This episode ranks in my top 5 across the whole series. I've always been a sucker for the mystery genre, so when I saw this episode as a kid, it immediately became a favorite. I'm pleased to see others regard it just as highly.
Of course, it isn't actually a film noir and there isn't a mystery for viewers to solve, but it uses the classic setting and tropes well. Add in the physical comedy that makes I Love Lucy so great, plus some of the most memorable running gags and funniest lines in the whole series, and you have a bona fide classic episode.
Highlights: Frank Nelson turning in another great guest performance, "Maybe it's because the detective's eyes are so far apart and his are so close together," the final shot of Fred and Ethel in raincoats.
Of course, it isn't actually a film noir and there isn't a mystery for viewers to solve, but it uses the classic setting and tropes well. Add in the physical comedy that makes I Love Lucy so great, plus some of the most memorable running gags and funniest lines in the whole series, and you have a bona fide classic episode.
Highlights: Frank Nelson turning in another great guest performance, "Maybe it's because the detective's eyes are so far apart and his are so close together," the final shot of Fred and Ethel in raincoats.