In the late 1940s Red Skelton's movie career was going strong - he was the star of several good comedies (that remain funny), mostly aided by the advice and part direction of Buster Keaton. Among these films was THE FULLER BRUSH MAN, a comedy thriller that is still hysterical at times. It was so successful that it led to several films that tried to copy it. One was THE FULLER BRUSH GIRL, which starred Lucille Ball and Eddie Albert. Lucy's film was also quite entertaining. But while Skelton's film career was flourishing, Ball's was slowing down. They had made one film together (DUBARRY WAS A LADY, with Gene Kelly and Zero Mostel), but that was in the early 1940s. The two would not get together again until 1959, when both had made their marks on television with I LOVE LUCY and THE RED SKELTON SHOW. Skelton would guest star on this episode of THE LUCI-DESI COMEDY HOUR.
The plot was how Skelton is in a show with Ricky, and Lucy ends up (for a change) in the show, doing a duet with Skelton as a pair of hobos on a freight car. The rest of the episode dealt with how the two get lost in the back country during a blizzard.
The interesting thing about LUCY GOES TO ALASKA is how the bulk of the episode, however amusing it was at the time, is so forgettable now, but the musical duet of Red and Lucy was first rate. In their sole previous co-starring film Red played a busboy at a nightclub who loves the show's star (Lucy) but is not really her interest (it was Gene Kelly). As a result, in the dream segment that made up most of the film, Lucy played Madame DuBarry, against Red's King Louis XV, but they did not seem to mingle well together despite the energy of the film and the music of Cole Porter. Here, in their song and dance they hit the right notes, raising this forgettable episode to a "7" out of "10".
Their routine in the episode begins with Red looking out the door or the freight car to see if he's been seen by guards or the train crew. He turns aside behind a stack of crates. Then Lucy shows up, somehow also having boarded the same freight car, and looking to see if she was noticed. Neither for awhile see each other as they circle the stack of crates. Both end up walking backwards, as they are aware that they still feel they are not alone. They end up in backing into each other's rear end, and then turn and find each other.
I went into some detail here because the segment so far is done silently - reminding one of Lucy's ability at mime (in her episode on I LOVE LUCY with Harpo Marx, and in such episode where she gets into a fight while crushing grapes with another woman). It also reminds us of Skelton's ability at mime, which led to his "the silent spot" on his variety show.
Eventually the two sing a song about how happy and free life is as a hobo. They have no worries like property owners. As the song concludes they sing:
Red: "People without money don't pay bills."
Lucy: "Boy am I glad that I took my pauper pills!"
(Looking at each other)
Red: "Poor us!"
Lucy: "Poor us!!"
(Facing the audience together)
Both: "Poor everybody else!!!"
It was a singularly successful and sweet scene and duet. It made the episode, and remains the only reason to recall this episode.
The plot was how Skelton is in a show with Ricky, and Lucy ends up (for a change) in the show, doing a duet with Skelton as a pair of hobos on a freight car. The rest of the episode dealt with how the two get lost in the back country during a blizzard.
The interesting thing about LUCY GOES TO ALASKA is how the bulk of the episode, however amusing it was at the time, is so forgettable now, but the musical duet of Red and Lucy was first rate. In their sole previous co-starring film Red played a busboy at a nightclub who loves the show's star (Lucy) but is not really her interest (it was Gene Kelly). As a result, in the dream segment that made up most of the film, Lucy played Madame DuBarry, against Red's King Louis XV, but they did not seem to mingle well together despite the energy of the film and the music of Cole Porter. Here, in their song and dance they hit the right notes, raising this forgettable episode to a "7" out of "10".
Their routine in the episode begins with Red looking out the door or the freight car to see if he's been seen by guards or the train crew. He turns aside behind a stack of crates. Then Lucy shows up, somehow also having boarded the same freight car, and looking to see if she was noticed. Neither for awhile see each other as they circle the stack of crates. Both end up walking backwards, as they are aware that they still feel they are not alone. They end up in backing into each other's rear end, and then turn and find each other.
I went into some detail here because the segment so far is done silently - reminding one of Lucy's ability at mime (in her episode on I LOVE LUCY with Harpo Marx, and in such episode where she gets into a fight while crushing grapes with another woman). It also reminds us of Skelton's ability at mime, which led to his "the silent spot" on his variety show.
Eventually the two sing a song about how happy and free life is as a hobo. They have no worries like property owners. As the song concludes they sing:
Red: "People without money don't pay bills."
Lucy: "Boy am I glad that I took my pauper pills!"
(Looking at each other)
Red: "Poor us!"
Lucy: "Poor us!!"
(Facing the audience together)
Both: "Poor everybody else!!!"
It was a singularly successful and sweet scene and duet. It made the episode, and remains the only reason to recall this episode.
