I Love Lucy (film)

Infobox_Movie
name=I Love Lucy


caption =
imdb_id=0445461
writer=Bob Carroll Jr.
Madelyn Davis
Jess Oppenheimer
starring=Lucille Ball
Desi Arnaz
Vivian Vance
William Frawley
Ann Doran
director=Edward Sedgwick
music=| distributor=
released= October 23, 2007
runtime=80 min.
language=English
movie_series=
awards=
producer=
budget=|

"I Love Lucy" was a 1953 feature film spin-off of the immensely popular sitcom "I Love Lucy". Except for one test screening in Bakersfield, California, the film was never theatrically released and was shelved.

The film consisted of three first-season episodes edited together: "The Benefit", "Breaking the Lease" and "The Ballet". In the opening scene, Desi Arnaz speaks to the studio audience and introduces the cast, just as he would do at every filming of the show. Additional scenes featuring the cast were filmed and put between the episodes to tie them into one cohesive story. Eight minutes of newly shot footage (including actress Ann Doran as an audience member on her way to the taping) were added for the beginning of the film and an additional five minutes were added to the endcite web|url = http://tv.zap2it.com/tveditorial/tve_main/1,1002,271%7C69990%7C1%7C,00.html|title = Zap2it - TV News - Lucy Fans To See Lost Film|accessmonthday = March 2|accessyear = 2007|date = August 15, 2001|publisher = Zap2it] . Just as he would always do, Arnaz thanks the audience at the end and brings the cast out for a curtain call.

A test screening in Bakersfield, California went very well and Desilu prepared to release the film. But MGM demanded the movie be shelved because they felt it would diminish interest in "The Long, Long Trailer" which Lucy and Desi were contractually bound to promote. The "I Love Lucy" movie was ultimately forgotten.

But in 2001, the film was found and clips of it were featured in "I Love Lucy's 50th Anniversary Special". A screening was held in August 2001 at the 5th "Loving Lucy" fan convention in Burbank, California.

Release of the film

The Film was released on DVD October 23rd 2007 on a Bonus Disc in The I Love Lucy Complete Series Boxset

References

External links

*imdb title|id=0445461|title=I Love Lucy