The Long, Long Trailer (1953)

Director:

Vincente Minnelli

Writers:

Clinton Twiss (novel)
Albert Hackett (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

18 February 1954 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

America's No. 1 Favorites Funnier than Ever on the Screen!

Plot:

Nicky and Tacy are going to be married. Nicky wants to save up money for a house, but Tacy dreams of...

Plot Keywords:

Trailer | Marriage | Honeymoon | Mountain | New Inlaws

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Lucille Ball	...	Tacy Bolton - Collini
Desi Arnaz	...	Nicholas 'Nicky' Collini
Marjorie Main	...	Mrs. Hittaway
Keenan Wynn	...	Policeman
Gladys Hurlbut	...	Mrs. Bolton
Moroni Olsen	...	Mr. Tewitt
Bert Freed	...	Foreman
Madge Blake	...	Aunt Anastacia
Walter Baldwin	...	Uncle Edgar
Oliver Blake	...	Mr. Ludlow
Perry Sheehan	...	Bridesmaid
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Richard Alexander	...	Bald Shopper in Bungalette Trailer (uncredited)
Jimmy Ames	...	Truck Helper (uncredited)
Robert Anderson	...	Carl Barrett (uncredited)
Margaret Bert	...	Mother (uncredited)
Dallas Boyd	...	Minister (uncredited)
John Call	...	Shorty (uncredited)
Geraldine Carr	...	Tacy's Girlfriend (uncredited)
James Conaty	...	Extra at Trailer Show (uncredited)
Edgar Dearing	...	Trailer Park Manager (uncredited)
Sayre Dearing	...	Extra at Trailer Show (uncredited)
Juney Ellis	...	Waitress (uncredited)
Franklyn Farnum	...	Extra at Trailer Party (uncredited)
Frank Gerstle	...	Gas Station Attendant (uncredited)
A. Cameron Grant	...	Father (uncredited)
Charles Herbert	...	Little Boy (uncredited)
Donald Kerr	...	Flagstone Station Attendant (uncredited)
Robert Kino	...	Japanese Gardner (uncredited)
Jack Kruschen	...	Mechanic (uncredited)
Mike Lally	...	Wedding Guest (uncredited)
Norman Leavitt	...	Driver (uncredited)
Alan Lee	...	Mr. Elliott (uncredited)
Rudy Lee	...	Barrett's Son (uncredited)
Ruth Lee	...	Mrs. Tewitt (uncredited)
Peter Leeds	...	Garage Manager (uncredited)
John Logan	...	Mechanic (uncredited)
Karl Lukas	...	Inspector (uncredited)
Howard McNear	...	Joe Hittaway (uncredited)
Bert Moorhouse	...	Car Salesman (uncredited)
Rollin Moriyama	...	Japanese Gardner (uncredited)
Forbes Murray	...	Wedding Guest (uncredited)
Ellanora Needles	...	Tacy's Girlfriend (uncredited)
Dorothy Neumann	...	Aunt Ellen (uncredited)
Louis Nicoletti	...	2nd Inspector (uncredited)
Christopher Olsen	...	Tommy (uncredited)
Emory Parnell	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Phil Rich	...	Mr. Dudley (uncredited)
Dennis Ross	...	Jody (uncredited)
Janet Sackett	...	Kay (uncredited)
Judy Sackett	...	Dotty (uncredited)
Edna Skinner	...	Maude Barrett (uncredited)
Connie Van	...	Grace (uncredited)
Herb Vigran	...	Trailer Salesman (uncredited)
Emmett Vogan	...	Mr. Bolton (uncredited)
Ruth Warren	...	Mrs. Dudley (uncredited)
Wilson Wood	...	Garage Owner (uncredited)
Howard Wright	...	Uncle Bill (uncredited)

Directed by
Vincente Minnelli

Writing credits
Clinton Twiss		(novel)
Albert Hackett		(screenplay) &
Frances Goodrich		(screenplay)

Produced by
Pandro S. Berman	....	producer

Original Music by
Adolph Deutsch

Cinematography by
Robert Surtees

Film Editing by
Ferris Webster

Art Direction by
Edward C. Carfagno		(as Edward Carfagno)
Cedric Gibbons

Set Decoration by
F. Keogh Gleason
Edwin B. Willis

Costume Design by
Helen Rose

Makeup Department
Sydney Guilaroff	....	hair stylist
William Tuttle	....	makeup artist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Joel Freeman	....	assistant director
Jerry Thorpe	....	assistant director
Carl 'Major' Roup	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Frank Wesselhoff	....	painter (uncredited)

Sound Department
Douglas Shearer	....	recording supervisor
Michael Steinore	....	sound (uncredited)

Special Effects by
A. Arnold Gillespie	....	special effects
Warren Newcombe	....	special effects

Editorial Department
Alvord Eiseman	....	color consultant

Music Department
Alexander Courage	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1954) (USA) (theatrical)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1965) (USA) (TV)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1990) (USA) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1994) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (1955) (Austria) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Video (2009) (Canada) (DVD) (4 film collection)
• Warner Home Video (2009) (USA) (DVD) (4 film collection)

Other Companies

• Turner Entertainment  VHS package design

Also Known As:

Runtime:

103 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color (Anscocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #16632) | West Germany:6 (nf) | Finland:S

Filming Locations:

Alabama Hills, Lone Pine, California, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

The chorus of the song "Everything Right is Wrong Again" by the band They Might Be Giants references the scene where Lucy's character is stuck in the trailer which has become unhinged from the car. "Everything right is wrong again Just like in the long long trailer All the dishes got broken and the car kept driving And nobody would stop to save her"

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: Obvious stunt double wearing sunglasses when the car rounds the corner and knocks a few rocks over the edge.

Quotes:

Aunt Anastacia:You tore down my roses with your lousy, stinking trailer!
[starts crying]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: Fire Maidens of Outer Space (#5.16)" (1992)

Soundtrack:

Cui Cui

Lucy&Desi In For The Long Haul

The Long Long Trailer stars Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz playing very similar characters to the Ricardos who came into our homes weekly on CBS via I Love Lucy. They're newlyweds and Lucy talks Desi into buying a mobile home, a really big trailer which would intimidate anyone who's not licensed to drive big rigs. Except Lucy that is and she's not doing the driving in most of the picture.

If The Long Long Trailer proves anything it proves one should have such a license to drive these things. That thing is a menace in amateur hands. But at least Desi knows he's an amateur.

Although Lucille Ball got to do her usual scatterbrained thing that wreaks havoc on all around, I actually thought that Desi Arnaz got the best laughs in the film. Seeing him trying to back that trailer into her aunt's driveway, his adventure trying to take his first shower in the trailer with an outlet that won't cooperate, and then trying to drive through Yosemite National Park up a steep mountain road.

That was at times more scary than funny. But it was funny because Lucy insisted on bringing her pet rock collection along adding to the weight. That made her a generation ahead of her time.

If you're an old or a new fan of the Ricardos you will definitely appreciate The Long Long Trailer.