The Fashion Show (28 Feb. 1955)

Lucy models fashions with other celebrities' wives.

Director:

William Asher

Writers:

Bob Carroll Jr., Madelyn Davis,

Stars:

Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, Vivian Vance

Cast

Episode credited cast:
Lucille Ball	...	Lucy Ricardo
Desi Arnaz	...	Ricky Ricardo
Vivian Vance	...	Ethel Mertz
William Frawley	...	Fred Mertz
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Mona Carlson	...	Herself (as Mrs. Richard Carlson)
Sue Carol	...	Herself
Marilyn Johnson	...	Herself (as Mrs. Forrest Tucker)
Don Loper	...	Himself
Sheila MacRae	...	Herself (as Mrs. Gordon McRae)
Brenda Marshall	...	Herself (as Mrs. William Holden)
Jeanne Martin	...	Herself (as Mrs. Dean Martin)
Frances E. Neal	...	Herself (as Mrs. Van Heflin)
Amzie Strickland	...	Salesgirl

Storyline

Lucy convinces Ricky to let her buy a dress from the exclusive Don Loper salon, but he will only let her spend $100, which will only get her the cheapest dress in the salon. The few dresses that she and Ethel manage to see the price tags of are retailing for $500, so Lucy asks for something simpler, figuring that simpler equates to cheaper. At the same time, Sheila MacRae aka Mrs. Gordon MacRae comes into the salon, and talks to Don about the upcoming charity fashion show where the wives of movie stars will be modeling their Don Loper exclusives. Lucy does her not so subtle best to get herself into the fashion show, which she manages to do. But in doing so, she is forced to declare to Sheila on the spot which dress she bought and will be modeling, that dress Lucy chooses to be the simple one. It isn't until she gets the altered dress home that Lucy finds out it costs $500. Not able to take the dress back since it has already been altered, Lucy figures that her best course of action is...

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Genres:

Comedy | Family

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 February 1955 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Ren-Mar Studios - 846 N. Cahuenga Blvd., Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Desilu Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

30 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Ricky lets Lucy buy a dress for $100 in 1955 ($828.29 in 2011 dollars) and she buys a dress for $500 which in 2011 would be valued at $4141.45.

User Reviews

Hollywood Wives

Lucy wants an expensive dress. If she appears in the fashion show, she can have the dress. Unfortunately, to get sympathy from Ricky, she overburned herself lounging in the sun, and now she must appear in the fashion show with the painful tan.

Amusing setup, made even more amusing by the alluring lull of the previous Hollywood wives who appeared in this episode, all modeling fashions by Don Loper (a testimony to how 'fashion' will outlive its creator. Who on Earth was Don Loper. Oh, THAT Don Loper. sheesh!).

Anyway, the wives are testimonies as well to their husbands. We see the wives of six actors; Bill Holden, Van Heflin, Dean Martin, Gordon MacRae, Forrest Tucker and Richard Carlson.

What's most noteworthy is how many of these marriages lasted. Martin, MacRae and Heflin all ended in divorce, as well as Holden (apparently this one wasn't much of a marriage to begin with), and all within six years of one another, from 1967-73.

Well, they outlasted Lucille Ball's own marriage, obviously, which ended ten years earlier.

The two unique ones are Carlson and Tucker.

Carlson's union to Mona Carlson lasted, til death they did part.

Tucker's, likewise, lasted til death they did part, . . . when SHE died in 1960.

Also worth mentioning in this episode is yet another appearance by the ubiquitous Amzie Strickland, who appeared in shows and movies for nearly half a century, it seems.