I'm not a Milton Berle fan but this episode is actually quite good, especially coming so late in the run of Here's Lucy. I actually prefer Berle when he's playing himself as opposed to his other appearances on this show when he was a sleazy car salesman, etc. In this one, Berle appears on a TV charity telethon offering his services as party entertainment to the highest bidder. To his dismay, Lucy Carter ends up the winning bidder for only $7.50!
Just a couple of years prior, Here's Lucy seemed woefully outdated but here it is catching up with the times and does feel very early 70s. To me it seems more like the Odd Couple and less like the earlier Lucy Shows.
Lucy comes across as very old to me in this episode for some reason, particularly in the early scenes when she keeps calling in to place bids. There is a daffiness to her in the scene that normally wasn't there. It just stuck out for some reason-almost like a Rose Nyland quality-a clueless old lady with a childlike naivete.
Gale Gordon gets the best line of the episode though when he shouts "Uncle Miltie, my Aunt Fanny!".
You needn't be a Berle fan to enjoy this one.