VLVL2 (15): "A Salute to Ricky Ricardo"

[Dave Monroe]

   "He was nodding his head now, with a faraway look,
as the Local 369 folks played 'A Salute to Ricky
Ricardo,' a medley of tunes actually sung by Desi
Arnaz on the 'I Love Lucy' show, including 'Babalu,'
'Acapulco,' 'Cuba,' and 'We're Having a Baby (My Baby
and Me),' from the episode in which first mention is
made of what turns out to be Little Ricky, a character
in whom Hector took an unusual interest.  'Yes and a
hell of a li'l percussionist, on top of everythin
else.  Just like his dad.'
   "Frenesi peered.  Something was up.  His eyes had
this moist gleam, glowing brighter by the moment. 
Then sh tumbled.  'Oh no.  We settled all that years
ago, don't be doin' this to me now.'" (VL, Ch. 15, p.
347)


"the Local 369 folks"

Musicians' Union of Las Vegas

Local 369, American Federation of Musicians
Las Vegas, NV
Chartered October 13, 1931

http://www.afm.org/369/

http://www.musicianslasvegas369.com/


"'A Salute to Ricky Ricardo'"

Desi Arnaz

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000789/

http://www.tvtome.com/tvtome/servlet/PersonDetail/personid-10039

http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/A/htmlA/arnazdesi/arnazdesi.htm

"I Love Lucy"

http://www.tvland.com/shows/lucy/

http://www.fiftiesweb.com/lucy.htm

http://www.sitcomsonline.com/ilovelucy.html

http://www.geocities.com/favoritetvclassics_lucy/

http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/I/htmlI/ilovelucy/ilovelucy.htm

http://www.tvtome.com/tvtome/servlet/ShowMainServlet/showid-1038/

"a medley of tunes"

Babalu! The Best of Desi Arnaz (RCA 66031)

http://www.parabrisas.com/m_arnazd1.html

Babalu Music! I Love Lucy's Greatest Hits (Columbia CK
48507)

http://www.parabrisas.com/m_arnazd2.html

And see as well, e.g., ...

http://www.eaglerock-is.com/ilovelucy/ill-x2.asp

"Babalu"

http://members.tripod.com/TropicanaNightclub/babalu.html

"We're Having a Baby (My Baby and Me)"

On the evening of May 25, 1944, show business veteran
Eddie Cantor was to perform on TV a song he'd
introduced on Broadway, entitled "We're Having a Baby,
My Baby and Me." Forty minutes before airtime, NBC
officials ordered Cantor to eliminate the song because
its lyrics were offensive.

Cantor argued that he hadn't enough time to prepare
another number. Apparently the NBC staff relented and
allowed him to begin the song on the air, performed
with a female partner, Nora Martin.  

But part way through the song, NBC's engineers shut
off the audio signal ...

http://web.cnjnet.com/~mweinber/cantor.html

"Lucy Is Enciente," I Love Lucy Episode #50, first
aired on CBS Television Network 49 years ago this
week, on December 8, 1952. It was the first of seven
consecutive episodes chronicling Lucy Ricardo's
pregnancy -- or should we say "expectancy."

The song, "We're Having a Baby (My Baby and Me),"
incidentally, was introduced by the Arnazes' friend --
and one of Lucy's first benefactors, Eddie Cantor, in
his 1941 Broadway musical, "Banjo Eyes." The music was
by Vernon Duke, the lyrics by Harold Adamson -- who
was hired by Desilu in the spring of 1953 to write the
lyrics to the "I Love Lucy" theme.

http://www.lucyfan.com/photoweek109.html

And see as well ...

http://www.eaglerock-is.com/ilovelucy/songs.asp?sn=4

http://www.eaglerock-is.com/ilovelucy/ep.asp?e=45

Little Ricky

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0445287/

http://www.lucyfan.com/keithtib.html

http://members.tripod.com/TropicanaNightclub/littlericky.html

http://www.tvtome.com/tvtome/servlet/PersonDetail/personid-39822

"a hell of a li'l percussionist"

155-Little Ricky Learns to Play the Drums
Lucy suddenly decides her son is going to be a doctor,
but Ricky wants him to be a band leader like himself.
They agree to resolve the question by giving him a toy
doctor's uniform and a drum and seeing which he
prefers. The fact that the boy chooses the drum
changes nothing as far as Lucy is concerned.
(Historical note: Before taking on the acting role of
Little Ricky, Keith Thibodeaux was known as "The
World's Tiniest Professional Drummer.") 
First aired October 8, 1956.

http://www.tvland.com/shows/lucy/episodes6.jhtml

And see as well ...

http://www.eaglerock-is.com/ilovelucy/ep.asp?e=155

http://www.tvtome.com/tvtome/servlet/GuidePageServlet/showid-1038/epid-17255/

But my favorite was "Man Smart, Woman Smarter" ...

http://www.eaglerock-is.com/ilovelucy/ep.asp?e=174

http://www.tvtome.com/tvtome/servlet/GuidePageServlet/showid-1038/epid-17272/


"Just like his dad"

Foreshadowing here?  And cf. ...

"I'm your father, Luke" ...


	
		
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