by Christine Owen
Staff Writer
Young and old “I Love Lucy” fans alike have the chance to view rarely-aired episodes at “The Unseen Lucy and Desi: Treasures from the Vault,” an exhibit currently showing at the Museum of Television and Radio in Beverly Hills.
The Museum has retrieved unusual footage of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz in their roles as Lucy and Ricky Ricardo. The clips include familiar “I Love Lucy” segments in addition to guest appearances on other television shows and old sponsor’s commercials.
Another part of the exhibit was a live recreation of Ball’s first radio show “My Favorite Husband” performed by Marilu Henner on Feb.9.
Retired Los Angeles residents Tom and Joan Antonacci attended the screenings after winning tickets to the museum from a local radio station. Joan Antonacci, who grew up watching the eccentric redhead, said the episodes she viewed were “wonderful to see.”
According to museum officials, “I Love Lucy” is possibly the most famous and influential situation comedy (sitcom) of all time. This could explain why it is one of the only black and white shows to still be rerun on mainstream television.
Scholar David Marc labels it “a watershed in the history of television, and specifically in the development of television comedy.”
One episode showing at the museum features a guest appearance by Milton Berle. Berle, who referred to Lucille Ball as the “greatest comedienne in the world,” acts alongside the couple as they become entangled in a jewelry heist in Las Vegas. As always, there are plenty of laughs and ridiculous moments wrapped up in the episode.
“I thought it was excellent, very good. It gave me a good number of laughs,” said Tom Antonacci of the episode with Milton Berle.
The Museum located all of the “I Love Lucy” episodes in order to keep within museum tradition by collecting and preserving television and radio programs and making them available to the public. Opening its doors in 1976, the Museum now boasts a collection of more than 100,000 programs comprised of news, drama, public affairs, documentaries, the performing arts, children’s programming, sports, comedy, and advertising.
The episodes are shown in a theatre environment with an approximate time of an hour and a half with one to three episodes shown.
However, for the restless one who finds himself tired of sitting, there are plenty of spaces to stretch legs as trademark Beverly Hills shopping is nearby. Within one block’s walking distance from the museum it is possible to find shops and restaurants such as the Cheesecake Factory, the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, Victoria’s Secret, Bebe and Pottery Barn.
For the individual low on cash but wanting to take the significant other on a date, the Museum could very well be the perfect place. Admission to the Museum is free. However, a donation of $6 for adults, $4 for students and seniors, and $3 for children under 13 is the suggested contribution. Street parking around the facility is scarce, but nearby parking structures offer free parking for the first two hours.
The Museum will run screenings of “The Unseen Lucy and Desi: Treasures from the Vault,” Wednesdays through Sundays at 12:15 and 3 p.m., with an additional screening Thursdays at 7 p.m. The exhibit ends March 5.
