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Plot[]
The next stop on the gang's road trip is Albuquerque, New Mexico, which is, as the episode title suggests, Ethel's home town. Once there, the foursome find out that the whole town thinks Ethel is going to be the star of the upcoming movie, not Ricky, and Ethel loves the attention so much that she doesn't bother to correct anyone. At her big performance in the town's theater, Fred and the Ricardos perform a bunch of funny jokes and pranks behind Ethel while she's singing. Ethel finds out what they've been up to when she turns around at the end and finds Lucy pretending to balance Ricky and Fred on a swing held by her teeth.
Trivia[]
- In this episode Ethel's middle name changes yet again. Her middle name is now Mae, which was Vivian Vance's mother's name. Ethel's middle name will remain Mae for the rest of the series.
- We also learn Ethel's maiden name is Potter, she grew up in Albuquerque, and she and Fred eloped.
- Albuquerque newspaper editor, Billy Hackett, along with Deke Arledge and Hank Spear are all revealed to have been past suitors of Ethel's.
- Will Potter, Ethel's father, owns a sweet shop/soda fountain.
- At the beginning of the episode, the gang is at a motel named the Texas Ann. This motel was most likely in Amarillo, Texas, as Ethel says to her father "I thought we'd never get here from Amarillo".
- Lucy must have decided to do the maid a favor. As the gang prepares to leave the motel both beds are made.
- Lucy's costume that she wears while pranking Ethel's performance was re-fashioned from her Marilyn Monroe dress that she wore in episode #103.
- For her show at the Albuquerque Little Theater, Ethel sings "Short'nin' Bread" and the operatic song "My Hero" (from The Chocolate Soldier).
- For what was supposed to be an evening of solo songs and readings Ethel only sings two songs.
- While Ethel does eventually grow pompous and acts like she's some big movie star, she did, at first, deny that she was going to be in a movie, and that it was Ricky who was the real star.
- In Ric Wyman's I Love Lucy Trivia Book, in one of the quizzes, it is mentioned that Ethel's mother is dead and Will Potter is a widower. It is never said in this episode or any other that Ethel's mother isn't alive. In fact, it's mentioned several times that Ethel has gone to visit her mother and Will Potter even says to Ethel in this episode, "WE haven't touched [your room] since you left."
- Look closely for this continuity goof. When Ethel has her picture taken, her hands are shaped like a square. When we see the picture in the newspaper, her hands a shaped like a triangle
Quotes[]
- Ethel: Gee, I haven't talked to Daddy in so long, hearing his voice made me cry.
Fred: Hearin' the amount of that [long-distance] phone bill's gonna make ME cry!
- Ethel: [My father]'s forgiven us for eloping.
Fred: I haven't forgiven him for not stoppin' us!
- Lucy: We have a bad connection.
Ricky: With your mother, it's ALWAYS a bad connection!
- Lucy: Yeah, well, give the baby my love, will you? And Ricky's love? Well, alright, Mickey's love...
- Will Potter: You must be Lucy.
Fred: Now, there's a shrewd piece of deduction.
- Fred: Well, how come, with all the bees around [Ethel], I was the one to get stung?
- Will Potter: Our slogan is: "You can lick our cones, but you can't beat our sodas!"
- Will Potter: You ought to see the marquee on the Little Theater. You haven't any idea what it says.
Ricky: What does it say?
Will Potter: "Ethel Mae Potter, we never forgot her!"
- Will Potter: Ethel Mae's very big in Albuquerque.
Fred: She's big everywhere!
- Ethel: Daddy, you misunderstood. Ricky's going to be in the picture.
Will Potter: (to Ricky) Oh, are you gonna be in it, too?
- Will Potter: No, sir, [Ethel] always was a shrinking violet.
(Fred harumphs)
- Will Potter: Oh, Ethel Mae, take your old room. We haven't touched it since you left.
Fred: It must be a nice dusty mess by now.
- Lucy: Well, she didn't want to make her father look bad.
Fred: Why not? Everybody knows he's full of bologna!
- Billy Hackett: Yes, sir, I've always wanted to shake the hand of the man who married Ethel Mae.
Ricky: Oh, well, you got the wrong fellow. That's him over there.
Billy Hackett (shaking Fred's hand) Oh, YOU'RE the winner?
Fred: Yeah, I'M the winner...
- Billy Hackett: Ethel Mae, you were never prettier.
Fred; I can't argue with that!
- Billy Hackett: I'm sorry, Mr. Ricardo, but you're still in the picture!
- Billy Hackett: Now, those are the things that your friends in Albuquerque are waiting to hear.
Ricky: Yeah, your friends from New York are waiting to hear it, too!
- Fred: Why, she's ravin' mad! We better get out of this joint before she starts foamin' at the mouth and bites somebody!
- Ricky: I'm not gonna leave this town with everone thinking I'm Ethel Mae's chauffeur!
- Ricky: We were cut out [of the picture]!
Lucy: Yeah, either that, or Ethel's grown five more hands!
- Ethel: Well, how will I get out there [to LA if you leave]?
Fred: Call your studio. Maybe they'll send a special train for a big star like you!
- Lucy: And when you're on that stage tonight, remember- you've got us right behind you!