Satirical commentary of I Love Lucy every Friday! Here’s all the WTFacts for this week. 

This Week’s Episode:

“Lucy Writes a Play”

Original Air Date:

February 4, 1952

This Week’s WTFacts:

• Maury Thompson – the guy who plays the stage manager – was the show’s script supervisor and became the camera coordinator in 1956. He went on to be the camera coordinator for the Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour and The Lucy Show. He also worked with Red Skelton, so he clearly had a thing for Reds. 

• When Lucy says “another Tennessee Ernie,” she means Tennessee Williams. But recording artist Tennessee Ernie Ford would later guest star in three episodes: “Tennessee Ernie Visits,” “Tennessee Ernie Hangs On,” and “Tennessee Bound.” Those are all in seasons 3-4 so we’ll get to them in like thirty years.

• The name Darryl B. Mayer is taken from studio heads Darryl F. Zanuck (Fox) and Louis B. Mayer (MGM). Lucy signed with Mayer/MGM in 1942, and it was there she began wearing her hair red. Mayer also signed Desi Arnaz soon after (for much less), saying: 

Mayer: You remind me of Busher (the top racehorse in his stable). Busher looks very common when he’s around the barn, but when they put a saddle on him, and he goes around the track, you know he’s a champion. The same thing happens when you put that drum around your shoulder. Up to that point you’re just another Mexican.

Desi: Not Mexican, sir. Cuban.

Mayer: Well, one of those Latin fellows.

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See you Friday!

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