!" During rehearsal, Lucy becomes progressively more inebriated, with the inevitable hilarious result, made only the more funny by the alliterative, tongue twisting product name and pitch. "Do you pop out at parties? Are you unpoopular? Well, the answer to all your troubles is in this bittle lottle!"
In November of 2001, fans voted this episode as their all-time favorite during a 50th anniversary I Love Lucy television special.
Lucy Tries to Meet the Famous Star — another recurring theme, many popular stars were eager to appear on the show, and hilarity ensued in countless episodes as a result of the character, Lucy's obsession with fame and the famous.
The Cousin Ernie story arc. Lucy receives a letter informing her that her "Best Friend's Roommate's Cousin's Middle Boy" — of whom she has never heard — is coming to visit from "Bent Fork, Tennessee". 'Cousin Ernie' (immaculately played by "Tennessee" Ernie Ford) is a stereotypical Country Boy in the Big City, in awe of the sophistication (as he perceives it) of his new hosts. Cousin Ernie and the citizens of Bent Fork and its environs are encountered several times during the course of the show's life.
The Singing Jailbreak — This episode is part of the Hollywood story arc. Ricky, Lucy, Fred, and Ethel participate in a square dance called by Cousin Ernie to escape a Bent Fork, Tennessee jail in the course of which the sheriff and his two rotund daughters are tied up with a handy piece of rope. Then Ricky, Lucy, Fred and Ethel make their escape to continue their cross country venture.
Lucy does the tango - The Ricardos' and the Mertzes' chicken business is not going very well, so Lucy and Ethel come up with a plot to fool the boys into thinking the hens are laying by smuggling eggs in the henhouse, hidden underneath their clothes. However, Ricky insists that he and Lucy rehearse their tango number for a local benefit. Unbeknownst to Ricky, Lucy's blouse is filled with chicken eggs. When Lucy slams into Ricky in the final dance step, the eggs break, saturating Lucy's shirt with broken eggs. The skit resulted in the longest audience laughter in the show's history.
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Cast
Lucille Ball .... Lucille 'Lucy' Esmeralda MacGillicuddy Ricardo
Desi Arnaz .... Enrique 'Ricky' Alberto Ricardo y de Acha III
Vivian Vance .... Ethel Mae Roberta Louise Potter Mertz
William Frawley .... Frederick 'Fred' Hobart Edie Mertz I
Kathryn Card .... Mrs. MacGillicuddy (1955-1956)
Mary Jane Croft .... Betty Ramsey (1957)
Jerry Hausner .... Jerry, Ricky's agent (1951-1954)
Bob Jellison .... Bobby, the Hollywood bellboy (1954-1955)
Keith Thibodeaux .... Ricky Ricardo, Jr. (1956-1957) (as Little Ricky)
Joseph A. & Michael Mayer .... Ricky Ricardo, Jr. (baby) (1953-1954)
Frank Nelson .... Ralph Ramsey (1957)
Elizabeth Patterson .... Mrs. Mathilda Trumbull (1953-1956)
Richard & Ronald Lee Simmons .... Ricky Ricardo, Jr. (baby) (1954-1955)
Doris Singleton .... Caroline Appleby (1953-1957)
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Emmy Awards
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I Love Lucy (The Show)
1952: Nominated - Best Comedy Show
1953: Won - Best Situation Comedy
1954: Won - Best Situation Comedy
1955: Nominated - Best Written Comedy Material: Madelyn Davis, Jess Oppenheimer, Robert G. Carroll
1955: Nominated - Best Situation Comedy
1956: Nominated - Best Comedy Writing: Bob Carroll Jr., Madelyn Davis, Jess Oppenheimer, Bob Schiller, Bob Weiskopf for episode: "L.A. At Last"
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Lucille Ball
1952: Nominated - Best Comedian or Comedienne
1953: Nominated - Most Outstanding Personality
1953: Won - Best Comedienne
1954: Nominated - Best Female Star of Regular Series
1955: Nominated - Best Actress Starring in a Regular Series
1956: Nominated - Best Comedienne
1956: Won - Best Actress - Continuing Performance
1957: Nominated - Best Continuing Performance by a Comedienne in a Series
1958: Nominated - Best Continuing Performance (Female) in a Series by a Comedienne, Singer, Hostess, Dancer, M.C., Announcer, Narrator, Panelist, or any Person who Essentially Plays Herself
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Desi Arnaz
Never nominated.
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Vivian Vance
1954: Won - Best Series Supporting Actress
1955: Nominated - Best Supporting Actress in a Regular Series
1957: Nominated - Best Supporting Performance by an Actress
1958: Nominated - Best Continuing Supporting Performance by an Actress in a Dramatic or Comedy Series
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William Frawley
1954: Nominated - Best Series Supporting Actor
1955: Nominated - Best Supporting Actor in a Regular Series
1956: Nominated - Best Actor in a Supporting Role
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DVD Releases
"I Love Lucy- Season 1" (9 Separate disks, sold separately)
"I Love Lucy- 50th Anniversary Special"
"I Love Lucy- The Complete First Season" (7 disks, sold together)
"I Love Lucy- The Complete Second Season"
"I Love Lucy- The Complete Third Season"
"I Love Lucy- The Complete Fourth Season"
"I Love Lucy- The Complete Fifth Season"
"I Love Lucy- Seasons 1-5"
"I Love Lucy- The Complete Sixth Season"
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Trivia
Gale Gordon and Bea Benaderet were originally approached for the roles of Fred and Ethel, but neither could accept due to previous commitments. Gordon did appear as a guest star in a few episodes, playing Ricky's boss, Mr. Littlefield. Gordon was a veteran from the classic radio days in which he perfected the role of the exasperated character, such as in Fibber McGee and Molly. He would go on to costar with Ball in most of her post-I Love Lucy series. Benaderet once guest starred playing the Ricardo's neighbor, the elderly Miss Lewis.
At various times, Ethel's middle name was Mae, Roberta, and Louise.
The Mertz's kitchen was never shown except in the episode, "Never Do Business With Friends".
Lucille Ball liked naming supporting characters after real-life people. Carolyn Appleby was one of her teachers, and Marion Strong was a friend in Jamestown, New York.
Kathryn Card, who played Lucy's scatterbrained mother, first appeared in the series as a slovenly housewife who mistakenly believes Ricky Ricardo has invited her to join him on a date at the Tropicana.
Barbara Pepper, later featured as Doris Ziffel on the series Green Acres, frequently had one or two lines in a crowd scene. Her friendship with Ball dated back to the film Roman Scandals, in which both appeared as Goldwyn Girls.
Many facts about Ball and Arnaz made it into the series. Like Ball, Lucy Ricardo attended high school in Celoron, New York, and the Ricardos were married at the Byram River Beagle Club in Greenwich, Connecticut, just as the Arnazes had been.
Reportedly, the longest laugh in any sitcom ever — 65 seconds — was heard in the episode Lucy Does the Tango, during which Lucy - her jacket filled with raw eggs — slams into Ricky and breaks them while rehearsing a tango routine for the PTA show.
The show was one of the first programmes made in the USA seen on British television which became more open to commerce with the launch of ITV in September 1955, a commercial network that aired this series.
Ball and Arnaz capitalized on the series' popularity by starring in Vincente Minnelli's 1953 film The Long, Long Trailer as Tacy and Nicky Collini, two characters very similar to Lucy and Ricky, named Tacy and Nicky.
I Love Lucy is commonly spoofed, including on an episode of The Fairly Oddparents, in which Cosmo and Wanda go into a TV and star in a fictional show called I Love Wanda.
Ethel Mertz née Potter is originally from Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Ethel Mertz and Betty Ramsey, the neighbor from the later seasons, were childhood friends.
I Love Lucy is the first of only three shows to end its run as the #1 TV show in America. The other two are The Andy Griffith Show in 1968 and Seinfeld in 1998.
It is now well-known that Vance and Frawley did not get along, a fact which seemingly added some humorous edge to their on-screen interaction. When the series ended, Vance and Frawley were said to have been offered a chance to take their Fred and Ethel characters to their own spin-off series. Frawley was willing to do so, but Vance refused to ever work with Frawley again.
Ball and Arnaz's eventual off-screen personal problems had a much more serious effect, contributing to the demise of the show.
The last episodes of the series had to be made, even though Ball and Arnaz were divorcing/divorced. A contract had been signed before the two began to have major problems, and it wasn't lifted. This is why in the last episodes of the series, one can see Ball looking as if she had just been crying, even in supposed-to-be funny skits.
The familiar opening featuring the credits superimposed over a "heart" image, known to most of the show's younger fans, was created specifically when I Love Lucy went into syndication. When originally broadcast on CBS, the episodes featured an opening with animated drawings of Ball and Arnaz, making reference to whomever the particular episode's sponsor was (usually Phillip Morris). Since the original sponsor references were no longer applicable when the shows went into syndication, the new opening was created. These openings (with the sponsor names edited out) are now used on TV Land showings.
"Weird Al" Yankovic parodied the TV show, as well as Toni Basil's song "Mickey", in the song "Ricky" on his 1983 debut album, working in many of the show's classic schticks and closing with a segment of the I Love Lucy theme. Yankovic also produced an album of the show's greatest musical moments entitled Babalu Music.
On Babylon 5, Ambassador Sinclair refers to himself and Captain Sheridan as "Lucy and Ethel." Sheridan responds, "Lucy and Ethel?"
In the movie Rat Race one of the characters pretends to be a coach driver and drives a group of women, dressed up as Lucy to the "Third annual I Love Lucy Convention"
It's been rumored that Arnaz had a photographic memory, able to remember the scripts perfectly after reading them just one time.
The series is as of April 2006 the longest running program to continue airing in the Los Angeles area almost 50 years after it ended. Ironically, the series is currently aired on KTTV, which had given up the CBS affiliation several months before I Love Lucy premiered.
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References
Joe Garner, Stay Tuned: Television's Unforgettable Moments (Andrews McMeel Publishing; 2002) ISBN 0-7407-2693-5
Bart Andrews, The 'I Love Lucy' Book (Doubleday & Company, Inc.; 1976)
Coyne Steven Sanders & Tom Gilbert, Desilu: The Story of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz (William Morrow & Company, Inc.; 1993)
The sitcom was based on a radio show starring Lucille Ball and Richard Denning called My Favorite Husband. Denning was enthusiastic to continue his role as Ball's husband, but Ball wanted her real-life husband, Cuban-born musician Desi Arnaz, to play her onscreen spouse. Studio heads were worried that American audiences would not find such a "mixed marriage" to be believable, and were concerned about Arnaz's heavy Cuban accent. But Ball was adamant, and they were eager to have her in the part. To help sway their decision, Ball and Arnaz put together a vaudeville act featuring his music and her comedy, which was well received in several cities. In the end, CBS agreed, but refused to let Desi Arnaz's role be part of the show's title (as in "Lucy and Ricky"). After lengthy negotiations, Arnaz relented and agreed to "I Love Lucy", reasoning that the "I" would be his part.
Arnaz persuaded Karl Freund, cinematographer of Fritz Lang's Metropolis (1927) and Tod Browning's Dracula (1931) as well as director of The Mummy (1932), to be the series' cinematographer, which many critics believe accounts for the show's lustrous black and white cinematography.
Lucille Ball was the last main cast member still living when she died on April 26, 1989. The only living cast member is Keith Thibodeaux (credited as "Richard Keith") who played Lucy and Ricky's young son "Little Ricky" in the last two seasons.
Contents hide
1 The show
2 Innovative techniques
3 Episodes
4 Themes and Highlights
5 Cast
6 Emmy Awards
6.1 I Love Lucy (The Show)
6.2 Lucille Ball
6.3 Desi Arnaz
6.4 Vivian Vance
6.5 William Frawley
7 DVD Releases
8 Trivia
9 References
10 External links
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The show
"Oh Ricky, you're wonderful!"Set in New York City, I Love Lucy is centered around Lucy Ricardo (Lucille Ball), a housewife, her husband Ricky Ricardo (Desi Arnaz), who is a singer and bandleader, and their friends and landlords Fred and Ethel Mertz (William Frawley and Vivian Vance). Most episodes take place in the Ricardos' modest brownstone apartment at 623 East 68th Street — which in reality would be in the middle of the East River — or at the downtown "Tropicana" nightclub where Ricky is employed, and sometimes elsewhere in the city. Later episodes took the Ricardos and the Mertzes to Hollywood for Ricky to shoot a movie, and then they all accompanied Ricky while he and his band toured Europe. Eventually the Ricardos and the Mertzes moved to a house in the rural town of Westport, Connecticut.
Lucy Ricardo is a loving if somewhat naïve housewife with an ambitious character who has a knack for getting herself into trouble. In particular, she is obsessed with joining her husband in show business. Fred and Ethel are themselves former vaudevillians, which strengthens Lucy's resolve to prove herself as a performer. Unfortunately, Lucy Ricardo cannot carry a tune or play anything other than an off-key rendition of "Glow Worm" (or "Sweet Sue") on the saxophone and evidently has no other artistic or managerial talent. Yet Lucy is determined to show everyone around her that she is much more than an ordinary housewife. A typical I Love Lucy episode involves one of Lucy's ambitious but hare-brained schemes, whether it be to sneak into Ricky's nightclub act, find a way to associate with celebrities, show up her fellow women's club members, or simply try to better her life. Usually she ends up in some comedic mess, often dragging in Ethel as her reluctant companion. Legend says that Ricky often cried: "Lucy! You got some 'splainin' to do!" However, like other supposed "famous quotes" (Cary Grant saying "Judy, Judy, Judy", or "Peetah, give me the lettah" by Bette Davis), this line was never actually spoken by Desi Arnaz. Perhaps the closest he came to this line was his admonition to Lucy, "That's no 'scuse!" to which she mockingly answered, "That's plenty 'scuse!"
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Innovative techniques
"It's so tasty, too!"At the time, most television shows were broadcast live from New York City, and a low-quality 35mm or 16mm kinescope print was made of the show to broadcast it in other time zones. But Ball was pregnant at the time, and she and Arnaz therefore insisted on filming the show in Hollywood. The duo, along with co-creator Jess Oppenheimer, then decided to shoot the show on 35 mm film in front of a live studio audience, with three cameras, a technique standard among present-day sitcoms. The result was a much sharper image than other shows of the time, and the audience reactions were far more authentic than the "canned laughter" used on most filmed sitcoms of the time. The technique was not completely new — another CBS comedy series, Amos 'n' Andy, which debuted four months earlier, was already being filmed at Hal Roach Studios with three 35mm cameras to save time and money. But I Love Lucy was the first show to use this technique with a studio audience.
Scenes were often performed like a play, from start to finish, without interruption. As retakes were rare, dialogue mistakes were often played off as intentional as the actors continued. For example, in her last run-through of the famous Vitameatavegamin commercial, Lucy skips to the end of the speech (unscripted), realizes her mistake, and returns to the midpoint without missing her comic timing. This technique allowed the show to remain fresh for years and appear as a "live" performance.
On January 19, 1953 68% of all United States television sets were tuned in to I Love Lucy to watch Lucy give birth. The next month on February 18 Ball and Arnaz signed an $8,000,000 contract to continue I Love Lucy through 1955. After the end of the weekly series, the actors reunited for monthly one-hour specials under the title The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour.
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Episodes
Main article: List of I Love Lucy episodes
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Themes and Highlights
In the course of the show, numerous comic ideas were introduced, and often reappeared in subsequent episodes. Several bits remain famous and beloved, often listed amongst television's best. The following list reviews some of the high points.
The clown
Considered by professional clowns to be one of their own, Lucille Ball's 'clown character' was "Lucy Ricardo." (nee "Lucille McGillicuddy" — an instantly recognizable clown moniker). Lucy Ricardo was a friendly, ambitious and somewhat naïve housewife, constantly getting into trouble of one kind or another.
The setup of the show provided ample opportunities for Ball to display her skills at clowning and physical comedy. She is regarded as one of the best in the history of film and television at physical 'schtick'.
In the course of the television series, Lucy shared the screen with numerous famous clowns. Prominent among these were Red Skelton and Harpo Marx.
Lucy tries to get into the act — a recurring and almost omnipresent theme on the show, was that "talentless" plain old Lucy the Housewife dearly desired a chance to perform, as anything: a dancer, showgirl, clown, singing cowboy — or in any role. The real joke here is that Lucille Ball, aside from being regarded as beautiful, was also quite talented in a variety of performance arts, as well as being a ground-breaking television producer.
Perhaps the best example of this gag is when Lucy shows up unannounced at Ricky's club, toting a clown-modified cello and pretending to be a musician, asking to speak with "Risky Riskerdoo" (Ricky Ricardo) this classic includes Lucy winding the cello's tuning peg as if it were a watch (to the accompaniment of ratcheting sounds) and shooting the cello's bow at Ricky's backside.
Lucy in the Candy Factory — ("Speeeeeeed it up a little!!") Lucy and Ethel attempt to get jobs — for which they are demonstrably unprepared — the classic candy-gobbling scene in this episode is an American cultural icon. This bit was a variation on an old vaudeville routine. Jackie Gleason also did a variation, involving decorating and boxing cakes as they came off an assembly line.
The Mirror Gag — now a classic improvisational acting exercise (with Harpo Marx), in which Lucy, dressed as Harpo Marx encounters the real Harpo while hiding in the kitchen doorway. Perplexed at what he sees he confronts his reflection and Lucy is forced to mimick his every move. This bit was a tribute to Harpo and Groucho's famous mirror scene in the Marx Brothers comedy classic, Duck Soup.
The Stranger with a Kind Face (aka Slowly I Turned) in which a veteran clown introduces Lucy Ricardo to some basics of the clown art, and is schooled in this classic (and at that time quite familiar) vaudevillian routine, complete with 'seltzer bottles' (a familiar clown prop) and slapstick. The Three Stooges are among many others who performed variations on this classic.
Vita-meata-vege-min — One of the most memorable episodes was titled "Lucy Does a Commercial", filmed during the first season (episode 30 of 35) on March 28, 1952, and first aired on May 5 of that year. In this episode Lucy manages to get a role as the "Vitameatavegamin girl" and is tasked with trying to sell the public a tonic that has healthy amounts of vitamins, meat, vegetables, minerals — and the less than healthy dose of 23% alcohol. "And it's so tasty too - grimacing - just like candy!" During rehearsal, Lucy becomes progressively more inebriated, with the inevitable hilarious result, made only the more funny by the alliterative, tongue twisting product name and pitch. "Do you pop out at parties? Are you unpoopular? Well, the answer to all your troubles is in this bittle lottle!"
In November of 2001, fans voted this episode as their all-time favorite during a 50th anniversary I Love Lucy television special.
Lucy Tries to Meet the Famous Star — another recurring theme, many popular stars were eager to appear on the show, and hilarity ensued in countless episodes as a result of the character, Lucy's obsession with fame and the famous.
The Cousin Ernie story arc. Lucy receives a letter informing her that her "Best Friend's Roommate's Cousin's Middle Boy" — of whom she has never heard — is coming to visit from "Bent Fork, Tennessee". 'Cousin Ernie' (immaculately played by "Tennessee" Ernie Ford) is a stereotypical Country Boy in the Big City, in awe of the sophistication (as he perceives it) of his new hosts. Cousin Ernie and the citizens of Bent Fork and its environs are encountered several times during the course of the show's life.
The Singing Jailbreak — This episode is part of the Hollywood story arc. Ricky, Lucy, Fred, and Ethel participate in a square dance called by Cousin Ernie to escape a Bent Fork, Tennessee jail in the course of which the sheriff and his two rotund daughters are tied up with a handy piece of rope. Then Ricky, Lucy, Fred and Ethel make their escape to continue their cross country venture.
Lucy does the tango - The Ricardos' and the Mertzes' chicken business is not going very well, so Lucy and Ethel come up with a plot to fool the boys into thinking the hens are laying by smuggling eggs in the henhouse, hidden underneath their clothes. However, Ricky insists that he and Lucy rehearse their tango number for a local benefit. Unbeknownst to Ricky, Lucy's blouse is filled with chicken eggs. When Lucy slams into Ricky in the final dance step, the eggs break, saturating Lucy's shirt with broken eggs. The skit resulted in the longest audience laughter in the show's history.
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Cast
Lucille Ball .... Lucille 'Lucy' Esmeralda MacGillicuddy Ricardo
Desi Arnaz .... Enrique 'Ricky' Alberto Ricardo y de Acha III
Vivian Vance .... Ethel Mae Roberta Louise Potter Mertz
William Frawley .... Frederick 'Fred' Hobart Edie Mertz I
Kathryn Card .... Mrs. MacGillicuddy (1955-1956)
Mary Jane Croft .... Betty Ramsey (1957)
Jerry Hausner .... Jerry, Ricky's agent (1951-1954)
Bob Jellison .... Bobby, the Hollywood bellboy (1954-1955)
Keith Thibodeaux .... Ricky Ricardo, Jr. (1956-1957) (as Little Ricky)
Joseph A. & Michael Mayer .... Ricky Ricardo, Jr. (baby) (1953-1954)
Frank Nelson .... Ralph Ramsey (1957)
Elizabeth Patterson .... Mrs. Mathilda Trumbull (1953-1956)
Richard & Ronald Lee Simmons .... Ricky Ricardo, Jr. (baby) (1954-1955)
Doris Singleton .... Caroline Appleby (1953-1957)
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Emmy Awards
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I Love Lucy (The Show)
1952: Nominated - Best Comedy Show
1953: Won - Best Situation Comedy
1954: Won - Best Situation Comedy
1955: Nominated - Best Written Comedy Material: Madelyn Davis, Jess Oppenheimer, Robert G. Carroll
1955: Nominated - Best Situation Comedy
1956: Nominated - Best Comedy Writing: Bob Carroll Jr., Madelyn Davis, Jess Oppenheimer, Bob Schiller, Bob Weiskopf for episode: "L.A. At Last"
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Lucille Ball
1952: Nominated - Best Comedian or Comedienne
1953: Nominated - Most Outstanding Personality
1953: Won - Best Comedienne
1954: Nominated - Best Female Star of Regular Series
1955: Nominated - Best Actress Starring in a Regular Series
1956: Nominated - Best Comedienne
1956: Won - Best Actress - Continuing Performance
1957: Nominated - Best Continuing Performance by a Comedienne in a Series
1958: Nominated - Best Continuing Performance (Female) in a Series by a Comedienne, Singer, Hostess, Dancer, M.C., Announcer, Narrator, Panelist, or any Person who Essentially Plays Herself
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Desi Arnaz
Never nominated.
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Vivian Vance
1954: Won - Best Series Supporting Actress
1955: Nominated - Best Supporting Actress in a Regular Series
1957: Nominated - Best Supporting Performance by an Actress
1958: Nominated - Best Continuing Supporting Performance by an Actress in a Dramatic or Comedy Series
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William Frawley
1954: Nominated - Best Series Supporting Actor
1955: Nominated - Best Supporting Actor in a Regular Series
1956: Nominated - Best Actor in a Supporting Role
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DVD Releases
"I Love Lucy- Season 1" (9 Separate disks, sold separately)
"I Love Lucy- 50th Anniversary Special"
"I Love Lucy- The Complete First Season" (7 disks, sold together)
"I Love Lucy- The Complete Second Season"
"I Love Lucy- The Complete Third Season"
"I Love Lucy- The Complete Fourth Season"
"I Love Lucy- The Complete Fifth Season"
"I Love Lucy- Seasons 1-5"
"I Love Lucy- The Complete Sixth Season"
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Trivia
Gale Gordon and Bea Benaderet were originally approached for the roles of Fred and Ethel, but neither could accept due to previous commitments. Gordon did appear as a guest star in a few episodes, playing Ricky's boss, Mr. Littlefield. Gordon was a veteran from the classic radio days in which he perfected the role of the exasperated character, such as in Fibber McGee and Molly. He would go on to costar with Ball in most of her post-I Love Lucy series. Benaderet once guest starred playing the Ricardo's neighbor, the elderly Miss Lewis.
At various times, Ethel's middle name was Mae, Roberta, and Louise.
The Mertz's kitchen was never shown except in the episode, "Never Do Business With Friends".
Lucille Ball liked naming supporting characters after real-life people. Carolyn Appleby was one of her teachers, and Marion Strong was a friend in Jamestown, New York.
Kathryn Card, who played Lucy's scatterbrained mother, first appeared in the series as a slovenly housewife who mistakenly believes Ricky Ricardo has invited her to join him on a date at the Tropicana.
Barbara Pepper, later featured as Doris Ziffel on the series Green Acres, frequently had one or two lines in a crowd scene. Her friendship with Ball dated back to the film Roman Scandals, in which both appeared as Goldwyn Girls.
Many facts about Ball and Arnaz made it into the series. Like Ball, Lucy Ricardo attended high school in Celoron, New York, and the Ricardos were married at the Byram River Beagle Club in Greenwich, Connecticut, just as the Arnazes had been.
Reportedly, the longest laugh in any sitcom ever — 65 seconds — was heard in the episode Lucy Does the Tango, during which Lucy - her jacket filled with raw eggs — slams into Ricky and breaks them while rehearsing a tango routine for the PTA show.
The show was one of the first programmes made in the USA seen on British television which became more open to commerce with the launch of ITV in September 1955, a commercial network that aired this series.
Ball and Arnaz capitalized on the series' popularity by starring in Vincente Minnelli's 1953 film The Long, Long Trailer as Tacy and Nicky Collini, two characters very similar to Lucy and Ricky, named Tacy and Nicky.
I Love Lucy is commonly spoofed, including on an episode of The Fairly Oddparents, in which Cosmo and Wanda go into a TV and star in a fictional show called I Love Wanda.
Ethel Mertz née Potter is originally from Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Ethel Mertz and Betty Ramsey, the neighbor from the later seasons, were childhood friends.
I Love Lucy is the first of only three shows to end its run as the #1 TV show in America. The other two are The Andy Griffith Show in 1968 and Seinfeld in 1998.
It is now well-known that Vance and Frawley did not get along, a fact which seemingly added some humorous edge to their on-screen interaction. When the series ended, Vance and Frawley were said to have been offered a chance to take their Fred and Ethel characters to their own spin-off series. Frawley was willing to do so, but Vance refused to ever work with Frawley again.
Ball and Arnaz's eventual off-screen personal problems had a much more serious effect, contributing to the demise of the show.
The last episodes of the series had to be made, even though Ball and Arnaz were divorcing/divorced. A contract had been signed before the two began to have major problems, and it wasn't lifted. This is why in the last episodes of the series, one can see Ball looking as if she had just been crying, even in supposed-to-be funny skits.
The familiar opening featuring the credits superimposed over a "heart" image, known to most of the show's younger fans, was created specifically when I Love Lucy went into syndication. When originally broadcast on CBS, the episodes featured an opening with animated drawings of Ball and Arnaz, making reference to whomever the particular episode's sponsor was (usually Phillip Morris). Since the original sponsor references were no longer applicable when the shows went into syndication, the new opening was created. These openings (with the sponsor names edited out) are now used on TV Land showings.
"Weird Al" Yankovic parodied the TV show, as well as Toni Basil's song "Mickey", in the song "Ricky" on his 1983 debut album, working in many of the show's classic schticks and closing with a segment of the I Love Lucy theme. Yankovic also produced an album of the show's greatest musical moments entitled Babalu Music.
On Babylon 5, Ambassador Sinclair refers to himself and Captain Sheridan as "Lucy and Ethel." Sheridan responds, "Lucy and Ethel?"
In the movie Rat Race one of the characters pretends to be a coach driver and drives a group of women, dressed up as Lucy to the "Third annual I Love Lucy Convention"
It's been rumored that Arnaz had a photographic memory, able to remember the scripts perfectly after reading them just one time.
The series is as of April 2006 the longest running program to continue airing in the Los Angeles area almost 50 years after it ended. Ironically, the series is currently aired on KTTV, which had given up the CBS affiliation several months before I Love Lucy premiered.
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References
Joe Garner, Stay Tuned: Television's Unforgettable Moments (Andrews McMeel Publishing; 2002) ISBN 0-7407-2693-5
Bart Andrews, The 'I Love Lucy' Book (Doubleday & Company, Inc.; 1976)
Coyne Steven Sanders & Tom Gilbert, Desilu: The Story of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz (William Morrow & Company, Inc.; 1993)
by P.redeckis June 10, 2006
Piett was a loyal Imperial officer aboard Darth Vader's flagship, the Executor, during the Hoth campaign. As an attentive Captain aboard the Super Star Destroyer, he was more creatively minded than his by-the-manual superior, Admiral Ozzel. After Ozzel committed a fatal mistake during the hunt for the Rebels, Darth Vader promoted Piett to Admiral in his place.
Piett served in this capacity during the Battle of Endor. He perished aboard his vessel when a wayward A-wing starfighter crashed into the Executor's bridge.
Piett served in this capacity during the Battle of Endor. He perished aboard his vessel when a wayward A-wing starfighter crashed into the Executor's bridge.
by P.redeckis June 08, 2006
Nicholas Hoult
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Nicholas Hoult born 7 December 1989 is the British actor best known for playing Marcus in the hit British film About a Boy.
He trained at the Sylvia Young Theatre School in London and made his film debut as Bobby in the Boxer Films/Fox Searchlight picture Intimate Relations. Although About A Boy marked his first leading role in a feature film, he had worked since the age of eight in film, television and theatre.
Hoult has also appeared with the English National Opera at the London Coliseum, firstly in their production of The Nutcracker and more recently in Swan Lake.
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Television
For the BBC:
Silent Witness
Mr. White Goes to Westminster
World of Pub
Waking The Dead
Murder In Mind
Holby City
Doctors
Casualty
Judge John Deed
For ITV
The Bill
Ruth Rendall's The Fallen Curtain
The Caucasian Chalk Circle
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Filmography
The Weather Man (2005) - Mike
Wah-Wah (2005) - Ralph Compton
Kidulthood (2005) - Blake
About a Boy (2002) - Marcus Brewer
Intimate Relations (1996) - Bobby
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Nicholas Hoult born 7 December 1989 is the British actor best known for playing Marcus in the hit British film About a Boy.
He trained at the Sylvia Young Theatre School in London and made his film debut as Bobby in the Boxer Films/Fox Searchlight picture Intimate Relations. Although About A Boy marked his first leading role in a feature film, he had worked since the age of eight in film, television and theatre.
Hoult has also appeared with the English National Opera at the London Coliseum, firstly in their production of The Nutcracker and more recently in Swan Lake.
edit
Television
For the BBC:
Silent Witness
Mr. White Goes to Westminster
World of Pub
Waking The Dead
Murder In Mind
Holby City
Doctors
Casualty
Judge John Deed
For ITV
The Bill
Ruth Rendall's The Fallen Curtain
The Caucasian Chalk Circle
edit
Filmography
The Weather Man (2005) - Mike
Wah-Wah (2005) - Ralph Compton
Kidulthood (2005) - Blake
About a Boy (2002) - Marcus Brewer
Intimate Relations (1996) - Bobby
by P.redeckis June 10, 2006
Brynn Hartman (April 11, 1958 – May 28, 1998) was the wife and eventual murderer of actor Phil Hartman. She grew up in Thief River Falls, Minnesota. Her birth name was Vicki Omdahl.
Minor acting career
Hartman acted in small roles on television and film, playing a waitress in the Elijah Wood film North and a Venusian on 3rd Rock from the Sun. She met her husband, actor Phil Hartman, while working as a Catalina swimsuit model. She can also be seen during the early 1990s opening credit sequence of Saturday Night Live, having dinner with Hartman. At the time, Phil's career was near its highest point.
Murder/suicide
In 1998, she shot and killed her husband, Phil Hartman, then committed suicide using a different gun.
Phil Hartman's divorce attorney, Steven Small, stated in a CNN article that Brynn's anger management problems may have contributed to the bloody murder-suicide. According to a 1998 People Online article, Brynn's alcoholism and addiction to cocaine also contributed. Each was unhappy and accused the other of not allowing a divorce.
According to an article on www.FranksReelReviews.com, Brynn combined cocaine, drinking, and Zoloft at the Hollywood restaurant, Buca di Beppo. Small stated that the couple had an argument concerning Brynn's drug addiction and the impending divorce when she returned home, according to an article in PeopleOnline.
Around 2am or 3am, she shot Phil twice in the head while he slept. After shooting Phil, she drove to her friend Ron Douglas's house. She confessed the crime to him, but he did not believe her. At 6:20am, she drove back to her house with Douglas, who called 911. As the police arrived on the scene to escort their children, Sean Hartman and Birgen Hartman, out of the house, and before they could reach her, she went to the bedroom where Phil's body lay, shot herself in the head, and died.
Minor acting career
Hartman acted in small roles on television and film, playing a waitress in the Elijah Wood film North and a Venusian on 3rd Rock from the Sun. She met her husband, actor Phil Hartman, while working as a Catalina swimsuit model. She can also be seen during the early 1990s opening credit sequence of Saturday Night Live, having dinner with Hartman. At the time, Phil's career was near its highest point.
Murder/suicide
In 1998, she shot and killed her husband, Phil Hartman, then committed suicide using a different gun.
Phil Hartman's divorce attorney, Steven Small, stated in a CNN article that Brynn's anger management problems may have contributed to the bloody murder-suicide. According to a 1998 People Online article, Brynn's alcoholism and addiction to cocaine also contributed. Each was unhappy and accused the other of not allowing a divorce.
According to an article on www.FranksReelReviews.com, Brynn combined cocaine, drinking, and Zoloft at the Hollywood restaurant, Buca di Beppo. Small stated that the couple had an argument concerning Brynn's drug addiction and the impending divorce when she returned home, according to an article in PeopleOnline.
Around 2am or 3am, she shot Phil twice in the head while he slept. After shooting Phil, she drove to her friend Ron Douglas's house. She confessed the crime to him, but he did not believe her. At 6:20am, she drove back to her house with Douglas, who called 911. As the police arrived on the scene to escort their children, Sean Hartman and Birgen Hartman, out of the house, and before they could reach her, she went to the bedroom where Phil's body lay, shot herself in the head, and died.
Brynn Hartman 1958-1998
by P.redeckis June 06, 2006