I LOVE LUCY EPISODE

[salus]

An interesting occurence in one of the I LOVE LUCY episodes titled "Ricky's European Booking" There is an elderly actress who had a long career in silent films called DOROTHEA WOLBERT (1874-1958) THe episode is when Lucy and Ethel try to raise money so they too can go to Europe on Ricky's band tour. They form a phony entity called Ladies Overseas Aid and try to sell tickets for a brand new TV to raise the money. THe scheme fails when the REAL president of Ladies Overseas Aid shows up. This role is played by Dorothea Wolbert , what was interesting is that in the episode she uses her real name. I wonder if Lucille Ball was a fan of hers as a kid in Jamestown , New York during the silent era. I have seen this a few times but in the mid 1950s this was unique. Anybody know anythingabout this?

[Tommie Hicks]

Thanks for alerting me to this, as I am not a Lucy fan and have not seen this episode and will now seek this out. I believe her husband William was a director for the one-reel Universal unit often times appearing onscreen as Willy the Walrus. Dorothea had her one-reel series with Universal often appearing as a "slavey" type like Alice Howell and Louise Fazenda. During the 1920's she is seen in many two-reelers as support for Christie and Joe Rock comedies.

[Mike Gebert]

There's an episode of Green Acres where Lyle Talbot, a 40s character actor, plays himself as the newly elected governor of the state Hooterville is in. Obviously parodying Ronald Reagan's recent election as governor of California, Talbot's office is a shrine to his Hollywood career, complete with Oscar (which, of course, the real Talbot did not have), prompting this exchange:

TALBOT: I was a movie star, you know.

LISA: Really? Vich one vere you?

[Harold Aherne]

One episode of "It's a Great Life" (a comedy that ran on NBC from 1954-56) had William Bishop and Michael O'Shea selling vacuum cleaners door-to-door and discovering Laura La Plante doing housework--this being sitcom-land, they immediately conclude that she's been reduced to working as a maid and try to help her.

If that sounds like a familiar premise, it is--the basic plotline was recycled for Joan Crawford's guest spot on "The Lucy Show" in 1968. In a similar vein, Carmel Myers appeared on "Chico and the Man" in 1975 playing a former star named Violette Baines, but her character actually was supposed to be down and out which Ed had a hard time accepting.

-Harold

[bobfells]

Richard Arlen and Buddy Rogers played themselves on an episode of "Petticoat Junction" or it might have been its spinoff "Green Acres" where they attended the re-premiere of WINGS. Clips from the film were shown including Gary Cooper's famous scene.

[salus]

To me it was interesting that Dorothea was using her own name in the episode, not as herself but as a character she was playing but that name was her's.

[Bob Birchard]

To me it was interesting that Dorothea was using her own name in the episode, not as herself but as a character she was playing but that name was her's.

It shouldn't be all that interesting. Many guest shot actors used their own names in TV appearances--most oftent hey were just referreed to by their first names, to be sure, but it was common practice. Reasons? Well, such roles are often cast as late as the day before their scenes are shot--sometimes as late as the day of shooting. It may just be easier to call someone by their own name than a made up one. Also, everyone is entitled to his own name, so when you have a role that might be construed to be based on another real person, or that a real person might think was based on them and potentially sue the production, there is an element of protection in having the performer use his/her own name.

[bobfells]

On radio variety shows in the 30s and 40s, guest stars typically used their own names but often played in the character of their screen persona. When Eddie G. Robinson or Humphrey Bogart did a guest spot, they usually pushed around the host in typical tough guy fashion. One SUSPENSE episode where Robinson played himself with a gangster persona, he felt compelled to tell the audience in his closing remarks that "it's only a story, folks."

[Brooksie]

On radio variety shows in the 30s and 40s, guest stars typically used their own names but often played in the character of their screen persona. When Eddie G. Robinson or Humphrey Bogart did a guest spot, they usually pushed around the host in typical tough guy fashion. One SUSPENSE episode where Robinson played himself with a gangster persona, he felt compelled to tell the audience in his closing remarks that "it's only a story, folks."

This seemed to be the order of the day at the time. Listen to any of Frank Morgan's `Good News' radio shows from the 1930s, for example. He is referred to as Frank Morgan, and yet he plays a recognisable character with a recognisable schtick (in Morgan's case the formula is this: Morgan tells an outright lie, and the rest of the cast spend the show attempting to get him to admit the truth. It's as wearying as it sounds).

You could arguably say the same for the likes of Bob Hope - there's a persona, and there's the person, with a lot of overlap in between.

[moviepas]

What about Gloria Swanson on Beverly Hillbillies? She was in 1966 episode The Gloria Swanson Story. Granny Clampett calls her Glory Swanson and has memories of seeing those Swanson silents & I guess she tried to fed Miss Swanson her gritts etc. Gloria Swanson also played guest roles on other major shows of that era like Burke's Law & Dr Kildare along with Ben Casey & My Three Sons.