Loving Lucy, Day Eight: Near-Drowning Alert!

Welcome to DAY EIGHT of “Loving Lucy” where I’m celebrating the release of my latest romantic comedy, “The Icing on the Cake.” Today I’m featuring an episode of “I Love Lucy” that very nearly cost the zany redhead her life. Check it out:

LUCY’S ITALIAN MOVIE: En route to Rome, Italy, an Italian producer offers Lucy a role in a film called “Bitter Grapes.” So she decides to take a job in a vineyard to absorb a little “local color.” This episode contains the famous scene in which Lucy stomps grapes and picks a fight with her fellow stomper. Ironically, by being away, she misses being selected for the role.

You might remember the episode, but I’m going to share an article that tells the “behind the scenes” tale:

GRAPES OF WRATH

“Lucy’s Italian Movie” faced a variety of obstacles….first was getting a vineyard to donate the necessary grapes for stomping. The company that ultimately agreed did so with the proviso that it must be mentioned in the script that foot-pressing was an outmoded method of making wine in Italy.

Next was the local extra cast to wrestle Lucille in the grape vat; Teresa Tirelli didn’t speak any English and an interpreter had to explain the scene to her. Apparently something was lost in the translation because Tirelli didn’t grasp that this was supposed to be a filmed-from-the-waist-up fake fight and she literally held Lucille’s head under the grape mush until the star nearly drowned.

And lastly, even though the show was broadcast in black and white, Lucille, Desi and the production staff were sticklers for detail, so a formula for a purplish/blue dye had to be worked out that would properly tint Lucille’s flesh and hair without irritating her skin or reacting with the chemicals used to keep her permed locks that famous henna color for that final scene.

(Read the full text here: http://mentalfloss.com/article/28436/... –brought to you by mental_floss!)

I dont’ know about you, but I’m awfully glad Lucy was okay! If you’ve read “The Icing on the Cake” you would probably agree that Scarlet would be glad about this, too. She is, after all, the biggest Lucy fan of all! Maybe you could watch this episode and then pick up a copy of the book…just for fun! No risk of drowning, I promise, unless it’s drowning in laughs.