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Lucy Calls the President

  • TV Movie
  • 19771977
  • 1h
IMDb RATING
7.0/10
124
YOUR RATING
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Lucille Ball, Gale Gordon, and Vivian Vance in Lucy Calls the President (1977)
  • Comedy
After Indiana housewife Lucy Whittaker (Lucille Ball) calls the White House to discuss a housing project, she finds herself making preparations for the President to visit her home for dinner... Read allAfter Indiana housewife Lucy Whittaker (Lucille Ball) calls the White House to discuss a housing project, she finds herself making preparations for the President to visit her home for dinner. Calamity and comedy follows as Lucy frantically prepares for the momentous event with th... Read allAfter Indiana housewife Lucy Whittaker (Lucille Ball) calls the White House to discuss a housing project, she finds herself making preparations for the President to visit her home for dinner. Calamity and comedy follows as Lucy frantically prepares for the momentous event with the eager support of family, friends and neighbors. The special is capped with a surprise ca... Read all
IMDb RATING
7.0/10
124
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Marc Daniels
  • Writers
    • Bob Carroll Jr.
    • Madelyn Davis
  • Stars
    • Lucille Ball
    • Vivian Vance
    • Gale Gordon
Top credits
  • Director
    • Marc Daniels
  • Writers
    • Bob Carroll Jr.
    • Madelyn Davis
  • Stars
    • Lucille Ball
    • Vivian Vance
    • Gale Gordon
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 8User reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Photos

    Lucille Ball, James Brodhead, Mary Jane Croft, Gale Gordon, Ed McMahon, Vivian Vance, and Mary Wickes in Lucy Calls the President (1977)
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    Top cast

    Edit
    Lucille Ball
    Lucille Ball
    • Lucy Whittakeras Lucy Whittaker
    Vivian Vance
    Vivian Vance
    • Vivas Viv
    Gale Gordon
    Gale Gordon
    • Omar Whittakeras Omar Whittaker
    Mary Wickes
    Mary Wickes
    • Millie Bakeras Millie Baker
    Mary Jane Croft
    Mary Jane Croft
    • Midge Bowseras Midge Bowser
    James Brodhead
    • Mayor Wally Bowseras Mayor Wally Bowser
    • (as James E. Broadhead)
    Steve Allen
    Steve Allen
    • Selfas Self
    Lillian Carter
    Lillian Carter
    • Self (President Jimmy Carter's Mother)as Self (President Jimmy Carter's Mother)
    Joey Forman
    Joey Forman
    • Secret Service Agent Thatcheras Secret Service Agent Thatcher
    Ed McMahon
    Ed McMahon
    • Floyd Whittakeras Floyd Whittaker
    Stack Pierce
    Stack Pierce
    • Secret Service Agent Stockleyas Secret Service Agent Stockley
    John William Young
    • TV Directoras TV Director
    • (as John Young)
    Roy Rowan
    • Announceras Announcer
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Marc Daniels
    • Writers
      • Bob Carroll Jr.
      • Madelyn Davis
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
    • All cast & crew

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    Storyline

    Edit
    After Indiana housewife Lucy Whittaker (Lucille Ball) calls the White House to discuss a housing project, she finds herself making preparations for the President to visit her home for dinner. Calamity and comedy follows as Lucy frantically prepares for the momentous event with the eager support of family, friends and neighbors. The special is capped with a surprise cameo appearance.
    • character name in title
    • Plot summary
    • Add synopsis
    • Genre
      • Comedy
    • Parents guide
      • Add content advisory

    Did you know

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    • Trivia
      After the expansive living room stage set had been built on the Warner Brothers Studio stage, the entire cast's first script read was conducted on the stage's multi-camera lane aisle, in front of the studio audience bleachers. Two eight foot long tables were set on the front stage area with low director chairs for the cast members. At each end of the 16 foot long conference script table, a wooden high-director's canvas folding chair was positioned at each opposite head end of the table. Lucille Ball positioned herself in the camera right director-high chair while husband/producer Gary Morton seated himself in the camera left director-high chair. Lucy's subtle way telling everyone who was the boss. The director Marc Daniels, producers/writers Bob Carrol Jr. and Madelyn Davis joined the cast seated at the table. During breaks in the script read-through, the cast took time for a stretch, a cup of coffee and sweets from the craft service table set up on the stage. Art director Hub Braden would join the cast on stage, descending from his bleacher observation seat location. While the cast was scattered over the stage, Braden sat down in Lucy's director-high chair. Vivian Vance delicately came over to Hub, tapping him on his arm, whispering "you are sitting in the Queen's chair! No one sits in that chair except Lucy." Hub stepped off Lucy's director-high chair, joining Vivian for a cup of coffee! Vivian explained only the queen and king, Lucy and Gary Morton, were allowed the director-high chairs on the set. The director Marc Daniels had a director-low chair. The rest of the cast had to use the low director's chairs provided by the prop master. Lucy's temper would unleash if she observed anyone sitting in her chair. During the course of video-taping the comedy special, Lucy would halt the taping if she didn't like the fluid flow of the scene. Confronting Marc Daniels, the director, on stage, where he would join the cast from his off stage video remote control booth, Lucy would demand an action change, or a script dialogue alteration. In the middle of the video taping of the special, Lucy's action was to rise from her chair, step into a prop birthday cake on the floor in front of the chair. Lucy did not like the staging of the scene. An argument ensued when Lucy screamed at the director and the entire cast, stomping off the stage. The cast literally disappeared while Lucy and Marc Daniels argued over the scene in the middle of the stage set. Behind the living room set at the craft service table, Braden asked Vivian Vance "does Lucy blow up like this often?" Vivian replied, "we put up with Lucy and her temperament, knowing we will all kiss and make up after she blows her top! We have experienced Lucy's behavior for years. It is all part of the job!" Thirty minutes later, the audience still seated in their bleacher seats, the scene was successfully staged, video taped! Vivian Vance related "cast mates only talked to Lucy when they worked together. Lucy only called them when she needed them for a television special."
    • Goofs
      When Lucy tires to remove her noisy necklaces during the interview with Steve Allen, the letters on the chains are "L" and "M" for Lucille Morton (Ball's married name).
    • Quotes

      Lucy Whittaker: [on the phone with President Carter] How would you feel if somebody tore down Amy's tree house?

    • Connections
      Featured in Dinah!: Dinah and the First Ladies (1977)
    • Soundtracks
      Sweet Georgia Brown
      Written by Ben Bernie and Maceo Pinkard

      Performed by Vivian Vance and Ed McMahon

    User reviews8

    Review
    Top review
    7/10
    Not the 'Best Of', but........
    .....it's still Lucy and many of her long-time co-professionals, either beside her or behind the cameras. In contrast to many emerging comedies in 1977, this is trapped in time, identical in style to 1960's Lucille Ball series----although the reliable Gale Gordon is cast as her father-in-law, and she's not a widow. (Ed McMahon is miscast as the husband, but he's still less annoying than he is as Ed McMahon.) The familiar supporting cast reliably goes through their paces as the thin-but-familiar plot unfolds toward the surprise guest at the end. Casual viewers may or may not like this, but those of us who really love Lucy will want to give it a watch....and maybe add it to their collection.
    helpful•1
    0
    • ksdilauri
    • Jan 18, 2019

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • November 21, 1977 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Lach' mit Lucille Ball: Ein ganz besonderer Gast zum Dinner
    • Production company
      • Lucille Ball Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • Runtime
      1 hour
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono

    Related news

    [TV] Lucy Calls the President
    Apr 17JustPressPlay.net
    DVD Playhouse: April 2010
    Apr 16The Hollywood Interview

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