#George Burns | papermoonloveslucy (2024)

March 20, 1968

Directed by Fred De Cordova

Produced by Irving Fein

Written by Hal Goldman, Al Gordon, Hilliard Marks

Script Consultant Milt Josefsberg

Jack Benny (Himself, Host) was born on Valentine’s day 1894. He had a successful vaudeville career, and an even greater career on radio with “The Jack Benny Program” which also became a successful television show. His screen persona was known for being a penny-pincher and playing the violin. Benny was a Beverly Hills neighbor of Lucille Ball’s and the two were off-screen friends. Benny appeared on “The Lucy Show” as Harry Tuttle (a Jack Benny doppelganger) in “Lucy and the Plumber” (TLS S3;E2), later did a voice over cameo as himself in “Lucy With George Burns” (TLS S5;E1), and played himself in “Lucy Gets Jack Benny’s Account” (TLS S6;E6). He was seen in four episodes of “Here’s Lucy.” Benny and Ball appeared on many TV variety and award shows together. He died in 1974, a few weeks after taping “An All-Star Party for Lucille Ball.”

GUEST STARS

Lucille Ball (Luscious Lucille / Woman on Pier / Agnes Kubelsky) was born on August 6, 1911 in Jamestown, New York. She began her screen career in 1933 and was known in Hollywood as ‘Queen of the B’s’ due to her many appearances in ‘B’ movies. With Richard Denning, she starred in a radio program titled “My Favorite Husband” which eventually led to the creation of “I Love Lucy,” a television situation comedy in which she co-starred with her real-life husband, Latin bandleader Desi Arnaz. The program was phenomenally successful, allowing the couple to purchase what was once RKO Studios, re-naming it Desilu. When the show ended in 1960 (in an hour-long format known as “The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour”) so did Lucy and Desi’s marriage. In 1962, hoping to keep Desilu financially solvent, Lucy returned to the sitcom format with “The Lucy Show,” which lasted six seasons. She followed that with a similar sitcom “Here’s Lucy” co-starring with her real-life children, Lucie and Desi Jr., as well as Gale Gordon, who had joined the cast of “The Lucy Show” during season two. Before her death in 1989, Lucy made one more attempt at a sitcom with “Life With Lucy,” also with Gordon, which was not a success and was canceled after just 13 episodes.

Johnny Carson (Carnival Barker / Jackie) was born in 1925 in Corning, Iowa. He was a talk show host and comedian, best known for his 30 years as host of “The Tonight Show” (1962–92) for which he received six Emmy Awards. Johnny Carson and Lucille Ball appeared together many times on TV specials and award shows as well as his appearing as himself on a 1969 episode of “Here's Lucy” and “Lucy Moves to NBC” in 1980. He died in 2005 as an icon of late night television.

Ben Blue (Shandu / Tramp / Pickpocket) was born in 1901 in Canada. He appeared in three films with Lucille Ball from 1943 to 1967. In July 1960 Jack Benny starred him in an episode of his variety show. The comic actor also did four films with Benny. He died in 1975.

Paul Revere & The Raiders featuring Mark Lindsey (Themselves) had appeared a month earlier on “The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour.”

SUPPORTING CAST

Sid Fields (Emcee / Barker) is probably best remembered for his work with Abbott and Costello. This is his only time working with Benny and Ball.

Herb Vigran (Cop) played Jule, Ricky Ricardo’s music agent on two episodes of “I Love Lucy” in addition to playing movie publicist Hal Sparks in “Lucy is Envious” (ILL S3;23). He was seen in the Lucy-Desi film The Long, Long Trailer. He was seen in 6 episodes of “The Lucy Show” as various characters.

Larry J. Blake (Cop) appeared as a Native American Medicine Man in “Lucy the Rain Goddess” (TLS S4;E15). He was an ex-vaudevillian who made nine “Here’s Lucy” appearances.

Almira Sessions (Old Lady on Midway) was a character actress who appeared with Lucille Ball and Bob Hope in the 1950 movie Fancy Pants.

Benny Rubin (Tonto) played the bus driver in “The Tour” (ILL S4;E30). He was briefly seen in 2 episodes of “The Lucy Show” as well as the Desi Arnaz-produced sitcom “The Mothers-in-Law.”

CAMEOS

George Burns(Martine) was born Nathan Birnbaum in New York City in January 1896. He married Gracie Allen in 1926 and the two formed an act (Burns and Allen) that toured in vaudeville. They had their own hit show “The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show” first on radio then on CBS TV from 1950 to 1958, airing concurrently with “I Love Lucy.” In 1966 he appeared as himself on “The Lucy Show” (S5;E1). After Allen’s death, Burns reinvented himself as a solo act. In 1976 he won an Oscar for playing one ofThe Sunshine Boys. He was also known for playing the title role inOh, God!(1978) and its 1984 sequelOh, God! You Devil.Burns and Ball appeared on many TV variety and award shows together. He died at the age of 100.

Bob Hope (Himself) was born Lesley Townes Hope in England in 1903. During his extensive career in virtually all forms of media he received five honorary Academy Awards. In 1945 Desi Arnaz was the orchestra leader on Bob Hope’s radio show. Ball and Hope did four films together. He appeared as himself on the season 6 opener of “I Love Lucy.” He did a brief cameo in a 1964 episode of “The Lucy Show.” When Lucille Ball moved to NBC in 1980, Hope appeared on her welcome special. Like George Burns, he died at age 100.

Danny Thomas (Himself) was born Amos Muzyad Yakhoob Kairouz in 1912. His screen career began in 1947 but he was most famous for appearing on television in the long-running show “Make Room for Daddy” (1953-1964), which was shot at Desilu Studios. When the series moved from ABC to CBS in 1957, Thomas and the cast starred in a rare TV cross-over with “The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour” titled “Lucy Makes Room for Danny.” In return, Lucy and Desi turned up on Thomas’s show. Fifteen years later, Lucy and Danny did yet another cross-over when Lucy Carter of “Here’s Lucy” appeared on “Make Room for Granddaddy.” In addition, Thomas also played an aging artist on a 1973 episode of “Here’s Lucy.” Their final collaboration was on an episode of his short-lived sitcom “The Practice” in 1976. Thomas is fondly remembered for founding St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. He is also father to actress Marlo Thomas. He died in 1999.

Dean Martin (Rip Van Rinkle) also played himself (and his stunt man doppelganger Eddie Feldman) in “Lucy Dates Dean Martin” (TLS S4;E21) in 1966. He was born Dino Paul Crocetti in Steubenville, Ohio, in 1917. He made his screen debut in a short playing a singer in Art Mooney’s band, but his first big screen role was 1949’s My Friend Irma with Jerry Lewis. This began a partnership that would be one of the most successful screen pairings in cinema history. Later, he also worked frequently members of “the Rat Pack”: Frank Sinatra, Joey Bishop, Peter Lawford, and Sammy Davis Jr. His persona was that of a playboy, usually seen with a glass of booze and a cigarette. Martin and Lucille Ball appeared on many TV variety and award shows together as well as the special “Lucy Gets Lucky” in 1975. He died on Christmas Day in 1995 at age 78.

The Smothers Brothers (Joe Joe) are Tom and Dick, real-life brothers who are singers, musicians, actors, and comedians. They starred in several TV variety shows and even appeared in stage musicals. Their show was abruptly canceled by CBS in 1969 in a battle over censorship.

Don Drysdale (Himself) was a professional baseball player and television sports commentator. A pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers for his entire career, Drysdale was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1984. He died in 1993 at age 53.

This special was taped on January 13, 1968. It is available on DVD.

NBC's lead in for “Carnival Nights” was “Chrysler Presents The Bob Hope Show.” Hope's guests were Paul Lynde, Arnold Palmer, Anne Bancroft, Jill St. John, and singer Lou Rawls.

Nine days earlier (March 11, 1968), “The Lucy Show”aired its final episode. Lucille Ball was already preparing to start filming of “Here's Lucy” for the Fall.

The show usually seen in this time slot (Wednesday 10pm on NBC) was “Run For Your Life” starring Ben Gazzara. When the show returned the following week, it was their series finale.

Script Consultant Milt Josefsberg was also script supervisor for “The Lucy Show” and would go on to do the same for “Here's Lucy.” He wrote a book about Jack Benny in 1977 and won a 1978 Emmy Award for “All in the Family.”

In addition to a large cast of actors, singers, dancers, and musicians, special circus sideshow talent (sword swallower, fire eater, contortionist) were sourced by talent coordinator Simone Finner.

The program opens with Bob Hope and Danny Thomas in workman's clothes erecting a carnival cloth that acts as the opening credits for the show. They discuss Benny's stinginess. Danny says that he is doing it as a favor to General Sarnoff. David Sarnoff ruled over a telecommunications and media empire that included both RCA and NBC, which became one of the largest companies in the world. Named a Reserve Brigadier General of the Signal Corps in 1945, Sarnoff was widely known as "The General." He died in 1971.

Thomas tells Hope that Benny has Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton doing the station break. [He is joking. The famous couple do not appear.]

In the darkness, the audiences hears “Everybody Loves Somebody Sometime” sung by Dean Martin and the lights come up on Jack Benny, not Dean Martin, standing on the set for “The Dean Martin Show.” For his grand entrance, Benny slides down a fire pole where a doctor, a nurse, and two orderlies with a stretcher are waiting – just in case.

Holding a stack of cards and letters (“keep 'em coming”), he mentions his wife Mary Livingstone. Lucille Ball played Livingstone (mouthing to her voice) in a 1970 "Here's Lucy" (S3;E11).

Benny thanks Dean Martin for the loan of his set. He is referring to “The Dean Martin Show” (1965-74) on NBC. A new episode aired the day after “Carnival Nights” featuring Desi Arnaz Jr. and his band Dino Desi & Billy. Over the show's eight seasons, Lucille Ball, Jack Benny, George Burns, Johnny Carson, Danny Thomas, and The Smothers Brothers all appeared on the show.

During his monologue Benny reminds the audience that since Lucy's new movie Yours, Mine and Ours, Benny can't afford her anymore. So they have developed a reciprocal agreement to appear on each others shows. Indeed, “Lucy Visits Jack Benny” is the second-aired episode of the new “Here's Lucy” show in October 1968. Jack also complains about Johnny Carson's fee – a whopping $30,000 while he only gets a mere $325 to appear on “The Tonight Show.”

Benny notes that the show's carnival theme was inspired by the success of Danny Thomas' “The Wonderful World of Burlesque” (1965-67) and “Chrysler Presents The Bob Hope Show: Shades of Vaudeville” (February 1967).

The opening number features singers and dancers around a carousel, being introduced to various sideshow acts: the strong man, the fire-eater, a contortionist, a man lying on a bed of nails, the world's largest and smallest men, and a sword swallower. The song also mentions a bearded lady (later played by George Burns), a two-headed boy (later played by The Smothers Brothers), and a red-headed shimmying female (later played by Lucille Ball).

On the midway, Johnny Carson plays a carnival barker who introduces us to Luscious Lucille, the Red Headed Bombshell.

Barker: “The girl who made Little Egypt surrender to the Israelis, Luscious Lucille is the most fantastic dancing girl in all history. When Lucille made her first appearance, Gypsy Rose Lee retired, Lily St. Cyr burst her bubble, and Sally Rand grabbed her fans and flew back to Capistrano.”

All of these are real-life burlesque dancers (strippers). There were at least three dancers that went by the name Little Egypt. Gypsy Rose Lee (born Rose Louise Hovick) had her memoirs made into the stage and screen musical Gypsy. Lily St. Cyr (born Willis Marie Van Schaack) was famous for her provocative bubble baths. Sally Rand (born Hattie Helen Gould Beck) was most noted for her ostrich feather fan dance.

While that introduction rattles on, a pickpocket (Ben Blue) tries to steal Jack's wallet, which turns out to be wired to his ankle. When Jack balks at the admission price of fifty cents, Johnny says it is only ten cents due to Arthur Murray's birthday.

Inside the tent, Luscious Lucille plays Helen of Troy singing “It's So Nice To Have A Man Around the House” by Harold Spina and Jack Elliott.

Next, Luscious Lucille plays Cleopatra singing “Cleo” to the tune of “Mame”, the title song from the Broadway musical of the same name. In early 1968, Lucille Ball could not have known that she would play the leading role in the 1974 film version of Mame. Lucy Carmichael played Cleopatra in the very first color-filmed episode of “The Lucy Show” (S2;E1) in October 1963.

After the break, Tom and Dick Smothers play Joe-Joe the Two-Headed Man in a one-line gag: “Mom always liked your head best!”

Sid Fields introduces mind reader Chandu, Mystic of the Orient (Ben Blue).

Trying to guess the name of young lady in the audience, Chandu gets hung up on the name Cosgrove. Cosgrove was the maiden name of Milton Berle's wife, Ruth. She appeared as herself on a 1967 episode of “The Lucy Show” (S6;E1).

Fields: “Chandu tell me, whose picture is on a one dollar bill? It's a man wearing a white wig.”Chandu: “Santa Claus.”Fields: “No, no. This man was born on a very famous day. On the 22ndof February about 200 years ago.”Chandu: “Mickey Rooney?”Fields: “No, he was called the father of his country.”Chandu: “Mickey Rooney!”Fields: “No, Shandu, don't you remember? He crossed the Delaware River in a rowboat.”Chandu: “George Raft?”Fields: “You're half right.”Chandu: “George Half-Raft?”

Chandu: “I know what a hippie is.”Fields: “What?”Chandu: “A hippie's a guy that dresses like Tarzan, walks like Jane, and smells like Cheetah.”

On the midway, a pair of cops (Herb Vigran and Larry J. Blake) are looking for Sammy the Swindler (Benny). Sammy approaches an Old Lady (Almira Sessions) to offer her gold stock.

Old Lady: “Who needs gold stock? I've got Social Security and Medicare!”Sammy: (to us) “Now how can an honest swindler compete with the government?”

Jokes about Medicare were common in 1968 because the program was then headline news. In 1965, Medicare health care benefits were added to Social Security and in 1966 a Medicare tax of 0.7% was added to pay for increased expenses. By 1968, the tax had risen to 1.2%.

Fields introduces Paul Revere and the Raiders (featuring Mark Lindsay) to sing "Too Much Talk" and "Him or Me."Coincidentally, Lucy and Benny played Mr. and Mrs. Paul Revere (the Revolutionary War hero) in a 1964“Jack Benny Program.”

Back on the midway, Carson hangs out a help wanted sign at the baseball pitching booth and tries to persuade Jack Benny (who he calls 'rube') to take the job as the target, assuring him that nobody can throw a baseball anyway. Hearing it pays $5 an hour, Benny immediately takes the job.

Unfortunately for him, first to “step right up” is Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Don Drysdale!

At the penny arcade, a man steps up to a stereoscope titled “Adventures of Schnookie” and the viewers are instantly transported to the silent movie he is watching.It features a Buster Keaton-esque Tramp on a pier (Ben Blue) when a poor woman looking to end it all (Lucille Ball) comes by. To cheer her up, the Tramp dances to “Tea For Two.” In return, he asks her to entertain him with a song. Her singing (a sped-up garble on the soundtrack) is so terrible, that the Tramp pushes her off the pier himself.

In real life, Ben Blue and Lucille Ball worked together in the film Easy to Wed (1946) directed by Buster Keaton. In 1965, Ball and Keaton performed a silent sketch (also set on a bench) on the TV special “A Salute To Stan Laurel.”

In a one-line cameo, George Burns plays Martine the Bearded Lady. He says that Mary [Livingstone, Jack's wife] was supposed to do it, but he is Jack's best friend. He corrects himself: was his best friend.

The next sketch starts with establishing footage of a trailer driving through the desert. On the side it says “Kubelsky's Carnival – Best in the West.” Benjamin Kubelsky was Jack Benny's birth name. Inside the trailer Agnes (Lucy) and Jack are just waking up in Corn Creek, New Mexico.

The trailer is also occupied by all the sideshow performers including their grown son Jackie (Johnny Carson) who aspires to be a TV comedian. In 1954 Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz made the film The Long, Long Trailer. In the film,Herb Vigran (who plays a Cop here) played the man who sold them the trailer.

Jack: “Hey, do you have enough food for lunch?”Agnes: “Yeah, we got low-cal drinks for the thin man, potatoes hi-cal for the fat man, bones for the dog-faced boy, rusty nails for the sword swallower, alphabet soup for the tattooed man, a glass of milk with a couple of straws in it for the two-headed man, and shortnin' bread for the midget.”

In the final segment the singers and dancers return from the opening as the carnival moves on to the next location. In a sort of a curtain call, the guest stars are all introduced riding on the carousel: Ben Blue, Paul Revere & The Raiders, Johnny Carson, Lucille Ball (in her Cleopatra costume), and host Jack Benny.

Blooper Reel

Title Trouble! Although the show is titled “Jack Benny's Carnival Nights” the end credits read “The Jack Benny Hour.”

Oops!In the trailer sketch, Jack reverses his line, "Because a carnival that works together lives together."

Spelling Bee! In Dean Martin’s cameo he is billed in the circus sign as 'Rip Van Rinkle' and underneath his 'bed' as 'Rip Van Rinkel'.