Aired February 21, 1976.
Cold opening:"The President's Therapist"
Pres. Gerald Ford (Chevy Chase) visits his psychiatrist Dr. Speck (Dan Aykroyd) for a therapy session. After a round of "word association," Ford says he's not feeling well and asks to stop and resume their session tomorrow.
Monologue:
Host Desi Arnaz says he's a fan of the show, praises the cast's talents and says they've introduced him to a new brand of cigars:Acapulco Gold.
Commercial:"National Express"
Wrongfully imprisoned boxer Rubin Carter (Garrett Morris) says he never goes anywhere without his National Express credit card.
"40th Birthday":
A man (Chase) has "difficulty" during sex. He's upset because it's his 40th birthday and he wanted to show he's still vital. His wife (Jane Curtin) has other ideas about how to celebrate her husband's birthday.
Commercial:"Luciana Vermichelli's Beauty Regimen."
Written by Michael O'Donoghue.
Beauty expert Luciana Vermichelli pitches her new book, which promises to teach readers her methods of staying beautiful.
"Literary Recital":
Arnaz reads Lewis Carroll's poem Jabberwocky. Carroll's unique words and Arnaz' accent make this an interesting reading.
"Mr. Very White":
Written by Chevy Chase and Howard Shore.
Very White (Chase) performs a love song that has"no soul."
"I Love Lucy pilots":
Arnaz explains that it he pitched several different concepts to CBS before they bought his classic series I Love Lucy.
He shows us some of the earlier version of the show, including I Saw Lucy....
I Loathe Lucy...
and I Love Louie, where Ricky Ricardo (Desi Arnaz Jr.) shares an apartment with Louis Armstrong (Morris).
"Weekend Update":
In election news, Chevy Chase reports that Pres. Gerald Ford is confident that he will win the New Hampshire primary...and "the secondary." Plus, Richard Nixon moves his family and staff to China.
Commercial:"Speed"
Repeat from Episode 1.
The Untouchables
Written by Al Franken and Tom Davis.
Prohibition agent Eliot Ness (Aykroyd) and his team of "Untouchables" pursue drug dealer Raoul Nitti (Arnaz).
"Lucy and Ethel":
Lucy Ricardo (Gilda Radner) tells her friend Ethel Mertz (Curtin) about her latest scheme to join her husband Ricky's act.
Lucy heads to Ricky's club, which leads to...
Desi Arnaz:"Cuban Pete"
This song was written by Jose Norman in 1936 and recorded by Louis Armstrong the following year. Arnaz performed "Cuban Pete" in the 1946 film of the same name and also sang it on I Love Lucy.
Film by Gary Weis:"Taylor Mead And His Cat"
Actor/writer Taylor Mead talks about his cat and feeds it catnip.
"Cuban Acupuncture":
A patient (John Belushi) visits a Cuban Acupuncturist (Arnaz). Unlike traditional acupuncturists, he uses cigars instead of needles.
"Matt and Judy":
Judy (Newman) feels that she and her boyfriend Matt (Chase) have trouble communicating. It's because Matt uses words that only he understands.
"Bisexual Minute":
Jane Curtin tells the story of Hester Catchpole, who killed her husband during the Revolutionary War, then ran off to pursue a relationship with another woman.
Commercial:"A Book by Desi Arnaz"
Lucille Ball (Radner) plugs her ex-husbands memoir, which contains some less-than-flattering information about her!
Desi Arnaz:"Babalu"
The host performs his (and Ricky Ricardo's) signature song, with Desi Jr. on drums. "Babalu" was written by Ernestina and Ernesto Lecuona and published in 1939. Arnaz and his orchestra began performing this song in the 1940s.
Goodnights:
Arnaz says goodnight and leads the cast and crew on a conga line through Studio 8-H!
Notes about this episode:
This is a rare season one episode that features a cold opening that does not end with Chevy Chase taking a fall. While playing Pres. Ford, Chase just walks through a wall and delivers the "Live, from New York" intro while standing.
Garrett Morris' Rubin Carter sketch is a parody of American Express commercials that were all over television at the time. They usually featured a famous person who viewers didn't immediately recognize. For example, here's a 1971 American Express ad that features cartoon voice actor Mel Blanc:
The Luciana Vermichelli commercial sketch is a parody of Luciana Pignatelli, who wrote "beauty" books and was featured in Camay soap commercials in the 1970s. I can't find any video online of those commercials, but here's the cover for one of Pignatelli's books:
Taylor Mead, the subject of Gary Weis' film, was best known for acting in several films directed by Andy Warhol, which is why he makes a joke about Warhol (which I will not spoil!).
The "Bisexual Minute" sketch is a parody of the "Bicentennial Minutes" that were shown on CBS when this episode aired . Earlier in the season, SNL parodied these spots in episode five with a "Beecentenial Minute".
What stands out:
The I Love Lucy pilots-A highlight of the episode. Desi Arnaz Jr. and Gilda Radner do a nice job portraying Ricky and Lucy.
Arnaz' musical performances-The host and the musicians are full of energy and Arnaz shows that he was a great performer many years after his "prime."
Laraine Newman also does a nice job performing the opening of "Cuban Pete" before handing off to Arnaz.
Goodnights-The conga line at the end of the episode is amazing to behold and should bring a smile to the face of any viewer.
Desi Arnaz Jr.-The host's son does a nice job in sketches and holds his own with the Not Ready For Prime Time Players.
J.A. Morris' rating:
A very strong episode. Arnaz and the cast have great chemistry and in spite of their counter-cultural approach to comedy, it's obvious that the Not Ready For Prime Time Players have tons of respect for this "old school showbiz" host. This enjoyable episode is highly recommended.
4 Stars!
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