Customer Reviews

I Love Lucy: Season 1, Vol. 1 (Full Screen)

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

I Love Lucy is a television classic. 50 years old, and it still plays daily on TV and is loved by millions. This DVD features the first four episodes of the classic show starting with the pilot that was found in the early 90's. In addition, it presents the first 3 episodes to air in the fall of 1951 on CBS.

Fans of the show will love this disc. The sound and picture are great. Every episode is broken down into several chapters, including a separate chapter for the musical sequence. There are plenty of extras as well, including an episode of Lucy's radio show "My Favorite Husband" and an excerpt from Jess Oppenheimer's book on the creation of the show.

Like many TV shows, the first episodes aren't the strongest. Lucy is the only character fully developed at this point with the other three delivering straight lines. Still, there are several good laugh an episode.

It would be nice if the show were being released in season, or even half season sets. But this certainly isn't settling for second best since it's a great DVD.

The first season of "I Love Lucy" the most classic of television situation comedies had a 50.9 rating in the Nielsen ratings, which meant that half the television sets in the country were tuned into CBS on Monday nights at 9:00. Unlike most recent television DVD sets which offer an entire season as a set, the first season of "I Love Lucy" is coming out on DVD four episodes at a time. Volume 1 offers up the original pilot episode, and the first three episodes of the series. All of these episodes were written by the team of Jess Oppenheimer, Madelyn Pugh, Bob Carroll, Jr., who would stay with the show for its first five season:

"The Lost Pilot" was kinescoped on March 2, 1951 as an audition episode with which to woo potential backers for the show. Desi and Lucy play Larry and Lucy Lopez in what was a rewrite of the vaudeville skits the couple were doing on tour patched together with an old "My Favorite Husband" radio scripts (a lot of the first season episodes of "I Love Lucy" had similar points of origin). In a story that will sound familiar as the years go by, Lucy is determined to break into show business and decides to replace the ailing clown (Pepito the Clown) in her husband's nightclub act.

Episode 1, "The Girls Want to Go to a Nightclub" (October 15, 1951) for the Mertzes' anniversary, but Fred and Ricky would rather go to the fights. Lucy and Ethel dress up as hicks and show up as the boy's blind dates. This battle of the sexes sets the tone for the show's perpetual subtext, although the recurring theme is Lucy trying to get into showbiz.

Episode 2, "Be a Pal" (October 22, 1951) has Lucy taking advice from a self-help text and trying to keep her marriage fresh by becoming Ricky's pal. Now if only Ricky could figure out what Lucy is REALLY up to.

Episode 3, "The Diet" (October 29, 1951) is what Lucy is using to lose 12 pounds in just two days so she can be a part of the chorus line in Ricky's nightclub act. An early opportunity for Lucy to do the physical humor that was her forte.

The value of Volume 1 is in the historical importance of both the original pilot and the show's first episode. Even though it has little resemblance to what actually aired, the "lost" pilot is the funniest of the bunch (compare Lucy's comic antics at the end of the pilot with the similar but lesser hijinks at the end of Episode 1). None of these first three televised episodes would be considered classic Lucy shows and they are really rather pedestrian all things considered. Note: Episode 1 was the first episode aired, but it was not the first episode taped. That would be "Lucy Thinks Ricky Is Trying to Murder Her," which can be found on Volume 2. See you there.

First, I must start by saying that these are by far the cleanest, clearest prints of "I Love Lucy" I've ever seen, and they sound great too. The restored opening of "The Pilot" is much better than it was presented on TV and video ("I Love Lucy: The Very First Show"), where the missing narrative was provided by Lucie Arnaz. Finding the original announcer to recreate the opening 50 years later was an inspired decision, and although it's a kinescope, "The Pilot" looks almost as clear as the episodes themselves. Also, the few episodes of Lucy's radio series "My Favorite Husband" included on these discs are a real treat. I'd never heard them before, and they are just as funny as the TV series. I hope they continue to include more of these. The extras are interesting, especially when they show before-and-after restoration footage. However, like many reviewers here, I wish there were more episodes per disc. With "The Pilot", 179 half hour shows, a Christmas Special, and 13 hour-long episodes, my "Lucy" DVD collection will reach half-way to the moon by the time they're finished being released. I also wish the original openings had been restored to each episode, instead of being "extras", and the animated act-changes and original closing credits are nowhere to be seen. If restoring these segments was done for two episodes on a laser disc a few years back, and is being done brilliantly on TVLand now, why not on these DVDs? I doubt watching these amusing animations will inspire anyone to take up smoking cigarettes. And how about putting some of the original commercials on as extras? Also, during the radio shows, all we get is a still of Lucille Ball behind a microphone, with a collage of scenes from "I Love Lucy" behind her. Surely there must be some photos of the "My Favorite Husband" cast that could be shown, perhaps as a slide show, during the episodes (still, I guess it's better than staring at a radio as the original listeners did!). Nevertheless, despite my disappointments, I will continue to buy these as they come out, and have already pre-ordered Volumes 3 and 4. I never get tired of watching "I Love Lucy", and, in the final analysis, it's the shows themselves--the best sitcom ever made--that I am collecting here, everything else is just gravy.

I have watched "I Love Lucy" in syndication for many, many years; but I have never seen the episodes with as much clarity, and restoration as provided on this DVD, and I have seen every single episode multiple times!

Since broadcast TV and cable TV (especially broadcast) are prone to noise, watching "I Love Lucy" on DVD is probably the clearest it has ever been seen, except for audience members who watched the show taped live in the 1950's. Also, broadcast & cable TV stations never show the episodes in their entirety anymore, since they cut scenes in order to make more time for commercials. With this DVD, you can watch the first 3 aired episodes and the unaired original pilot commercial-free, completely clear and completely restored!

One of the many bonuses on this DVD is being able to have the bloopers from each episode highlighted, and I hadn't noticed many of them before since I was usually too busy laughing! Another added bonus is being able to hear Lucille Ball on the radio-show "My Favorite Husband" with the actor Richard Denning, that she did prior "I Love Lucy". I had never heard the radio-show prior to purchasing this DVD and Volume 1 contains 2 radio-show episodes. (After listening to the radio-show, I was so glad that Lucille Ball was able to convince network executives to have Desi Arnaz co-star with her because "I Love Lucy" would never had been the same without him!) Other bonus material includes guest actor information, still photos taken during filming, lost scenes, and the original show introduction!

Before purchasing this DVD, I had some misgivings because I didn't know if it would be worth owning since I have seen all of the "I Love Lucy" episodes so many times; but after watching it, I was more than pleased and I now plan to purchase the rest of the DVD's for the entire series!

Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz may have had their problems in real life, but their comic performances in "I Love Lucy" (as well as the performances of Vivian Vance and William Frawley) have brought billions of people to laughter the world over!

I am so glad that purchased this DVD, as well as Volume 2, and I plan to purchase the other volumes as they become available. My only complaint is that entire seasons are not being offered in boxed sets, but that won't prevent me from getting the other volumes.

The pilot episode is what you will see first. The pilot was filmed on March 2, 1951. It was Desi's 34th birthday. Lucille Ball was pregnant at the time with Lucie Arnaz. This pilot was never broadcast on television until...the man who played Pepito the Clown was given a reel of the pilot as a gift. When he died, this pilot was found (the story goes) under his bed. CBS aired this pilot episode for the very first time on April 30, 1990. It has never been shown in re-runs or syndication. (A pilot epiosde is made as a test. If the powers that be like it, a series could develop) Jerry Hausner appeared in 11 "I Love Lucy" episodes and in this pilot episode. In this DVD, "The Girls Want To Go To The Nightclub" (filmed 9-15-1951, aired 10-15-1951) is not the first episode filmed, but the first to be broadcast. This is actually episode #2. "Be A Pal", episode #3 (filmed 9-21-1951, aired 10-22-51). "The Diet" episode #3, (filmed 9-28-1951, aired 10-29-1951). Bonus material: Flubs, Radio Show, original "Phillip Morris" opening, and a lost scene and a restored soundtrack.

even as a Kid I knew there was something truly Unique&special about this Show,but it wasn't until I was a Little Bit Older did I understand Why.Lucille Ball&Desi Arnaz were a Ground-Breaking Couple.Fred&Ethel were something else.Classic Tv.

I love Lucy. You love Lucy. We all love Lucy. We always have. And always will. If the
tale is true that someone is watching "I Love Lucy" somewhere in the world every minute
of the day, here's evidence why. Like you really need to be reminded! Each DVD in the
series contains four classic episodes ... indelible black-and-white images of Lucy and Ricky
and Fred and Ethel that are still as funny today as they were 50 years ago! Sometimes the
laughs are coated with pathos: Of special interest on Volume One is "The Diet," in which
Lucy almost kills herself to shed 22 pounds ... in less than a week ... just to be able to fit in
a size 12 dress and impress a man (her hubby). Sound familiar? Each volume also contains
flubs, radio shows, behind-the-scenes photo galleries and special footage, such as lost
and/or deleted scenes and original openings. Simply said: These volumes (and subsequent
ones) are must-haves for every DVD library.

In this decade, every episode of "I Love Lucy" will be celebrating its 50th Anniversary. Every episode is still funny as funny as when they first aired. The shows are good. The shows are wholesome. They are healing and warm and will make you feel good. Buy them on VHS or DVD today.

It does exactly what it's supposed to do: introduce audiences to the future powerhouse of TV comedy and arguably the single most successful female entrepeneur in television entertainmnet. Ignore the fact that there are only 4 episodes on this DVD; I imagine a full season DVD of LUCY will come out eventually. I'm not the least bit disappointed because this DVD contains the restored pilot episode- thought to be lost to the public for years. BTW, is it just me, or does the pilot look like a kinescope rather than movie-quality film (the stock that Desi Arnaz insisted on for all the subsequent episodes)? This coarseness and scratchiness of the pilot episode just adds to its classic antiquity- not to mention that Mrs. Arnaz' rather bulky wardrobe was attempting to conceal a real-life pregnancy (her first one) at the time. Just terrific.

Then you'll love this new DVD series which is still in its infancy. The prints are clear and sharp: a real treat for fans of this incredibly beloved series. THE GIRLS WANT TO GO TO A NIGHTCLUB was the first episode aired. Corny? Sure. Hilarious? You bet! BE A PAL is memorable because Lucy thinks Ricky is home sick for Cuba: she goes overboard slightly. Ethel: (reading out of a book) "I suggest that the wife become a mother" Lucy: "I suggest the doctor mind his own business!" THE DIET is the one where Lucy does a beautiful job once on stage at Ricky's Tropicana club, but she ends up with malnutrition! The PILOT isn't exceptionally funny, yet it was "missing" for over 4O years and it's a fascinating sequence for fans who have never seen it: quite different from the series, with Lucy noticeably pregnant with Lucie, her hair much longer, etc.