"Lucy and Superman" is an episode of the

sitcom A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use ne ...

I Love Lucy ''I Love Lucy'' is an American television sitcom that originally aired on CBS from October 15, 1951, to May 6, 1957, with a total of 180 half-hour episodes, spanning six seasons. The show starred Lucille Ball, her husband, Desi Arnaz, along with ...

'', and was first broadcast on January 14, 1957 on

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainmen ...

. The episode was written by

Bob Carroll, Jr. Robert Gordon Carroll Jr. (August 12, 1918 – January 27, 2007) was an American television writer notable for his creative role in the series ''I Love Lucy'', the first four seasons of which he wrote with his professional partner Madelyn Pugh, an ...

Madelyn Pugh Madelyn Pugh (March 15, 1921 – April 20, 2011), sometimes credited as Madelyn Pugh Davis, Madelyn Davis, or Madelyn Martin, was a television writer who became known in the 1950s for her work on the ''I Love Lucy'' television series. Early ...

Bob Schiller Robert Achille Schiller (November 8, 1918 – October 10, 2017) was an American screenwriter. He worked extensively with fellow producer/screenwriter Bob Weiskopf on numerous television shows in the United States, including ''I Love Lucy'' (1955 ...

and

Bob Weiskopf Bob Weiskopf (March 13, 1914 – February 20, 2001) was an American screenwriter and producer for television. He has credits for ''I Love Lucy'' which he and his writing partner Bob Schiller joined in the fifth season. They also wrote for ''The ...

. Directed by James V. Kern, it is the 13th episode of the sixth season, and the 166th episode of the series. The episode features a guest appearance by

George Reeves George Reeves (born George Keefer Brewer; January 5, 1914 – June 16, 1959) was an American actor. He is best known for portraying Superman in the television series '' Adventures of Superman'' (1952–1958). His death at age 45 from a g ...

Superman Superman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, and debuted in the comic book ''Action Comics'' #1 (cover-dated June 1938 and publi ...

. His character is referred to as "Superman" throughout the episode (rather than "George Reeves" or "the actor who plays Superman"), with hints throughout the script meant to clue adult viewers in that the character is actually only an actor.

Plot summary

Bandleader

Ricky Ricardo Lucy and Ricky Ricardo, also known simply as Lucy and Ricky or the Ricardos, are fictional characters from the American television sitcom ''I Love Lucy'', portrayed respectively by Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. The Ricardos also appear in '' The ...

(

Desi Arnaz Desiderio Alberto Arnaz y de Acha III (March 2, 1917 – December 2, 1986) was a Cuban-born American actor, bandleader, and film and television producer. He played Lucy and Ricky Ricardo, Ricky Ricardo on the American television sitcom ''I Lov ...

) and his young son Little Ricky ( Richard Keith) watch the latest episode of the '' Adventures of Superman'' television series, which concludes with the narrator stating that

will be making personal appearances in the coming week at

Macy's Department Store Macy's (originally R. H. Macy & Co.) is an American chain of high-end department stores founded in 1858 by Rowland Hussey Macy. It became a division of the Cincinnati-based Federated Department Stores in 1994, through which it is affiliated wit ...

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

. As Ricky's wife

Lucy Lucy is an English feminine given name derived from the Latin masculine given name Lucius with the meaning ''as of light'' (''born at dawn or daylight'', maybe also ''shiny'', or ''of light complexion''). Alternative spellings are Luci, Luce, Luci ...

(

Lucille Ball Lucille Désirée Ball (August 6, 1911 – April 26, 1989) was an American actress, comedienne and producer. She was nominated for 13 Primetime Emmy Awards, winning five times, and was the recipient of several other accolades, such as the Golden ...

) enters and sends her son to bed, she promises to take him to see Superman at Macy's.

Ethel Ethel (also '' æthel'') is an Old English word meaning "noble", today often used as a feminine given name. Etymology and historic usage The word means ''æthel'' "noble". It is frequently attested as the first element in Anglo-Saxon names, b ...

and

Fred Fred may refer to: People * Fred (name), including a list of people and characters with the name Mononym * Fred (cartoonist) (1931–2013), pen name of Fred Othon Aristidès, French * Fred (footballer, born 1949) (1949–2022), Frederico Ro ...

Mertz (

Vivian Vance Vivian Vance (born Vivian Roberta Jones; July 26, 1909 – August 17, 1979) was an American actress and singer best known for playing Ethel Mertz on the sitcom ''I Love Lucy'' (1951–1957), for which she won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outst ...

William Frawley William Clement Frawley (February 26, 1887 – March 3, 1966) was an American vaudevillian and actor best remembered for playing landlord Fred Mertz in the American television sitcom ''I Love Lucy'', "Bub" O'Casey in the television comedy series ...

) arrive and drop off favors for Little Ricky's fifth birthday party, which is scheduled for Saturday. Shortly thereafter, Lucy and Ricky entertain Caroline and Charlie Appleby (

Doris Singleton Dorthea "Doris" Singleton (September 28, 1919 – June 26, 2012) was an American actress, perhaps best remembered as Lucy Ricardo's nemesis/frenemy, Carolyn Appleby, in ''I Love Lucy''. Early life and career Singleton, born in New York City, ...

George O'Hanlon George O'Hanlon (November 23, 1912 – February 11, 1989) was an American actor and writer. He was best known for his role as Joe McDoakes in the Warner Bros.' live-action ''Joe McDoakes'' short subjects from 1942 to 1956 and as the voice of Georg ...

), whom the Ricardos consider to be good friends, except when they brag about their son Stevie (Steven Kay) – Little Ricky's best friend. Lucy and Caroline get into an argument when they realize that both of them have scheduled birthday parties for their sons on the same day, but neither will agree to change the date. Because Stevie and Little Ricky are in the same class at school and have the same friends, Lucy worries that none of the children will attend Little Ricky's party – especially since Stevie's party will include a clown, puppet show and magician. Realizing that she must have more exciting entertainment for her son's party, Lucy convinces Ricky to ask Superman to appear at Little Ricky's party. Since Superman is in town – and since Ricky met him when the Ricardos and Mertzes visited

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood, ...

– Ricky agrees to ask him. Meanwhile, Lucy promises her son that Superman will be there. Even Stevie wants to come to Little Ricky's party upon learning about Superman, thus Caroline relents and changes the date of her son’s party. However, Ricky later calls and tells Lucy that Superman will be leaving town on Saturday and cannot appear at the party. Desperate to avoid disappointing Little Ricky, Lucy decides to dress up as Superman herself. She and Ethel hatch a plan whereby Lucy will use the vacant apartment next door to walk onto the ledge and enter through the window of the Ricardo apartment during the party, hoping to fool the children that she is the Man of Steel. During the party on Saturday, Lucy dons her makeshift Superman costume (complete with a football helmet to hide her red hair) and steps onto the ledge, just as Ethel enters the vacant apartment with a pair of prospective tenants (

Ralph Dumke Ralph Ernest Dumke (July 25, 1899 – January 4, 1964) was an American comedian and actor who had an active career from the early 1920s up until his death in 1964. He rose to fame as part of a comedy duo with Ed East, performing nationally in ...

Madge Blake Madge Blake (née Cummings; May 31, 1899 – February 19, 1969) was an American character actress best remembered for her role as Larry Mondello's mother, Margaret Mondello, on the CBS/ ABC sitcom '' Leave It to Beaver'', as Flora MacMichael on ...

), who have arrived unexpectedly. Meanwhile, Ricky returns home with the real Superman (

), who changed his plans once he heard that it was a child's birthday party. Delighted that the real hero came after all, Lucy turns to go back into the vacant apartment, but cannot do so because the prospective tenants are still there. It begins to rain as the couple prepares to leave, so they close the window, trapping Lucy outside on the ledge. As the party ends and the children leave, Superman expresses regret that he has not had the chance to meet Lucy (about whom, he remarks, he has heard so much). When Ethel lets it slip that Lucy is on the ledge, Ricky and the Mertzes race to the window to find her still there, with her cape snagged on a drainpipe as the rain pours. At Little Ricky's suggestion, Superman goes out onto the ledge to rescue her. A furious Ricky screams that this is one of the craziest stunts Lucy has pulled in their entire fifteen years of marriage. Astonished to learn how long Ricky has been married to Lucy, the Man of Steel exclaims, "And they call ''me'' Superman!" Still on the ledge, an embarrassed Lucy turns to face the wall.

Home media

In 1998, the episode was released on VHS as part of two separate compilations: "I Love Lucy Collection, Volume 5 - Lucy and Bob Hope/Lucy and Superman", and "I Love Lucy - The Classics: Lucy and Superman/The Freezer". The episode was released on DVD in 2006 as part of the box set "I Love Lucy - The Complete Sixth Season".

Colorized version telecast

CBS aired a colorized version of the episode on May 17, 2015, along with another colorized episode, "L.A., At Last," which guest starred actor

William Holden William Holden (born William Franklin Beedle Jr.; April 17, 1918 – November 12, 1981) was an American actor, and one of the biggest box-office draws of the 1950s. Holden won the Academy Award for Best Actor for the film ''Stalag 17'' (1953) ...

as himself, in an hour-long TV special.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Lucy And Superman 1957 American television episodes I Love Lucy episodes Superman in other media Crossover television