Lucy Calls the President

This CBS special starring Lucille Ball is a treat for audiences and a treasure for any Lucy fan. Lucy plays 'Lucy Whittaker' a Bundy, Indian resident who calls the then President Jimmy Carter during his weekly radio show to state her concerns about the new low-cost housing project that the federal government plans to build on the outskirts of her town. If the new housing project goes through as planned it will destroy Camp Sunny Slope for under-privileged children. "How would you feel Mr. President if someone tore down Amy's tree house?", asks Lucy. Then covering the phone she exclaims to others in the room, "I've struck a nerve!" So, President Carter agrees to stop by her house the next day when he is in her area for a fund-raiser. With the President coming to dinner, everyone and their brother wants to attend! Good friend Viv chimes in, "Lucille, I'm gonna have to get my hair fixed, buy a new dress and loose twenty pounds by tomorrow!"

Penned by the original 'I Love Lucy' writers Madelyn Davis, and Bob Carroll Jr., "Lucy Calls The President" is ever-so fun to watch and co-stars several huge television personalities including Vivian Vance, Gale Gordon, Mary Wicks, Steve Allen, Mary Jane Croft and Ed McMahon.

Vivian Vance, recently diagnosed with cancer and recovering from a Bells Palsy episode, gives her usual excellent performance despite the slight paralysis in her face. She plays, Lucy's next door neighbor and best friend. (Go figure!) Playing her feisty Republican father-in-law, Gale Gordon turns in a strong performance that drums up visions of Mr. Mooney from Ball's second series, The Lucy Show. Ed McMahon, plays Lucy's husband, and it's the first time Lucille Ball plays a wife since cavorting on the screen in the late 50's with then real life hubby Desi Aranz. As always Mary Wicks as 'Aunt Mary' is flawless with excellent timing. Steve Allen is very funny as himself and Mary Jane Croft, joins the old friends too and gives an admirable and classy performance.

This appears to be the "Big Finale" for these tried and true "Lucy" players - even Marc Daniels, returns reuniting with Lucille Ball for the first time in 25 years to serve as director. Gary Morton, Lucy's second-husband, produces this funny, fast-paced vehicle for Ball along with Co-producers, Madelyn Davis and Bob Carroll, Jr. It is the only 'Lucy Special' to be shot on video tape instead of film - so the performers look a little harsher here without the advantage of "film" make-up and lighting. Vance, Croft and Wicks work with Lucille Ball for the last time in this comedic venture. Sadly it is Vivian Vance's last public performance.

It is reported that Miss Ball stops the taping of the first scene in front of the live studio audience. It seems she became quite emotional, when she realizes for the first time in her television career, her deceased mother, DeDe, is not in the audience. Luckily, Lucy's long-time friend Eve Arden is in the audience and she seeks solace from her. But, like a true professional pulls herself together and delivers a tremendous performance.

You can imagine the hilarity that breaks out as these "quirky" television characters prepare dinner and await the arrival of the First Family. Nostalgia runs rampant in "Lucy Calls The President" with Vivian and Lucy performing a traditional vaudevillian turn when they get in a western style cake-icing fight! It is great to see these two comedy legends working together again along with the supporting cast of "Lucy" stars. The comedy is top-drawer! I give it 3 out of 4 stars! ***

This intriguing (but probably forgettable to most) farce was most likely an attempt to launch an all-new Lucy series, with most of the original cast members (sans-Desi Sr.). The humor was quite good for those that remember and loved the original Lucy shows. And it was a delight to see these lovable oddballs together again, but it still seemed like there was something missing. The humor and pratfalls and gadgetry gags were done with a bit less energy... clear indicators that our favorite redhead and her pals were beginning to look and feel their age.

I don't remember the premise for WHY President Carter and family were going to visit Lucy's home, but I do remember that - after a number of hilarious calamities in the home, capped by the loss of Lucy's front tooth and the "thubthequent thlurring of her thpeech patternth", it turned out that the President had to cancel. (Did anyone REALLY expect the Chief Executive to actually visit a sitcom pilot?)

Still, all was not lost when Miss Lillian did place a call to Lucy (and comments on Lucy's speech impediment, "And they say WE talk funny...")

Unfortunately, Lucy's future in television sitcommery only went further down when she tried to again revive her old glory with "Life with Lucy". Now, I was not so much laughing at her antics, as I was concerned that she would need a hip replacement if she fell. It was sort of like watching Roger Moore attempt to run across train tops and climb the Golden Gate Bridge as James Bond, when he was already pushing his mid-fifties...

By the time she had reached this point in her life, I found her to be much more effective as a dramatic actress ("Stone Pillow"), or grand-dame host of special events like the Emmys, with David Letterman.

Her passing was especially poignant for me as it was on the day before I first visited the newly-opened Disney MGM Studios in Orlando. The flags were at half staff, and the "Superstar Television" attraction held a moment of silence in tribute to her.

After more than half-a-century, we STILL love Lucy.

.....it's still Lucy and many of her long-time co-professionals, either beside her or behind the cameras. In contrast to many emerging comedies in 1977, this is trapped in time, identical in style to 1960's Lucille Ball series----although the reliable Gale Gordon is cast as her father-in-law, and she's not a widow. (Ed McMahon is miscast as the husband, but he's still less annoying than he is as Ed McMahon.) The familiar supporting cast reliably goes through their paces as the thin-but-familiar plot unfolds toward the surprise guest at the end. Casual viewers may or may not like this, but those of us who really love Lucy will want to give it a watch....and maybe add it to their collection.

I think I was 7 or 8 when this was on TV - so honestly I'm only giving it a 7 because I remember my parents thought it was good. My brother and I thought it lacked the zaniness of Lucy's previous sitcoms - but in retrospect I suspect she was eschewing the more slapstick-oriented style of the sitcoms for more sophisticated humor.

What I remember most, though, is how it presented a view Jimmy Carter's presidency early on in his first and only term that has largely been lost to history.

Believe it or not, people were actually kind of excited about Jimmy Carter at the beginning of his presidency. After Vietnam and Watergate, America wanted a nice, normal-guy kind of president - and Jimmy Carter fit the bill perfectly. And although people mostly remember Carter mostly for out-of-control inflation and his inability to handle the Iran hostage crisis - he actually set some landmark precedents for how US presidents conduct themselves. For starters - he was the first US president to ask to be called by his nickname throughout his candidacy and presidency.

Richard Nixon was Dick Nixon to his friends and 'Tricky Dick' to his enemies - but was always Richard Nixon in any official capacity. And I'm pretty certain it never crossed Lucille Ball's mind to do a TV movie in which she invited him over for dinner.

Whatever his limitations as a president, Jimmy Carter was always just Jimmy to his friends, his enemies, and to the country as a whole. And one of the very few Lucy and the rest of us would be happy to have for dinner.

Lucy and Viv are my favorite couple ever!! Ever since I was a little girl, long before I acknowledged myself as being sapphic and long before I ever really understood lesbianism or romance at all, Lucy and Viv still somehow struck a chord with me. They always made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside, and somehow, I knew that I wanted what they had with each-other. They are my ideal pair and always have been!

Looking back, it's no wonder "The Lucy Show" was unofficially referred to as "Two Dykes In Danfield" by the writers and crew in the early years when Lucy and Viv were featured living together! As a kid, I hated knowing this bit of trivia, as I thought it was an insult. But now that I am a sexually developed woman and no longer a sexually shy child, I totally appreciate that secondary title, whether it was given with sincerity or not, because the fact that the writers and crew even thought of it proves that I'm not alone in sensing a certain deliciously lovely lesbian energy between Lucy and Viv!💜💜💜💜💕

This here may not be the best TV movie in general, but we get great Lucy-Viv screentime, and that makes it so special! These two women, though supposedly straight in real-life, have an on-screen chemistry that turns me on and resonates with me on a more personal level than any other! They never kissed on the lips or had a sex scene, yet every touch of the hand, every sly remark, every inside joke, gives me all the warm fuzzies as though they had- now THAT'S chemistry!!

They really should have made a movie together, just the two of them! It would have given all the official lesbian films a run for the money and even put some to shame!

Lucy & Viv 4ever!!! 💌💜💜💜💜💜💕