La Roulotte du plaisir

Thanks to IMDb, I never realized Vincente Minnelli directed this film! Riding high on the popularity of "I Love Lucy," this film is essentially Lucy and Ricky on the road, "disguised" as Nicki and Tacy. Whoever they might be called, this film is fun. Too bad they didn't include a cameo of Ted and Elsie too! I think that Minnelli perfectly captured the enthusiasm of "America in the Road" during the 1950s with its fascination for travel.

The comedy seems rather stilted at times, perhaps because it wasn't filmed in front of a live studio audience, and there are no really big laugh out loud moments. Still, the movie is a neat little gem from the carefree 50s when all we had to worry about was keeping up with the Jones'.

In the midst of their wildly successful run through "I Love Lucy," Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz made a movie. In "The Long, Long Trailer" they play newlyweds Nicky and Tacy. Nicky's job apparently requires him to travel a lot, and Tacy comes up with the idea of buying a trailer as their new home so that she can accompany him wherever he goes - and what a trailer. It's a beast. It's huge. And Tacy doesn't seem to understand the challenge involved in pulling the thing around the country.

The basic story revolves around the fact that the purchase of this trailer almost destroys Nicky and Tacy's new marriage. Much of the humour in this revolves around the trials of driving with the trailer hooked to the car. The movie for the most part lacks the slapstick kind of humour that "I Love Lucy" was famous for - with perhaps the exception of a scene in which Tacy tries to cook in the trailer while Nicky is driving. Watching Nicky try to back the trailer into the driveway of Tacy's uncle and aunt's house and almost destroying the house is also quite funny. Otherwise, the humour is lower key than you'd expect, and the movie is sometimes even tense. The scenes in which Nicky has to pull the trailer up a long and windy mountain road is actually rather unsettling.

This certainly isn't as good as "I Love Lucy" but in its own way it's fun, and lets us see Lucy and Desi doing something a little different. (6/10)

The Long Long Trailer stars Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz playing very similar characters to the Ricardos who came into our homes weekly on CBS via I Love Lucy. They're newlyweds and Lucy talks Desi into buying a mobile home, a really big trailer which would intimidate anyone who's not licensed to drive big rigs. Except Lucy that is and she's not doing the driving in most of the picture.

If The Long Long Trailer proves anything it proves one should have such a license to drive these things. That thing is a menace in amateur hands. But at least Desi knows he's an amateur.

Although Lucille Ball got to do her usual scatterbrained thing that wreaks havoc on all around, I actually thought that Desi Arnaz got the best laughs in the film. Seeing him trying to back that trailer into her aunt's driveway, his adventure trying to take his first shower in the trailer with an outlet that won't cooperate, and then trying to drive through Yosemite National Park up a steep mountain road.

That was at times more scary than funny. But it was funny because Lucy insisted on bringing her pet rock collection along adding to the weight. That made her a generation ahead of her time.

If you're an old or a new fan of the Ricardos you will definitely appreciate The Long Long Trailer.

Impulsive Tacy somehow convinces obliging husband-to-be Nicky that they should buy a trailer to live in after they marry. She has her heart set on one particular model that looks great in the ad, but when they find out how small it really is, they're ready to go back to the idea of the house. But then Tacy sees it - the long, long trailer!

The movie is really nothing more than an extended comedy skit in which Nicky, Tacy, and the long, long trailer travel from California to Colorado. It's very skillfully executed with nice variations in the pacing and some very tastefully applied restraint. The highlight of the movie is the going over the mountain scene, which starts off in very understated manner and slowly builds to hilarious crescendo as they climb to the top of the pass. Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, playing their characters from "I Love Lucy", work perfectly together and make this movie a fun time for everyone.

Even if you aren't a fan of Ms. Ball and Desi, the mid-century fashions, architecture, and the now priceless automobiles featured make this a wonderful piece of history.

That the couple is real, married in life and not just for show, adds to the ripping good chemistry that makes farces as this work.

The only other period film that I enjoy as much is the somewhat later "It's A Mad, Mad... World"; best ensemble cast ever, Spencer Tracy's final film.

The "Trailer" turns out to be a curse, the helpful folks aren't, everything that was supposed to be easy and wonderful turns out to be a series of exercises in endurance... but even during the most tense and adversarial scenes, the lifetime love shared by Desi and Lucy comes to the fore; throughout, it's very apparent that they love each other, very much. There's a scene, where they're stuck in the rain overnight, and during the dinner conversation the camera captures the facial and body language between them; if you can't see how much in love these two are, you might test as a sociopath. Later, she wants to get him a television set. And Desi's practicality, continuously worn away by Lucy's optimism, makes the movie- his accent just adds to the charm.

This is absolutely one to cherish- no guns, no bad words (tho' Desi is given many occasions for such), no car chases, neck tattoos, nor Billy Badasses being Billy. Just a sweet, somewhat silly diary of a husband giving up common sense to please the lady he loves. They sing a duet, as well, and these two can sing. What?! Singing in a movie? Jeez-us wept, I must be old.

And, as a car guy, I'd give body parts for that yellow/black/white Mercury Monterey drop top. Really- I'd give a kidney at least; you just don't see these anymore, possibly 'cuz other cars make "better" hotrods or investments. Perry Mason had one, but as it was done in B&W, you can't call the colours.

It is a must see.